Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have used this on many hats over the last year, and here is what you need to know. 1) Some hats (like Tilly hats) will not stretch. 2) Most other hats (fedoras, panamas) are generally bigger than they feel. The hat band or ribbon acts like a belt that constricts the hat size on your head. Remove that ribbon or band, and your hat just might sink all the way down to your eyebrows! Or it might stretch very comfortably around your head. 3) You can stretch a hat ribbon about one cm (assuming it has not already been stretched out) and that's it. 4) Leather hat bands don't really stretch at all. Some hat bands are glued at the buckle and will actually break if you use the hat stretcher on them (ask me how I know). 5) If you have a hat that fits comfortably without the band on it, then you just need to order a bigger ribbon / band! 6) You can order new hat ribbons online (panama hat mall). 7) The ribbons on that site run small, so you may want to order up a size--especially if it is for a felt hat instead of a panama (they are wider due to the thicker material). I would order a couple of sizes just in case the one you get is too small (the unrefundable $10 for international shipping each way will eat you up if you have to ship it back and order another one--ask me how I know). The sizes run in increments of two cm, and if you are in between, you can use the hat stretcher to eek an extra cm out of the smaller size. 8) Do not use glue to attach a new hat ribbon! Not even on a panama. They use some kind of special paste on those. Glue will bleed through and discolor the ribbon (again, ask me how I know). Just anchor the new hat ribbon on each side of the crown with a needle and matching thread. 9) If the hat ribbon fits around the circumfrence of the crown, but is too wide of a ribbon for that particular hat (the hat has a low crown), just fold the ribbon in half before you anchor it for a narrower ribbon look. 10) Then stretch as needed. As I said, you can get about a cm from this hat stretcher. If you need much more than that, you should probably just save yourself the time and trouble and order a new, bigger hat.