Convert Hand to Link
Convert hands to links instantly. 1 hand = 0.5050505051 link — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a conversion table and worked examples. Also check the Link to Hand converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Hand
A hand is an Imperial unit of length equal to 4 inches (101.6 mm). It is used primarily to measure the height of horses at the withers.
The hand derives from the average breadth of a human hand and was standardised at exactly 4 inches by the Statute of Henry VIII in 1541.
Hands are used worldwide for horse height specification (the typical riding horse is 14–17 hh). Also used in some equestrian-adjacent contexts. The unit is now almost exclusively a horse-measurement convention.
Standardised at 4 inches by Henry VIII in 1541; value became exact in 1959 when the inch was fixed at 25.4 mm.
Link
A link is an Imperial unit of length equal to 7.92 inches (201.168 mm) — exactly 1/100 of a surveyor's chain. It is the smallest unit in the chain-based survey measurement system.
The link was defined by Edmund Gunter in 1620 as part of his 22-yard surveying chain. He divided the chain into 100 links specifically to enable easy decimal arithmetic when computing parcel areas.
Links appear in historical US and UK land survey documents (especially pre-1900). Modern surveyors generally use feet or meters but legacy deed records and government land surveys still cite acreage in chains and links.
Defined by Edmund Gunter in 1620; standardised as 7.92 inches via the chain definition; became exact via the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
Hand to Link conversion formula
The relationship between hands and links:
To convert hands to links, multiply the value in hands by 0.5050505051. To reverse, multiply links by 1.98.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in links updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Link to Hand converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert hands to links
- Write down the value in hands (hh).
- Multiply that value by the factor 0.5050505051.
- The product is the equivalent value in links (lk).
- To reverse, multiply the link value by 1.98.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 hh to lk:
1 × 0.5050505051 = 0.5050505051 lk
Example 2 — Convert 100 hh to lk:
100 × 0.5050505051 = 50.5050505051 lk
Real-world example — Reference scenario in case of fallback
Conversion between human-scale length units is the everyday workflow of architecture, athletics, and apparel design — three of the most common contexts that span metric and imperial systems.
1 hh × 0.5050505051 = 0.5050505051 lk
Real-world example — Adult height conversion
A 1.8-hand-tall person measures a value in links that converts the height to the unit favoured by American forms, schools, or driver's licences. This is daily routine for anyone living between metric and imperial systems.
1.8 hh × 0.5050505051 = 0.9090909091 lk
Real-world example — Fabric purchase length
Two hands of fabric equals a value in links essential for tailors and textile buyers sourcing material from international suppliers that quote in different units.
2 hh × 0.5050505051 = 1.0101010101 lk
Hand to Link conversion table
Standard reference values for converting hands to links:
| Hand [hh] | Link [lk] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 0.0050505051 |
| 0.1 | 0.0505050505 |
| 1 | 0.5050505051 |
| 2 | 1.0101010101 |
| 3 | 1.5151515152 |
| 4 | 2.0202020202 |
| 5 | 2.5252525253 |
| 10 | 5.0505050505 |
| 20 | 10.101010101 |
| 30 | 15.1515151515 |
| 40 | 20.202020202 |
| 50 | 25.2525252525 |
| 100 | 50.5050505051 |
| 500 | 252.5252525253 |
| 1000 | 505.0505050505 |
Frequently asked questions
How many links is 1 hand?
How do I convert hands to links?
How do I convert links back to hands?
How many links is 100 hands?
Popular length unit conversions
Convert Hand to other length units
Show all Hand conversions
Metric / SI (4 units)
Imperial / US Customary (26 units)
Sources & references
Conversion factor (1 hh = 0.5050505051 lk) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- NIST — Refinement of values for the yard and pound (Federal Register 1959)
The treaty (signed by US
- International Astronomical Union — System of Astronomical Constants
The IAU defines astronomical units including the AU (149597870700 m exactly) light-year and parsec used in astronomy and astrophysics.