Reference
Cowboy hat sizing guide
Measure once, convert, and buy the number. Plus what to do when your head is oval rather than round.
By Selena H. · Updated October 13, 2026
Measure around your head about an inch above your ears, across the middle of your forehead. Divide the circumference in inches by about 3.14 to get your hat size - a 22 3/8 inch head is roughly a 7 1/8. Buy the numbered size rather than S/M/L, and use foam sizing tape to take up a half size.
Size chart
| Head circumference (in) | Head (cm) | US hat size | S/M/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 1/4 | 54 | 6 3/4 | S |
| 21 5/8 | 55 | 6 7/8 | S |
| 22 | 56 | 7 | M |
| 22 3/8 | 57 | 7 1/8 | M |
| 22 3/4 | 58 | 7 1/4 | M |
| 23 1/8 | 59 | 7 3/8 | L |
| 23 1/2 | 60 | 7 1/2 | L |
| 23 7/8 | 61 | 7 5/8 | XL |
| 24 3/8 | 62 | 7 3/4 | XL |
How to measure properly
- Use a soft tailor's tape. If you only have a rigid one, wrap a length of string and measure the string.
- Position it about an inch above your ears and across the middle of your forehead - where the hat band will sit, not around the crown of your head.
- Keep it snug but not tight. A tape pulled hard gives you a hat that is a half size too small.
- Measure with your hair as you normally wear it. A ponytail or a braid changes the number.
- Measure twice. A quarter inch is half a hat size.
Oval heads
Most heads are not round. If a hat in your correct size pinches at the front and back while sitting loose at the sides, you have a long oval head - which is common - and you want a hat blocked in a long oval shape. Better makers offer it; cheaper hats are generally round only. The symptom is unmistakable: a headache across the forehead and the back of the skull within an hour, in a hat that measured correctly.
Sizing tape
Thin foam strip, adhesive on one side, pressed inside the sweatband. One strip takes up roughly a half size. Every hat shop uses it, it is invisible once in, and it means that buying the slightly larger of two sizes is always the safer choice - you can pad a hat down but you cannot stretch one up.
Hats in standard numbered sizes
Both of these are sold in numbered sizes rather than S/M/L, which is what you want.
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Common questions
How do you measure your head for a cowboy hat?
With a soft tape about an inch above your ears and across the middle of your forehead, snug but not tight. Divide the circumference in inches by about 3.14 to get the hat size.
What size cowboy hat is a 7 1/4?
Roughly a 22 3/4 inch head circumference, or about 58 cm - a medium in S/M/L terms. Numbered sizes are more accurate, which is why hat shops use them.
Should a cowboy hat be tight?
Snug enough to stay on when you lean forward, loose enough to leave no red mark after an hour. Too tight gives headaches; too loose comes off in wind.
What is a long oval hat?
A hat blocked to a longer, narrower shape for heads that are oval rather than round. If a correctly sized hat pinches front and back while sitting loose at the sides, that is what you need.
Can you make a cowboy hat smaller?
Yes - foam sizing tape inside the sweatband takes up about a half size and is what every hat shop uses. You cannot reliably make a hat bigger, so buy the larger of two sizes if you are between.
About the author
Selena H.
Selena H. is the owner and editor of Spur & Stitch. She started the site after discovering how much western-boot buying advice assumes you already know what a welt is. Every guide here is written for the person buying their first pair.
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