I absolutely adore this hat! I spent hours out in the sun at the beach and didn't get any sunburn. This hat protected my face and neck, and because of the strap it didn't blow off my head when I walked down the beach. And it was a red flag day, so it was windy. I have a large head, but this hat had enough give that it didn't feel like it was too tight. Although I suppose if you have a normal sized head it would feel fine too, as it almost feels stretchy. I would not recommend putting this in a suitcase, I don't think it would hold up well to being squished.