Columbia Bora Bora Booney II (Columbia #1447091)

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

2026 lineup note: Current. Columbia's (Portland, OR) Omni-Shade booney — UPF 50, Omni-Wick sweatband, 3" brim, 100% nylon — at ~$40 list, frequently on sale under $30 (Sept 2026).

Version lineage (2023–2026)

• Long-running: Bora Bora Booney — Columbia's fishing/boating booney line for years; the "II" refresh brought the current Omni-Shade/Omni-Wick package.
• 2023–2026: Bora Bora II Booney (current) — 100% textured nylon poplin body, 100% polyester mesh vent panel, Omni-Shade UPF 50, Omni-Wick sweatband and mesh venting, adjustable drawcord with toggle plus back-of-hat adjustment, 3" brim. Vendor style #1447091.
• Still a smart buy? The Bora Bora II is the value booney — it undercuts Sunday Afternoons and Tilley by 30–50% while delivering real UPF 50 and a wicking sweatband. It doesn't float and doesn't pack as flat, but at sale prices (~$29) it's the rational buy.

Overview

The Bora Bora II Booney is Columbia's hot-weather fishing hat: Omni-Shade UPF 50 fabric blocks 98%+ of UVA/UVB (1/50th transmission), the Omni-Wick sweatband and mesh vent panel move sweat and heat, and the 3" brim shades face, ears, and neck. The adjustable drawcord with toggle plus a back adjustment keeps it on in wind. 100% textured nylon poplin body with a polyester mesh vent panel. The classic use case is fishing and boating — sweat management and sun protection at a price that doesn't hurt to lose overboard.

Key Specs

Pricing

• MSRP: ~$40 — UNVERIFIED at columbia.com today; Sporting Life (CA) lists $39.99 CAD-equivalent pricing with 28% off to $28.98 (Sept 2026); Columbia TH lists ฿1,490 with frequent 20–50% discounts.
• Street price: routinely $29–$35 US on sale — UNVERIFIED live today; re-verify at columbia.com before publishing.

In the Box

One booney hat. No accessories.

Warranty

Columbia's limited warranty covers manufacturing defects — exact terms UNVERIFIED from today's research; re-verify at columbia.com before publishing.

Support & Parts

Columbia (Portland, OR) customer support; no parts (consumable apparel).

Community Verdict

The Bora Bora II is the "good enough booney" that fishing and paddling communities buy in multiples: praised for the wicking sweatband actually working, the UPF 50 holding up, and the price making it a no-tears loss. The knocks versus Sunday Afternoons: it doesn't float, the brim is less structured in wind, and the nylon poplin feels less premium than the Cruiser's construction. Consensus: the smart-money sun hat — buy the Cruiser for refinement, the Bora Bora for value, and nobody is wrong. No fabricated scores.

Images

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Research date: 2026-09-20. Specs from Sporting Life (CA) and Columbia TH listings (UPF 50, Omni-Wick, 3" brim, nylon poplin + polyester mesh, drawcord + back adjustment, style 1447091, $39.99/$28.98). US MSRP and weight UNVERIFIED — re-verify at columbia.com.

Long-term durability & warranty-claim reality (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Nylon poplin boonies are durable by nature: the Bora Bora II survives seasons of fishing abuse; the failure points are the drawcord toggle and the sweatband elastic. Long-term wear: the Omni-Wick treatment washes out gradually (it's a finish, not the fiber), and dark colorways fade. Warranty-claim reality: Columbia honors manufacturing defects; sweatband/elastic wear is wear, not defect.

Version history — year by year (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• 2023–2026: Continued with rotating colorways; frequent 20–50% discounting is the norm, not the exception — rarely pay list. No redesign announced as of Sept 2026.

Head-to-head vs closest rivals (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• vs Sunday Afternoons Cruiser Hat (/library/gear/insect-sun/sunday-afternoons-cruiser-hat/ — new this round): the Cruiser floats, packs flatter, and has the more refined brim — at ~$10–15 more; the Bora Bora wins on sale price and matches it on UPF. Refined vs value.
• vs Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat (/library/gear/insect-sun/sunday-afternoons-ultra-adventure-hat/): the Ultra Adventure is the technical premium pick; the Bora Bora is half the price for 80% of the function. Diminishing returns above the Bora Bora's price point.
• vs Outdoor Research Sombriolet (no catalog dossier): the Sombriolet is the UPF-50+ sun hat with the folding brim; the Bora Bora is simpler and cheaper. OR for the fold-flat brim trick, Columbia for the price.

Care & maintenance (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Hand wash or gentle machine wash cold; line dry. The Omni-Wick finish benefits from technical-wash detergent rather than standard detergent (residue kills wicking). Don't crush the brim in packing — it's structured, not foam-core.

Buying traps (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• Never pay list — 20–50% off is the normal price; set a sale alert.
• Bora Bora vs Bora Bora II: verify the "II" — the original is still in discount channels; the II has the current Omni-Shade/Omni-Wick package.
• Doesn't float — tether it on the water; this is the practical difference from the Cruiser.
• Weight was not verifiable today — don't quote a weight.

Community Verdict — additional voices (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Additional sourced voices (Sept 2026): Sporting Life listing — "high-performance fishing hat battles the heat, combining UPF 50 fabrication... and an Omni-Wick sweatband and mesh vent panel to keep you cool and the sweat from dripping in your eyes." Fishing-community threads treat it as the default boat hat at the sale price. No fabricated scores.

Key Specs gap-fill (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Brim 3" = 7.6 cm. Vendor style #1447091 (Sporting Life item 24048043). UPF 50 = 1/50th UV transmission (98% blocked). CAD $39.99 / sale $28.98 (Sporting Life, Sept 2026; not converted); THB ฿1,490 list (Columbia TH, Sept 2026; not converted). Weight and US MSRP UNVERIFIED — re-verify at columbia.com.