Jump on the Dad Caps Trend: 6 Best Dad Hats to Sell in 2024

What do you immediately imagine when you hear the words “dad cap”?

We’ll take a wild guess: it’s probably your dad wearing a sensible, practical hat while mowing the lawn, right? Definitely not Taylor Swift sauntering around Manhattan, looking impossibly chic in an outfit combining navy blue pants and a tan corduroy dad cap—some of the most dad-esque fashion pieces known to humankind.

But there she is. From Taylor to Rihanna, many celebrities are embracing the streetwear dad caps trend. Since the 1990s, both the dad hats and the baseball caps have increasingly become a go-to fashion accessory, chic and accessible not just for celebrities but for everyone.

This enduring popularity is exactly why the classic dad hat is the perfect niche item to sell if you’re planning to open your own print-on-demand store. Combine the dad cap with custom embroidery, and you have a bestseller!

What are dad caps?

Before we get into our favorite trending products and all the possibilities of selling dad caps, let’s have a quick history lesson. What are dad hats, and are dad caps and baseball caps the same?

Before dad caps became a streetwear trend, they were traditionally worn by middle-aged or older men—in other words, ‘the dads’—because of the hat’s comfort and practicality. The dad hat protects your head from the sun—there’s nothing more to it. Or is there?

The dad hat is similar to both the trucker hat and the snapback hat but carries a more vintage look. The term “dad hat” is often used interchangeably with the more classic “baseball cap,” though there are subtle differences between the two.

Difference between dad hats and baseball caps

The traditional baseball hat is characterized by a structured design that maintains its shape even when it’s not on your head, a curved brim, and an adjustable strap in the back. Dad hats, on the other hand, have a more relaxed fit and a wider, flatter brim.

Usually, the traditional baseball cap has a higher top than the dad hat, so its front panels are higher and more structured. But if you’re looking for a retro style, dad hats will be your best friend, fit for any occasion.

Valuable read: Types of Baseball Hats: Your Ultimate Cap Guide

How did dad caps become a trend?

Dad hats originated from their earlier ‘ancestor,” the humble baseball hat. Baseball caps first appeared in the mid-19th century, when baseball players from the amateur team Brooklyn Excelsiors began wearing hats with a flat brim and a button on top to protect their eyes from the sun. Dad hats emerged much later, in the 1990s, as a fashion statement and were closely tied to hip-hop culture and style.

During the 2000s and 2010s, brands began to fully realize the great marketing potential of hats. Baseball hats, trucker hats, dad hats, and snapbacks all gained popularity because brands could use them as easy marketing tools.

6 best dad hats to customize with Printful

If you’re considering jumping on the dad hat trend and opening an online shop selling custom hats, boy, do we have some great options for you. Let’s explore the best dad hats you can sell with Printful.

Organic Baseball Cap

First on our list is the classic Organic Baseball Cap. Made from 100% organic cotton, this six-panel baseball cap is not only sustainable but also made to last. Its adjustable brass slider and a hidden tuck-in ensure a “one size fits all” design.

With this baseball hat, you’ll also be able to try out our innovative unlimited color embroidery technique. Unlike standard embroidery, unlimited color embroidery offers more freedom with colors, allowing you to create multicolor or color gradient designs with almost no limitations. Read more about unlimited color embroidery here.

Valuable read: Baseball Hat Design Ideas That Get Noticed

Source: Printful

Classic Dad Hat

Up next—the Classic Dad Hat. Like any true dad hat, it has a relaxed, stylish fit that our customers love. This hat has received stellar reviews for its comfort and high-quality feel.

It’s unstructured, which means that the hat won’t retain its shape when not worn. Its low profile and curved brim make it a perfect example of a comfortable yet fashionable streetwear dad hat.

An important thing to remember when designing hats is to carefully follow embroidery guidelines. If you don’t, your design might not come out as good as you’d like. Take a look at our embroidery guidelines here.

