The Best Of Beenie Man

[Lacy Tortelli]

Searchingfor a new beanie for whenever the weather turns cold? After extensive market research, we purchased 9 of the best men's beanies for side-by-side analysis. Our testing team wore these beanies through the fall, winter, and spring, through the wildly variable weather of the Northeast. We pulled them down tight through the rain and bone-chilling wind, packed them for frigid nights in the backcountry, and even enjoyed their comfort on mild and sunny afternoons. Over months of hands-on testing, we assessed each cap's comfort, warmth, fit, aesthetics, and craftsmanship. So whether you want to add a little warmth to your winter, comfort to your fall, or a little style to your spring, our round-up will help you find the perfect beanie for your needs and budget.

While a high-quality beanie will sometimes make all the difference, other times you'll want to layer up a bit more to stay warm. Whether you're seeking the best winter gloves, the best down jacket, or you simply need a great sweater to compliment your new cap, our experts have you covered with in-depth reviews of the best in men's clothing.

The Carhartt Knit Cuffed Beanie earns top honors as our favorite cold-weather hat and is made with the quality, heavy-duty construction synonymous with the Carhartt brand. We tested beanies with a similar construction style and materials, but this one always ended up edging out the competition. With quality design and construction, the acrylic rib knitting provides a snug fit on most head sizes without being too tight. This beanie kept us comfortable and warm, providing serious protection from the elements while also having the ability to keep you dry from sweat on those long and rugged days. Holding up strongly through the rain, snow, sleet, and wind, this is a great hat for when the going gets rough.

Warm, affordable, and stylish, the Connectyle Classic Winter Hat is a function beanie with a traditional style. This is a double-layered synthetic beanie that keeps you warm, dry, and looking good. Wide rib knitting gives a bulkier and incredibly comfortable build to a hat that can keep up on the trail or in the city. It comes in a wide array of colors so you can show your own style, and we felt it was super comfy all day long, whether we were active or just lounging around.

The wide opening can make this hat feel a bit loose on smaller heads, but it stays nicely in place and adjusts well on other head sizes. The thread pills pretty fast, but it gives it some character. The internal seams seem a bit ragged, though this didn't impact the look or comfort and didn't bother us during testing. Overall, the Connectyle is an affordable beanie that doesn't skimp on comfort, style, or warmth.

Cut and dry, this is as traditional and simple as a beanie gets. When people think of a beanie, what probably appears in their mind is something along the lines of the Top Level Cuffed. Synthetic materials and a tight-knit construction make this one your standard winter beanie at a great price. Warmth and weather resistance are strong, and the adjustable cuff and stretchy build make this one adaptable to anyone's head.

The warmth offered is excellent, but the construction makes it one of the least breathable options we tested. If you really start to exert yourself, this beanie can be a little too hot. If you're looking for a beanie to exercise in, you might like the Meriwool Merino Cuff. The material on the Top Level Cuffed doesn't offer great breathability and can wind up getting itchy when you wear it for lengthy periods of time. Folks living in or passing through colder climates and those needing a simple and straightforward beanie to stay very warm and dry should make this a staple. Available in many colors and at an affordable price, the Top Level Cuffed is a great buy to add to your winter wear when the cold and wet days roll in.

The North Face Salty Dog feels just as at home down on the docks as it does on a campsite. Perfect for everyday wear, this beanie looks great and feels better. A synthetic exterior helps keep you dry, while the jersey cotton liner gives some extra warmth and a ton of comfort. The construction lets your head breathe without overheating, but the thick knit and soft liner keep you plenty warm, even when the temperature drops well below freezing. The liner is relatively shallow, which allows the cuff to be adjustable to different sizes without sacrificing the comfort the jersey cotton provides for your forehead and scalp. The North Face holds nothing back, using top-notch materials and impeccable construction, giving it a high-quality look and feel. Wearing a Salty Dog Beanie might just keep you comfortable and warm while bringing you some compliments as a bonus. As this one breaks over time, it even starts to look better and better with some wear and tear.

In terms of practical functionality, the Salty Dog Beanie is terrific in a huge variety of situations, but we think it might be best worn in less than the most extreme conditions. While it can certainly hold up to the elements, if the inside gets wet, or you sweat excessively, and the temperature drops too low, the jersey cotton liner does not have the wicking effects of wool or synthetic materials and can stay wet much longer. Aside from scenarios where you might be getting the inside damp and the moisture gets stuck there, we would wear this pretty much anytime we could justify wearing a beanie.

