Hat Sizes Chart
en

Western hats

Cowboy hat size chart

A cowboy hat does not use a separate sizing system: the same eighth-inch US fitted fractions apply, measured the same way, just above the ears. What is different is the head shape question and how much room a stiff, brimmed crown has to disagree with your head.

Hat size chart: US, UK and EU hat sizes with head circumference in centimetres and inches
USUKHead (cm)Head (inches)EULetter
6 5/8 hat size6 1/253.020 7/853S
6 3/4 hat size6 5/853.921 1/454S
6 7/8 hat size6 3/454.921 5/855S
7 hat size6 7/855.82256M
7 1/8 hat size756.822 3/857M
7 1/4 hat size7 1/857.722 3/458L
7 3/8 hat size7 1/458.723 1/859L
7 1/2 hat size7 3/859.623 1/260XL
7 5/8 hat size7 1/260.623 7/861XL
7 3/4 hat size7 5/861.524 1/462XXL
7 7/8 hat size7 3/462.524 5/863XXL
8 hat size7 7/863.52564XXL
8 1/8 hat size864.525 3/865XXL
8 1/4 hat size8 1/865.425 3/465XXL
Scroll sideways inside the table on small screens if you do not see every column. Letter sizes vary by brand; check the brand's own chart.

Fitting a western hat

Long-oval vs regular-oval heads

Look straight down at your own head: if it is clearly longer front-to-back than side-to-side, it is long-oval. A regular-oval crown will pinch the temples on a long-oval head even at the correct size. Many western hatmakers stock both shapes, and it is the first question a good western fitter asks.

Hair and hats

A brimmed, structured crown has more crown depth, so a small lift of hair or a low bun changes the fit more than in a baseball cap. Measure with the hairstyle you will wear under it, and go up if the reading falls between sizes.

Breaking in the sweatband

Leather sweatbands firm up and smooth out over weeks of wear; a new fur-felt cowboy hat that feels one quarter-size firm at the front often settles — but a hat that pinches at the band will keep pinching. Never size “for shrinkage” except with advice from the seller.

Western houses label sizes with fractions and letters — letter equivalents vary by maker; check the brand's own chart. For the unofficial Stetson letter map, see Stetson sizes.

Cowboy hat size FAQs

What is the average cowboy hat size?
The most-sold adult western sizes sit between 7 and 7 3/4 — a head circumference of about 55.8 to 61.5 cm. Western makers sell the same eighth-inch fractions as any fitted hat, sometimes alongside S–XXL letters.
Do Stetson cowboy hats run true to size?
They follow the standard system for the size label itself, but fit varies by crown height, brim shape and the stiffness of the sweatband — and by whether the head leans long-oval. When in doubt, size by measured circumference and confirm on the maker's chart; see our unofficial Stetson sizes page.
How should a cowboy hat fit?
It should sit level, low enough to stay on when you nod, and snug enough at the temple that it does not need forehead pinching to hold position. In wind, the front of the brim tilts down and the fit worth having is front-to-back stability, not just side-to-side.
Can a cowboy hat be resized?
Fur-felt western hats are the most resizeable hats there are: a milliner can open, close or round-oval/long-oval a crown properly. Straw hats cannot stretch without cracking, so buy those to the measured size.
Why does one cowboy hat feel roomier than another of the same size?
Head shape and hat shape matter as much as size. A regular-oval crown on a long-oval head will feel tight at the sides and roomy front-to-back, or the reverse — many western makers publish which oval their crowns follow.