Buying guide · Headwear
Headwear is three different purchases wearing one name. Sometimes it's uniform — a logo cap on a delivery driver. Sometimes it's comfort kit — a thermal beanie on a winter site. And sometimes it's PPE with a standard number, where buying the wrong thing isn't a style mistake but a compliance one. Sort out which you're buying and the rest is easy.
The distinction
Uniform headwear is branding: an embroidered cap puts the logo at eye level on every doorstep and counter, which is why couriers and trades franchises live in them. Buy on panel quality and embroidery position — a structured front panel takes a logo cleanly; unstructured caps crumple it.
Comfort headwear is thermal: beanies and liners for outdoor trades, cold stores and winter yards. Look for machine-washable acrylic or acrylic-wool, and thin-knit versions that fit under a helmet rather than instead of one.
Protective headwear carries a number. A bump cap (EN 812) protects against striking your own head on fixed objects — vans, low steel, plant interiors — and looks like a baseball cap with a shell inside. It is not a safety helmet: falling-object protection is EN 397 territory, decoded in our helmets guide. Sites that specify helmets mean helmets; a bump cap on a scaffold job is the wrong answer however smart it looks.
Food production adds a fourth, disposable case — hairnets, snoods and mob caps are hygiene consumables covered in our food processing guide.
The map
| Type | Where it belongs | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Embroidered cap | Couriers, trades, hospitality counters — brand visibility | None — it's uniform |
| Beanie / thermal liner | Outdoor trades, cold store, winter sites | None; helmet-compatible cuts matter |
| Bump cap | Vehicle workshops, warehouse picking under racking, meter reading | EN 812 |
| Safety helmet | Construction, lifting operations, anywhere objects can fall | EN 397 |
| Hairnet / snood | Food production and prep — hygiene, not impact | Site hygiene policy |
Buying notes
Questions
A bump cap (EN 812) protects against you striking your head on fixed objects — low beams, vehicle interiors, racking. A safety helmet (EN 397) protects against falling objects and carries much higher impact requirements. They are not interchangeable: where a site or risk assessment specifies a helmet, a bump cap does not comply.
Yes, if it's a thin-knit or purpose-made helmet liner that doesn't interfere with the harness cradle. A thick beanie lifts the shell and changes how the helmet sits and performs. Many helmet ranges offer winter liners designed for exactly this.
Front and centre on a structured panel, typically around 55–65mm wide. Structured caps hold the embroidery flat; unstructured ones crease through the design. Keep the artwork simple — fine text disappears at cap-embroidery scale.
Everything in these guides is stocked, embroiderable and priced for teams.