You know the feeling. The cap looks right on the hook, then you put it on and it perches on top of your head like a lid. Or it fits for ten minutes and starts pressing a line into your forehead. Before you blame your head, grab a tape. Knowing how to measure hat size takes about two minutes, and that one number tells you more than any S/M/L label.
This is the practical part of our Fit Lab: measure, read the number, and see where standard caps stop working. If you have ever searched for hats for big heads or big head caps, this is where to start.
Photos: @marius_folley · shared with permission
In this article
How to measure hat size at home
Use a soft sewing tape. No tape? Wrap a phone charger cable or a strip of paper, mark where it meets, then lay it flat against a ruler. Stand in front of a mirror so you can see the tape stays level.
Two things trip people up. First, they measure too high, across the top of the forehead, which gives a smaller number than where a cap band really sits. Second, they pull the tape tight. A cap is worn for hours, so measure the way you want it to feel: snug, with room to breathe.
Got a fitted-cap size like 7 5/8 in your head? That is roughly your circumference in inches divided by 3.14. Easier to just keep the tape number in cm and inches and compare it with the size chart.
Photos: @shakira.gp · shared with permission
Reading your number
Now hold your number against a real range. Our regular WASHED B B ball cap has an inner circumference of 56–60 cm (22.0–23.6 in). That covers a lot of people. It also means the cap is built around the middle of that range.
If your tape reads 59 or 60 cm, you are sitting at the top edge. The strap goes on the last hole, the back gaps a little, and the crown pulls down over a wider head without enough depth to settle. That is the moment a cap starts to sit on top of your head instead of around it. Past 60 cm (23.6 in), most standard caps simply run out of room.
Thick hair, braids, or a fuller crown push the real number up too. If you wear your hair big, measure over it the way you will wear it.
Why OVER FIT adds depth, not just width
A bigger band alone does not fix the problem. Stretch a regular cap wider and the crown gets shallow for your head, and the visor starts to look short against your face. So the OVER FIT BALL CAP changes three numbers at once: 59–64 cm around, 14 cm tall instead of 12–13, and an 8 cm visor instead of 6.5–7. The extra depth lets the cap come down over the head. The longer visor keeps the front in proportion.
Photos: @fallinloveinfall · shared with permission
We wrote more on how each measurement changes the way a cap sits in How to Read Headwear Measurements, and on the thinking behind the line in Not Bigger, Just Better Balanced.
The OVER FIT size chart
Each shape gets its own balance. A bucket needs less height because the brim does the work. A hunting cap runs the widest because it is meant to sit flat and relaxed over the head.
OVER FIT size chart (inner circumference · height · visor)
| OVER FIT BALL CAP | 59–64 cm (23.2–25.2 in) · 14 cm (5.5 in) · visor 8 cm (3.1 in) |
| OVER FIT BRIMLESS | 60–65 cm (23.6–25.6 in) · 14 cm (5.5 in) · no visor |
| OVER FIT BUCKET | 60–62 cm (23.6–24.4 in) · 10 cm (3.9 in) · brim 6 cm (2.4 in) |
| OVER FIT HUNTING | 64–66 cm (25.2–26.0 in) · 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in) · visor 5 cm (2.0 in) |
| Regular WASHED B B | 56–60 cm (22.0–23.6 in) · 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) · visor 6.5–7 cm (2.6–2.8 in) |
Pick the style whose range has your number comfortably inside it. A 61 cm head fits the ball cap, brimless, or bucket. At 64 cm and up, look at the hunting cap first. The brimless and the denim beret also have an adjustable strap at the back, so you can fine-tune once it is on.
Photos: @edurodguezz · shared with permission
Photos: @saulsallah · shared with permission
What about beanies for big heads?
Knit is more forgiving than a cap, but it still runs out of room. On a bigger head, a short beanie rides up by lunch and leaves your ears out in the cold. The number that matters here is length, not width. Look for a beanie that is at least 20 cm (about 8 in) from crown to edge, so it can fold once and still cover your ears.
Our LONG TAIL beanie measures 21–22 cm across laid flat and 20–21 cm long, with a soft acrylic knit that stretches. If you would rather skip knit, the OVER FIT BRIMLESS gives you the same low, close look with a strap at the back.
Before you order
Write your number in both units and keep it in your phone notes. It saves guessing next time, on any site. Then check which OVER FIT shape matches the way you wear a hat day to day.
Photos: @kekah____ · shared with permission
Which one should you get?
- Pick the OVER FIT BALL CAP if you want an everyday cap and your number is between 59 and 64 cm.
- Pick the OVER FIT BRIMLESS if brims never sit right on you and you’re in the 60–65 cm range.
- Pick the OVER FIT BUCKET if you want shade all the way around, 60–62 cm.
- Pick the OVER FIT HUNTING if you measured 64 cm or more.
FAQ
What hat size counts as a big head?
Most standard caps are built around 56–60 cm. If your tape reads 60 cm or more, regular caps tend to sit high or leave a line on your forehead.
What if I’m between two numbers?
Go by the shape you wear most and pick the one whose range has your number in the middle, not at the very edge.
Do beanies fit big heads?
Usually, if the beanie is long enough. Check the length on the size chart first: about 20 cm or more lets it cover your ears without riding up.
Is OVER FIT just a bigger cap?
No. The crown is deeper and the brim is longer so the cap stays balanced on a bigger head instead of perching on top.
So, what did your tape say? Tell us your number and which cap gave up on you first.
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