Tilley Endurables Tilley LT5

Parky Again
Reviewed: 10 July 2005

The Rolls Royce of hats?

Perfect fit
Keeps you cool
Superb shading
Extemely water resistant

Can make you look like a standard lamp

Well, it's hat that fits you perfectly because Tilley make them in standard hat sizes and is held on by gravity and not a piece of elastic aound your head. This allows air flow from around your head into the crown and out through the brass vents at the top making this quite thick, substantial hat much cooler than it looks.
A pocket in the crown for emergency beer vouchers and a sunglass holder.

Windy? No problem as there are two straps, one for under your chin and another for the back of your head. If the wind manages to blow this off your head then you will probably have to retrieve your head too.


I have the natural (white) with a dark green underbrim. Shades your eyes, ears and neck.

Superb construction and it will take any abuse you care to throw at it.

Washes up a treat - just bung it in the washing machine, give it a spin and then a quick stretch on your knee.

Improve the water repellancy by an after market spray on the outside.

Quality does not come cheap but this is more than worth the price differential compared to cheap alternatives that come in only two/three sizes

If you want quality hat then look no further.

Jan Challis
Reviewed: 05 July 2005

eaten by elephants, worn by me

Waterproof, windproof, sunproof, comfortable, washable, squashable, indestructible (the one eaten by an elephant is still apparently going strong)

not bugproof without additional mesh covers for vent grommits

Bombproof! I've worn this hat walking, cycling, paddling, shopping, in sun, in rain, in wind, in snow. It's always comfortable save for the hottest of days when it gets a bit warm up top. It keeps the rain off your glasses and the sun off your nose (shame about my legs, though - burnt to a crisp).
There's a chin and neck strap to keep it on in the wind and even a sunglasses keeper to store your shades, plus a pocket in the crown for an emergency beer voucher.
It goes through the washing machine when it hums - and it's gotten pretty filthy on occasion - and always comes out pristine again. Some chap on the train at Cromer in a shiny LT5 looked disgusted at me because mine was 10 shades of sweat, dust, rain... (nothing to do with the rest of me looking ditto and a big rucksack, of course); I thought he was going to report me to the RSPCH! Once around the wwashing machine cycle and it was looking as new again, though.
Do I recommend the LT5? I surely do. Oh, and it's got a higher crown than the T5, which was too short for my head, so it's worth trying the different models on to find the one that fits best. And the Tilley guarantee is silly - a new hat for half price in the first two years of ownership if you lose it. And that's on top of the lifetime guarantee!