Hats for men in the sun for best protection get a hat with a 4 inch brim or more. A hat with at least a 2 to 3 inch brim all around is ideal [for sun protection] because it protects areas often exposed to the sun, such as the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose and scalp. A shade cap, which looks like a baseball cap with about 7 inches of fabric draping down the sides and back, also is good. A baseball cap can protect the front and top of the head but not the back of the neck or the ears where skin