Take a strap or band, tack a brim on it, and put it on your head and you have a tennis visor. Essentially a crownless hat that leaves the top of the head uncovered, the tennis visor shields the face, particularly the eyes, from the sun, without the weight or poor ventilation of a cap.

What Other Uses: While known for tennis, visors are often used in other sports like volleyball, activities like running, and most notably golf. Not just sports and leisure activities were visors used, old school accountants and bookkeepers wore green shade visors as well.

Visors Offer Protection: Visors protect the face and from sunlight as a cap or hat do, but being crownless allows for airflow to cool the head, making it very useful for sports like tennis. Baseball caps, enclosing the head, are better suited for slower paced activities that do not produce the levels of perspiration tennis does. Further, the band of the visor can be directly act as a sweatband, wicking away moisture and keeping sweat out of the eyes.

Versatility: Except for fashion trends like wearing the brim to the back, there’s not much you can do with a baseball cap other than place snugly on your head. Visors can be worn high up, low to the eyes, even backwards, to adjust its functional protection. No matter how it’s worn a visor will also always have its superior ventilation.

Looking Good: Speaking of fashion, visors tend to be associated with a better look than baseball caps; perhaps due to baseball originating as a working class sport, whereas tennis and golf can be seen as at least starting as aristocratic pursuits. No excess sweat in the hair, suitable for different ensembles, the visor can be your best option for any number of active or leisure styles.

Ok, Maybe Not Always: You probably won’t get away with wearing a visor instead of a knit hat when skiing. The bucket hat, originally worn against rain, eventually became the fishing hat, better suited for all day exposure to the sun. In dry climates, fiber or straw hats, such as boater hats, with their light weight, their moderate ventilation, and wide all around brims provided great sun protection in low activity or windy environments. Finally bald or balding people will definitely want to avoid using visors. Heat exposure, as well as sunburn, can make even the best made and most fashionable visor a poor health (and comfort) choice.

So consider your pursuits when choosing appropriate headgear. How long will you be in the sun, will there be rain, just how active will you be? Consider the visor if you’re looking for an elegant sports choice, need versatile sun protection for your face, and anticipate generating enough sweat that a cool airflow will be just what you need for that perfect outdoor active life.