Print on Demand Hats: The 2025 Guide to Profitable Headwear

Did someone ever pitch you the idea of getting into the Print-on-Demand business of hats? And you... dismissed it, considering it just an add-on, not a real business.

It may surprise you that headwear is a global market of $30 billion, with hats taking a sizable chunk between $10 to $15 billion. And most of the market is fragmented, with success not relying on big brands, but on unique design and targeted niches. Sound like an idea you can get behind?

This guide dissects the Print on Demand hats opportunity. We will reveal the hottest-selling hat styles and niches, compare the best suppliers, and walk you through the design and pricing strategies used by top sellers.

Why Print on Demand Hats Are Your Next Best Seller?

Business trends are always shifting. Print-on-demand (POD) t-shirts were the gold standard, and while they still are popular, the market has become somewhat saturated. The next logical pivot, and a massively underrated accessory, is the hat. Here’s why:

High Perceived Value: A well-designed embroidered or customized hat feels premium. Customers are willing to pay a higher price point for a quality cap, especially one that features a message, inside joke, or design they connect with.

Lower Shipping Costs: Compared to bulkier items like hoodies or shirts, hats are lightweight and compact. This translates to slightly lower shipping costs, which makes your offer more attractive to customers and directly raises profit per order.

The "Walking Billboard" Effect: Hats are worn consistently and are highly visible. A happy customer becomes a walking advertisement for your brand. When someone asks them, “Where did you get that hat?” you can organically benefit from powerful word-of-mouth marketing.

Evergreen Demand: Unlike fleeting trends, hats sell year-round. For instance, baseball caps dominate spring and summer, while beanies take over in fall and winter. So, by strategically offering a couple of styles, you can create a perpetual revenue cycle for your business.

Finding Your Hat Niche: Beyond the Basic Baseball Cap

Not everyone finds success selling hats – the reason is targeting too broadly. Many new sellers make the mistake of creating generic designs and styles meant to appeal to everyone, which ultimately resonates with no one.

The best way, I believe, to stand in the crowded hat market is to ditch the “sell to everyone” approach and become hyper-specific with your niche selection. Yes, it takes more effort to research and narrow your focus; this specificity is what will ultimately define your brand's success.

For searching for a profitable niche, you can use several effective strategies. For instance, look to online platforms where trends emerge naturally. Some actionable niche ideas include: hats for pickleball leagues, trucker hats, vintage-style cafe logos, or hiking-themed beanies. That’s just a rough idea to kind of explain how to niche down.

We strongly recommend starting with visual platforms like Pinterest, where emerging trends often appear before they hit the mainstream. Its “Trending” section can hint at what styles are gaining traction. Amazon's best-seller lists provide concrete data on what products currently have high demand. 

Instagram is another valuable resource. Observe what content creators, celebrities, and everyday users in your potential niche are wearing. Pay attention to which hat styles appear frequently in posts and stories, as this can guide both your product

A Lineup of Different Hat Styles

If you research hat styles online, you will find a vast number of variations, and it would be impossible to list every single one. However, we have focused on the styles that are most popular and readily available on major POD platforms.

To understand these styles, it’s good to start with some basic classifications that define a hat’s look and feel before moving on to the specific types and their target audiences. The goal is to help you sound like an expert and make informed choices about which hats are the best fit for your brand.

Structured vs Unstructured Hats

A structured hat has a firm front panel that maintains its shape even when not being worn, which gives a more defined look. An unstructured hat is softer, with a front panel that collapses when off the head. It gives a more casual, broken-in vibe.

Low, Mid, And High-Profile

This refers to how much the crown of the hat projects upward from the head. A low-profile hat sits close to the head for a fitted look. A mid-profile is the most standard baseball cap height. A high-profile hat has a taller crown for a more traditional or retro aesthetic.

Brim Types

Brims can be curved (like on a classic baseball cap) or flat (common in snapbacks and trucker hats). The material can also vary, from hard plastic to soft, flexible fabric.

Now, let’s move to the niche categories. 

Dad Hats

The undisputed champion of casual wear. Dad hats are typically unstructured with a low profile and a curved brim. Their relaxed, worn-in feel makes them incredibly versatile. They are good for everyday casual wear and can bear minimalist text-based designs.

Trucker Hats

These are known for their mesh back (for breathability) and a structured, foam front. They usually have a mid to high-profile and a flat or curved brim. 

Beanies

A must-have for colder climates, sports fans, and brands with minimalist logos. It has been observed that if a design sells well on a dad hat, it often sells well on a beanie. A cuffed beanie is one of the most popular POD styles.

Snapbacks

These caps have a structured crown and a flat brim that is adjustable via a plastic snap closure at the back. They are associated with athletic teams, streetwear culture, and a younger demographic. Ideal for bold designs.

Bucket Hats

A bucket hat is a soft, wide-downward-brimmed hat. They have made a major comeback in recent years and are quite trendy at summer festivals. So, it can be pushed during summer months or party seasons. 

Sports Visors

It is a hat featuring a visor without a crown, designed for maximum breathability. The target audience is athletes and enthusiasts of sports (golf, tennis, and running).

Print on Demand Hat Suppliers Compared

We summarized the leading Print on Demand hat platforms in a tabular format so you can easily compare their pricing, available brands, and shipping times. This is only a snapshot, though. To make an informed decision, we strongly recommend testing them yourself; always order sample hats from a platform before committing.

Hat Design Hacks: Creating Art That Pops on Curved Fabric

Designing for hats requires a different approach than flat surfaces (t-shirts). Here are pro-level tips to ensure your art looks great on all types of hats:

Placement

The design placement is very critical and should be decided based on the cap size and design. For the front panel of a standard baseball cap, the design should not exceed 4.25 inches in width and 2.25 inches in height to avoid the curved seams. And it’s recommended to maintain at least a 0.25-inch clearance between the bottom of the design and the brim of the hat. 

Size & Scale

The curved, structured surface of a hat can warp large or overly detailed designs. Simple graphics and text translate much more effectively. Regarding dimensions, they vary based on POD providers. However, to give you an idea, here’s a recommendation of sizes from Printful.

Less is More

Embroidery machines have technical limitations regarding detail and thread colors. Complex designs with small text, thin lines, or gradient colors may not stitch out cleanly. We have seen best-selling hats to feature purely text-based designs or a single graphic element.

Design Tools

Always visualize your design before going live. Use free mockup generators provided by POD services like Printful’s Mockup Generator or other similar tools like Placeit. These tools show you exactly how your design will look on the specific hat model, allowing you to adjust placement and size instantly.

Customization Tools

You can choose either to use a print-on-demand service that handles the manufacturing for you or invest in your own equipment for greater creative control and in-house production capabilities.

Hat customization methods – embroidery, printing, and laser engraving – all require specific machinery to execute properly. xTool offers specialized equipment, including Apparel (DTF) printers, screen printers, and multiple laser engraving options that can handle various materials from cotton to leather.

The Real Cost: Pricing Your Hats for Profit

Pricing correctly is how you stay in business. Here’s the simple formula:

However, you should never compete on price. This is a race to the bottom. You will never beat ultra-cheap suppliers, and low prices often signal low quality to customers, eroding trust before you even make a sale.

The winning strategy is to compete on value. As we have discussed, this means picking a premium niche and building your authority with targeted designs. When you speak directly to a specific audience, you solve a specific problem or affirm a specific identity. These customers aren’t looking for the cheapest option; they are looking for the right option, and they are willing to pay a premium for it. The goal is not to sell more for less. The goal is to sell less, but at a premium.