Three brands cover high-end lumberjack hats with ear flaps at JJ Hat Center: Stetson, with by far the widest choice, Lierys, which builds the classic trapper and a brimmed wool hat with flaps, and Mayser, whose earflap models are made for wind and rain. JJ Hat Center, a New York hat shop since 1911, also sells a few earflap ivy caps under its own label. What the term hides is that it covers three different builds, and that is where most wrong purchases start — a flap is a hinge, a lining, and a closure all at once, which gives a poorly made hat three extra places to fail.
Which brands sell high-end lumberjack hats with ear flaps?
Three, plus our own label — and each owns a different part of the category.
Stetson: the widest range by a long way
Most of the earflap headwear we stock carries the Stetson name, and the range splits in two. On the cap side there are earflap flat caps and ivy caps — the Kent in virgin wool, in pigskin, and in a plaid ivy version — plus the Hatteras newsboy, which comes with flaps in classic herringbone, in Donegal tweed, and in waxed cotton for wet days. On the hat side sit the bomber and aviator styles: lambskin, cowhide, corduroy, denim, patchwork, and faux fur, several with the deep crown and chin strap that most Americans picture when they say "lumberjack hat." Stetson is our best-selling brand by units over the past twelve months, with a clear margin over the brand behind it — close to four in ten of the pieces we sell carry that label.
Lierys: the traditional trapper silhouette
Lierys is the European hatter in our range that treats the trapper as a hat rather than as a novelty. The Zhivago trapper and the Highfly leather trapper are the obvious examples, and its Traveller — a wool hat with a full brim and ear flaps — is the one piece we would hand to someone who wants covered ears without giving up a brim. There is also a wool cap with flaps in the line. Lierys ranks second among our brands by units over the past year, at roughly a third of what we sell.
Mayser: weather first
Of the three, Mayser has the smallest presence in our range and the narrowest focus. Its earflap flat cap is a straightforward wool cap; the outdoor models are built around weather protection, and one of them carries a Sympatex membrane — it is in the model name. That is the detail that counts if your winter brings sleet rather than dry cold.
What people mean by a "lumberjack hat"
No hatter has ever sold a hat under that name. The term describes a look — buffalo check, plaid, heavy wool, flaps down — rather than a style of hat, and in the US it gets attached to three builds that fit and perform very differently. The pattern is what carries the association, and it crosses all three: a plaid ivy cap with earflaps and a country-check trapper are both in our range right now. So the pattern is the easy part of the search. The build is the decision.
The three builds of hats with ear flaps
Construction, not pattern, decides how a hat with ear flaps performs.
Earflap caps
A flat cap, ivy cap, or newsboy with a panel sewn into the lining that folds down and fastens under the chin. Flaps up, it looks like an ordinary cap, which is the whole point: you can wear it into a meeting. Coverage is partial — ears and the back of the neck, not the cheeks — so this is a cap for a cold commute rather than for standing still in the open for an hour. Ours are collected in Earflap Caps.
Trapper and aviator hats
A soft crown, a lined body, and large flaps that either tie up on top or fasten under the chin. This is the warmest build we sell, and the reason is the crown rather than the flaps: it is insulated all the way around instead of being a single layer of cloth. The trade-off is bulk and a deliberately rugged look. If you are deciding between models, our guide to what to look for in a good trapper hat works through linings, closures, and fit in detail, and the range sits in Trapper Hats.
Brimmed hats with ear flaps
The least known of the three and the most useful in bad weather: an outdoor or traveler hat with a brim that keeps rain and low winter sun off your face, plus flaps for the ears. For dog walks, hunting, or a cold day on the water it beats both of the others. It is also the hardest build to find, which is why only a few are in the shop at any time. All three builds sit together in Hats with Earflaps if you want to compare them side by side.
What makes an earflap hat high-end
Four things, and you can check all of them in a minute with the hat in your hands.
- The shell. Virgin or merino wool, Donegal tweed, herringbone, waxed cotton, pigskin, cowhide, or lambskin. A wool blend with a high synthetic content feels light in the shop and cold on the street.
- The lining. This is where cheap earflap hats are cut. Look for a quilted or faux-fur lining that runs into the flaps themselves, not just across the crown — a flap with nothing inside it blocks wind and little else.
- The hinge. Fold the flap up and down a few times. On a well-made hat it lies flat against the lining with no bulge, and the stitching that holds it is set into a seam rather than sewn onto the surface.
