How we found the best Santa hat

With the right hat, anybody can feel cute and comfortable while spreading Christmas cheer. [Two children wearing Santa hats and holding a picture book.] Nancy Redd YOUR GUIDE Nancy Redd I’ve been on a months-long quest to find the best Santa hat. That’s in part because of my upcoming children’s book, [The Real Santa]( which is based on my son’s intense efforts to catch the jolly icon in action. But it’s also because few mainstream brands have prioritized high-quality Santa hats in their seasonal repertoire. These subpar hats dominate store shelves, but there are a handful of diamonds among the lumps of coal. In an upcoming guide, I’ll be recommending three traditional Santa hats, as well as a handful of non-traditional styles, for everyone from babies to those with larger heads—so that all celebrators can feel cute and comfortable while spreading Christmas cheer. When you buy through our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [Learn more ›]( What we tested I’m testing more than 30 styles of Santa hats. They include: - [LessMo Velvet Snowflake Santa Hat]( // $12 for four - [Originals by Eva Handmade and Custom Santa Hats]( // $40+ - [HoHoHats Handmade and Custom Santa Hats]( // $85+ - [Tipsy Elves Santa Hat Baseball Cap]( // $25 - [Eddie Bauer Buffalo Check Santa Hat]( // $35 - [Blinkee Light-Up Cowboy Santa Hat]( // $20 The numbers 1 black cardigan semi-ruined by an especially sheddy Santa hat 31 Santa hat styles tested 100+ The Real Santa bookplates signed while wearing the Santa hats 0 sightings of the real Santa, so far … How we tested [A pile of various Santa hats.] Nancy Redd I searched for well-constructed Santa hats made from quality materials that were resistant to shedding, pilling, and/or matting. Most commercially produced Santa hats would never pass quality control at Santa’s workshop, since they tend to be poorly constructed, using cheap fabrics and raggedy trims. Overall appearance was also important. So after calling in over 30 different styles, I subjected each Santa hat to my own multipoint aesthetics scale, which ranged from “Ho! Ho! Ho!” to “No! No! No!” I determined that the best traditional Santa hat is slightly slouchy, with a folding, fluffy cuff, and it’s topped with a big, plush puff. Sadly, many Santa hats are poorly proportioned. They are either too short and tight, resembling a cone-shaped clown hat, or too long and loose, like [Wee Willie Winkie’s nightcap](. I also found that many Santa hat manufacturers deserve to be on the naughty list for lying—Santa hats with the word luxury in their names or that boast a one-size-fits-all head circumference tend to be anything but. For Santa hats under $20, there is surprisingly little correlation between the cost of the hat and its quality. For example, this [cheap-looking $16 Santa hat]( was ill-fitting and paled in comparison with these $3 [gorgeous plush velvet ones](. Initial impressions Folks looking for a Santa hat that looks as luxurious as the ones worn by Hollywood movie Santas are not going to be satisfied with store-bought options. But handmade Santa hats that will last a lifetime aren’t all out of reach price-wise. Our favorite of the custom Santa hats we tested comes from popular Etsy seller [Originals by Eva]( who has sold thousands of her beautifully crafted, customizable Santa hats. She even offers a [Clark Griswold option]( bells and all. With most hats priced between $40 and $60 (depending on customization choices), these tremendous toppers are quadruple the price of store-bought Santa hats. But they’re also 10 times the quality and can be passed down as family heirlooms. Just make sure to get your order in sooner rather than later if you’re ordering a handmade hat—the closer it gets to Christmas, the more backed up both Eva and the postal service become. I loved my custom hat from [Originals by Eva](. But this gorgeous [no-name, $3 one]( (which comes in a pack of two or four) is the hat I reach for most often for book-publicity Zooms and photo shoots. It’s slouchy and soft, just like a good Santa hat should be. It features a beautiful snowflake design embossed into high-quality velvet fabric, a perfectly puffy pompom, and a generous and fluffy customizable cuff. [Two children wearing Santa hats reading a picture book. ] Nancy Redd People looking to express their holiday spirit in a more understated way may enjoy wearing Santa hats that go against the traditional colors and styles, such as [this amazing Santa baseball cap from Tipsy Elves]( or this [uniquely dapper buffalo-check Santa hat from Eddie Bauer](. If your goal is to stand out from the sea of Santa hats in any Christmas crowd, channel your inner Li’l Nas X with this incredible [Santa cowboy hat that lights up](. Or splurge on an expensive yet beyond gorgeous—and ornately reversible—[custom creation from HoHo Hats](. Little ones have lots of Santa hat options, too—even if they’re too small or fidgety to keep a traditional hat on for long periods of time. Babies too small to keep a hat on their heads will look adorable in this [Santa hat barrette]( and my daughter loved the [Santa hat headband]( included in this fun four-pack. (These styles are also nice for people who don’t want their Santa hat to mess up their hair.) Finally, for kids and people with smaller heads who want to spread Christmas cheer without spreading germs, this adorable [Santa-hat-bearded-face mask combo]( is not high quality, but it’s hilarious. What else we’re testing - Hand soaps - Hearing aids - Immersion blenders [View email in browser]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for Wirecutter’s Newsletter. Getting too many emails from us? To stop receiving these, [unsubscribe here](. 
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