The Best Men's Flannels

The 5-ounce cotton flannel is double pleated in the back for extra mobility. All seams are sewn flat and fell stitched, and even the pocket pattern aligns with the shirt pattern. These little details add up in price and are usually found in shirts twice the price.

There’s outsized value in the pattern options here, as well — something we don’t typically get hung up on, but 45 different options are certainly above and beyond the typical three or so you might choose from with a more expensive cut. With classic plaids and heathered monochrome, luck is on your side in finding one (or two) that’ll fit your style.

The collar and cuffs are backed in corduroy, giving it a little rugged flare. Our ding on the otherwise fantastic shirt is we found the collar can get a little limp — something we see on all lighter-weight cotton flannels. You can probably iron it to right that otherwise minor flaw.

If you’re in need of a little warmer flannel, the equally value-oriented Jetty Breaker Flannel ($70) makes use of a 220 g/m² organic cotton weave, which should get you deeper into the shoulder seasons. The Buck Camp Flannel is certainly the more work-oriented of the two, however.

Wear it alone in the shoulder seasons, or layer it for winter, the Buck Camp Flannel gives you the best bang for the … um … buck. Get ’em before they realize they’ve underpriced the shirt.

MuskOx sources its Better Cotton Initiative-approved cotton from Egypt and the United States. Egyptian cotton exudes a certain quality — think hotel linens in Monaco with handmade chocolates placed on its 1,000-count weave. In technical terms, “it’s the good stuff.” The cotton is then shipped to Portugal, where it’s milled and sewn into an overbuilt chassis of a shirt.

The heavy cotton panels are tacked together using flat-felled seams in the body, flat-locked, and then overstitched and sewn flat where the arms meet the torso. We love to see flat-felled seams when possible. It folds and interlocks three layers of material together, leaving seams clean-looking and increasing overall durability.

Because of the Grand’s hefty material, a triple-sewn, flat-felled seam would be uncomfortably bulky in the armpits. And it can eventually form what is called “roping.” You see roping in denim jeans, where the dye fades away in high-stress areas to reveal the underlying white cotton. But it isn’t great in a shirt, and we’ve seen why in other heavyweight shirts that flat-fell the arms to the torso. It can be uncomfortable under the arms and eventually frays, leaving your shirt looking a little ratty.

The Grand is a no-frills shirt with just the basics, but all of it is superbly done with intent. Unlike the Pladra Every Day Elite, the two front pockets are sewn diagonally to the panel patterns, perhaps the only shortcut they took on the shirt. But it doesn’t surprise us. Aligning the pocket square pattern to the shirt pattern requires more time (read money) and produces more material waste. And that’s not something MuskOx wants to compromise.

Like our reliable truck, the Grand Flannel is capable of heading up to the cabin to dispatch a cord of fuel. But it’s equally happy to swing a leg over the barstool when the job’s done.

The Grand Flannel was our top flannel pick last year and it’s still a very, very good choice. We do feel the heavyweight 300+ g/m² fabric can be limiting for some buyers outside a cold Midwest winter. We strive to help guide readers to appropriate flannels, and the Grand is our choice for the best heavyweight flannel. If you run cold, or simply want the best traditionally styled flannel, you will not go wrong with picking up the Grand.

At just 140 g/m², the shirt punches under T-shirt weight. This isn’t hyperbole. Some of our favorite T-shirts use heavier, 150 g/m² fabric. The 100% organic cotton is brushed on both sides, giving the material a nod to flannel. It’s soft and breathable and feels almost like linen. We’ve been wearing ours during a smokey Idaho summer and humid Minnesota fall. Its fitted form drapes like a dress shirt with some extra oomph.  

Unlike a dress shirt, all seams are overstitched and left exposed on the inside, and this is a conscious decision with some good merit. Good stitching isn’t solely dependent on the kind of stitching as much as it is the material it connects and the factories that complete the seams. Vermont Flannel Company uses long staple, yard dyed 100% GOTS Certified cotton and keeps the manufacturing stateside. Meaning it’s the best of the best and made in America. 

Lightweight materials require seams that move with the material. Using double/triple flat-felled stitching puts a lot of stress on adjacent material. Over time, this robust stitching could tear the lightweight fabric. With this in mind, the overstitched seams begin to make a lot of sense. It gives the seams more mobility and stretch, making the Lightweight Flannel shirt more durable.

