The Finest Males’s Flannels of 2024

How We Tested the Best Men’s Flannels

At GearJunkie, flannels are an extension of our everyday lifestyle. A shirt, a sweatshirt, a jacket — flannels 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 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 flights to Germany, Italy, France, Slovenia, and Japan, as well as transcontinental flights across the States. 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.

Field Testing

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 and if it holds up.

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 pleats and gussets appropriate? Does a straight-cut work without pleats? 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?

Bench Testing

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 are indicators of how the manufacturer envisions the flannel should be worn and used, and it points us in the direction of how they should be sewn and in the end, 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.

Why You Should Trust Us

Steve Graepel has been leading the men’s flannel buyer guide since 2015. Over the span of 8 years, Graepel has seen over 200 flannel shirts, rigorously testing 94 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, South America and Asia. 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. 2023 was a big year, where we created a newly minted seasonal heavyweight edition of our flannels buyer’s guide, adding nine new flannels. For fall of 2024 we saw 20 new flannels, adding six new flannels to our fall 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 ANIÁN’s heavyweight Berlino overshirt, which delivers all of these qualities with its heavy wool material.

While the Berlino weaves some nylon into the fabric, it still feels scratchy. For a softer wool, consider merino wool blended with synthetic. Minus33 weaves Polyester with their merino and feels very wearable against the skin and pumps up the durability. But there are other materials worth considering.

Cotton can be buttery soft and an obvious choice to wear next to skin. Pladra, MuskOx, and Pendelton all use high-end cotton. But not all cotton flannels are brushed to this extent. &SONS Yukon Field Flannel 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.” The Vermont Flannel Company’s Lightweight Flannel and Fjällraven’s Singi both use organic cotton.

BCI-approved cotton meets sustainable standards that minimize pesticides, boost water conservation, and support better working conditions for farmers. Our top choice heavyweight flannel 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.

If you break a sweat in flannel — say mountain biking, skiing, or running — we recommend a synthetic flannel. They are easy to care for and can be thrown in the washer and tumbled in the dryer. Poncho’s Original Flannel is lightly brushed without sacrificing plush. It 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 with a slimmer athletic fit, Proper Cloth’s Jackson 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 Filson’s Alaskan Guide get around this by adding a pleat between the shoulders.

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 are typically sized just short of Arnold Schwarzenegger. We always have to buy one size down when looking at Filson. &SONS Yukon Field flannel shares a lot of the same merits we like about Filson, but unlike Filson, the off-the-shelf fit is spot on with &SONS.

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. Generally the heavier the weight, the thicker the material will be, the warmer that flannel will likely be. We generally follow the same ratings as we use in base layers.

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

For fall, we share a range of flannel options. As we enter the dark days of winter, our flannel guide shifts on mid- and heavyweight flannels. At just under 140 g/m², The Vermont Flannel Company sits as our lightest-weight shirt. As you might guess, it is best for mild temperatures and casual wear. We’ve even dressed it up with a jacket and worn it to work. On the other end sits ANIÁN’s Berlino, which uses a stout 500 g/m² wool blend and is supremely warm.

The numbers game isn’t hard and fast. Counter to the listed weights, Helly Hansen’s Classic Check (as seen on last year’s list) used a whopping 375 g/m² cotton material but weighs as much as Proper Cloth’s Jackson, a 200 g/m² cotton shirt. If you have doubts and can’t find evidence in the reviews, it is always best to try a shirt on and get a feel for the material.

A heavier fabric doesn’t imply the material will be softer — which the Berlino, woven with nylon, 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 top flannel from Pladra takes a heavyweight flannel and brushes it until it almost achieves a shaggy nap. While you can see some traces of light pierce through the shirt, it wears really warm under a jacket.

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, snaps 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 Western style flannel from Poncho closes with pearl snaps.

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 with a snap-style shirt. To add durability, most snap-style shirts punch through doubled over fabric.

“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, though Devium and &SONS use horn. Iron and Resin closes their Arbor flannel up with metal buttons. Regardless of materials, 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.

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

Proper Cloth, &SONS, Pendelton, and Pladra 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 down, leaving the seam’s edge raw 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 left unfinished. Exposed, they can rub against the body, snag, and fray, which eventually will pull on the surrounding stitching.

Seams are both art and science, so don’t read these a hard and fast guidelines. Overlock stitching can also be a valid choice for lighter weight fabric. The seams allow stretch and pair well with lightweight fabrics and it makes sense in The Vermont Flannel Company’s Lightweight Flannel.

A good compromise is to flat-lock the overstitching. It doesn’t hide the seams, but 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. Outerknown, Iron and Resin, ANIÁN, and MuskOx overstitched their flat-locked seams in the armpits.

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.

Price & Value

With a general range between $35 and an eye-watering $200, there’s a wide spread when it comes to flannels and a good bit of nuance in between those figures. Not only do different materials demand higher price tags, but we’d argue that construction methods augment the price just as much — if not more in some cases. Knowing what you’ll be wearing the flannel for the most will go a long way in choosing the best option for you.

Budget

Like everything these days, the price of flannels has been creeping up over the last few years. But you can still get into a flannel without having to spend a lot of cash. At just under $40, Legendary Whitetails is an affordable entry price point to give flannels a go without sacrificing quality construction. For a few bucks more, Jetty offers a mid-weight deal in the Breaker at $70, which is a great choice for more casual, everyday wear.

Mid-Tier

The mid-price of flannels seems to fall in around $90 (though we acknowledge we have a bump in shirts listing between $100-140). Just below will get you into most mountain style flannels from the big stores, but there can be a swell of uninspiring shirts in this range that lean on its brand recognition, bright patterns, and color schemes to take your cash.

Here too, you get what you pay for, and it’s a good place to start looking 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. The Pladra Every Day Elite ($140) is at the upper end of this range, and we find it to be one of the best things going in flannels at the moment.

Premium

Better materials and pedigree start to pry the wallet open. Unless there’s a backstory to support that extra cost, shirts priced over $150 leave you wondering if you are paying for someone’s mortgage. Topping out just over $200, we do feel that the attention to detail &SONS brings is of exceptionally high quality and warrants the expense. As does the beefy warmth you get with Minus33’s Sportsman Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions