How to Measure Your Head for a Fitted Cap
Wrap a soft tape measure around your head just above your ears and across the middle of your forehead, roughly where a cap's sweatband sits. Keep it snug but not tight. That measurement is your hat size, and it is the only number you need to buy a fitted.
The whole thing takes under a minute, and it is worth doing properly, because a fitted cap has no closure and cannot be adjusted after the fact.
Getting the measurement right
Use a soft tape. A tailor's tape. If you only have a rigid one, use a length of string and measure the string afterwards.
Put it in the right place. Just above the ears, across the mid-forehead, level all the way round. Too high and you will read small; angled and you will read inconsistently.
Snug, not tight. The tape should sit against your head without compressing. If it leaves a mark, it was too tight.
Measure twice. If the two readings differ, take the larger one.
Reading the number
Hat sizes run in eighths. Your measurement maps to a size, and manufacturers publish their own conversion, check the chart for the cap you are buying rather than assuming, because they are not perfectly consistent between makers.
If you are between sizes
Go up. A fraction loose is a hat you wear all day. A fraction tight is a headache by the third hour, and it will not stretch enough to fix.
What this does not cover
Snapbacks, truckers, buckets and dad hats are one-size adjustable, so none of this applies to them. Only fitteds are sized.
Which New Era fit is which → · Why fitted sizing runs the way it does →
Try one on
If you are close to a stockist, trying a cap on beats measuring, crown depth and head shape both affect fit in ways a circumference does not capture. Find a stockist →
FAQ
Where exactly do I measure for a hat size?
Around your head just above the ears and across the middle of the forehead, where a cap's sweatband sits. Keep the tape level and snug.
What if I'm between two hat sizes?
Go up. A slightly loose fitted is wearable; a slightly tight one is not, and it will not stretch enough to rescue.
Do I need to measure for a snapback?
No. Snapbacks, truckers, buckets and dad hats are one-size adjustable. Only fitted caps are sized.
Are hat sizes the same across brands?
Close but not identical. Check the size chart for the specific cap rather than assuming your size carries over.