Custom Hats & Headwear Buyers Guide
Custom Hats & Headwear Buyers Guide
Custom hats are one of the most popular pieces of custom apparel for a good reason. With custom hats, you can prominently display your company logo or design right where people direct their gaze. In addition to that, custom logo hats are very affordable in comparison to some other types of promotional apparel. In this guide, we’ll break down the different styles of custom hats, list the headwear brands that we offer, explain how your logo is added to custom headwear and show how you can use custom hats to promote your business.
What Custom Hat Brands are Offered?
At Merchology we offer customization of over 30 of the top brands in headwear and our brand offerings are always growing. Some of our most popular custom hat brands include New Era, Under Armour, Richardson, Nike, Carhartt, and Flexfit. Check out our brands page to see our complete list of brands that you can personalize with your corporate logo or custom design or refer to some of our most popular custom headwear brands below.
Which Custom Hat Styles Are Offered?
There are countless styles of hats out there that come in all shapes and sizes. In this exercise, we won’t dive into bowlers, boaters, berets or other novelty hats. Instead, let’s focus on the types of hats that are best suited for customization for your team or company.
Custom Baseball Caps
The baseball hat is where it all started. These custom baseball hats have a medium sized curved bill and offer a great space on the front of the hat for logo embroidery. If you’re actually going to play baseball in these, consider our selection of moisture-wicking hats!
Custom Snapback Hats
Snapback hats are one of the most in-style hat types out there right now. These custom snapbacks aren’t just stylish though, they’re easily adjustable using two pieces of plastic that snap together to form the perfect sized hat for anyone.
Custom Trucker Hats/ Mesh Back Hats
Trucker hats are another classic American style. These custom trucker hats feature 100% polyester mesh backing, making them an extremely breathable headwear option. Trucker hats are most commonly structured hats with snapback adjustment but can also be fitted.
Custom Structured Hats
Structured hats offer a stiffer and supportive fabric inside the hat that holds their shape. These are the same construction of hats that are worn by professional baseball players at the highest level. Each of the last three hat styles mentioned feature a structured construction more often than not.
Custom Unstructured Hats "Dad Hats"
Unstructured hats, on the other hand, do not have supportive fabric to hold the shape of the hat. These unstructured hats, also known as “dad hats”, are softer and can be more comfortable than structured hats.
Custom Fitted Hats & Flex Fit Hats
Both custom fitted hats and custom flex fit hats feature a closed back and are NOT adjustable. These fitted hats are measured in 1/8 inch size increments and typically have a structured construction. Fitted and flex fit hats are also worn by professional baseball players and make great athletic and hats.
Custom Flat Bill Hats
The name says it all for flat bill hats. These custom flat bill or flat brim hats can come in a variety of colors and materials, but they all feature a flat bill rather than a curved one. Custom flat bill caps are usually either fitted or snapbacks.
Custom Hook & Loop Closure Hats
Hook and loop closure hats come in many shapes, fabrics, and colors, but are always adjustable. Rather than using a plastic snap closure like snapbacks or a buckle closure these custom hook & loop closure hats typically use Velcro for size adjustment. This hat style is especially popular for athletic hats and golf hats.
Custom Buckle Closure & Strapback Hats
Buckle closure or strapback custom hats are most commonly unstructured hats and feature a self-strap metal buckle closure. Custom strapback hats have an old school, traditional look to them and make ideal casual custom headwear.
Custom Cotton Hats
This might be more of a material than a style, but its worth mentioning that custom cotton hats provide some unique benefits that other hats can’t. For example, cotton custom hats are more breathable, versatile, inexpensive, durable and softer than other hats. Custom cotton hats are often the choice for promotional hats.
Custom Bucket Hats
The custom bucket hat is the ultimate choice in leisure headwear. Custom bucket hats have a wide brim that goes around the perimeter of the hat to keep the sun off your face and keep you cool, making them the perfect summer hats.
Custom Beanies & Winter Hats
Custom logo beanies, fleece hats, and knit caps are the perfect way to stay warm while spreading your brand all winter long. These custom stocking caps come in wool, cotton, acrylic, and fleece and are available in a variety of styles.
Custom Visors
Are visors hats? Today we're going to say yes. Custom visors are the best of both worlds, they keep the sun out your eyes while still letting your head breathe. Custom visors are most commonly used as golf visors, tennis visors or for other athletic applications.
Custom Headbands & Ear Warmers
Another piece of headwear that pushes the boundaries of the definition of a hat. Custom headbands are the best way to keep your ears warm in cold weather without messing up your hair! Custom headbands are also popular as athletic headwear.
Custom Hard Hats
These custom hard hats obviously aren’t your everyday headwear unless you work in an environment that requires them. But if you do, there’s no better way to stay safe on the job site. We offer a variety of hard hat styles including regular brim hard hats, full brim hard hats, and cowboy style hard hats that meet OSHA and ANSI protection regulations.