Source: Printful

Distressed Dad Hat

Next, we have the Distressed Dad Hat. This is a particularly trendy product—the fabric is distressed on the crown and the brim of the hat, giving it a worn-in feel. If your or your customers’ personal style leans towards the alternative or edgy, this hat will be the perfect fit.

This six-panel, low-profile hat has an adjustable velcro closure, so it’ll be comfortable to wear. It comes in four colors and is available for standard and unlimited color embroidery, like the previous two models.

Source: Printful

Vintage Cap

If you’re looking for something old-school, we’ve got you covered. The Vintage Cap is a popular accessory, much beloved by our customers. The fabric has a washed-out, vintage feel that’ll make any casual outfit look like the epitome of streetwear fashion.

This vintage dad hat also has a metal snap buckle with an antique brass finish, adding to the retro look. Combine this hat with a simple design, and you’ve got the perfect accessory.

Still not sure about this hat? Take a look at what our reviewers had to say.

Corduroy Hat

Corduroy hats are all the rage, so naturally, we had to have one on our list. If you want to recreate the perfect casual Taylor Swift look, try our Corduroy Hat. Our customers rave about the soft material and the relaxed fit.

The 100% corduroy cotton hat has an adjustable strap with a metal buckle and grommet and is available in six colors. Dad hats like this go with many outfits and work for almost any occasion (OK, maybe not the Met Gala . . . wait, does anyone remember Nicki Minaj wearing a Burberry cap at the 2022 Met Gala, or was that just a fever dream?).

Source: Printful

Tie-Dye Hat

Last, but not least, we’re taking it way back to the 1990s tie-dye era with this one. Our Tie-Dye Hat is a perfect item to add to your store and market heavily when preparing for the spring and summer seasons. What’s more fun and fit for summer life than colorful tie-dye dad hats?

This lightweight, soft hat has a pre-curved visor and a tri-glide buckle closure. If you’ve decided to add this hat to your store, keep in mind that not all tie-dye hats will look the same. The nature of the garment-dyeing process means that each hat will be unique.

Source: Printful

How to start selling dad caps with Printful

Starting your own online hat shop with Printful is a breeze. Here’s a quick step-by-step tutorial on how you can start selling your own custom hats.

1. Create your Printful account

First, you’ll need to create your Printful account—it’s easy, quick to set up, and free. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll need to connect it to the online marketplace of your choice.

Printful offers integrations with a ton of different ecommerce platforms. Take a look here to decide which one works best for you.

2. Create your first product template

Once you’ve created your account and connected it to your chosen platform, it’s time to create your first hat. Go to Product catalog, or simply pick your favorite from the list above. Choose the fulfillment technique and click on Create product template.

You’ll be directed to the Design Maker. Here, you can either upload your existing designs or create new ones using our vast design options. Learn more about designing for embroidery here.

3. Start selling!

Once you’re happy with your design, click Save product template. You can edit all your product templates from the Product templates tab in your Printful Dashboard. From this tab, you can add new templates or delete old ones, group your templates into collections, rename them, or add them to your store. 

When you want to add a product to your shop, hover over the product template and click Add to store. At this point, you can add the product details—product title, description, pricing, and more.

When everything looks right, click Submit to store, and voila! There you have it—you’ve added your first hat to your shop. If you find yourself struggling or just want to learn more about starting your online store with Printful, watch this helpful video tutorial.

Ready, set, go!

That’s all, folks! We made it through the article without a single dad joke—is that a good or a bad sign?

In this article, we took a look at one of the most enduring trends, the dad cap, and went over some of the dad caps you can customize and sell with Printful. Which hat did you like the best? 

If you need more help with your store, we’ve got a ton of useful resources to guide you through starting your own business. On our blog, you’ll find business and marketing tips. Follow our YouTube channel for in-depth reviews about Printful products, integrations, and more.

Good luck!