Sunday Afternoons Flash Cap. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

Price: £32.95
Weight: 60g
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Colour: black
Fabric: 96 per cent polyester; four per cent Spandex
Women’s version: no
Sizes: one size, 54cm-60.5cm

I’m not a big wearer of hats, mainly using them to keep my head and ears warm on winter days.

But with the advancing years comes an emerging problem, particularly evident during the scorching summer we’ve enjoyed: a thinning of my hair. And with the sun beating down on my exposed head, it was time to act. So I laid my hands on this Sunday Afternoons headwear.

The cap has a rear adjustable strip. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

The Flash Cap is a lightweight baseball-type hat. It has a good sized stiff brim, two narrow mesh panels and an adjustable hook-and-loop band at the back, with reflective strip. The cap also has two small reflective areas at the back.

There’s a wicking sweatband inside the cap, covering the forehead and sides of the head. The main fabric of the hat gives UPF 50+ sun protection, which provided welcome security on this year’s many sun-drenched days on the hill.

I have rather a big head – no sniggering at the back of class – but the cap fitted well, thanks to the adjustment strap, and stayed in place in breezy conditions. The peak has dark lining, so on sunny days the hat provided good shading, both with and without my sunglasses. The Flash Cap has two slots that you can slide glasses’ arms into to store them at the front of the cap when you enter shaded areas.

And if you have a pigtail, the cap’s design accommodates this.

You can slot your sunglasses into the cap. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

In use, the Flash Cap provided good protection without being too warm; its breathable fabric and light weight proved good in hot conditions.

On sustainability, the hat is made from recycled bluesign-approved material. Sunday Afternoons ensures its products are free from long-chain-per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); it partners four conservation bodies, including the European Outdoor Conservation Association; it is climate neutral certified.

The Sunday Afternoons Flash Cap is an easy addition to your rucksack, lightweight and taking up very little space. It was comfortable and, importantly, provided UV protection on those memorable sunny days.

Performance 35/40
Comfort 27/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 7/10
Total score: 83/100