Veilance Hats

Fiorm

I think the fabric on this is exclusive to AV, and it’s great, especially for hot weather. It’s a very open wool/nylon jersey that breathes well and feels like nothing. The only issue I have with it is that it holds dust/dandruff a bit.

The seamless construction is a bit of a double-edged sword. The lack of seams provide comfort but leave the hat with a bit of an odd shape, the sides poke out from the front, which I imagine could be avoided with the paneling used in most baseball hats. This makes the whole package look a bit too “greyman” for me, but others may appreciate this.

Fit is the same as other Arc’Teryx hats for the most part, but the Fiorm is a bit deeper. The headband is comfortable and has a fair amount of give. The brim is structured, easy to shape, and big enough to provide good sun protection.

Stealth SL

I’d argue that this is the most practical of the bunch, a true “rain hat” (for whatever that’s worth). Shakedry fabric is comfortable on the head, waterproof, breathable, and won’t delaminate. It’s perfect to wear with a hooded jacket to keep as much water away from your face as possible, or on its own to keep your head a little dry.

Despite a nylon panel inside of the hat, it has basically no structure. The brim is a flat piece of rubber that can’t be shaped (I tried, hard), and the Shakedry itself is extremely thin and bag-like. I don’t have an issue with this, but imagine many people would.

It’s designed to fit like a running hat, so quite shallow and small. I’d suggest avoiding this one if you have a very large head and/or prefer deeper hats. There’s a headband on the inside but it doesn’t do much since the fabric isn’t stretchy. The adjuster works well enough though, it’s easy to use and stays in place.

I’m a big fan of how Shakedry looks, especially in hat form. The texture and slight sheen is interesting and can add something to an outfit. The paneling looks quite nice too. I imagine most people will assume you’re wearing a leather hat, so you can decide how you feel about that.

Stealth

What better way to test Gore-Tex Pro 2.0 “Most Rugged,” the “delamination proof” 3L fabric, than to make a hat out of it? The shell fabric feels like the Pro of old, while the face fabric is a bit softer, thicker, and lacks the grid of old Pro. The seams seem to be smaller (or at least the tape), which is a nice touch.

Pro has some structure but is still quite floppy overall, including the plastic brim. I’m not sure, but there seems to be an extra layer of face fabric in the middle of the hat, which makes it look a bit more structured in the middle and floppy on the sides, if the makes sense.

The Stealth fits a little bigger than the Stealth SL, but still like a running hat. The brim is thicker than on the Stealth SL, but still flat and unable to be shaped. It’s up to your head to fill out and shape the hat and pull the brim into the right position, which is a bit dicey. It has the same headband and adjuster as the Stealth SL, so see above on that.

This hat is such a cool concept but let’s be real, a hat is probably the worst possible form for GTX Pro. I feel like on the Stealth SL the funky fit and appearance are compensated for with utility, and this is not the case on the Stealth. It’s waterproof and slightly warmer (if a little clammy) compared to the SL, but still doesn’t really make sense as a Fall/Winter waterproof hat. I’d rather just wear a beanie and hood in cold and wet conditions than feel much colder and slightly dryer in the Stealth Cap.

I think the Stealth looks cool. Buy it if you run hot and want a FW waterproof hat, like the concept/look, or want to test Gore’s marketing claims and see if constant contact with your greasy and sweat head won’t delaminate the fabric. If you do that, please share your experience! The washing instructions say “surface clean only,” but I imagine the hat could be safely washed - and the fabric preserved - with regular laundering in a mesh bag on a cold gentle cycle.

Conclusions

Fabric/comfort: Fiorm > Stealth SL > Stealth

Utility: Stealth SL > Fiorm > Stealth

Looks: Stealth SL > Stealth > Fiorm

Durability: Fiorm > Stealth = Stealth SL