Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I own the Columbia Sun Goddess Booney Hat, which I LOVE and was looking for something equally awesome but a bit prettier. Both hats are easily 4-1/2 to 5 star hats and you can't go wrong with either. So, if you are deciding between the two or looking for a way to compare this hat to another hat, I hope this review helps with the nit picky details. (I purchased "pool" which is exactly the pretty shade of aqua in the picture.) Size: The OR Oasis runs a bit larger than most Medium hats. This is ok because the drawstring can easily be cinched for perfect fit and the slight extra room makes it easier to accommodate a tucked in ear or ponytail. But for a hat that comes in so many sizes, I expected a closer fit. I measured my head before purchasing and looked up the size chart, and it said I should get medium. I also wear medium in official MLB caps. The (Sun Goddess) Booney is a one size and fits like a typical medium. Sun coverage: the OR Oasis has an extra 3/4 inch all around the brim over the Booney hat and is UPF 50 vs. UPF 40. However, my blinding white Irish heritage skin seems adequately protected by the Booney hat, so the UPF difference is negligible. I suspect the difference is solely due to the Booney hat being a much thinner material on the cap of the hat, so if you have no hair or thin hair, you may notice a difference. The larger brim on the OR Oasis obviously shades a slightly greater area, which would put it ahead of the Booney if UPF was your only concern. Style: the OR Oasis is hands down prettier. The toggles are much more minimilistic, the fabric has a finer look and the slightly wider brim & stiffer brim, I personally think looks more balanced and polished. What I didn't see in the pictures were the pretty tone on tone flowers on the underside of the brim. Don't get me wrong, they are both techie style hats but the OR pulls off the look with a touch more grace. If you are very petite, the OR hat just might feel a bit overly large but it still wins on style points. Wind: both hats perform equally well in the wind but I feel the wind a teensy touch more with the OR Oasis hat. Visibility: You notice the OR oasis much more in your view. I'm constantly reminded I am wearing a hat when I open my eyes. It doesn't really impact your visibility, I just feel like my brain keeps reminding me I'm wearing a hat. Hot weather: the Booney hat is super breathable and light as a feather. I forget this hat is on. The OR Oasis is also very light but not as much as the Columbia Booney. It's probably lighter than any other hat you can find except the Booney. Travel: the brims on both hats have a nice soft yet stiff foam to keep the brim from flapping in your face. The brim on the OR hat is stiffer, it would pack flat but take up a giant oval footprint. I would be afraid to fold the OR hat. The brim on the Columbia hat is slightly more flexible: I can fold it and easily reshape it making it easy to compact into a purse. So why keep both? Here's where I'll wear each hat: OR Oasis: at the pool or beach. At sporting events. For day trips where I know I will spend the most of the day outside. For light yard work & fussing in the garden. As my general go-to sun shade hat. Columbia Booney: for travel - especially travel to hot climates, for day trips where I am more likely to be taking the hat on and off. When I'm doing yard work that will make me hot & sweaty (like mowing in the summer or doing heavy digging/moving dirt. When I'm wearing something that clashes like crazy with the pool blue - which will be hard because it brings out the blue in my eyes. (My Booney hat is sandstone, or whatever name they call something that should be sandstone). I might pull out either hat for hiking (day trips only) depending on my mood.