Felt vs. Straw Cowboy Hats: Materials, X-Ratings, and When to Wear Each
If you've ever stood in front of a wall of hats wondering why one costs $60 and another $400, the answer comes down to two things: the material and the X's. In this guide we break down the difference between a felt hat (what many of our customers call a texana) and a straw or palm hat (sombrero de palma), what the X-ratings actually mean in each case, and when to wear each one — with information sourced directly from the manufacturers.
Quick answers: felt vs straw and the X's
What does the X mean on a cowboy hat? On a felt hat, more X's means more fine fur (like beaver) in the blend. On a straw hat, more X's means a tighter weave and a finer fiber.
Can you compare X's between brands? No. Every brand uses its own scale. On our own rack, a Tombstone Chaparral 1000X straw costs $79.99 while a Resistol Hazer 10X straw costs $179.99 — the bigger number doesn't make it the finer hat.
Is a higher X always better? Within the same brand, yes: the felt gets softer, drapes better and lasts longer. Across brands, compare the hat in your hands, not the number.
Felt or straw for summer? Straw. It's lighter, it breathes and it's made for sun and heat. Felt is for cold weather and for formal events.
Can you wear a felt hat in summer? Yes, for formal events — a wedding, a quinceañera, a funeral — felt is the right call even in July. Straw is considered informal.
What X should a first felt hat be? At Stetson, 4X is wool felt and the budget entry; 6X is where 100% fur felt starts, and with good care it lasts decades.
Felt (Texana) vs. Straw (Sombrero de Palma)
The felt hat is made from wool or animal fur fibers pressed into a dense, warm, water-resistant material. It's the dress hat — the hat for winter and for occasions that matter.
The straw or palm hat is woven from plant fibers. It's lightweight, it breathes, and it's built for sun and heat. It's the working hat and the summer hat.
Felt Materials, According to Stetson
Stetson explains on its official site that its felts are made from rabbit, hare, beaver, mink, and chinchilla fur in different blends:
- Wool: the entry point. Good body, accessible price.
- Rabbit and hare blends: hare fur brings toughness, rabbit fur brings softness. These felts can last decades with proper care.
- Beaver: the crown jewel. Soft, durable, insulating, and naturally water-repellent. The more beaver in the blend, the better — and the more expensive — the hat.
Straw and Palm Materials
With straw and palm, quality doesn't come from the raw material so much as from the weave: how tight it's woven and how thin the fiber is. A fine, tight weave protects better from the sun, lasts longer, and simply looks sharper.
What the X's Mean (Here's the Secret)
Straight from Stetson's official FAQ:
- In felt: the X's are determined by the percentage of fine furs in the blend. More X's = a higher percentage of beaver fur.
- In straw: the X's are determined by the body of the hat — the tighter the weave and the narrower the reed, the higher the X rating.
The fine print few people tell you: X-ratings are not an industry standard. Every brand defines its own scale, so a Stetson 6X is not equivalent to a 6X from another brand. X's are for comparing hats within the same brand, not across brands. And note: Stetson doesn't reveal the exact percentages of its blends — it's their secret formula, like the Coca-Cola recipe. (That's why in our store we ask what you'll use the hat for before we talk X's.)
The Stetson Ladder, Model by Model
- 4X — e.g. Corral, Seminole: wool felt, mainly sheep's wool and, in some models, buffalo wool. Handles weather and rough daily use; the entry point with the best price-to-durability ratio. Ideal for everyday work or a first hat.
- 6X — e.g. Skyline, Open Road, Rancher, Munford: this is where fur felt begins — 100% fur bodies blending rabbit and hare. Hare brings strength, rabbit brings softness. With good care these last for decades. This tier includes some of the best-selling classics in history — the Open Road was famously the hat of presidents.
- 10X — e.g. Shasta: a richer fur felt with beaver presence in the blend. You can feel the difference: softer to the touch, better drape than a 6X.
- 30X — e.g. El Patron: in Stetson's own words, "impeccably crafted from luxurious 30X fur felt, remarkably soft and durable enough to last a lifetime of wear." Substantial beaver content. Handmade in Garland, Texas — right up the road from us. Sterling silver three-piece buckle with the JBS initials.
- 100X — El Presidente: Stetson's proprietary Premier Collection felt. Stetson says every piece is touched by more than 100 sets of hands in its Texas factory. Solid 10-karat gold buckle set. The modern equivalent of the pure beaver hats of the old days.
- 1000X — Diamante: the summit. Exclusive 1000X fur felt made from a luxury fur blend, built entirely by hand using traditional techniques. 14-karat gold three-piece buckle set with 26 genuine diamonds. More than a hat — a collector's piece.
In short: from 4X to 6X you move from wool to fur. From 6X to 10X–30X, beaver enters the blend and climbs. From 100X up, you're paying for the finest blend Stetson knows how to make — and the hat will outlive you.
When to Wear Each One
The traditional rule (cited by both Justin and Resistol): straw from Easter/Memorial Day to Labor Day; felt from Labor Day to Easter.
The Texas reality: with the heat we get here, straw comfortably stretches into October. The rule bends to the weather.
The rule that does NOT bend: for a formal event — a wedding, a quinceañera, a funeral, an important dinner — you wear felt, even in July. Straw is considered informal. As American Hat Company puts it: wedding in the middle of summer? Definitely felt.
Quick Decision Table
| Situation | Hat |
|---|---|
| Working under the sun / summer | Straw / palm |
| Winter / cold weather | Felt (texana) |
| Wedding, quinceañera, formal event | Felt, regardless of season |
| Rodeo / night out | Felt |
| Casual everyday wear in the heat | Straw / palm |
See the Difference on Our Rack
Three hats that show the whole guide in one glance:
Stetson Skyline 6X, black felt — $380. The step on the Stetson ladder where fur felt begins. A dress hat for weddings, quinceañeras and cold weather.
Resistol Hazer 10X, natural straw — $179.99. A straw shaped on a block in Garland, Texas, with a self-conforming sweatband, from the George Strait Collection. For sun, heat and everyday wear.
Tombstone Chaparral 1000X, straw — $79.99. Handwoven straw, handcrafted in Mexico — and the best proof that X's don't compare across brands: 1000X here, 10X on the Resistol, and the Resistol costs more.
Want both materials in one line? The Cody Johnson cowboy hats by Resistol run from The SP, a 6X fur felt, to the CoJo Special and the vented Drexal in straw — the same collection, two materials, two seasons.
One Last Thing
Material information in this guide comes from official manufacturer documentation (Stetson, Resistol, Justin, American Hat Company) and may change; always check your hat's label.
Already know your material and X? The next decision is the crown — read our guide to cowboy hat crown shapes (Cattleman, Pinch Front, Gus) and which one fits your face, and how to measure your hat size.
Not sure which X makes sense for your budget? Come see us at Teres Western Wear on Lake June Rd in Dallas — we'll help you choose the right one. If it's felt, we'll shape it the way you like at no charge the day you buy it (see our hat cleaning and shaping page); as a rule, we don't reshape straw. In-store pickup only, right here in Dallas.