The 7 Best Migraine Hats of 2023

We spoke to experts to find the best products that deliver direct temperature therapy.

Rich Scherr is an updates strategist and fact checker for Dotdash Meredith brands, including Health and Verywell. He is a seasoned financial and technology journalist who served as editor-in-chief of the Potomac Tech Wire for nearly two decades, and is a regular contributor to the sports pages of The Baltimore Sun. He has also been a news editor for America Online and has contributed to the Associated Press and The Washington Post.

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Anyone with chronic or episodic migraines will tell you that finding the right combination of treatments to prevent episodes and relieve acute pain can be a struggle. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are the most common treatments. But even if you find one that works well for you, medicine doesn’t kick in right away and those first few moments of a migraine can be excruciating.

Thankfully, there’s one way to get on-the-spot help: a migraine hat. These products—which aren’t always “hats,” but can also be bands, wraps, or even eye masks—are made with gel packs designed to be frozen and applied when a migraine flares up. That means they offer hands-free cooling and instant pain relief. According to Thomas Berk, MD, medical director of Neura Health, cold therapy overwhelms and blocks pain transmission in the cerebral cortex, providing a numbing effect. Cold may also reduce inflammation in the brain, which Dr. Berk notes can improve migraine pain.

If you prefer the muscle relaxation benefits of heat when you have a migraine, it’s worth noting that some migraine hats feature temperature technology that can be frozen or warmed up for maximum versatility. Either way, in addition to some kind of temperature technology, you'll want a hat that’s adjustable enough to provide a snug but comfortable fit and can be used in a multitude of ways depending on where you need relief.

An emergency medicine physician on our Medical Expert Board reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy surrounding what to look for in migraine hats, whether they work, and how long you can wear one.

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It’s extremely versatile, offering hot and cold therapy as well as multiple positions for all types of pain relief.

It’s not adjustable, so there may be a limit to its stretch and comfort if your head is very large.

There’s no one mask that will work for every type of person with migraine, but the TheraICE Form Fitting Head Gel Ice Cap gets as close as possible to being the best choice for nearly everyone.

This choice was recommended by experts due to its versatility. Lauren R. Natbony, MD, medical director of Integrative Headache Medicine of New York, likes that this migraine hat is made from stretchy compression fabric and that the gel packs, which are evenly distributed around the head, can be heated or cooled.

While the hat isn’t traditionally adjustable, the fabric is flexible enough to expand over small and large heads while still providing a comfortable amount of compression for pressure relief. We also like that the hat can be positioned in two different ways: pulled down over the eyes to relieve light sensitivity or sinus pain, or moved up above the ears to target the forehead and top of your head.

You can make this hat work for you regardless of where your migraine pain is or what type of relief you need—and because the TheraICE Ice Cap is priced just right for the market, this one is a clear winner.

Price at time of publication: $40

Product Details:

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It has nearly every feature of our best overall pick at a lower price point.

It’s a full-coverage hat but doesn’t have any top-of-the-head cooling packs.

The AllSett Health Form Fitting Migraine Relief Ice Head Wrap is almost identical to our best overall pick, but costs $30 instead of $40, making it our favorite budget-friendly product. It can be used hot or cold, offers gentle compression, and features smooth, medical-grade gel that won’t get lumpy or hard during freezing. It’s made from stretchy fabric that can accommodate many head sizes, and can be worn lower on the head to target the eyes and sinuses or higher to relieve pain on the forehead.

The one place where the AllSett Health hat falls a little short (and why it makes a good budget pick but wasn’t selected for best overall) is that it’s a full coverage beanie-style hat but does not include any type of temperature therapy on the top of the head. There’s padding there, but no gel packs. That may not be a dealbreaker for you, but some people may find it annoying to wear a full-coverage beanie without benefitting from full-coverage cooling. It could also make fitting this non-adjustable hat to your head a little tougher than if it had an open top.

Price at time of publication: $30Product Details:

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It’s washable and extra-adaptable for people with long hair.

You may find the ice packs to be too firm for several minutes after removing the wrap from the fridge.

If you know you don’t need a migraine hat with a heating option, we like the user-friendly design of the Magic Gel Migraine Ice Head Wrap. The ice packs in this hat are firmer than in some others, which allows you to feel intense, acupressure relief as soon as you put the hat on.

Though you will only be able to use this wrap for cold therapy, that also allows this hat to be machine washable (something you often won’t find in hats that can be heated). The Magic Gel hat is more customizable than usual, too. Like the TheraICE Ice Cap, it can be worn higher or lower, but we love that the top of the hat is a stretchy tube rather than a fitted band or cap. This allows you to simply leave it as-is over your head or pull your hair through the tube in a ponytail or bun, giving you extra comfort within the cap if you have thick hair.

Price at time of publication: $27

Product Details:

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It stays warm for a long time and soothes migraine pain with its soft cover and unscented filling.

It’s on the bulkier side and doesn’t stay cold for long, so it’s best used for heating therapy only.

Technically you can use the Huggaroo Soothe Unscented Microwavable Heating Pad for with heat or cold therapy, but we think it stands out from the crowd more when used as a heating pad. Not only does it have a cozy, plush feeling that radiates comfortable heat during use, but it’s also unscented, making it especially helpful for people with migraine who have sensitivity to strong smells during episodes.

The Huggaroo pad is a bit bulky, but this also means you get a lot of coverage. You can move it up or down your head as needed, relieving tension on the top, sides, or back of your head or over your eyes and sinuses. It’s adjustable, cordless, lightweight, and made from hypoallergenic material. After just a minute or two in the microwave, it can stay warm for up to 30 minutes, making this an intensely soothing way to relieve migraine pain.

