How to Pack Hats for Travel Without Crushing Them

Traveling with hats? Here’s how to pack them properly and keep them in perfect shape, wherever you go.

Packing Hats for Travel Can Be Tricky

For hat lovers, travel presents a dilemma: how do you take your favourite hats with you, without crushing them in your suitcase or having no choice but to wear them through the airport?

Hats are delicate by design. They don't fold neatly, and stuffing them into a carry-on often means flattened brims, misshaped crowns, or worse, completely destroying them.

That’s why we created Headcase – the world’s first premium backpack designed to protect your hats and travel essentials while streamlining the way you travel. With its dedicated hat storage compartment, adjustable compression straps, and structured interior, Headcase lets you pack your favourite hats safely without sacrificing on style.

Why Proper Hat Packing Matters

Proper hat packing is important because it protects your hats from damage and ensures they retain their shape and style during travel. If you've ever arrived at your destination to find your favourite hat completely unwearable, you know the pain. Hat damage is more than cosmetic, it can permanently change the structure of quality materials like felt, straw, or raffia

Common Problems When Traveling With Hats:

• Crushed or bent brims

• Misshapen crowns

• Surface scuffs from friction

• Snaps or breaks in straw or damage to decorative elements

• Needing to carry them awkwardly by hand

Whether you’ve invested in a custom-made hat or you travel with your signature go-to, proper storage protects your investment (and your style).

How to Pack Hats for Travel Without Crushing Them

Here’s your step-by-step guide to packing your hats using the Headcase backpack

Watch how to easily pack hats for traveling | @headcase_travel on Instagram

Step 1: Remove Accessories

Start packing hats by taking off any delicate accessories like feathers, pins or embellishments that could get caught or damaged in transit. Store them in the internal zip pocket or one of the included packing cubes to avoid damage.

Step 2: Stack Smart

Set your most structured hat on top (like a wide-brim felt or wool hat). Then layer more flexible styles, like straw, raffia, or baseball caps, underneath. The structured front compartment of the Headcase backpack holds them snugly in place.

Step 3: Use Your Dust Bag

Slide the hats into the premium cotton dust bag provided for added protection to keep your hats clean and abrasion-free during travel. This step in the hat packing process is not required, but it’s definitely recommended. Completely up to you!

Step 4: Fill the Gaps

After placing them inside the Headcase backpack, use soft clothing, like knits or scarves, to fill any empty space around your hats. This prevents shifting and helps maintain the hat’s shape during transit.

Step 5: Zip and Go

Finally, secure everything with the internal compression straps, zip it closed, and you’re done. Everything is locked in place and your hats are ready for takeoff.

No more balancing hats on your lap. No more squeezing them into a suitcase. Just stylish, stress-free travel.

Benefits of Packing Your Hats and Traveling with Headcase

Headcase was purpose-built for travellers who refuse to compromise on style or function. It’s not just a bag; it’s a travel essential for hat lovers, creatives, and frequent flyers alike.

• Protect Your Hats in Style: Custom-designed for structured hats, the internal compartment and adjustable compression straps keeps your favourite piece perfectly preserved.

• Elevate Your Carry-On Game: Premium vegan leather exterior, sleek design, and considered features mean no compromise between fashion and function.

• Simplify Travel, Maximise Style: No need to juggle extra hat boxes or carry them awkwardly by hand, everything’s in one elegant place.

• Glide Through Airports Hands-Free: Lightweight with ergonomic shoulder straps, quilted back padding, and a trolley sleeve to slide onto your suitcase.

• Access Essentials Effortlessly: Thoughtfully designed with two external quick-access pockets for your phone, passport, or keys.

• Work-Ready Interior: The rear compartment includes a padded laptop sleeve (fits up to 16"), two internal slip pockets, and a zippered compartment for notebooks, cords, and more.

• Organised Packing: Comes with two water-resistant packing cubes made from recycled nylon for effortless organisation.

• Cabin-Ready: Compact enough to fit under the seat or in the overhead bin, perfect as your personal carry-on.

Wherever your next adventure takes you, your hats come with you. Pack confidently, travel effortlessly, and arrive looking exactly the way you imagined.

Headcase. Protect your hats. Pack your dreams.

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