How to Use Hats in Your Helmet Slot

Equipping a hat

All thirteen Useful Hats items are worn in the helmet armor slot: Aquanaut Helmet, Bunny Ears, Chopping Hat, Ender Helmet, Halo, Lucky Hat, Mining Hat, Mushroom Hat, Postman Hat, Shulker Helmet, Stocking Cap, Straw Hat, and Wing Helmet.

To wear one, open your inventory and place the hat in the head slot, or shift-click it. On most setups you can also right-click while holding the hat, depending on your controls. The hat then shows on your character.

Switching between hats and armor

A hat takes the same slot as a normal helmet, so you cannot wear both at once. Keep your armor helmet in your inventory and swap it in when you need protection, then swap the hat back when you want its look. This is the main trade-off to plan around.

Practical loadout tips

Carry two or three hats so you can change appearance without returning to base. Craft the hats you use most first, then dye each one with the crafting_dye recipe to tell them apart at a glance. Store spare hats in a chest by your crafting table alongside dyes, so recoloring and swapping is quick. Because every hat uses the same slot, your choice is purely about which look or effect you want active at that moment.