Hat size chart: how to measure your head for any hat

How to measure hat size at home

Use a soft sewing tape. If you only have string, Stetson suggests wrapping that and measuring it against a ruler afterward; just keep it from stretching. A mirror or a helper makes it easier to keep the tape level at the back.

1. 01

   Place the tape where the hat sits

   Start at the middle of your forehead. Stetson places the tape about 1/8 inch above the ears, while New Era describes about half an inch above the eyebrows and ears for its caps. Both describe the line a hat's sweatband follows, so aim for that line rather than the top of your head.

2. 02

   Keep it level around the back

   Bring the tape around the back of your head, over the fullest part, and back to the start. Check in a mirror that it has not slipped down toward the neck or up onto the crown, which would give you a number that no hat actually sits on.

3. 03

   Hold it firm, not tight

   Stetson's instruction is to hold the tape firmly but not uncomfortably tight. It should lie flat on the skin without pressing in. Read the measurement in inches and in centimeters, where the end of the tape meets the scale.

4. 04

   Measure twice

   Take the tape off, put it back on and measure again. If the two readings differ by more than about a quarter inch, one of them was angled; measure a third time and keep the two that agree.

Read a hat size chart

Traditional American hat sizes such as 7 or 7 1/4 are close to your head circumference in inches divided by 3.14, which is roughly the diameter of the hat's opening. Each step of 1/8 on the chart adds about 3/8 of an inch, or about 1 cm, to the circumference. Some hats skip the fractions and use the centimeter figure itself as the size, so a 58 is a 58 cm head.

On Stetson's chart, a 7 is 22 1/4 inches (56 cm), a 7 1/4 is 23 inches (58 cm), a 7 1/2 is 23 3/4 inches (60 cm), a 7 3/4 is 24 1/2 inches (62 cm) and an 8 is 25 1/2 inches (64 cm). Stetson also groups its sizes into letters: a medium covers 7 and 7 1/8, a large 7 1/4 and 7 3/8, and an extra large 7 1/2 and 7 5/8.

Other makers draw the line slightly differently. New Era lists its fitted 7 1/4 at 22 3/4 inches (57.7 cm), about a quarter inch smaller than Stetson's, and its 8 at 25 inches. That is enough to move a head that falls near a boundary into a different size, so always read the chart for the exact hat you are buying rather than carrying a size from one brand to another.

Fitted cap and snapback sizes

A fitted baseball cap has a closed back and comes in the same fractional sizes as a brimmed hat. New Era's 59FIFTY runs in eighths from 7 up to 8, from 22 inches (55.8 cm) to 25 inches (63.5 cm), and the company recommends rounding up if you fall between sizes. Because a fitted cap cannot be adjusted, an eighth too small will press on the forehead all day.

Stretch fit caps use a flexible band and cover a small range in each size. New Era's 39THIRTY, for example, is sold in paired sizes: its chart gives small to medium as about 22 3/8 to 23 1/8 inches, and the larger bands reach about 24 5/8 inches. The ranges overlap, so check where your number falls on the current chart before choosing. Snapbacks and strap back caps adjust over a wider range: New Era lists its 9FORTY and 9TWENTY adjustable caps as one size for heads of about 22 to 23 7/8 inches, and some snapbacks come in more than one size for heads outside that range.

Heat and water can change a cap's fit, and a cap that was just right can come out of a hot wash snug. Follow the maker's care label, and see our guide to washing a baseball cap before you clean one.

How to measure cowboy hat size and other brimmed hats

Cowboy hats, fedoras and other felt or straw hats are measured the same way, with the tape where the inner sweatband will sit. Stetson, whose charts run from 6 3/8 to 8, suggests that a hat should be snug enough that a light wind will not blow it off, yet not so tight that you notice it. A size 8 on its chart is 25 1/2 inches, or 64 cm. If you are still choosing a shape, our guide to types of hats explains how each style is worn.

Brimmed hats are more forgiving in one direction. If you fall between sizes, Stetson recommends ordering the larger one, because a little padding behind the sweatband can take up the extra room, while a hat that is too small has no such fix. Felt hats sold in letter sizes follow the same logic: check which fractional sizes the letter covers and choose the letter that contains your measurement with room to spare. For outdoor occasions where you will be wearing a hat for hours, such as a daytime wedding or a garden party, comfort over the whole afternoon matters more than a perfect snug fit in the mirror.

Hat size chart for crochet and knitting

If you are making a hat, the Craft Yarn Council's head circumference chart is the common reference. It gives about 21 to 23 inches (53 to 58.5 cm) for an adult woman and 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm) for an adult man. For children it lists about 14 to 16 inches (35.5 to 40.5 cm) for a baby, 16 to 18 inches (40.5 to 46 cm) for a toddler, 18 to 20 inches (45.5 to 51 cm) for a child and 20 to 22 inches (51 to 56 cm) for a tween, though measuring the actual child is always better than guessing from age. Take the measurement the same way as for any hat, across the forehead and around the fullest part of the back of the head.

Those are head measurements, not finished hat measurements. Knitted and crocheted fabric stretches, so many patterns make a hat a little smaller around than the head it is meant for, and each pattern states its own finished size. Measure the person who will wear the hat, then pick the pattern size whose finished circumference and stretch suit that number, rather than simply matching the head size.

Check the fit when the hat arrives

Put the hat on the way you will wear it and leave it for twenty minutes. A good fit sits level without sliding toward your eyebrows or ears, leaves no deep red line on your forehead, and stays on when you turn your head quickly. A hat that gives you a headache is too small; a hatter can sometimes ease a felt hat slightly, but it is not something to count on. A hat that sinks is too large, and a thin foam strip or sizing tape behind the sweatband usually solves that.

Your hair counts too. A thick bun, braids or a ponytail changes the circumference at the back, and a haircut can make a snug hat loose. Measure with your hair the way you normally wear it under the hat, and keep the number with your other body measurements so the next order is quicker.