How to Choose a Felt Cowboy Hat: Material, X Rating & Fit

To choose the right felt cowboy hat, look at the felt material, manufacturer’s X rating, crown and brim shape, fit, intended use and budget together. Do not choose by X rating alone. A good everyday felt hat should fit comfortably, suit how often you wear it and provide the shape and finish you actually want.

Felt cowboy hats range from practical everyday Western hats to premium pieces costing thousands of dollars. The right choice is not automatically the hat with the highest number on the label.

Use this guide to understand what actually matters before buying.

1. Start With the Felt Material

The material influences how a hat feels, wears, responds to shaping and where it sits within a manufacturer's range.

Common categories include:

• Wool felt
• Fur felt
• Fur blends
• Beaver blends
• Premium beaver felt

Wool felt can make sense for someone looking for an accessible everyday Western hat. Fur felt generally moves into a more premium category, while higher-quality fur and beaver blends are commonly chosen by buyers looking for better feel, refinement and long-term ownership.

For a deeper material comparison, read our Wool Felt vs Fur Felt vs Beaver Felt Cowboy Hats Guide.

If you are still deciding whether felt is right for you at all, start with our Felt vs Straw Cowboy Hats Guide.

2. Understand the X Rating Before Paying More

You will see felt cowboy hats labeled with ratings such as:

6X, 7X, 10X, 30X, 100X, 500X and 1000X.

The important point is that X ratings are not universally standardized across every cowboy hat manufacturer.

A 100X from one company should not automatically be treated as identical to a 100X from another.

Instead, use the X rating to understand where a particular hat sits within that manufacturer's own range, then compare it with:

• Material
• Construction
• Finish
• Brand
• Shape
• Intended use
• Price

For example, La Herradura's current Rodeo King Hats include multiple X levels ranging from everyday options through premium 100X and 1000X felt hats. The Stetson Hats collection likewise spans multiple quality and price levels.

Do not buy an X number. Buy the hat that fits your actual needs.

3. Decide How You Will Wear the Hat

This is one of the easiest ways to narrow your options.

Everyday Western Wear

For frequent casual wear, prioritize:

• Comfortable fit
• A versatile color
• A shape that works with several outfits
• A price you are comfortable wearing regularly

Black, silverbelly, charcoal, tan and other neutral tones can be easier to coordinate across a Western wardrobe.

Browse Rodeo King Hats if you want to compare a broad range of open-crown felt options.

Rodeos and Western Events

For rodeos, concerts and Western events, shape becomes more visually important.

A stronger brim profile, distinctive crown or less common color can make the hat a larger part of the outfit.

Our What to Wear to a Rodeo Guide can help coordinate the hat with jeans, boots, shirts, belts and other pieces.

Dress and Special Occasions

For weddings, celebrations and more polished Western outfits, buyers may prefer a refined felt, cleaner finish and more controlled crown and brim shape.

Collections such as Stetson Hats, Cuadra Felt Hats and American Hats give you different premium directions to compare.

4. Choose the Right Crown and Brim Shape

Material quality matters, but shape determines how the hat actually looks on you.

Common crown profiles include:

• Cattleman
• Pinch front
• Telescope
• Open crown
• Other regional and custom shapes

Brim width and curvature also change the overall silhouette.

A hat can be expensive and still look wrong if its proportions do not work for your face, build or preferred Western style.

Use our How to Choose the Right Cowboy Hat guide for a more detailed discussion of face shape and proportions.

5. Consider an Open Crown if You Want Customization

An open-crown felt hat arrives without a final crown crease, giving a hat shaper more freedom to create the profile you want.

This is especially useful when you:

• Already know your preferred crease
• Want a specific rodeo or ranch profile
• Have a reference photo
• Want the brim adjusted with the crown
• Prefer a more personalized appearance

The current Rodeo King collection includes many open-crown felt options across different colors and X ratings.

Before changing a hat, read What Our Hat Shapers Recommend Before Shaping a Cowboy Hat.

La Herradura also provides professional cowboy hat shaping for customers who want help creating or restoring a particular profile.