Price at time of publication: $30

Product Details:

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It gives targeted hot or cold relief to the sinuses and is reversible, so you can choose which side you place against your face.

It doesn’t block out light and can’t be used to relieve pain in other parts of the head.

The Hot and Cold Therapy Gel Bead Facial Eye Mask by Fomi Care is definitely an eye mask rather than a traditional migraine hat, but we think it’s worth including because we know exactly how awful a sinus migraine can be. And this option directs temperature therapy right where it’s needed (like your forehead, eyes, cheeks, and temples).

It can be heated up or frozen, and the manufacturer notes that even when frozen the beads should stay malleable (rather than hard and firm on your tender face). There are eye holes, which is both a con and a pro: it won’t block out irritating light, but it will allow you to power through basic tasks at home if you can’t just crash until you feel better. The strap is adjustable, so it should fit most heads, and we like that one side of this reversible mask has a soft fabric covering for extra comfort.

Price at time of publication: $10Product Details:

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Its one of the most adjustable and versatile hats we have on our list, and offers maximum cooling benefits.

You can’t use this hat for heat therapy.

The Headache Hat Migraine Ice Head Wrap is another product recommended by Dr. Natbony, specifically because it provides dual-sided cooling and comes in different sizes and styles to fit different needs. We chose it as our pick for best wrap because it’s super versatile: wear it higher or lower on your head, wrapped around your neck, draped across your shoulders, or even trailing down your back for cooling relief wherever you, personally, need it.

We also appreciate the wrap’s cooling technology design. The wrap features 24 ice packs that are evenly distributed around the full length of the wrap, providing acupressure relief when the wrap is fitted snugly to your head. And speaking of adjustability, you can wear this wrap as loosely or tightly as you prefer, taking advantage of its gentle compression (or not). While this wrap can’t be heated up, its cooling game is strong. When the chill wears off on one side after 30 to 60 minutes, you can flip it over and get another 30 to 60 minutes of cold therapy from the other side.

Price at time of publication: $40

Product Details:

IceBeanie

It actually has an ice pack that covers the top of your head, unlike most other migraine hats on the market.

You can’t pull it down over your eyes or re-position it in any way to target different areas of the head.

Most of the other hats on our list can be adjusted or positioned to relieve migraine pain on the top of your head, but none of them specifically target that area. But the IceBeanie does without requiring any special positioning or constant readjustments.

Just like its name implies, this hat is a beanie-style cap that fits snugly over the top of your head. It fits tightly enough to provide gentle compression but is still soft and stretchy enough to be worn comfortably as often as needed. It features several gel ice packs placed around the circumference of the hat, and also a pack that goes from the back of the head across the top (this is where it really shines).

We also appreciate that this hat is pretty discreet. It’s not noticeably a migraine hat, so although you can’t pull it down over your eyes, you could leave the house with it on if needed.

Price at time of publication: $40

Product Details:

To find the best migraine hats, we compared around two dozen products online, including several popular and well-rated brands. We looked for products that could provide cooling and/or heat therapy, were adjustable enough to be comfortable for a variety of users, and were versatile in how they could be used (like if they could be pulled up or down to cover different areas, or repositioned to provide relief for neck pain as well as head pain). We also made sure the products were priced appropriately in line with the average cost of migraine hats.

Finally, we consulted with two neurologists and migraine experts to make sure we knew exactly what to look for when shopping for migraine hats, as well as how they work and who might benefit from using one. Experts we spoke to include:

Dr. Natbony says there are two ways that migraine hats work to help people find relief from acute symptoms: hot/cold therapy and gentle compression.

Gentle pressure, she explains, can reduce the intensity of migraine by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain. As far as temperature therapy goes, there is evidence supporting the use of both heat and cooling technology. Cold gel packs reduce pain and inflammation by constricting your blood vessels while warming packs reduce tension.

While Dr. Natbony notes that everyone will have a different preference in terms of style, design, and extra features, there are a few key things you should look for when shopping.

All of the migraine hats on our list cost between $10 and $40. We think planning to spend $20 to $25 for a basic style is appropriate. However, you might be able to find a good deal or choose to splurge a little on a hat that covers a larger area.

According to Dr. Natbony, research has shown that temperature therapy (both cold and hot) combined with compression can help reduce migraine pain. While there isn’t much research on migraine hats specifically, there’s no reason to think they can’t work well to provide this kind of relief. That said, migraine hats work well for some people, especially those who find cooling therapy helps them manage their symptoms, but not for others.

Overall, migraine hats have other benefits that make them a good addition to any migraine toolkit, Dr. Natbony notes. “Migraine hats are generally affordable and easy to use, and can provide a convenient and non-invasive way to manage symptoms.”

You probably won’t want to wear a migraine hat once it’s lost its temperature benefits, but Dr. Berk says you can cycle through as many cold treatments as you want. Some people store multiple hats in their freezer so they can rotate them as soon as one loses its cooling effect. As long as the cooling technology isn’t irritating your skin, Dr. Berk says migraine hats are safe to use daily.

Sarah Bradley has been a freelance writer since 2017, tackling health commerce articles, product reviews, and shopping guides on everything from dry skin moisturizers and wart removers to menstrual cups and toothbrushes for braces. She was diagnosed with migraine several years ago, so she understands how important it is to find migraine products that work and are comfortable to use (and ice packs are one of her go-to remedies for quick relief!).