An active lifestyle amidst changing temperatures requires gear that can adapt to your demands, whatever they may be. We found the Meriwool Merino Cuff beanie could keep up with everything we threw at it in our testing. The high-quality merino wool regulates heat in hot or cold weather and is incredibly soft. The wicking ability really makes this an amazing beanie, meaning a hat that feels soft and stays dry, both inside and out, under nearly any conditions. The construction is high quality and seems built to last, which makes it all that much better, knowing you have a beanie you can put through it all, over and over. Whatever your outdoor passion, Meriwool has you covered. We put this beanie to the test, and it crushed it when used for running or lightweight warmth on a fast-paced trek when the mercury drops.

Although it's designed to wear in any sort of weather, this beanie is not our first pick for looking stylish. It features a slim, athletic fit and an oddly slouchy alternative when uncuffed. It still has a clearly well-made look and comes in attractive color choices, so it can suffice in a pinch if you're headed back into civilization and need to keep your head warm after a long day. We found many purposes for this Meriwool hat and recommend it for all-day comfort in any outdoor setting. We also like the Minus33 Merino Ridge Cuff, another wool option we tested, but we preferred the fit of the Meriwool.

Light-hearted and casual, the Neff Daily is exactly the kind of hat we like for the cold season coming in. This beanie is soft and fluffy and plenty warm. From the ski lodge to base camp, this one is the relaxed fit that will keep your noggin' toasty from the time you have your morning coffee till you turn in at night. The thick and soft thread keeps the wearability and warmth on high, while the slouchy design keeps it comfortable in any situation.

Loosely knit, the Neff Daily's fabric sheds quickly and can look a bit furry after a while. This beanie's overall slouchy look isn't everyone's cup of tea, and even though it can be cuffed if needed, it doesn't look like it's meant to be worn that way. At the end of the day, Neff is synonymous with super chill and warm winter style, and this one comes in a ton of colors, making it a great buy for anyone seeking a casual look at an accessible price point that still maintains function and comfort.

Trying to find that perfect beanie that you can run in during the morning and climb a mountain with on the weekend can be tough if you haven't looked at the Minus33 Merino Ridge Cuff. Minus33 uses lightweight Australian Merino Wool to give us an athletic, slim-fitting beanie that is very versatile. Soft and comfortable, the natural fibers also provide a warm, breathable hat that can wick away moisture and dry quickly.

This beanie's tight-to-the-head and thinner build may not be the look for everyone, and while it is weather-resistant, it is not a thick hat, which can lead to getting a chill in high winds. Overall, this hat is a multi-tool, great for keeping in your pack list for any excursion or your daily use around town.

Looking for a hat to keep that melon feeling snug and warm? The OZero Winter Daily Beanie has your name all over it. This hat has a wool-like polyester fleecer liner that would leave you hard-pressed to find anything softer to cover your head this winter. The double layers of synthetics keep this one warm and smooth all day through.

One of the downsides to the Winter Daily Beanie that we found was the depth of fit. On a longer or wider-shaped head, it may not offer the coverage you need. Also, the cuff is stitched into place and can't be adjusted. If you have a larger head, this can leave you wanting more from this cozy piece of headwear. If you are in the medium to a smaller size or prefer a smaller hat on a bigger head, this beanie is perfect for cold winter days when you want to be super warm and comfy and look good doing it.

The SATINIOR Trawler has an old-school look you might expect to find on a longshoreman by the port. A small folded cuff lends to this style, while the ribbed construction looks sharp sitting high on the head. Fully acrylic construction lends to a capable hat, and the smaller size is perfect for a moderate day or tossing it in a coat pocket.

While the smaller fit may have an aesthetic appeal, it's a handicap for performance. The material is thin and rests far too high on the head. Even when you unroll the cuff, the beanie struggles to cover the ears. With the cuff in place, the absence of stretch and smaller design means you'll constantly have to readjust to keep the beanie in place. For all these reasons, the Trawler is not suitable for braving the elements. This style is best for a casual city stroll or perhaps a saunter in the woods on a mild day.

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