Finest Males’s Flannels of 2023-2024

Ask the GearJunkie staff what their favorite season is, and it would undeniably be flannel season — doing fall chores, warming up by the fire, and simply working from home. As hot days give way to cool mornings, we’re all looking forward to flanneling up.

Today’s flannel is a far cry from the Seattle grunge scene or Paul Bunyan’s tack shop. More technical, less scratchy, and all-around comfortable, there are endless options for purveyors of plaid.

To find the best flannels for 2023-2024, we combed through stores, scoured online, and spoke with brands to find the best options available. To test the flannels, we wore them at work, hammered through weekend chores, brought them camping, and occasionally shouldered them as we tossed our legs over a bike.

What makes the perfect flannel? We looked at materials, cut, and construction, excusing color and patterns. Color schemes are more personal, and we’ll let you pick what looks best in your wardrobe. Grab your s’mores or pumpkin spice latte and get ready to arm yourself with what truly differentiates a quality flannel from the rest. The following flannels will last for seasons to come.

To find the best flannels for men, scroll through to see all of our recommended buys or jump to the category you’re looking for. And once you’ve done that, check out our comprehensive buyer’s guide to unravel what makes a flannel a flannel, our chart to see how our choices stack up against one another, and our FAQ for any lingering questions.

Editor’s Note: We updated this guide on September 27, 2023, adding a number of our new favorite flannels, as well as expanding upon our flannel testing history.

The Best Men’s Flannels of 2023-2024

Comparison Chart

How We Tested Men’s Flannels

At GearJunkie, flannels are an extension of our everyday lifestyle. A shirt, a sweatshirt, a jacket — they are the most flexible garment we own. Unlike a tent, camp stove, or a pair of boots, we shoulder flannels daily, allowing us to put the brushed twill through the paces. We tested flannels daily at the office, and through the weekend, grinding through chores like cleaning the garage, raking leaves, or simply walking the dog on cool summer mornings.

Cozy in coach and a fashionable way to layer up, we always pack at least one flannel for travel. They’ve had our backs on 6-hour-long flights to Germany, Italy, France, and Slovenia, as well as transcontinental flights from Jacksonville to Boise. In warmer climates, we’ve flanneled up on cool nights on the Dariense Isabelia ridge in Nicaragua and high up on the Colombian Coffee Triangle.

To test flannels, we always start with how the material feels in the hand. We rate it for plushness, softness, and durability. We look at the fiber material, weave, and brushed finish. The material choice and finish is an indicator of how the manufacturer envisions the flannel should be worn and used, and it points us in the direction of how we should test the shirt. We want to see if the two align and how they stack up to the marketing story told online.

During real-world consideration, we aim to wear flannels for what they were made to do. For example, hard work-oriented flannels are worn doing tasks that are hard on a shirt. Specifically, we want to know how it accommodates range of motion. We want to know if we can swing a hammer or reach boards from the top shelf without exposing our torso or restricting motion in the arms. We also test it for snagging and durability. Does the flannel catch on wood, metal edges, or granite shards? Does it collect a lot of dust and grime?

Finally, we shoulder the flannels and evaluate them for fit. The best material and construction can’t fake a good fit. We test it for mobility and proper length. Does the shirt bind under the arms? Are the gussets appropriate? Does a straight-cut work without gussets? Are the arms or hem cut at a proper length or do they ride up when reaching? How does the shirt taper in the torso and arms?

Testing History

Steve Graepel has been leading the men’s flannel buyer guide since 2015. Over the span of eight years, Graepel has seen over 200 flannel shirts, rigorously testing 87 flannels. Graepel has worked at GearJunkie as a contributing editor since 2009, testing everything from packrafts, to bike bags, sleeping bags, winter boots, and trail runners. His latest beat is travel pants and flannels. Before his time as a fashion blogger, he wrote for Travel Idaho, National Geographic Adventure, Patagonia’s Tin Shed, Trail Runner, and Gear Patrol. 

