Beanies for big heads: the complete 2026 guide
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By Dominik, founder of Head of Wonder · Published · Last reviewed
Knit stretches, but only so far. That's where the trouble starts with a winter beanie on a big head: it gives when you pull it on in the shop, and then it spends the rest of the day creeping back up. It presses above your eyebrows, slides off your ears, and a few hours later you take it off with a groove across your forehead.
Circumference isn't the only number that decides the fit. Depth matters just as much — how much knit is left between the brim and the top of your head once the beanie is on. Our XL beanies are knitted to a 61 cm circumference and sit comfortably from 60 to 63 cm. The black beanie also comes in XXL for 63 to 66 cm: 3 cm more around, with a crown 2 cm taller than the XL.
Below: how to measure step by step, how merino compares with acrylic and with the cotton blend, a walk through the models, and a fit check you can run on your first day of wearing it. Plus the point where our sizes stop, because above 66 cm we have nothing in beanies.
Quick answer
A beanie for big heads means a head circumference of 60 cm and up. Head of Wonder knits winter beanies in two sizes. XL is knitted to a 61 cm circumference and sits comfortably anywhere from 60 to 63 cm. XXL has 3 cm more circumference and a crown 2 cm taller, and it's made for 63 to 66 cm, so far in the black beanie; every other model is XL. Besides circumference, watch the depth, because the beanie has to cover your ears without being pulled down. Above 66 cm you won't find anything here.
Key takeaways
- Our XL beanies are knitted to a head circumference of 61 cm and sit comfortably from 60 to 63 cm.
- XXL has 3 cm more circumference and a crown 2 cm taller, and it's made for 63 to 66 cm.
- XXL is so far knitted in one model, the black beanie; every other beanie is XL.
- Above 66 cm we have nothing in winter beanies, and we'd rather say so up front.
- Materials in the collection: merino wool with nothing blended in, acrylic, and an acrylic-cotton blend.
- The crochet slouchy beanie in merino has an extended crown and is worn pushed back.
- Measure about 1 cm above your ears, across the middle of your forehead, twice, and take the higher number.
- We ship from Prague to EU countries, usually 3 to 7 working days after dispatch.
Why a beanie ends up on top of your head instead of on it
Circumference is only half the story. The other half is depth. A standard one-size beanie is knitted for a smaller head, so on a 62 cm head it uses up all its stretch going sideways and has nothing left for depth. It perches on top like a bowl, your ears stay out in the cold, and you tug at it the whole way to work.
On a bigger head, shape joins in. A head measuring 63 cm is usually taller as well as wider. That's why our XXL beanie has a crown 2 cm higher on top of the extra 3 cm around. Add only circumference and the beanie eases off at the forehead but still never reaches the ears.
The last part shows up a few hours in. Knit stretched to the top of its range grips like elastic: fine at first, then it starts pressing behind the ears, and a red groove sets in above your eyebrows. A well-chosen beanie holds without being pulled down and leaves no mark when you take it off. The full range is in the XL winter beanies collection.
Measure your head and find your number
- Run a tape measure around your head about 1 cm above your ears and take it across the middle of your forehead, over the widest point. No tape at hand? A piece of string held against a ruler afterwards works just as well.
- Keep the tape snug but don't pull. One finger should slide under it easily, otherwise you'll end up with a smaller number than the one you actually need.
- Hair dry and loose, the way you wear it under a beanie. A bun or braids inflate the number and then you buy a size you swim in.
- Measure twice and take the higher value. With knit, a single centimetre decides whether the brim reaches your ears or stops just above them.
- Between 60 and 63 cm, your size is XL. That covers every model in the collection, from the acrylic beanies to merino.
- From 63 to 66 cm, go for XXL. We knit it in the black beanie, which comes in both sizes at the same price.
- Landed exactly on the line, say 63 cm? Take the bigger one. Comfort beats the number on the label.
- Above 66 cm, honestly, we have nothing for you. The full table and photos of the measuring process are in the size guide.
Merino, acrylic and the cotton blend
- Merino wool with nothing blended in keeps you warm in a hard frost without cooking you on an overheated tram. It resists odour, so the beanie still feels fresh after a full day, and it doesn't itch. I wear merino myself from November through March, and the merino collection is all XL.
- The textured merino knit holds its shape and looks a notch smarter than a plain beanie. It suits the days when the hat isn't only about cold and has to go with a jacket or a wool coat.
- Acrylic is light, pleasant against the skin and easy to look after. It holds colour, takes a gentle wash and makes sense for everyday use, when the beanie lives in a coat sleeve one day and a backpack pocket the next.
