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Choose the right baby sun hats for your child
I think we all know now that by far the best way to protect your baby from the sun, is to keep him or her out of it completely. But in reality, this is not always practical, especially when baby is on the move. Of course we want our children to enjoy the wonderful things that Australia can offer them – the beach, the pool, the park – but we have to keep in mind all the time that baby’s skin is much thinner than our own, and they are extremely susceptible to sun burn.
Sun Protection Clothing plays an important role in protecting baby from the sun, but above all the most important piece of clothing you can put on your child is THE SUN HAT!
The sun hat will serve the important purpose of protecting your child when he is in the bright sun. It will have the job of guarding his eyes and protecting his head and face as well as the delicate skin on the back of his neck.
Wearing a hat with a broad brim that shades the eyes and ears can cut down UV radiation to the eyes by 50%.
Protecting your Baby's Head
Most of the time (but not all!) the top of your baby's head has some hair to protect it, but in most cases it is extremely fine and thin, and certainly not enough to keep the child safe from harmful UV radiation. Even children with thick hair will have some of their scalp exposed and it is very important that this is protected with a sun hat
Look for a sun hat that will cover the top of your baby's head completely and keep that delicate scalp skin from burning.
Protect Your Baby's Eyes
The sun hat needs a brim that is wide enough to make a shade over your child's eyes, to protect them from UV radiation. (Baby Sunglasses are fantastic and actively encouraged, but is a sad fact that large numbers of babies simply will not tolerate them.). The next best thing is a sun hat.
A wide brim is great, but a baby sun hat should also protect the neck and this is often ignored for the sake of a fashionable cap. Buy a legionnaire style hat with a good, long back flap that comes down to the collar, thereby covering all of the exposed neck, or a bucket-style hat with a broad brim all the way around – this will also provide good sun protection for eyes, ears and neck.
Choose a Hat Your Baby Will Wear
The hardest trick may be finding a hat your baby will actually wear. Many babies dislike a hat and will pull it off right away. Choose a hat for comfort and fit over durability. Look for a colorful cloth hat that both you and your baby will like. A sun hat is no protection if the baby will not wear it.
Make sure the hat is a soft material. If you are going to wear the hat in or around water then a quick drying fabric is best – no baby is going to want to keep a soggy, heavy, cloth hat on their head and neither would you! (Soft Touch Sun Hats are ideal for use around water)
And lastly, make sure the sun does actually offer UV protection. Most sun hats these days have a UV rating of 30+ or more. Some hats that are purely for fashion are made from very fine fabrics which just nice but actually offer very little sun protection. Try to find a sun hat made from a densely woven fabric – it doesn’t have to be heavy, just a tight weave.
Click here for more information on Sun Protection Clothing.
The choice you make when buying a sun hat for your baby can make the difference between comfort and safety, frustration and sunburn. Choose carefully and protect your baby from the sun.
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