Graepel has researched and tested flannels extensively — traveling, working, and camping in the high alpine desert of Idaho, Montana, and Utah, and traveling abroad in a variety of environments including Europe and South America. He continues to long-term test flannels year-round and searches for anyone who will listen to his yarns testing the brushed twill.

In 2020, we saw 47 flannels and listed 15 flannels on our men’s buyers guide. In 2021, we tested an additional 20 flannels, highlighting nine new flannels on our list. In 2022 we saw an additional 20 flannels, adding 12 new flannels. And this year we looked at 33 flannels, adding 11 new flannels to the buyer’s guide.

Each year introduces new styles and materials, and we try to reflect the best on the market of that year. Some stalwart flannels remain on the list, year after year. They are either so good, or so good of a deal, that they are tough to topple.  

Flannels aren’t hard, but their simplicity makes it important to understand the details of a standout shirt. To keep a finger on the pulse, we read reviews from top sites and contact manufacturers directly. Steve Graepel has the owners of several companies on speed dial, and has had conversations with manufacturers and mills from around the world. It’s not uncommon for manufacturers to reach out to GearJunkie before they release a flannel to get a sense of the new lineup.

These relationships allow us to stay up to date on what makes flannels better every year, and keep an eye on sleeper flannels that just don’t have the marketing budget to get mass attention.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Flannel Shirt

Materials

Wool used to own the flannel scene, and it has a lot of merits. It retains warmth when exposed to moisture, resists odors and UV light, and can block the wind. We love ANIAN’s heavyweight Berlino overshirt, which delivers all of these qualities with its wool construction. But there are other materials worth considering.

Cotton can be buttery soft and an obvious choice to wear next to skin. Pladra, Patagonia, MuskOx, and Mountain Hardwear all use high-end cotton. But not all cotton flannels are brushed to this extent. Devium’s Boca is lightly brushed and feels rougher. This makes it better for hardwearing activities in the yard or at the shop.

Some cottons are sourced from organic or Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) approved cotton fields. No synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers can be used in the cotton to achieve the rank of “organic cotton.” Patagonia’s Fjord, the Fireside from Pladra, and Mountain Hardwear’s Plusher all use organic cotton.

BCI-approved cotton meets sustainable standards that minimize pesticides, boost water conservation, and support better working conditions for farmers. Our top choices are from MuskOx sources BCI cotton. Either way, meeting either of these standards costs more money to achieve and the cost is passed onto the buyer. Expect to pay a little more for shirts that list either of these certifications.

In addition to cotton, there are a growing number of synthetic and synthetic blends on the market. Some of our testers wear flannels while hitting the trails high in the Rockies.

If you break a sweat in flannel — say mountain biking, skiing, or running — we recommend considering a synthetic flannel. They are easy to care for and can be thrown in the washer and tumbled in the dryer. Roark’s Diablo wicks moisture away from the body and has a DWR. Wellen’s Hazy will feel more plush and is our top pick for a synthetic flannel.

Fit

Like any shirt, flannels are offered in a variety of fits, from athletic and tailored to grandpa-style. If you prefer a tidy look or wear your flannel while active, a slimmer athletic fit, like Toad & Co’s Airsmyth, will be a good choice. But it can be a tradeoff with mobility. Without Lycra woven into the fabric, gussets, or mechanical weave, a tight, form-fitting flannel can bind behind the shoulders. Shirts like Roark’s Diablo get around this by adding gussets behind the shoulders which double as vents.

On the other end of the spectrum, MuskOx is oversized and has no pleating. The roomy cut still allows great mobility to reach and work without feeling too big.

When making a purchase, let your use case guide you to the right flannel fit. And if it’s a work shirt, consider sizing down for everyday wear. As an example, Filson work shirts (not on this list this year) are typically sized just short of Arnold Schwarzenegger. We always have to buy one size down when looking at Filson.

Note that this review covers the best flannel shirts for men. Looking for a women’s flannel? We have another flannel buyer’s guide specifically for women.

Fabric Weights

Short for grams per meter squared meter, g/m² is the weight of one square meter of fabric. The heavier the weight, the thicker the material will be, and hence, the warmer that flannel will be. We generally follow the same ratings as we use in base layers.

