Lightweight and sturdy. Works like a charm for my daily health walk here in the  Phoenix summer sun. I have a large head and this fits fine with room to spare (a little) i'm a 7- 3/4 in most fitted hats/caps. (This same exact hat is offered by other company's for much more money). Not straw, but some paper base material coated with a hard finish. It keeps the sun at bay, as a good solar helmet should do, and lets your head stay cooler than  I expected. Yes it looks like a safari helmet. So I wear my Stetson hat when out and about and not health walking. Otherwise people are expecting me to say "Dr. Livingston I presume?" Great for a walk, but not for working in the sun. Not enough of a brim for shade in an intense Arizona sun..