If you’re going to survive the coming awful weather, a toasty topper is a must. Thankfully, the season’s best beanies for men are all gloriously simple, cozy accessories that’ll warm your head and cap your incredible fits.
To that end, we’re firm believers that there’s no such thing as the one best beanie. The folks here at GQ have a stack of them, accumulated over time. Some were splurges—soft cashmere for a buzzcut head, maybe, or a freaked-out grails to offset the midwinter blahs—and some were $12 gas station finds, with plenty in between.
To help you build out your own roster, we’ve pulled together a choice selection of the season’s best winter hats, in a variety of styles, fabrics, and colors, across every conceivable budget. We’ve also broken down the differences between various beanie styles and fabrics, because we care about your noggin. Just don’t sleep on your selection—we find the coolest beanies tend to go away fast when the cold really kicks in.
It doesn’t get much more textbook than this. Built to military specifications, this is the cheapest all-wool beanie you can get. It may not be the softest headwear option out there, but the classic watch cap design paired with all-natural materials, a made-in-USA pedigree, and a miniscule price tag, it’s hard to beat.
Carhartt
Knit Cuffed Beanie
You often can’t walk more than fifty feet without spotting one of Carhartt’s popular beanies. They’re the de facto beanie for tradespeople and hip Zoomers alike, thanks to their soft feel, chunky knit, warmth, and low price.
Smartwool
Merino Beanie
Skull cap beanies are far from the most popular choice in winter hats, but they’ve been gaining steam as fashion’s cognoscenti look to sidestep anything remotely mainstream. Smartwool’s is also just really practical and warm.
The North Face
Reversible Highline Beanie
If you loved seeing Timothée Chalamet rocking the (extremely sold out) Arc’teryx Toque, this reversible North Face skull cap is the next best thing.
Kavu
Fur Ball Beanie
Pretty much a blanket for your head, KAVU’s fur ball beanie is designed to combat the kind of cold campers feel in their tents at 5 a.m.—so it should take care of you on your commute.
Patagonia
Better Sweater Fleece Beanie
We’re not really surprised that Patagonia’s famous fleece material translates well to beanies. Are you? Even better, this one is made from recycled fibers and spun into a cozy cap that’s got a sweater-knit outer shell and a plush fleece interior.
Patagonia
R1 Air Beanie
One of the best things about this moisture-wicking beanie is that it’s snug enough to wear under a bike helmet. Another of the best things is that unique zigzag texture.
Uniqlo
Heattech Ribbed Beanie
Affordable, available in plenty of colors, and with a great softness-to-warmth ratio, the Qlo is once again there when you need it.
Best Under $100
Todd Snyder
Cotton-Merino Everyday Beanie
Todd Snyder’s beanie is knit in Peru from a mix of breathable cotton and toasty merino wool, with a touch of added stretch, and comes in five colors. In short, they thought of everything, as always.
S.N.S. Herning
Fender Ribbed Virgin Wool Beanie
I don’t know much, but I do know that virgin wool is not normally attainable for under $100. The wide-ribbed stitch here is nice, too—it means it’ll never get too tight.
Howlin’
Marled Fantasies Hat Diesel Mix
The designers at Howlin’ have become world-famous for freaking their sweater fabrics in all kinds of colorful twists. Kindly, they’ve extended those impulses to their beanies.
Drake’s
Rust Lambswool Ribbed Knit Cap
Unsurprisingly, we’re fans of the lambswool beanies from Drake’s, worked up in all sorts of cool-weather colors—deep burgundy, burnt orange—that have some real personality of their own.
William Lockie
Ribbed Cashmere Beanie
Leave it to the sweater experts at William Lockie to make some of the finest beanies on the planet. They’ve been crafting high-quality knits since the 1800s and this ribbed cashmere beanie, made from a luxurious Mongolian cashmere, is just one sweet taste of what the storied label can do.
Drake’s
Green Ribbed Merino Donegal Knit Cap
When you think of donegal wool, you’re probably thinking of a beefy sweater worn by some guy with a beard and a few sheep. But in beanie form, the distinctly flecked wool has the looks to bring a little extra seasoning to your jeans-and-Blundstones weekend beater fits.
Alex Mill
Cashmere Beanie
If you came to this story looking for a colorful cashmere beanie, your search is over. This is one of, get this, eighteen colors it comes in.
Alex Mill
Striped Cashmere Beanie
The options are so good, we had to include two. Especially when cashmere beanies so rarely come striped.
Best Over $100
Mfpen
Court Ribbed Wool Beanie
Sort of punk, sort of tailored. The Mfpen sweet spot.
Beams Plus
Ribbed Cashmere Beanie
100% cashmere is amazing, as are the the contrasting thicknesses of the inner and outer ribbing.
Kapital
5G Wool TUGIHAGI Knit Cap Gray
Beanies can get the patchwork treatment too, and the textile gods at Kapital have produced one of the coolest head-warmers of the season.
Johnstons of Elgin
Ribbed Cashmere Beanie
Johnstons of Elgin’s beanie is snug around the head, roomy in the body, and made from the same quality cashmere that earned the brand a Royal Warrant.
Missoni
Striped Wool-Blend Beanie
This designer beanie gives ‘Drake in the “Headlines” video.’ And that’s a good thing.
Inis Meáin
Ribbed Donegal Cashmere Beanie
No-one does flecks quite like Inis Meáin, whose designs somehow reflect the remote landscapes of the island the brand is named after.
Gabriela Hearst
Hailsham Cashmere Beanie
This cheery, thick cashmere beanie was knitted in Italy—the pleasing flecks in all kinds of primary colors will lift you on winter’s dreariest mornings.
The Elder Statesman
Striped Cashmere Beanie
While Uniqlo is out here democratizing cashmere, SoCal’s The Elder Statesman remains focused on using it in the most relaxedly opulent ways possible. The results are expensive, and exquisite.
What to Look for in a Beanie
Finding the right beanie can be a very personal endeavor. When the colder months force you to cover up your beautiful, luscious locks (or lack thereof), your entire face shape and silhouette is impacted by a beanie, so it pays to take the time to get it right.
Material: Material is paramount when choosing a beanie. Consider whether you have sensitive skin, run hot or cold, and your region’s weather. Wool beanies are great for retaining heat and moisture-wicking capabilities, but can feel itchy depending on the type of wool. Finer wools like merino wool, cashmere, and alpaca tend to have a smoother hand but will command a bigger price tag. Synthetic materials like acrylic and polyester are great for price-conscious shoppers. They’re durable, warm, and easier to care for than wools which often have to be hand-washed or even dry-cleaned. Cotton, while not as warm as wool, is softer and more breathable—great for those who run hot.
Branding: While we mostly looked for brandless caps for the purpose of this shopping guide, oftentimes making a decision about the best beanie for you is about brand loyalty. Whether it’s recognizable logos from brands like Carhartt and The North Face, or quiet luxury from the likes of Johnstons of Elgin and Drake’s, the question becomes what you want your hat to say to the people around you.
