While I have the tendency to write about a majority of the campaigns that I end up personally backing, there are some (say, board games) that I’ve not covered here, as it’s just not been a fit for our coverage. One that would have been a fit – but that I somehow missed talking about – was the Shape Flexer Sunhat. I’m always on the search for a good outdoors / yard work hat, and the Shape Flexer has been that in spades. There’s a new version that just got launched on Kickstarter, the Shape Flexer Sunhat Lite.
Before we get into any of the other capabilities, we need to talk about what makes the Shape Flexer Sunhat Lite, well, lite. In the original hat, there’s a fairly heavy-duty plastic-coated copper wire in the brim that makes it flexible (so you can shape the brim) but still give a good deal of rigidity. Well, some folks felt that it was simply to heavy, so they went back to the drawing board to figure out how to lighten things. They’ve knocked about 40% off of the weight, by using a foam-encapsulated lighter wire. Not only that, this wire should be user-replaceable if needed (and replacements are only a couple of bucks, to boot). Some other changes they’ve done is to use a thicker material in the main hat, a lighter one in the cape (all UPF 50+) and put some more padding into the brim.
What makes the Shape Flexer Sunhat Lite so great (just like it’s predecessor) is just how flexible it is. You can adjust the brim to your needs or shading desires. Want some more airflow? Unzip the crown. Need some more shade on your neck? Well, there’s a cape you can deploy out of the back. It’s particularly windy (or your just jumping into the water)? You’ve got yourself a chin strap. And speaking of the jumping in, the hat is waterproof, so if its an inadvertent swim, getting caught in the rain, or just scooping up water to dump on your head, you’re good to go. I’ve used this quite a bit in the outdoors – hiking and yard work, mostly – and it’s been a great companion. I wouldn’t mind if it was just a touch bigger (I’ve got a big noggin) but I can get it onto my head without too much issue. And in this campaign, I do see there’s now an XXL option, so that would probably work out great for me.
Any which way, you can get your own Shape Flexer Sunhat Lite – in one of four colors – for just $41. This might seem a bit pricey compared to the cheap bucket hats you can get at your local shop, and sure, that’s true. With the Shape Flexer you’re getting something that is way better – and undoubtably breathable – than those cheap options. And, if you get in on this campaign, you’ll benefit from what those of us in the first campaign went through. In that one, there were a variety of manufacturing and shipping issues that caught the creator unawares, but he stayed on top of those, and was great at communicating it. This time around, it seems like it should be tightly buttoned up, as shipping is estimated for in August (so, still plenty of time to block the sun). This campaign wraps up on July 20, 2019 and is currently sitting at 118% funded. If you’re curious about the hat, definitely check it out – I like my original, and this new version seems like quite the update. project page
