Intro

In case you hadn’t heard, we’re big-time hat people here at Believe in the Run. Anything that gets us out of fixing bedhead for another day is a win in our books. It’s just even better when those hats look so damn stylish. If you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re talking about Ciele Athletics. Where else can you get this many different styles of hats in this many colors? There are more hats to catch than there are Pokemon, at least we think so. Anyway, we’ve picked out some of our favorites along with some other gear you might like.

See also: The Best Running Hats to Block the Sun

That’s right, Ciele Athletics makes more than just hats. Not “just hats” — they’re great hats — there’s just so much more to the picture. The brand has put out collaborative sunglasses with Article One (they’re only $275), and they also have some super soft shirts. These are just a few of our favorites, and they’re bound to change with the season, so let’s get to it.

Ciele Athletics Hats

BKTHat

When we decided we were going to name some Ciele Athletics picks, I suddenly heard a thumping sound. At first, I thought it was the start of a famed Baltimore earthquake, but it turned out to be Wide-Foot Jarrett pounding down the hall to make sure that his pick was up first. He won in the end, but only because we all agreed with him — the bucket hat is back.

Ciele Athletics calls its design the BKTHat because fewer vowels mean more speed every time. I don’t know if the speed bit is true, but I do know that the hat offers 360 degrees of protection from the sun. It’s like Ciele Athletics took its classic GOCap and stretched the brim all the way around your head. The BKTHat packs +50 UPF protection on both the brim and body and the CoolWick mesh on the top and sides dumps heat off your head about as fast as you can build it up.

Like we said above, there are tons of colors to choose from. We’ve only picked two for now — the Eastman and the Run Mountains Jaspen Matrix. The names might be a mouthful, but the designs are cool enough that you won’t mind spreading the word. Also, remember that there are two sizes: S/M and L/XL. If ya got a big noggin, be sure to go up.

Price: $70

RDCap

The RDCap isn’t as loud as some of the other Ciele Athletics designs, but that’s kinda what we love about it. It’s a no-nonsense, wear anywhere design. In fact, Ciele views it as the next step in its evolution of premium fitness headwear. That’s a fancy way to say that you should expect to see more RDCaps in the future.

The more designs Ciele pushes for the RDCap, the more we’ll probably pick up — it’s a good hat, people. It sports the same CoolWick mesh as the BKTHat, just with a slightly wider mesh on the sides for even more breathability. The +40 UPF protection might not be as rock solid as its bucket counterpart, but it’ll keep your cheeks nice and shady. You can also reshape and pack the SoftCurve brim in case you’re working with limited space.

Unlike the bucket hat, Ciele’s RDCap is fully adjustable, so it comes in one size. Our preferred colorway right now is the Scout, which is decked out in olive green, something like a boy scout would wear. We won’t make you light a fire or orienteer with us. It’s just a great, classic colorway.

Price: $50

GOCap

I’ve heard that if you talk about Ciele Athletics and don’t mention the GOCap, a monster will come out of your closet and resize all of your hats so they don’t fit right. Well, that’s not entirely true, but we’re not about to find out. You can do that on your own time.

After all, we were going to talk about the GOCap on our list anyway because it’s an absolute classic. Ciele’s website describes it as “the original, the archetype.” We can debate the specifics all day long, but there’s a reason the GOCap comes in so many colors. Yes, it’s slightly different from the RDCap we discussed above. It’s marginally heavier but offers the same CoolWick comfort, adjustable strap, and pliable brim for easy packing. Honestly, the main difference you’re bound to notice is that the GOCap comes in a more classic five-panel design that’s never out of style.

As with all Ciele Athletics hats, there are reflective details on both the front and the back to keep you safe and visible for late-night runs. The GOCap is even machine washable, so you never have to worry about the proper technique for hand-washing — it’s harder than it should be. Our chosen colorway right now is called Stadium. It’s a simple grayish white with a stealthy Ciele wordmark across the front.

Price: $40-45

Ciele Athletics Men’s Apparel

NSBTShirt

As promised, there’s more to Ciele Athletics than meets the, well, hat. Apparel is relatively new to the lineup, but as always, the brand came in with a splash. These aren’t just regular old t-shirts. They’re made with GRS recycled cotton and polyester for a quick-drying, moisture-wicking piece of work. Ciele is so confident in its quality that it recommends the NSBTShirt for every day except for race day — when you’ll probably want something with fewer sleeves.

As for the important run-focused details, the shirt hides reflective details for unplanned night runs, flatlock stitching to keep chafing to a minimum, and a natural antimicrobial to keep some of the stank at bay. Even the rear design, Buck Mountain, is water-based to maximize breathability. It shouldn’t get sticky like most printed tees, so points for that.

Ciele doesn’t actually have too many pieces of men’s clothing. It’s really just the NSBTShirt, either with or without sleeves. Instead of telling you that the tank version is also good — which it is — we’re just gonna pick a few extra colorways that we’re more than happy to rock. Right now, we’re all-in on the Buck Mountain Dusk design, the Espace pattern in Jardin, and the School Daze Stripe. The last one is a classic striped shirt that wouldn’t look out of place in a Charlie Brown cartoon, but roll with us here.

Price: $70-75

Ciele Athletics Women’s Apparel

WNSBTShirt

That great t-shirt we just talked about for men is also available for women. It’s made the same way, with the same attention to detail, but it’s not just a shrink and pink version of the men’s shirt. Instead, Ciele Athletics went for a women-specific boxier fit that provides a little more flow and movement on every run.

Since we just got done talking about how good of a shirt it is for men, we can just run through some highlights again. The GRS recycled cotton and polyester are soft, moisture-wicking, and comfortable as can be. Flatlock stitching prevents chafing, and the antimicrobial mix is back for your summer efforts. I don’t know how many ways we can tell you that it’s a great shirt, but it really is. The patterns aren’t half bad, either.

We’ve picked out the Nochro Empire colorway as our featured design. It’s decked out with a colorful timing clock, which probably means you’re the only one who can define your time. Even if that isn’t the meaning, it’s a cool design. The Nectar Prentawn colorway is good, too, with a white base and a colorful abstract flower that runs up and down your back.

Price: $70

WNSBTank

Alright, I know we didn’t write about the tank for the fellas, but I guess it’s worth mentioning. At least it allows you to see what the shirt looks like. Honestly, it’s a lot like the t-shirt version, just with the sleeves lopped off to ensure admission into the gun show.

A few of Ciele’s designs are even the same. We featured the men’s Espace t-shirt, and now we have the women’s Espace Wrap tank top. There are some differences — mainly in the color options — but it should generally feel familiar. The WNSBTank also features the same recycled material and water-based graphic of its sleeved siblings and the women-specific boxy fit.

Since there aren’t really any other differences, let’s talk colors. We picked out the Espace Wrap version in a colorway called Norton. It sounds like antivirus software, but the green, white, and orange design is much more reminiscent of the University of Miami — shoutout hurricanes.

Price: $65