How is My Company Logo Added to Custom Hats?
There are a few different decoration methods that can be utilized to add your corporate logo to our selection of custom hats depending on the style of headwear selected and the appearance you want to achieve with your design.
Custom Hat Embroidery
The most popular and recommended decoration type for headwear is custom embroidery. Embroidery is ideal for personalized hats because embroidery can be performed on non-flat surfaces, unlike many other decoration methods. Embroidered logos and designs are also durable and provide a stylish and sophisticated appearance. Read how commercial embroidery is done in our Guide to Custom Embroidery.
3D Puff Embroidery
Similar to standard embroidery, 3D puff embroidery is used to add a textured element to your logo or design. However, with 3D puff embroidery, there is an added layer of foam that provides more dimensional depth to your custom hat. 3D embroidered hats are also extremely durable and sharp but tend to be more expensive than traditionally embroidered custom hats because of the added fabric. Check out how it’s done in our Guide to 3D Puff Embroidery.
Where Can My Logo be Embroidered on Custom Hats?
Your logo placement options are going to differ depending on the custom headwear you’ve selected, but our standard logo locations are front and center, left side, right side and back of the hat. These are the locations on your custom headwear that will display your logo most prominently.
Applications for Custom Hats & Headwear
There’s really not many situations that custom hats can’t come in handy. Whether your trying to keep the sun out of your eyes, stay warm, stay safe, or simply promote your business, there’s a custom hat for any application.
Promotional Hats
This one is pretty broad because any hat that you add your custom embroidered corporate logo to can be a promotional hat. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention this because custom hats are one of the most popular ways to generate brand awareness through corporate apparel. Custom logo hats are perfect for trade shows, recruiting events, new hire packages and much more.
Custom Golf Hats
Your golf attire isn’t complete without a custom golf hat. Get your corporate logo embroidered on personalized golf hats from the best brands in golf including Under Armour, Nike Golf, Titleist, Callaway, Puma Golf, AHEAD, Adidas and TaylorMade. Many of the custom golf hats we offer provide sweat wicking performance fabric and UPF protection to keep you cool and dry on the golf course.
Custom Baseball Team Hats
We’ve got you covered for custom baseball caps at any level of competition. Little League team hats, company softball team hats, or professional baseball team hats – you name it. We offer custom baseball caps from some of the top brands in baseball including New Era, Richardson, Flexfit, and Under Armour.
Custom Uniform Hats
A custom hat with your embroidered company logo is the perfect piece of corporate apparel to complete your work uniform. You’ll find the perfect uniform hats for your business whether your custom uniform hats are for industrial uniforms, high visibility uniforms, sports uniforms, retail uniforms, restaurant uniforms, hospitality uniforms, or any other kind of custom uniform.
Camo Hats & Custom Hunting Hats
Our selection of custom camo hats makes perfect hunting hats, fishing hats or outdoor hats in general. Now you can embroider your logo on camouflage hats and camo beanies from New Era, Flexfit, Port Authority, AHEAD, Under Armour and Richardson.
Work Hats & Safety Headwear
Custom headwear plays a large role in custom workwear and safety apparel. In many occupations, you need custom high visibility headwear to stay visible or flame resistant headwear to be protected from exposure to fire or electricity. In many other industries, it is required for employees to wear custom hard hats to provide protection from impact. Our most popular brands for work hats and safety headwear include Carhartt, Under Armour and OccuNomix.
Custom Sports Hats & Athletic Headwear
We’ve already touched on baseball caps and golf hats, but there is much more to athletic hats than that. Check out our collection of custom moisture wicking hats & sweat-wicking hats for the perfect workout hats or running hats from activewear brands like Under Armour and Nike.
Custom Sun Hats
Kick back and relax in a custom sun hat with your corporate logo. Styles of sun hats include custom bucket hats, safari hats, lifeguard hats, boonie hats, straw hats, beach hats and other full brim hats. Pair these custom summer hats with one of our custom fishing shirts for the perfect leisure outfit.
Embroidered Winter Hats
Sorry to go straight from summer to winter, but you’ll thank us when your ears are warm! Popular styles of winter headwear you can customize include custom beanies, slouch beanies, pom beanies, fleece hats, knit hats, and headbands.
Time to Customize Your Own Hats
Now that you’re familiar with the brands, styles and decoration methods that we offer for custom hats and headwear, head over to our complete Custom Hats Collection to find the perfect hats for your business. Need it fast? Check out our selection of Quick Ship hats that can be embroidered with your logo and shipped to your door in days. If you have any question regarding your custom hats or corporate apparel don’t hesitate to contact us for answers! Also, be sure to check out our complete Buyers Guides Page for more helpful tips on selecting the right merch for your business.