While other options may appear every so often, few hats manage to tackle the cold as well as a good old-fashioned beanie. Versatile, plush, and abundantly warm, it manages to check each necessary box while maintaining the classic silhouette that’s been keeping people cozy for the last century or so. And since the style is a whole lot more popular among men today than it was in the middle of the 20th century (those were still peak fedora years), we figured it was a good time to craft a list of the best beanies to wear right now.
From American-made pieces composed of immaculately durable merino wool to overseas brands delivering their A-game through buttery smooth cashmere, there’s virtually no brand that hasn’t had its hand at crafting beanies. And seeing as there is no shortage of them to stumble upon from everyone, be it in shopping malls or at online retailers, we figured it’d only be right to narrow down our winter hat selection to the cream-of-the-crop. We’ve scoured the web for all the best beanies to add to your wardrobe this year, and we’re sure they’ll treat you well going into next year’s cold season, too.
Seager Co. Service Beanie
When it comes to manufacturing anything in the heart of the States, Seager Co. sticks to its guns as much as any other brand. As a brand that garners inspiration from the humble Old West, cowboys, and Americana in its entirety, the Service beanie serves as an ideal pick with which to kick things off. Crafted from acrylic and tailored toward the modern-day outdoorsman, the heritage brand pulls no gimmicks with its simple, entry-level beanie.
Huckberry Beanie
While Huckberry offers garments from a plethora of brands, the retailer’s own beanie serves as an excelsior option that’s available in a wide array of colors. The piece of Japanese-made headgear that garners the retailer’s namesake evokes the emblematic fisherman beanie design and is composed of wool, nylon, acrylic, and a touch of spandex, making it incredibly plush and equally stretchy.
Patagonia Brodeo Beanie
Like the majority of Patagonia’s portfolio, its Brodeo Beanie is composed of sustainable materials that don’t result in a lesser product. It is sewn from a blend of recycled wool and recycled nylon, the latter of which is made from post-industrial waste fiber and discards of old fishing nets — how’s that for repurposing? Then, it’s finished off with a sturdy 2.5″ rib-knit cuff that traps warmth. Above all else, the Brodeo is Fair Trade Certified, ensuring that this trail-appropriate hat is one you’ll be proud to wear on your head.
Filson Ducks Unlimited Watch Cap
It’s hard to go wrong with anything from Filson, and this beanie falls right in line. The Ducks Unlimited Watch Cap — a licensed collab with the conservation nonprofit — is made from nothing but wool and is rounded out with a water repellent finish, making it naturally breathable, incredibly cozy, and conveniently weatherized. As we said, this is merely more of what we expect from the Seattle- based heritage outfitter.
Taylor Stitch Lodge Beanie
Taylor Stitch‘s designers credit their East Coast upbringing for knowing exactly what it takes to craft a perfect winter hat. As a result, the San Francisco-bred label’s Lodge Beanie delivers on roughly everything you look for in one and manages to round it out with an unbelievably fuzzy texture. Built to endure the coldest of forecasts, it is made entirely of baby yak wool, providing a luxe take on the quintessential accessory that also maintains its durability no matter what Mother Nature has planned for the day.
Everlane Cashmere Rib Beanie
Everlane is yet another San Francisco label that is well known for crafting an assortment of fashionable basics, and each of its hats are debatably noteworthy enough to appear on any suitable list. The subtle brand’s Cashmere Rib Beanie showcases the fact that anything composed of the ideal material isn’t preposterously pricey, no matter how much painstaking attention to detail must go on behind the scenes. Having described the development of cashmere yarn to be “as much an art as it is a science,” Everlane’s certified Grade-A piece is the perfect embodiment of that mantra.
Buck Mason Herdsman Beanie
The aptly-named beanie from Buck Mason is a tribute to those who initially donned them, merely functioning as yet another example for the brand’s adherence to classic pieces. Its Herdsman Beanie is composed of 95% merino wool to provide the utmost durability, warmth, and itch-resistance, then is finished off with 5% extra-soft cashmere — after all, everyone deserves to feel a little luxe.
