Lids runs custom embroidery in a lot of its mall stores, and the cost of getting a hat embroidered there is one of the most-asked questions in custom headwear. Here's a straight answer, plus the questions people usually mean when they ask it.
What does Lids charge to embroider a hat?
Lids doesn't publish a national embroidery price online, and it varies by store, by design, and by how many stitches your logo or text needs. Pricing is usually per item, and simple text costs less than a detailed logo. The only way to get an exact quote is to ask your local Lids counter. As a rule, in-store embroidery is priced for one-off, walk-in jobs, not for ordering a matching batch for a team or business.
Will Lids embroider a hat you bring in?
Often, yes. Many Lids locations will embroider a hat you bring in, though it's up to the store and depends on the cap (structured fronts work best, and some materials don't take embroidery). Call ahead before you make the trip. Stores typically handle text and simpler designs in-store.
When Lids makes sense, and when it doesn't
Lids is handy if you want one hat done today and there's a store nearby. Where it gets tricky is anything bigger: matching hats for a crew, a clean version of a real logo, or a specific blank in your brand colors. That's a different job, and it's usually better handled by a custom embroidery shop that orders the blanks and digitizes your logo properly.
A no-minimum online alternative
That's what we do at Embroidery Inc. You pick the cap (genuine Richardson, Yupoong, and Flexfit blanks, not mystery caps), upload your logo, and we send you a photo of it stitched on a real hat before we make your order. There are no minimums, so it works for one hat or a thousand, and the price is clear up front: the hat price plus a one-time $30 digitizing fee for your logo, waived at 12 pieces and on reorders. Most orders ship in 3 to 5 business days.
New to this? Here's what to look for in a hat embroidery service and a rundown of hat styles.
Ben B., founder of Embroidery Inc, Woodland CA