6. Get the Fit Right Before Worrying About Style

A premium felt hat that does not fit correctly is still the wrong hat.

A cowboy hat should feel secure without painful pressure.

It should:

• Stay reasonably stable during normal movement
• Sit naturally on your head
• Avoid obvious pressure points
• Feel comfortable enough for extended wear

Do not intentionally buy the wrong size to achieve a particular crown appearance.

Hat size and crown height are different things.

La Herradura's Cowboy Hat Size Guide can help you measure before choosing a size.

7. Compare Brands by More Than the Logo

La Herradura carries several felt-hat collections, which makes comparison useful.

Rodeo King

Rodeo King Hats are particularly useful for shoppers interested in open-crown felt hats and custom shaping. The current collection spans multiple X ratings, colors and price levels.

Stetson

Stetson Hats offer a broad range that currently includes 6X through premium 100X, 500X and 1000X options.

If you are comparing two major American Western hat names, see our Stetson vs Resistol Cowboy Hats Guide.

Cuadra

Cuadra Felt Hats provide another direction for shoppers looking for distinctive premium Western styling.

You can also browse the broader Cuadra Hats collection, which includes both felt and straw options.

Larry Mahan

If Larry Mahan is on your shortlist, use our Larry Mahan vs Stetson Cowboy Hats Guide before deciding between the two brands.

8. Think About Care Before Buying an Expensive Felt Hat

The more you invest in a hat, the more important proper care becomes.

Felt hats should be protected from unnecessary heat, poor storage and aggressive cleaning.

For regular ownership, learn:

• How to brush the felt
• How to dry a wet hat
• How to store it without changing the brim
• When home cleaning is appropriate
• When professional cleaning is safer

Read our How to Clean a Felt Cowboy Hat Without Ruining It guide for the full process.

If your hat eventually loses its shape, professional reshaping may also be possible depending on the material and condition.

Is a More Expensive Felt Cowboy Hat Worth It?

Sometimes, but only when the upgrade matters to you.

Spending more can make sense when you want:

• Higher-grade felt
• More refined finishing
• A premium brand or model
• Better shaping potential
• A special-occasion hat
• A hat you intend to own for years

But someone buying their first everyday cowboy hat does not automatically need a 100X or 1000X model.

The better question is:

What am I paying more for, and will I actually benefit from it?

That approach is more useful than chasing the largest X rating.

Quick Felt Cowboy Hat Buying Checklist

Before buying, ask:

Material: Is it wool, fur felt or a premium fur blend?

X rating: What does the rating represent within this particular brand?

Fit: Is the size correct for my head?

Shape: Do the crown and brim suit me?

Customization: Do I want pre-shaped or open crown?

Use: Is this for everyday wear, rodeos, ranch use or dress occasions?

Care: Am I comfortable maintaining the material properly?

Budget: Am I paying for features and quality that matter to me?

If those answers make sense together, you are much closer to the right hat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What X rating is best for a felt cowboy hat?

There is no single X rating that is best for everyone. X ratings are not universally standardized between manufacturers. Compare the rating with material, construction, brand, intended use and price.

Is fur felt better than wool felt?

Fur felt is generally positioned as a more premium material, but wool felt can still be appropriate for affordable or everyday Western wear. The right choice depends on budget and intended use.

Are open-crown felt hats better?

Not automatically. Open-crown hats are better for buyers who want more shaping freedom. A pre-shaped hat may be more convenient if you already like its factory profile.

What color felt cowboy hat is easiest to wear?

Neutral shades such as black, silverbelly, charcoal and brown tend to coordinate easily with Western boots, denim, shirts and jackets.

Should a felt cowboy hat fit tightly?

It should feel secure, not painfully tight. Excessive pressure usually means the size or head shape is wrong.

Find Your Felt Cowboy Hat

There is no single felt cowboy hat that is best for every buyer.

Start with your material, budget and intended use, then narrow the choice by X rating, shape, fit and brand.

Explore the full Cowboy Hat Collection, compare Rodeo King Hats, Stetson Hats, Cuadra Felt Hats and American Hats, then use our Cowboy Hat Selection Guide if you need additional help with fit and face shape.