$80 Ball Cap: I Was a Hater, Until I Tried It Myself

I have worked in the outdoor industry for almost 14 years now. For those in the industry, you know that means I haven’t paid for a hat in well over a decade. Brands give ’em out like the old lady at your childhood church dished out hard candies. My hat collection has grown to be ridiculously large, and hardly any see the light of day.

That isn’t because I don’t wear ball caps. I wear one almost every single day. But I’m picky, have my favorites, and wear them religiously. I’m a creature of habit and stick with the ol’ reliable. You know, the sweat-stained one with a graphic logo supporting one of my favorite hunting or fishing brands that makes me look legit.

But this spring, GearJunkie Affiliate Managing Editor Billy Brown hit me up to test some hats — I’m assuming because he noticed I was always wearing one on our weekly video conferences. It was a brand called Melin. He told me to hop on the site and pick a few out.

Excuse the French, but “GTFOH” was my initial thought when I saw the hats’ prices. They wanted dang near $100 for a baseball hat. That was absurd. But I had a job to do, and told Billy what I wanted. I planned on ripping Melin a new one.

In short: It turns out, it’s worth spending $100 on a baseball hat. Despite my initial inclination to dislike what I thought was a ridiculously overpriced product, I’ve come to the conclusion that Melin hats are the real deal. Durable, washable materials, unique details, and excellent water protection make this hat stand out from the crowd.

Hefty Build of the Melin Odysea Stacked Hydro Hat

I don’t know what I was expecting when I unboxed the package from Melin, but it certainly wasn’t what I got. When I first lifted the hat out of the box, the thing was hefty. The bill feels heavy and substantial, with a thick thumb tab on the interior of the brim. The front was backed by a nice, silk-like fabric. The asking price started to make sense. This clearly wasn’t a normal hat.

I still wasn’t sold, though. I had plans to rip apart the hat and absolutely destroy it. For some reason, I have a vendetta against products that I think are overpriced for what they are.

So I wore this hat through things I wouldn’t typically wear it through. I headed to the CrossFit gym for some serious sweat sessions. I don’t like working out in hats, but figured if I could get this thing sweat-stained beyond repair, I’d have grounds to stand on when ripping it apart.

After two workouts, it was toast. I will admit, it was highly breathable throughout the workouts, and the venting technology worked. So it got props for that. But sweat stains lined the headband and the front of it. I went to clean it and assumed it would be the kiss of death. I haven’t found a baseball hat that looks quite the same after a good washing.

Washing the Melin Odysea Stacked Hydro Hat

Per Melin’s online instructions, I took a sponge and mild laundry detergent to the sweat-stained cap. I soaked the entire thing in warm water and scrubbed for a few minutes.

It looked like a wet baseball hat. It was soft, malleable, and I thought for sure it would be deformed once dry, or the sweat stains would still be visible.

After 12 hours on the back patio to dry, none of those things happened. The hat looked exactly like it did when I unboxed it. No joke. Shocked would be an understatement.

I’ve since washed the Melin Odysea Stacked Hydro Hat four times, all with the same result. It comes out squeaky clean, and its maintained its shape with hard, rigid lines and support.

That alone makes it worth the asking price.

Water Repellency

The hat is water-repellent. When bombing around the local lake while bass fishing through rainstorms, it kept my head drier than other caps. Rather than having soaked hair in a matter of a few minutes, the Melin cap protected my head from moisture.

Water doesn’t seem to hit the bill and soak into the fabric of the headband as easily. In a multihour rainstorm, you’ll still get wet, but aside from wearing a full-on GORE-TEX hat, it was the best water protection I’d seen. It’s especially impressive given the breathable nature of the material.

What’s more, the dang thing floats. I really didn’t believe that claim due to the dense, heavy-duty build. I tested it by filling my kitchen sink and having the faucet pour water over it.

Lo and behold, it lived up to the hype once again. It doesn’t float like a cork, but it certainly doesn’t sink. The hat stays near the surface when submerged in water, making for a likely recovery in the event it blows off your head on a boat or when you’re swimming.

Final Thoughts on the Melin Odysea Stacked Hydro Hat

Despite wanting to hate on this hat, I love it. It’s everything it’s made out to be.

After wearing it around town, I’ve found out that Melin has a bit of a cult following. One of my buddies at the gym said, “Dude! Is that a Melin hat? I’ve been looking at picking one up, but the price is steep. Is it worth it?”

My answer is, yes.

My personal trainer saw me wearing it during a video call and told me he has a buddy who collects them. There are a ridiculous number of brim styles and colors available, so I see how that could be the case. There’s a Melin Odysea Stacked Hydro for you, no matter what your style is.

Heck, my personal trainer himself was wearing one while he told me that. As a hat guy, I’m not sure how I missed the train. Don’t be like me. Buy this hat. It’s a buy-once, cry-once scenario. Now, if only there were a way to put my fishing outfitter’s logo on one …