- The acrylic-cotton blend breathes better than pure acrylic and keeps the brim in shape. That's what the black beanie is made of, the only model we also knit in XXL.
- Crochet knit has larger loops, which makes it airier. In a strong wind a dense knitted beanie keeps you warmer, while crochet merino is the nicer choice in autumn and on in-between days.
- The composition is written on every product page. There are three options: merino, acrylic, or acrylic with cotton.
How knit behaves, and what hair and hoods do to the fit
Every knit has two properties that keep each other honest. Stretch lets you pull the beanie over your head; recovery then keeps it in place. When the knit is working at the top of its stretch, recovery fades after a few seasons: the brim starts to sag while the crown stays as short as it ever was. So buy the size where the knit still has something in reserve, not the one you force over your head.
Merino knit springs back nicely and pulls itself in again once you take it off. Crochet merino holds its shape thanks to the structure of the loop, and acrylic holds it because it's light and doesn't react to moisture the way wool does. In practice, a beanie that fits on day one will still fit in February.
Hair and hoods change the fit more than you'd expect. Thicker or longer hair takes centimetres off the inside circumference, so if you measure 63 cm and have a full head of hair, XXL is the safe call. Under a hood the beanie slides backwards, and that's where a deeper cut earns its keep: the crown gives up a couple of centimetres and the brim still stays above your ears, where it belongs.
Models by style and colour
- The black beanie with a turn-up brim is made from the acrylic-cotton blend and it's the only model we stock in XL and in XXL for 63 to 66 cm. If you mostly wear black, you can stop looking here.
- The navy acrylic beanie is a shade softer than the black one and still completely classic. It works with denim and with a wool coat alike.
- Earthy shades, olive or brown, go with winter jackets where black looks harsh. Same cut with the turn-up brim, just in a colour people actually wear.
- Black merino is the one for real cold and long days outside. The textured knit holds its shape and the wool manages temperature in a way acrylic can't.
- Merino in light brown, yellow or blue is for when you want the beanie to be seen. The colours are muted rather than neon, and they sit well with grey and with navy.
- The crochet slouchy beanie in merino has an extended crown and is worn loosely pushed back. There's a leather patch at the front, and that's all the detail it needs.
- Every model is unisex. The fit comes down to circumference and depth, not which section of a normal shop the beanie would hang in.
The first-day fit check
- The brim has to cover your ears completely without you pulling the beanie down. If you're already tugging at it two minutes in, it isn't deep enough.
- One finger should slide comfortably between your forehead and the brim. If it doesn't, the circumference is too small for your head.
- Take the beanie off and look in the mirror. A red groove above your eyebrows means the knit spent the whole day at full stretch.
- Shake your head and look down. The beanie must not slide back and expose your forehead.
- Put a hood up and walk around. The right depth shifts under a hood, but the brim stays above your ears.
- Pull headphones over the beanie. The brim has to stay put rather than ride up every time you take them off.
- If any of that goes wrong, write to info@headofwonder.com. By law you have two weeks from delivery to withdraw, and swapping a size takes one email.
Washing and drying without stretching the brim
Heat is the one thing that ruins a beanie for good. Wash merino in lukewarm to cold water and only in a wool detergent, meaning pH neutral and enzyme free, because enzymes break wool down. Don't scrunch it, don't wring it, don't twist the water out. Acrylic and the cotton blend handle hand washing or a gentle machine cycle in lukewarm water.
Drying is what settles the shape. Shape the beanie while it's still wet, lay it flat and let it finish drying there. No tumble dryer, no radiator, and never hang it by the brim, because wet knit stretches under its own weight. Treated this way a beanie lasts season after season and the brim never turns into elastic. How this brand came about is on the about page. No compromises.
When this fits — and when it doesn't
Choose this if
- Your head measures between 60 and 63 cm and ordinary beanies press above your eyebrows.
- The brim needs to cover your ears after a full day outside, not just the first half hour.
- You measured 63 to 66 cm and you're after the XXL, which we knit in the black beanie.
- Merino suits you and one beanie has to work in the frost and in overheated interiors.
- You wear a beanie under a hood and need a deeper cut that won't slide above your ears.
- A looser fit pushed back on the head appeals to you, the way the crochet slouchy sits.
Look elsewhere if
- You measure under 60 cm, so an XL will sag on you and the brim will ride up.
- You came out above 66 cm, and that's the line we don't go past in winter beanies.