The shirt is closed with fat buttons that pull through a stiff placket (both sides of the flannel are bonded together). This is unique to what we usually see in flannels and gives the welterweight shirt some structure down the front. It prevents the lightweight material from billowing between buttons, awkwardly giving others a peak under the hood. 

The Lightweight Flannel we saw is a limited release in partnership with Lone Pine Brewing. The Summer Lights Colorway will likely change from year to year, but the general Lightweight lineup is perennial and worth considering for flannel lovers looking to extend their flannel season.

The decision to construct the shirt from polyester is appropriate, given the brand’s MO. It is an outdoor shirt, implying it’s meant to get dirty, wet, and sweaty. The poly is wrinkle-resistant and washes grime out easily. The 1% spandex weave gives the material some stretch with a low risk of bagging out over time. 

The caveat with polyester is it can hold body odor. The porous filaments trap bacterial waste, and it’s hard to wash the funk out. That said, we haven’t experienced any of this in our synthetic flannels. And chances are if you are wearing a flannel, you will layer it over an undershirt that takes the majority of the smell.

Lightweight accent piping is sewn into the collar. Giving the shirt some extra formality, the collar snaps to the chest with plastic snaps (over buttons). Because the snaps punch through the material, Poncho backed the snaps with extra flannel patches. It gives the shirt extra durability and feels more comfort against the skin. 

We like the pivot to snaps over buttons on the collar. For most shirts, this would be a shoulder-shrugging observation. But if you want a little extra wind protection on the river, they unsnap with one hand and allow you to pull the collar up for an added few degrees of warmth or sun protection. 

The pair of chest pockets support the work shirt’s ranch style, but they close a little differently. While the mitered flaps have a button — and look like they button shut — it’s for show. Instead, a pair of small magnets close the pockets. We really liked this and found it useful when our hands were double-tasking. The magnetic seal keeps the contents from falling out, but the seal breaks easily and lets you slide your hand in to pull out what you need.

A deep zipper pocket hides under the left chest pocket. It’s great for keeping your fly tin or sunglasses. They also have a nylon loop under the left chest pocket to sling the shades or you can use the pencil sleeve on the right pocket. The shirt gives you lots of options to tack your EDCs. Inside the right hem, Poncho sewed in a chamois to clean your sunglasses. 

We tested the shirt in both a slim and regular fit. The slim wears snugger the arms and torso, and has less room around the wrist. This makes it a good shirt for more formal work and yet still perfectly capable for fishing after 5. The regular wears more relaxed. Both have an appropriate fit, and it’s a personal choice.

If you like the general vibe of the Original Flannel but want more durability, we’d recommend looking at Poncho’s Western Flannel. It is generally the same shirt but closes with pearl snaps and has more doubled fabric over the shoulder yoke. The primary difference is that the Western’s 175 g/m² fabric is brushed less, making it more durable overall. 

The 290 g/m² BCI cotton is stiff and lightly brushed. It breaks in over time, but it is never going to be a soft, plush flannel. Like the Minus33 Sportsman Guide Shirt, this one is for the shop (or those who want to look like they spend their evenings wrapping cedar strips around a kayak form). Every stitch is fully flat-felled with heavy gauge nylon thread.

The buttons are a whopping ⅝” in diameter and cut from bison horn. For extra durability, the yoke and elbows are patched with extra flannel. Out of the box, the Yukon oozes hard-wearing quality and confidence that it will endure seasons of hard wear.

The diagonal twill has some give. A single center pleat is sewn below the locker loop at the nape of the neck yielding some extra mobility. We loved how the nylon-backed cuffs are generously sized, sliding over a modern 15 mm-thick sports watch with room to spare.

While inspired by vintage, &SONS minded a few modern details. Reinforcing gussets are sewn onto the shirt’s side seam near the bottom for durability. The patterns are thoughtfully matched on both sides. A hidden pocket is sewn into the inside of the left chest. It’s large enough to sleeve a card or folded cash. The pattern-matched front pockets are pleated at the sides, allowing them to billow out a full inch. A pencil slot is stitched into the left billow on the inside.

Our only ding — aside from the price — may be the limited color schemes… all bold buffalo plaid (available in green, blue, and the traditional red). They shout old-timey flannel, which may turn some buyers off, but &SONS doesn’t shy away from this. They lean into vintage-inspired designs for “modern-day pioneers.”

