How to Hug Tall Guys (3 Things to Avoid)

Hugs can be awkward for tall guys, if the person who wants to hug is a lot shorter. Although, tall guys do appreciate hugs like everyone else, so just avoid these 3 things and go for it.

The most important advice when you want to hug a tall man is to 1) not hug his waist, 2) not stop mid-way and 3) not hug for too long.

These are tips you’ll quickly learn to remember and use without thinking about it when the situation arises where a tall guy needs a hug.

Let’s dive into each of the 3 things to avoid.

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Tall Hugs and How to Not Make it Awkward

The most awkward hugs to get as a tall guy are the ones where the other person makes a big deal out of the height difference. If they try to hug you in a different way than they normally would, chances are you’ll get a cold, misplaced hug that none of you enjoy.

Why You Shouldn’t Hug his Waist

As a tall man, you feel like a giant if someone hugs you around the stomach—almost like when a child hugs a parent.

Imagine that a tall teenage guy gets a hug by a girl from his class (that he likes). She walks up to him and hugs him around the waist, which makes the guy feel like he’s a dad being hugged by his daughter.

This isn’t a very nice feeling, if you are interested in the other person. And even if you aren’t, these waist-hugs feel awkward as you’re just standing there, being hugged—rather than hugging back.

The resemblance to tree-hugging is not far-fetched, as it looks and feels like being a tree that is being passively hugged by a person. The tall guy’s arms are most likely locked in, so there’s no possibility of taking part in the hug (read: hugging back).

What you should do instead is to go for the chest, like you would with a person at the same height as you. The classic “over-under” where one arm goes over the shoulder and the other goes around the chest also works for tall guys.

The only difference is that you might want to stand on your toes, stand on something that elevates you a little or just accept that he has to bow down a little to receive the hug, you have in store for him.

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Why You Shouldn’t Stop Half-Way

You might feel tempted to just stop mid-way through the hug. If you’re short and hug a tall guy, you may think it’s not possible and just give him the impression that you wanted to give a big hug but couldn’t because of height differences.

Well, as a tall guy, this is worse than not getting a hug at all. Either you go all-in and insist on hugging—or you choose not to. The half hug doesn’t make a tall guy happy. It makes him feel very tall and awkward.

What you should do instead is to openly show your intensions of wanting to give a hug—by opening your arms while walking towards him and throw in a big smile.

This gives the tall guy time to bow down a little and position his long limbs the right way, so the hug can be carried through with no entanglement or half-way interruptions.

To get a hug from someone who insists on hugging you is the best feeling. If you can tell the other person really wants to give you the hug and doesn’t care how tall or small you are, that carries over into a warm feeling of being appreciated.

This sincerity is much more important than any hugging technique you’ll find online and should be the foundation underneath any attempted hug towards anyone.

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Why You Shouldn’t Hug for Long

If you have understood the first 2 points of this post and feel well-equipped to not hug his waist and not stop half way, then you’re close to being the perfect tall hugger.

You’ll be able to give a real, sincere hug to him that he can do and feel. Now, the only thing to avoid now is that it drags out for too long. Because even though you hug him right, he can’t do it for too long.

Tall guys will need to bow down to you, if you give him the classic “over-under” hug with one arm over and one arm under his shoulders. It’s a “chest to chest” hug, and as your chest is lower down, he will naturally have to bow a little.

As good as it feels to be hugged liked a regular person, it also becomes straining to stand in the bowed-down hugging position for much longer than 3-4 seconds.

So, what you do is that you do the right hug, go all in on it, then release him after a few seconds of loving connection.

Those are the 3 tips I want to give you—based on “my own career” as a tall man at 6’8″. I’ve been lucky to receive many hugs over the years, and the best ones are the sincere ones.

If you avoid these 3 pitfalls when hugging your tall friend, partner og family member, you are good to go and can let the hugging begin.

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How to Go for the Kiss?

If you are ready to go for the next level and kiss a tall guy, you should absolutely do so. We love it. Just remember these few extra tips, and you’ll be kissing tall boys in no time.

1. It’s a great help if you can stand on your toes while the kissing is happening. Not having to bow down longer than necessary is a huge help and will enable the kiss to go on for longer.
2. A bench is a great place for a kiss. It’s romantic, it’s comfortable and the height difference between you and him matters a lot less when you are both seated.
3. Find some stairs, curbs or similar elevated ground that gives you a little extra height. This will reduced the strain on your neck as you kiss him. And it will also force him to bow down less than he normally would.

Those are the 3 main things to have in mind as you prepare for the perfect moment, where you either stand on your toes, seat him on a bench or drag him over to a curb—before reaching for the stars.

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As I mentioned, you only need a handful of pointers to make hugs and kisses for tall guys a lot more convenient and enjoyable.

But, just don’t get swallowed up and discouraged by the internet’s “rules, ways and don’ts” of kissing tall guys.

If the intention is good, you are doing your best to accommodate the height difference and he’s ready for it, a hug and a kiss is always a nice thing to receive—no matter how tall you are.