A research project which measured the head shapes of 2,000 Chinese appears to have unlocked the mystery of why some products, like eyeglasses and safety helmets, do not fit Chinese users.
This is because the head of an average Chinese is rounder and higher than that of a westerner, according to the 18-month study.
Chinese heads are also smaller, usually measuring 540mm in circumference, compared with the 570mm western head. And the upper, rear section is much flatter.
The information, collected by a research team at the Polytechnic University's school of design, is arguably the world's first comprehensive databank of Chinese head sizes and facial features.
While the findings may sound trivial to some, the data has potentially huge implications for product makers targeting the Chinese.
Hats, glasses and even facemasks are made to fit western faces and heads, and often the physiology of Chinese consumers is not considered.
'Baseball caps sometimes sit awkwardly on Chinese heads. It is not about size, but the shape, because Chinese heads are higher,' said Roger Ball, leader of the project SizeChina.com and assistant professor of the school of design.