J.Crew Cashmere Beanie
As a brand that’s revered for making essentials as accessible as anyone, it only makes sense for J.Crew to come through with a top-notch beanie. In efforts to make a 100% cashmere beanie anyone can enjoy, the iconic American brand didn’t skip a single step. The retailer added a vital piece of headgear to its cashmere collection and managed to craft an incredibly soft accessory that’s built to combat cold winds while keeping you stylish.
Carhartt WIP Gabe Beanie
While the workwear staple’s standard beanie has grown ubiquitous beyond belief, it’s about time someone sheds light on the fact that Carhartt offers different beanies — more specifically, this one from Carhartt WIP. The Michigan brand’s streetwear sector offers a handful of beanies, but the Gabe Beanie’s five-gauge wool and cashmere blend is unprecedentedly cozy. Plus, as an added subtlety, it’s finished off with Carhartt’s iconic logo in a much more low-key fashion than the one you see everywhere you roam.
Outerknown Reimagine Cashmere Beanie
Outerknown knows just how coveted cashmere-crafted pieces are and they’ve embellished it here wholeheartedly. Taking its consistently eco-cognizant approach, the Southern California-bred brand makes incredible use of Italian recycled cashmere along with a 5% dash of extra-fine Merino wool. As a result, this beanie is incredibly soft with just the perfect amount of stretch. What makes Outerknown’s offering so special is the lack of energy, water, and carbon emissions that stem from utilizing recycled materials in its construction.
Norse Projects Alpaca Beanie
If you aren’t familiar with Norse Projects, we recommend hopping on board quickly because the hype train is well on its way. The Nordic brand’s Alpaca Beanie is an incredible option on all fronts. For starters, alpaca wool serves as an eco-friendlier alternative as a result of how much more fleece the average alpaca is capable of producing; on top of that, it is a hypoallergenic textile, which is merely an added benefit for anyone prone to a bad reaction. Albeit this comes from a different mammal than we’re used to seeing in beanie production, it doesn’t skimp on a luxuriously soft feel, which is merely part of the reason why this hat is worth your consideration.
Holden Cashmere Cuff Beanie
Holden is another brand looking to disband the superfluous stigma rooted in cashmere. The designers’ hat is composed of an ideal blend of textiles, wool and cashmere, and it comes available in a pair of winter-ready colors that are sure to match well with any piece your wardrobe has got lined up to battle the remainder of the season.
Purchase: $95
Todd Snyder x J.Press Shaggy Dog Beanie
The Shaggy Dog Sweater has been a staple in J.Press’ preppy catalog since its conception, while the beanie version utilizing the brand’s trademark brushed Shetland wool is a more recent invention. Todd Snyder recently teamed up with J.Press for some eccentric takes on the latter’s catalog, and one of the standout results was this colorful beanie. Made in Scotland for the sake of added authenticity, this beanie is undoubtedly what Shaggy Dog Sweater fans JFK and Cary Grant would be using to keep their heads warm if they were around today.
Stone Island Shadow Project Ribbed Knit Beanie
While the standard beanie is more popular nowadays, the skin-tight skully is merely a branch on the tree of beanies — similar to how Shadow Project is a branch of Stone Island’s tree. The subbrand’s Italian-made wool-blend beanie is composed of a cozy and flexible mix of wool and polyester and is finished off with an uber-thin ribbed knit that is incredibly inconspicuous. Sleek and practical with an added touch of technical is everything we’ve come to expect from the trio of techwear wizards behind Shadow Project, and this is certainly more of the same.
Saint Laurent Knitted Cuff Beanie
Saint Laurent is one of the more voguish names in the fashion world, as the name alone exudes a sense of prowess that few others can genuinely match. The Paris-bred luxury label’s Italian-made Knitted Cuff Beanie is crafted from a buttery smooth cashmere and comes available in a quartet of stylish colors. Having said that, the black-and-white tweed-effect pattern stands out among the rest with its near-Oreo-like hue.
The Best Bucket Hats for Men
As we said, there is no shortage of hats to wear this winter, and the bucket hat is ideal for areas that are more likely to see rain in the cooler months than snow. With that in mind, we’ve tackled the challenge and put forth a guide to the best bucket hats to pick up this year.
