What's the best way to ship a hat? Here at Tenth Street Hats we enjoy doing all the shipping while you do all the shopping, but there might be a time when you find yourself wanting to send a hat of your own to someone. Or maybe you discover a great hat while on vacation and prefer to ship it home instead of packing it or taking it on the plane.

To help you find the easiest and most efficient way to ship a hat, we're taking you through the steps so that both sender and recipient are happy. Read on as we reveal the answers to a few important questions on how to ship a hat including which type of hat you're sending, how to properly package the hat, how much you're willing to spend, and how quickly you need the hat to arrive.

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What Type of Hat Are You Shipping?

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It all begins with the hat. There is an endless variety of hat styles and shapes — from baseball caps, fedoras, and flat caps to floppy hats, safari hats, and over-the-top Kentucky Derby hats — that come in myriad materials including wool, straw, cotton, and polyester, to name a few. Some materials are better than others when it comes to packing. For example, a rigid straw hat might easily crack if not properly padded while a soft wool hat or cotton cap is more malleable and won't require as much caution.

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How Should You Package the Hat?

As mentioned, how you package the hat will depend on what type of hat you're shipping. Not only is the material an important factor, but the shape, size, and embellishments play a part as well. With so many variations and combinations it can get a little tricky. Fortunately, we have some tricks of the trade to help you out.

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Cotton or Synthetic Caps

Baseball hats, beanies, and knit hats made from cotton or synthetic blends are probably the easiest type of hat to ship. They're also lower on shipping cost. A cap can easily be folded or set flat in a smaller box without any filler material whereas a wide-brim fedora or straw hat will require more elaborate packaging to avoid ruining the crown or brim.

If you are shipping a vintage or collector's baseball cap, you should take extra precaution not to bend the bill as it might be made from cardboard, which could easily get damaged if not properly handled.

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Wool Hats

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Properly packaging a wool hat greatly depends on its size. If it's simply a wool beanie or flat cap, then you can probably put it in a small box wrapped in tissue paper, crumpled paper, or packing peanuts. (We don't recommend newspaper as the ink could transfer to the hat, especially if it's light in color. If it does get dirty, here's how to clean a hat.)

On the other hand, if you have a wool hat with a large brim or special details such as a feather, appliques, or a ribbon band that you don't want to wrinkle, you should carefully pack it with lots of crumpled up paper or peanuts.

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Straw Hats

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When shipping a straw hat, you need to consider the strength and texture of the straw to help determine whether or not it's crushable. A crushable (or packable) hat is one that can be folded, flattened, bent, smashed, and otherwise squished and will bounce back to its original shape. Even if the label says it's crushable but you sense that it might crack, use your best judgment and don't try to squeeze into a box size that's too small or flat.

You also need to pay attention to any embellishments on the hat, such as tassels, beads, rhinestones, and other decorations that could get damaged or loose. Try using bubble wrap or one of those big poly bubble bags to make sure the hat doesn't get crushed in transit.

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What Type of Box Should You Use?

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If you're a devotee of Amazon Prime or other subscription delivery services, it's a good idea to save the empty cardboard boxes for future use. Not only is it good for the environment to recycle these resources, but it's good for your wallet — no need to buy boxes!

That said, if you're pressed for space, you can always break down any free boxes you have from previous deliveries and keep them stored flat in a closet, cupboard, or under the bed. Just make sure to remove any of the previous labels or cover them up to avoid any delays with your shipment.

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What's the Cost of Shipping a Hat?

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The shipping method you select depends on the answer to another important question: When does the hat need to arrive? If time is of the essence — say, you've waited until the very last minute to ship off that Christmas or birthday gift — then chances are you'll have to fork over bigger bucks to get it delivered in time for the holidays or other date-specific occasion.

In this case, you have reliable options such as FedEx, UPS Ground, and DHS. The United States Post Office (USPS) also offers Priority Mail Express with overnight delivery and flat-rate box options.

On the other hand, if sending the hat is not really a time-sensitive matter and you have more flexibility, then you can do some bargain shopping for the best rates and save on shipping charges.

Of course, the heavier the packaging the more it will cost you, so keep that in mind. You can always head to your local post office and find the cheapest way to ship hats. If you've saved boxes at home, you can always go to usps.com to create a username and password to print off your own labels.

Ship Happens

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With so many hat styles, shapes, sizes, and fabrications, knowing how to ship a hat can seem a bit daunting. But we're here for you. Our helpful tips will help ensure that your hat, whether it's a new hat or an old one, arrives in picture-perfect condition. Don't forget to take a look at our best-selling selection of mens hats and womens hats and let us do the shipping for you.