• Lightweight flannels fall under 150-190 g/m²
• Midnight flannels sit between 200-250 g/m²
• Heavyweight flannels weigh over 250 g/m²

Toad & Co uses 115 g/m² fabric and sits at the far end of lightweight. As you might guess, it is best for mild climates and casual wear. On the other end sits ANIAN’s Berlino, which uses a stout 500 g/m² wool blend and is supremely warm.

A heavier fabric doesn’t imply the material will be softer — which the Berlino is not. That soft, velvety feeling comes from brushing the material, giving it that lofty plush nap. A fabric with more nap can also be warmer than a fabric without it. The raised fibers trap air warmed from your body and work best as an insulator when worn under a jacket that can keep that warm air from flushing away. Our favorite heavyweight flannel, Pladra’s Fireside, leaves the outside unbrushed (for durability) and brushes the inside (which traps heat better and feels incredibly soft).

Closure Style

Flannel closure is a contentious debate at GearJunkie, and many editors have a soft spot for snaps. Often seen on western style shirts, they hold well and are quick and easy to get in and out of. Granted, we are an active crew of reviewers who wear our flannels on runs and rides. The only flannel on our list that uses snaps this year is Roark’s Diablo.

While we love the usability of snaps, they can be problematic. Snaps disrupt the material by punching holes through the placket — that strip of material that runs dead center down the shirt. In rare cases, snaps can pull through, which we’ve experienced more than once on a snap-style shirt.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” — the button has been tried and true for some 5,000 years. Most buttons are constructed from hard plastics and are larger on heavier material. We prefer big buttons for heavier materials, which is one more reason to consider Devium’s Boca. Their horn buttons are custom-made in Pennsylvania and are the size of a penny.

Price

You can get into a flannel for as low as $35 from Legendary Whitetails, which is our bargain pick. Duluth Trading Co. offers a solid work shirt at an incredible value at $55.

But the midline of flannels seems to fall in around $80, which creeps into a lot of money territory. And there can be a lot of uninspiring shirts in this range that lean on their brand recognition, bright patterns, and color schemes to open your wallet.

Here too, you get what you pay for, and it’s a good place to start to look at materials and construction to ensure you are indeed getting good value. Premium construction methods, like hand-sewn, double or triple stitching, and eco-conscious product development, start to tack onto the bottom line.

Unless there’s a backstory to support the extra cost, shirts priced over $150 leave you wondering if you are paying for someone’s mortgage.

Construction

While quality materials matter, the construction of the shirt is what often defines a quality shirt. The best will have flat-felled seams that roll the opposing material together and tack the seam down with a double stitch. The result hides all the cut edges, leaving a clean-looking, durable shirt inside and out. These shirts will often be double- or triple-stitched in high-stress zones, like the shoulders and sides.

While more durable, flat-felling seams can make a shirt bulkier, and not every mill can pull off this level of construction. So flat-felled flannels tend to be more expensive.

Pladra, Patagonia, and yes, even Legendary Whitetails use a flat-fell seam and vary the stitch count for extra durability where you need it most.

Many shirts use a more common overlock or surge stitch, where the two opposing panels are butted together and stitched, leaving the seam’s edge exposed on the inside. Using an overlock stitch is a much easier construction method, and since most sew houses can do it, the cost is (usually) reflected in the affordable price.

The downside is some overlock stitches are unfinished. Left exposed, they can rub against the body, snag, and fray, which eventually will pull on the surrounding stitching.

Faherty’s flannel is entirely constructed with exposed overlocked stitching. We feel it has merits in comfort, styling, and materials that help compensate for the seam construction.

A good compromise is to flatlock the overstitching. It doesn’t hide the seams, but at least the overstitching is tacked down out of the way. This makes the seams less bulky than fully felled seams and costs less to sew. More importantly, it’s much more comfortable and practical when joining heavy-weight fabrics that creep over 300 g/m². Devium, Pladra, Anian, and MuskOx overstitched their flatlocked seams in the arm pits.

When buying a shirt, look at the construction details. A well-constructed shirt will cost more in the short term but will last for years.

FAQ