If you are looking for a hardwearing, heavyweight cotton workhorse, the Yukon Field Flannel is a great addition to your winter wardrobe and is one of our favorite flannel finds. For something with even a bit more work-worthiness (and a slightly thicker weave), the MuskOx Grand Flannel is our current favorite heavyweight flannel — and even a bit cheaper than this option.

At just a nickel under $70, some shortcuts should be expected to keep the price in check. The arm hole seams are over-stitched and sewn flat, with fully flat-felled seams sewn down the side. The mitered pocket patterns are sewn on at 45 degrees. And the sides are not pattern matched at the side seam.

Instead of ramping up ‘nice to have’ elements, they keep their focus on value. Like building a shirt around high-quality organic cotton and reinforcing the gussets at the hem with bar-tacked stitches. The collar is backed with a nylon strip (a feature seen in our favorite flannels like the Pladra Every Day Elite), and they’ve sewn a small locker loop into the neck. These are conscious compromises that offer quality and ensures durability, while keep the price from creeping up.

Made from roughly 250 g/m² organic cotton fabric, the low nap twill is durable but has minimal give. No pleats. No under-the-arm gussets, the cut wears fitted. And it doesn’t have the mobility you would want for those reachy chores. We threw ours over another shirt and wore it to work and Friday night beers. Which is really what the silhouette and materials are designed around.

The Jetty Breaker Flannel is a casual cut for those work-adjacent hours. And at $70, you have left-over change to spend, though if you’re really hard-pressed, you can even slide into two $35 Legendary Whitetails Buck Camp Flannels for the same price.

The Merino wool blend fibers are milled into a densely woven fabric that feels buttery soft against the skin. It’s a great choice if you want the benefits of wool (warm when wet, odor and fire resistance) but are turned off by that scratchy wool feeling. We’ve worn this shirt over a tee shirt all winter and found it very wearable.

All seams are fully flat-felled. Because of the oversized fit, the seams don’t bunch under the arms. A pair of side pleats expand behind the shoulders to give the shirt extra mobility. The hem is cut straight on the square, with the pole hem tail dropping about ½-inch lower than the front. This helps the shirt stay tucked in or gives you extra protection while cooling your boots in the blinds.

The cuffs are rounded and pleated, and the pair of chest pockets are pleated and closed with mitered flaps which deter catching on edges. Under the collar, the yoke is double-reinforced with an extra swatch of wool material. The shirt closes with dime-sized buttons.

Generously oversized cuffs slide easily over the fattest watch or another shirt. The two-button design allows you to snug the cuff around the wrist. There’s a 2-inch difference between the two wrist buttons. When closed with the inner button, you have a lot of fabric folded under on the inside. It feels almost too tight around a 7-inch wrist, which can be uncomfortable.

Shackets and overcoats like the Sportsman can be a burly shield against winter winds, and if the style appeals to you but not the Merino-driven price, the Egyptian cotton MuskOx Grand Flannel is similarly tough in all the same ways, just $46 cheaper. We also like the &SONS Yukon Field Flannel for the same reasons, though don’t expect a wider range of patterns — you pretty much get the same handful of buffalo patterns with the Sportsman.

Minus33 is the house brand of clothing created by the New Hampshire-based textile plant, L. W. Packard & Co. Inc. Created in 2002, it is the mill’s showcase of how it envisions materials to be best used in the outdoor space. The Sportsman Guide Shirt is a pattern out of the archives and we are happy to see it is back. It is one of the best overshirts we have seen in the last 10 years and is our favorite splurge flannel for outdoor use.

ANIÁN has made our list a few times over the years. We feel the company’s best offerings come from its line of wool shirts, which have a clean, timeless appeal. Wool makes a lot of sense in an overshirt. It has an inherent warm-when-wet disposition. ANIÁN weaves in nylon for extra durability.

Lighter weight than ANIÁN’s Melton shirt, the Berlino is still a heavyweight flannel. The whopping 500 g/m² fabric is trimmed with refined details, exuding heritage quality without feeling vintage. There’s just enough room to layer a base or lightweight flannel underneath, which you are going to want to do.

While Merino wool — like that used in the Minus33 Sportsman Guide Shirt — has become ubiquitous with modern wool, the Berlino uses recycled traditional wool. With it comes that traditional itchy feeling. ANIÁN sewed in a nylon band to protect the neck, but most will find the Berlino too rough to wear against the skin.

And while there’s some room to layer, the cut is a touch trim, and smaller chest pockets are more style and less task-friendly. We found them too small to do much more than lose that receipt from the hardware store.

To reduce its environmental footprint, ANIÁN takes pride in using high-quality post-consumer recycled fabrics that are created in dye and chemical-free processing.

Made in Canada, the Berlino is stout and heavy and feels more felty than woven — like traditional peacoat wool used by the Navy. It sheds water and blocks wind, making it an ideal outer shirt and a bridge between flannel and shirt jac flannels. This may be a touch too much flannel for everyday use, which is why we tend to recommend the slightly lighter MuskOx Grand Flannel more often, but for deep winter use, it’s prime.

The brushed 7.5 ounce (~250 g/m² ) cotton twill is distinctly mid-weight. Brushed on both the inside and outside, Iron and Resin firmly plants the flag in flannel. Short of Pendleton, the Sunshine Flannel was the softest flannel we tested this year and will appeal to buyers looking for that plush, soft shirt for fall.

In a field of plaid, the Sunshine takes another direction, which sort of fits the Iron and Resin’s “doin’ it our own way” vibe. And while we usually don’t comment on colors, we like where they are going. Like the setting sun over Rincon Point, the bold horizontal stripes fade softly in both size and tone. You won’t see a lot of other people wearing a flannel like it, and it doesn’t skimp on details. The Sunshine is constructed with subtle details that make it a stunner. 

Leaning into their West Coast roots, two pattern-matched pockets are sewn to the front of the shirt. The cuffs and pocket flaps are beveled to prevent snatching corners. Fat, oversized metal buttons close the front of the shirt and cuffs. These are a cool touch, though be warned the cuff buttons tap on a table top when punching the keyboard.

At the bottom, the shirt drops with a rounded hem, with a flannel gusset joining the front and back panels. For durability, they bar-tacked the gusset to the shirt in three places. It’s noticeably thick where the shirt meets the gusset. Given most guys will wear this shirt untucked, it’s not that big of a deal, but it adds bulk to the shirt when you tuck it in.

A good way to determine the quality of a shirt is to turn it inside out. All major seams are sewn shut with red nylon thread (while the outside threads color-match the shirt). The arms, sides, and yoke are fully flat-felled, which we love. The armholes are overstitched and sewn down flat with double stitching. This is pretty common on thicker fabric. It reduces bunching under the arms. It’s simply more comfortable.

What’s less common is that one of the overstitched armhole seams missed one of the double stitchings over the shoulder in our shirt. This doesn’t affect the durability of the shirt, but it does bring into question the quality control of the factory in Pakistan.

We see a lot of shirts, and this occasionally happens — even with our favorite brands. More importantly, it’s covered by Iron and Resin’s Repair or Replace program. We simply sent a photo and proof of purchase to Iron and Resin and got a new shirt. Easy.

The shoulder yoke is 2X flannel, doubled for durability and smoother draping. The label is sewn into a patch of flannel behind the neck, and a fat cord is sewn under the collar for a locker loop. 

We really like this flannel, and at $90, it’s about the going rate for a flannel these days. It’s a touch more than your big-brand mountain flannels, but given you can buy the Sunshine at Huckberry for $62, we feel it’s a steal. We’re liable to recommend a few other classics before it, such as the Pladra Every Day Elite, but for a good bit less, you still net a solid flannel.

The shirt is patched with a pair of diagonal pockets that close with a buttoned flap. The flaps are notched at 45 degrees to reduce catching. Ideally, we’d love to see Devium take that approach on the cuffs too, which are cut and finished on the square.

Dime-sized cat-eye buttons close the shirt are easy to use and recess at the thread holes, protecting the thread from abrasion.

Softer than Duluth’s Free Swinging and better fitting than Patagonia’s Farrier shirt (last year’s choice for best work flannel), the Boca is a capable flannel that caulks the gap between form, function, and comfort. They don’t put their money into marketing; they put it into materials and construction. This flannel isn’t quite as hard-working as the MuskOx Grand Flannel, but damn close.

