Reading the New Era Hat Size Chart Without Guessing

Most people get this wrong. They look at the number on the back of the hat and assume it's centimeters, or they pull out a tape measure and wrap it around their head once, then call it a day. The chart is actually pretty simple once you know what you're looking for, but there are a few things that trip people up that New Era doesn't really advertise.

How to Use the New Era Hat Size Chart

The standard New Era size chart breaks down into head circumference in inches and centimeters, matched to a letter or number size. Here's what it roughly looks like: - 6 7/8 (21 3/4") / 55 cm = Size 6 7/8 - 7 (22") / 56 cm = Size 7 - 7 1/8 (22 3/8") / 57 cm = Size 7 1/8 - 7 1/4 (22 3/4") / 58 cm = Size 7 1/4 - 7 3/8 (23 1/8") / 59 cm = Size 7 3/8 - 7 1/2 (23 1/2") / 60 cm = Size 7 1/2 - 7 5/8 (24") / 61 cm = Size 7 5/8 - 7 3/4 (24 3/8") / 62 cm = Size 7 3/4 - 7 7/8 (24 3/4") / 63 cm = Size 7 7/8 - 8 (25 1/4") / 64 cm = Size 8 The fitted ones go up from there. The 59FIFTY line runs about 6 5/8 through 8 1/4 now. The structured flexfit and dad hat styles use different sizing conventions, which is where confusion starts. The main problem people have is that the chart assumes a perfectly round head. Human heads are not perfectly round. I spent years dealing with this at work and the first thing I learned is that most people's heads are about half an inch wider at the parietal ridge than the front-to-back measurement. New Era's chart doesn't account for that at all. It just gives you one circumference number and expects you to figure it out. I used to get called up all the time by customers who ordered a 7 1/4 and it felt like a vice. We'd measure them again and find out their actual circumference was closer to 7 1/8, but they also had a noticeably wider head shape. The 7 1/4 was technically the right circumference but the crown was pinching because the hat was cut for a rounder head. The workaround we settled on was having them size up to a 7 3/8 and use the snapback adjustment on the back to dial the circumference back down. It sounds counterintuitive but it works because the larger frame accommodates the wider shape while the closure handles the tightness. Another thing nobody mentions is that the sizes on the chart are nominal. A "7" hat will usually measure somewhere between 21 7/8 and 22 1/8 inches when you actually take a tape measure to it. Manufacturing tolerances vary by batch. I've had two hats from the same size lot measure a full eighth of an inch apart. This is normal and it's why the chart is a starting point, not a guarantee. If you're ordering online and you're between sizes, the conventional advice is to size up. That's mostly right for the 59FIFTY fitted because there's no give in the structure. But for theFlexfit or structured stretch styles, sizing down is sometimes the better call because the elastic band will stretch to your head. I don't recommend sizing down if you're more than a half size off though, because these hats do relax over time and you'll end up with a loose fit anyway. The best way to measure your own head is to take a flexible tape measure and wrap it about half an inch above your eyebrows, following the natural contour around the widest part of the back of your skull. Make it snug but not tight. Write down the number. Then go to the New Era Hat Size Chart and find your closest match. If you land exactly between two sizes, that's your cue to consider head shape more than circumference. I also want to be straight about the limitations here. The New Era Hat Size Chart works well if you have a standard head shape and you're buying a fitted or structured cap. It falls apart if you have an unusually oval head, a very large forehead, or if you're buying one of their cheaper unstructured styles where the sizing is less consistent. For those cases, the brand's adjustable hats are honestly a better bet, even if they don't look as clean. The strap or snapback gives you room to compensate for shape differences that the chart can't address. One last practical note: if you're buying multiple hats from different product lines, don't assume they'll all fit the same. The 59FIFTY and the 59Fifty Micro look identical but the crown depth is different, so a size that works in one line might feel tight in the other. I've had this happen more than I care to admit and it always ends with me sending a perfectly good hat back because the size label was right but the actual fit wasn't.