I am a canopy lover after owning 3 tractors with and 2 without. A canopy keeps the sun off of your body. Sure a hat prevents sunburn but you still get hot because the sun is beating down on the hat, still beating down on your shirt and still beating down on your pants. But with a canopy, the sun is beating down on a piece of sheet metal or plastic a foot over your head, NOT on you. Your whole body stays cooler by being in the shade, and you can wear a T shirt without getting sunburned, at least during the high sun angles. When the sun is low, of course you get some sun, but being at a lower angle, and going thru much more atmosphere it doesn't quite have the energy as it does when high overhead. Do you have to watch out more for limbs? Yes you do, but it is a small price to pay for staying cooler and protected.
