How to Fit a UVEX Riding Hat

UVEX riding hats are sized by head circumference, using UVEX's own size codes (XXS-S through L-XL). Getting the size right matters for safety. A hat that is too loose will not protect you properly in a fall, and a hat that is too tight is uncomfortable to wear for a full ride. Use the steps below to measure your head, then check your measurement against the UVEX Riding Hat Size Chart.

How to measure your head for a riding hat

1. Use a soft fabric tape measure. If you do not have one, use a piece of string and measure the string against a ruler afterwards.

2. Wrap the tape around your head at its largest point. This is above your eyebrows and above the tops of your ears, roughly one finger-width above your eyebrows.

3. Keep the tape level and snug, but not tight. It should sit flat all the way round, without any twists.

4. Take the measurement in centimetres. Measure two or three times and use the largest number, since head shape is not perfectly round.

5. Measure with hair in its normal riding style. If you usually tie your hair back to ride, measure that way. A loose hairstyle at measuring time can give a false reading.

Common mistakes to avoid

Measuring too high on the forehead. The tape must sit above the eyebrows and ears, not higher up the head. Measuring too high gives a smaller, incorrect reading.

Pulling the tape too tight. This gives a false small measurement. The tape should sit snugly but without compressing the head.

Measuring only once. Head shape varies, so take a few readings and use the largest.

Rounding down to the nearest size when your measurement falls between two. Always round up. A slightly loose hat can be adjusted snug with the dial. A hat that is too small cannot be made safe.

Fit tips for riding hats

A correctly fitted riding hat should sit level on your head, low on the forehead, about one finger-width above your eyebrows. It should not tip back or sit too far forward.

The hat should feel snug all the way round, with no gaps or pressure points, but it should not pinch or give you a headache. It should not move when you shake your head gently from side to side or nod up and down.

Adjust the chin strap so it is snug under your chin, with room for one finger between the strap and your chin. Both side straps should form a V shape just below your ears.

If your hat has a rear dial adjuster, use it for fine-tuning fit within the size band. The dial adjusts comfort and snugness, but it cannot make a hat that is fundamentally the wrong size fit correctly. Always start from the correct size code for your head circumference.

A hat that is slightly loose can often be fine-tuned snug with the rear dial adjuster, but a hat that is genuinely too small will not protect you correctly and cannot be adjusted to fit.