- The closure. Snaps, a leather tab, or a cord. Whatever it is, it should hold the flaps up without strain and release them without a fight, in gloves.
Among our ten best-selling pieces over the past twelve months, four are earflap styles, and not one of them is fur. In a New York winter, a dense wool shell with a lining that reaches into the flaps does more work than an impressive-looking pelt.
Matching the hat to your winter
The question most people actually have is not which brand, but which of these they will wear.
- Commuting in a cold, dry city: a herringbone or tweed earflap newsboy or flat cap. Flaps up on the train, down on the platform.
- Hard cold, wind, long stretches outdoors: an aviator or trapper hat with a lined crown and a chin strap. The strap is what keeps it on your head when a parka hood goes over the top.
- Sleet, rain, wet snow: a waxed-cotton cap or a membrane-lined outdoor hat. Untreated wool will soak.
- One hat for all of it: a brimmed wool hat with ear flaps. The brim covers the part of your face that no cap reaches.
- A dress code to respect: tweed, herringbone, or plain wool, and no plaid — a check pattern reads casual no matter how well the hat is made.
Getting the fit right when flaps are involved
Earflap caps and trappers are sized like any other hat, in US sizes — 7, 7 1/8, 7 1/4, 7 3/8 and up — or in S/M/L, depending on the maker. Measure around your head in inches where the hat will actually sit, roughly an inch above your eyebrows and just above the ears, and buy that size.
Two mistakes are specific to this style. The first is sizing up to leave room for the flaps: they fold into the lining, the block already accounts for them, and a half size too big will lift off in exactly the wind you bought the hat for. The second is judging the fit with the flaps down and the closure fastened, which draws the whole hat tighter — try it both ways and let the flaps-up fit decide.
If you wear a tweed or wool cap daily and it starts to feel loose, that is the lining relaxing, not your head shrinking; a hatter can take the sweatband in by a half size.
Caring for wool, tweed, leather, and fur flaps
Earflap hats pick up more sweat and hair product than any other winter style, because the lining touches more of your head. Air the hat after wearing it, flaps open, before it goes into a closet — damp wool kept folded is how a lining starts to smell. Brush tweed and wool with a soft brush in the direction of the nap and spot-clean rather than soaking; our guide to cleaning a wool hat without ruining it covers the method and the water temperature that causes shrinking.
Leather and pigskin flaps want a conditioner once a season and no direct heat — a radiator will stiffen a lambskin flap permanently. Faux fur recovers from a soaking if you shake it out and let it dry at room temperature. Real fur should never be dried warm and never be stored compressed.
Frequently asked questions
Which brands make the best lumberjack hats with ear flaps right now?
For the broadest and most consistent quality, Stetson: it covers earflap flat caps, Hatteras newsboys, and lined aviator hats in virgin wool, Donegal tweed, pigskin, and lambskin. Lierys is the choice for a traditional trapper or a brimmed wool hat with ear flaps, and Mayser for a weatherproof outdoor hat with flaps. Stetson and Lierys together account for most of the headwear that leaves our shop, earflap styles included.
What is a hat with flaps actually called?
It depends on the build. A cap with fold-down panels tucked into the lining is an earflap cap, and most of those are flat caps, ivy caps, or newsboys. A deep hat with large flaps and a chin strap is a trapper hat or an aviator (bomber) hat. A hat with a full brim plus flaps is usually sold as an outdoor or traveler hat. "Lumberjack hat" is a shopper's term, not a hatter's one.
How should a hat with ear flaps fit?
Exactly like any other hat: snug enough to stay on in wind, loose enough to leave no mark on your forehead after a few minutes. Measure your head where the hat sits, about an inch above the eyebrows, and buy your true US size. Do not size up to make room for the flaps; they fold into the lining, and the block already accounts for them.
Are faux fur earflap hats as warm as real fur?
For a city winter, yes, and faux fur handles wet snow better because it dries faster and does not mat. Real fur still has the edge in hard, dry cold and lasts longer if you keep it dry. Judge the shell and the lining together rather than the fur alone.
Can you wear a lumberjack hat with ear flaps in the city?
A tweed or herringbone earflap cap reads as tailored and works over a topcoat. An aviator hat is rugged by design, so pair it with a parka or a field jacket rather than a suit. Plaid and check patterns are the most casual of the lot.