- You want a pom-pom, ear flaps or a fleece lining, none of which we knit.
- You need delivery outside the EU; we don't ship to the UK, Switzerland, Norway or the US.
- You want a beanie you can throw in on a normal wash cycle and then into the dryer.
- You need a technical beanie for high-altitude climbing; our models are for the city and ordinary winter.
Frequently asked questions
Will a Head of Wonder beanie fit me if my head measures 62 cm?
Yes, 62 cm falls into size XL. Our XL beanies are knitted to a 61 cm circumference and sit comfortably from 60 to 63 cm, so at 62 cm the knit still has something in reserve and the beanie doesn't press on your forehead. If you also have thicker or longer hair and want to be certain, you can take the black beanie in XXL for 63 to 66 cm, but at 62 cm the standard choice is XL.
How does XXL differ from XL in a winter beanie?
XXL has 3 cm more circumference and a crown 2 cm taller than XL. XL is knitted to a head circumference of 61 cm and fits 60 to 63 cm, while XXL is made for 63 to 66 cm. The taller crown matters just as much as the circumference: without it the beanie would ease off at the forehead and still not reach the ears. XXL is so far knitted in the black beanie and costs the same as the XL.
Will an XL beanie cover my ears if I measure 63 cm?
At 63 cm you're at the top end of XL. The brim will cover your ears, but the knit is working closer to its limit, so the beanie sits more firmly and may ride up a few millimetres over the course of the day. If you want peace of mind, take the black beanie in XXL for 63 to 66 cm, which has a crown 2 cm taller. On the line between two sizes it's generally wiser to take the bigger one.
Do you have a beanie for a head circumference above 66 cm?
We don't. In winter beanies our range stops at 66 cm, the top of the XXL in the black beanie. Above that we have nothing to offer you, and we'd rather say so than have you pay postage for a beanie you can't put on. Our size range is short by design: XL for 60 to 63 cm and XXL for 63 to 66 cm, nothing beyond that.
Is a merino beanie better than an acrylic one?
It depends what you want from the beanie. Merino wool manages temperature, keeps you warm in the frost, doesn't cook you indoors, resists odour and doesn't itch, but it wants washing in a wool detergent. Acrylic is light, pleasant against the skin, holds colour and is easy to look after, which makes it good for everyday use and for a backpack pocket. The acrylic-cotton blend sits between the two, breathing better than pure acrylic and keeping the brim in shape.
How do I wash a knitted beanie so it doesn't stretch out?
Wash merino in lukewarm to cold water and only in a wool detergent, meaning pH neutral and enzyme free, because enzymes break wool down. Don't scrunch it and don't wring it. Acrylic and the acrylic-cotton blend handle hand washing or a gentle cycle in lukewarm water. Then shape the beanie while it's still wet, lay it flat and let it finish drying. A tumble dryer, a radiator, or hanging it by a wet brim will deform it for good.
Are your winter beanies for women or for men?
Every model is unisex. With a beanie for a big head, the fit comes down to circumference and crown depth, not the shop department, so the same XL beanie fits a man or a woman measuring 60 to 63 cm. The collection has classic beanies with a turn-up brim as well as a crochet slouchy version in merino, and the colours run from black and navy to earthy shades and light brown.
Where do you ship from and how long will delivery take?
Everything goes out from our warehouse in Prague, and we pack an order within two working days of receiving it. In Czechia the parcel usually arrives 1 to 2 working days after dispatch, and within the EU typically in 3 to 7 working days depending on the country. We ship to all EU countries but not outside the union, so the UK, Switzerland, Norway and the US are not on the list.
What if the beanie doesn't fit, how do returns work?
From delivery you have two weeks to tell us you're withdrawing, with no reason needed, either through the form on the website or by email to info@headofwonder.com with your name and order number. From that notice you have another two weeks to send the beanie back, and the return postage is on you. We refund the money within 7 days of the parcel reaching us, by the same route you paid.
My beanie arrived damaged, what now?
Write to info@headofwonder.com, attach a photo and your order number, and we'll send a new one at no charge. You don't need to return the damaged beanie. That's how we handle every claim, because nobody deserves to wait for a winter beanie twice, and when a situation can be put right with something extra, we do that.
Methodology
This text rests on things we have direct access to: the specifications and measured dimensions of our winter beanies (circumference, crown height, brim depth), the material composition of each model, and the emails and orders that have come through Head of Wonder over the past year. The size figures come from the current catalogue rather than from industry charts, and there is no external study or customer survey behind them.