Sheepskin Bomber Hat for Men – Aviator Fur Hat with Ear Flaps

Men's Fur Hats

In the 1930s and 40s, pilots flew in open or poorly heated cockpits at altitudes where the air bit through anything thin. Their answer was sheepskin: leather on the outside to stop the wind, thick wool on the inside against the skin, flaps long enough to wrap the jaw. The bomber hat was born from that problem.

Nearly a century later, the design hasn't needed fixing.

Sheepskin Bomber Fur Hat Built on the Original Pattern

This one follows the same layout. A rounded leather crown, a front flap that turns up or folds down over the forehead, and two long earflaps that tie under the chin. Lower everything and only your face is left in the cold. Tie it all up and it's a compact winter hat that fits under a hood.

Who wears it now? Men who spend real hours outside. Ice fishing at dawn, a shift on an open construction site, clearing snow before work, a long winter walk with the dog. It's an aviator hat for people whose cockpit is a frozen parking lot.

A Winter Hat with Ear Flaps for the Longest Days Outdoors

Sheepskin earns its place when cold lasts for hours, not minutes. The wool pile is deep, so it keeps holding heat long after a thinner hat would have given up, and it stays comfortable down to around −25°C with every flap lowered. Heavier than a mink cap, yes. You feel that weight working.

Every hat is cut and sewn by hand at our Ukrainian workshop, and with sensible care a sheepskin bomber gives 10 to 15 winters of hard use. Prefer fur on the outside? Browse our ushanka hats collection. For softer, lighter winter headwear, the knitted fur hats are worth a look.

Sizing

Available from 56 to 61 cm. The chin ties set where the flaps sit, not how the crown fits, so choose by your head measurement.

Specifications

• Material: Sheepskin (shearling), farm-raised: leather outside, wool pile inside
• Construction: Three-flap bomber pattern
• Sizes Available: 56–61 cm (see size guide above)
• Season: Winter, −10°C to −25°C (14°F to −13°F)
• Care: No washing; brush the wool, condition the leather
• Origin: Handcrafted in Ukraine

Get it before the first deep frost, not during it.

You Might Also Like

• Mink Caps and Hats — lighter fur styles for town days
• Women's Fur Hats — warm fur styles for her
• Men's Newsboy Caps — for when the thaw arrives, in wool or tweed

More models of bomber and aviator hats on our official website Caps&HatsUA.

Questions People Ask

I measure 59 cm around the head. Which size of this sheepskin bomber do I need?

Size L, which is made for 59 cm. The wool pile inside a bomber hat is thicker than mink or fabric linings, so this hat fits a little fuller than a cap of the same number. That's why sizing down is a mistake here: a too-small sheepskin hat squeezes the pile flat and loses warmth. If your tape reads 59.5, step up to L–XL.

Should a new bomber hat feel snug, and will the wool lining settle?

A little snug is normal, painful is not. Over the first two or three weeks of wear, the wool pile compresses slightly where it touches your head and the leather relaxes around the crown, so the hat ends up shaped to you. Expect it to feel about half a size roomier after that. If it presses on your temples from the first minute, though, it's the wrong size and won't fix itself.

What is the difference between sheepskin and shearling in a hat?

Mostly wording. Shearling is a sheepskin tanned with its wool left on, which is exactly what this hat is made from. Sheepskin is the broader term and can also mean plain sheep leather with no wool. When a shearling hat is described as sheepskin, it usually means the same material. The thing that matters is that hide and wool are one piece, with no glued layers that could separate over time.

Does a sheepskin hat smell when it gets wet, and how do I avoid that?

A faint woolly smell when it's soaked is normal and fades as the hat dries. Hang it on a bottle or a hat stand in a ventilated room so air reaches the inside, and keep it away from radiators, which crack the leather. A lasting musty smell only appears when sheepskin is put away damp. Air the hat outdoors on a dry, frosty day before storing it, and the problem never starts.

How do I clean the wool lining and the leather of a sheepskin hat?

Separately. Brush the wool inside with a wide-tooth comb or soft bristle brush now and then to stop it matting. Wipe the leather with a barely damp cloth if it gets dirty and rub in a leather conditioner two or three times a winter, keeping it off the wool. Never put the hat in water or a washing machine. A specialist sheepskin cleaner can give it a deep clean between seasons.

Is a sheepskin bomber fur hat too warm for active work like shoveling snow?

It can be, if every flap is down. Hard physical work at −5°C raises your temperature fast, and a fully closed bomber will have you sweating within minutes. The fix is simple: tie the earflaps up and turn the front flap back while you're moving, then lower them again when you stop. That flexibility is the reason this design has stayed in use for outdoor workers for decades.

Does a bomber hat look right with a city coat, or only with outdoor gear?

It leans rugged, so it's happiest with parkas, shearling jackets, waxed cotton and leather flight jackets. With a wool overcoat it works too, as long as the coat is casual, such as a pea coat or a duffle coat rather than a tailored business style. With a suit and a formal coat it looks out of place. For office days, a mink baseball cap or a flat cap in fur is the better partner.

Sheepskin bomber hat or sheepskin visor cap: which one suits me better?

Choose by sun and wind. The bomber hat gives the most coverage, with a front flap and long earflaps that wrap the jaw, so it's the one for open, windy places and long hours outside. The visor cap uses the same warm sheepskin but adds a leather bill, which blocks low winter sun and snow glare. If you drive a lot or spend time on bright snow, the visor cap is more practical.