How to Adjust Hard Hat Height (Step By Step Guide)

A hard hat comes with a chin strap, so you can simply tighten or loosen the strap to adjust the hard hat height, it’s all about using the chin strap. Most hard hats come in one size, although you do get a few variations in size and style.

How high should a hard hat sit?

A hard hat must be worn according to the regulations of the manufacturer, and according to the rules of OHSA, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration of the USA. The hat must fit snugly around the head, i.e. be properly secured.

There is no one height that a hard hat should sit, as long as the hat itself follows the guidelines of OHSA, the hat fits well and is secured by the chin strap. The hat must fit and be worn correctly for it to work well.

This is how to fit a new hard hat:-

• • 1. Remove the hat from the packaging.
    2. Make sure everything is there and that the suspension or ratchet is in place.
    3. Loosen the strap to the widest setting.
    4. Place the hard hat on your head, making sure it is the correct way.
    5. The adjustment chin strap should be at the back, with the brim facing forward.
    6. Make quite sure that the back and the top of your head are covered.
    7. Take the chinstrap and buckle it up, under your chin.
    8. Make sure that it feels safe. Not too tight, but not too loose.
    9. You should be able to move your head, but minimally.
    10. Move the helmet around a bit, to ensure that it is properly fitted.

Once you have fitted a new hard hat, the settings should not have to change. You might find the chin strap stretches slightly, in which case you will adjust the level of tightness. Chin straps are easily adjustable.

How to Adjust Hard Hat Strap?

In the above pointers we detailed how to adjust the hard hat strap. Every day, you, or the construction worker, is going to take your hat on and off, probably a few times a day. Each time the hat is put on or removed, the chin strap should be buckled up and unbuckled. If you pull the strap over without unbuckling it, the strap is going to stretch.

Adjusting the hard hat strap is always the same, whether the hard hat is old or new.

• • 1. Put the hat on your head.
    2. Ensure the hat is facing the right way.
    3. Make sure the top and back of your head are covered.
    4. Pull the chin strap under your chin.
    5. Buckle up!
    6. Adjust so that the hat fits well and is snug, tight but not too tight.

Some people like to adjust their chin straps when the hat is not on their head, but the best fit and best adjustment comes from doing this while the hat is in position.

What to do if a hard hat is too small?

The chances are that it is not the hard hat that is too small but the chin strap that is too tight! Unless you have an unusually large head, in which case you should order the kind of hard hat that comes in bigger sizes, such as jumbo, you need to adjust the chin strap.

Most of the time, you only need to adjust the hard hat chin strap, to make a hard hat fit properly.

Remember, if the chin strap has frayed, stretched or is not in a good condition, you can get hard hat chin straps. They are easy to buy separately, and most hard hats allow you to change the chin strap, as often as needed.

What about a low sitting full brim hard hat

There are a wide range of hard hats on the market, and you only have to look at the internet to see how many there are. Most are in a standard size, but for construction work, you get to choose the type of hard hat you want, the class and the style.

If you are wearing a low sitting full brim hard hat that does not feel quite right, adjust the chin strap. If it still does not feel right, you may need to look for a different style.

Hard hats for tall heads

 Some heads are longer than others. Some heads are wider than others. No two heads are shaped exactly the same. This is the beauty of a hard hat with a chin strap. The chin strap can be adjusted, to ensure the hat fits well. There are five important factors when it comes to fitting a hard hat:-

• • • The top of the head is covered
    • The sides of the head are covered
    • The hat is a snug fit.
    • The hat doesn’t move easily when the head is in motion.
    • The chinstrap is secure and comfortable, neither tight nor loose.

If there is someone on your construction team with a really long head, you may need a specialist hat.

What to do if the hard hat keeps falling off?

This generally means that the chin strap is not adjusted correctly and needs to be tightened. If this is not enough to keep the hard hat from falling off, you may need to:-

• • 1. Get a new chin strap.
    2. Get a new hard hat.
    3. Find a specialist hard hat for smaller heads.

In some cases, if the hard hat is fine but loose, and nothing helps, including adjusting the chin strap, then a specially designed beanie for under the hard hat may help.

The most important thing is safety. Construction workers, or any visitors to a construction site, wear a hard hat for their own safety. Hard hats protect from falling debris, small and hard knocks, side impacts, falls and in many cases, electrical issues. If a hard hat is too loose, it is not going to protect the head. If a hard hat is too tight, it will not allow the worker to work well and easily, causing its own problems.

Adjusting a hard hat chin is easy. Replacing a hard hat chin is easy. Don’t endanger your life, or anyone else’s life, by taking chances. And if you need a new hard hat, get one! The good ones are long lasting.