Devium holds itself to the venerable Berry-Compliant standard, which is a requirement to sell to the DoD. To be clear, Devium isn’t truly Berry-Certified (and the SeaBees aren’t swinging iron in Boca flannels). That certification would be on file with the suppliers and require a DoD contract.

Yet, Devium takes to heart what it means to sew that American flag onto every shirt. The 220 g/m² cotton is sourced and milled in Missouri and sent to SoCal for finishing. The horn buttons are custom-made at a factory in Pennsylvania.

From cut to finish, down to the last stitch of nylon thread, the entire Boca Flannel Shirt is made in the USA. Resisting the urge to take a shortcut and to do things truly right … well, that’s an admirable mission statement we can get behind with enthusiasm. The price typically keeps us from recommending it right off the bat, but if the story resonates, it’s an easy go-to.

The 8 oz. cotton is densely woven, helping deflect wind and sharps. A locker hook is tacked at the nape of the neck just over the single center pleat. The pleat gives you a little extra room in the shoulders to swing an axe or reach those holiday boxes tucked away on the top shelf. 

We appreciate that the cuffs and pocket flaps are rounded to reduce catching on edges. Both chest pockets have center pleats, allowing you to store a little extra. While the cuffs have two buttons to provide extra room (or batten down), we would like to see a little more room given to the outside button. The cuffs snug tight around the wrist and don’t leave a lot of room for a watch.

The shirt is sewn together through a combination of flat-felled seams in the arms and body, and overstitched seams in the armholes. This stitch combination is usually reserved for sewing heavy-weight fabrics together, and is more often seen in lower price point shirts. The 8 oz. fabric is densely woven and lightly brushed and probably could get away with fully felling the sleeves to the torso. At nearly $150, this ends up feeling more like a shortcut in the Alaskan Guide than a functional decision.

Similarly work-oriented, the MuskOx Grand Flannel is more often our recommendation for a heavyweight flannel for roughing it in. The Egyptian cotton is of higher quality compared to this flannel, and the flat-felled seams are a more durable and clean-looking option comparatively.

Filson shirts are known to be oversized by one full size. We always order down one size smaller and the fit feels spot on. The fit is still loose enough to layer over a midweight base layer without feeling constrictive. Because of this size disconnect, we recommend trying the Alaskan Guide Shirt on before you buy it.

It feels more rugged than the traditional shirts we find from Proper Cloth and lacks that buttery-soft flannel feel some yearn for in a flannel shirt. But it carves a line without sacrificing all that we love about the brand.

No detail is overlooked. All seams are flat-felled. The collar is reinforced with hearty antique brass stays. The pair of front pockets are pattern-matched. The double-layered split yoke creates a more form-fitting shirt over the shoulders and adds subtle western flair. The side seam is double-backed at the hem for extra durability and closes down the front with ½-inch buttons. Taken all together, the Jackson is decidedly well-finished.

Proper Cloth is an online supplier that distributes made–to–order clothing. You enter your measurements and pick the materials and they send you a shirt that is tailor-made to your size. The Jackson is more of their off-the-shelf shirt but you can plug in your measurements to dial in a near-perfect fit.

While the shirt probably won’t get you any credibility at the Dutton Ranch, it’s a great option to bring a little Western vibe into your wardrobe. This flannel likely doesn’t want to be worn for your more contact sports such as swinging a hammer or small-engine work, which is why we more often recommend more all-around cuts like the &SONS Yukon Field Flannel, but the fit and pattern options are current, and at $130, we feel you are getting quality with the Jackson Country Shirt.

We’ve been testing the Singi for years now. Off the shelf, the cotton feels stiff. It hasn’t been broken in yet. But wash after wash, the shirt really begins to take shape and gets softer over time. And really, that’s the sign of a solid flannel. It should wear in, not out.

The heavyweight 100% organic cotton is brushed on both sides for softness. In our experience, it doesn’t nap out or pill after years of washing. It retains that brushed feeling without compromising the look and feel. 

We often see cotton shirt pockets wrinkle up and shrink after years of use. Fjäll sews their chest pockets to their G-1000 nylon backer. This is both for aesthetic and functional reasons. It’s easier to use a pocket that lays flat, but it also prevents the mitered flaps from losing their form. 

Similar to the Pladra Every Day Elite, Fjäll sews in the same nylon backers to the collar and the cuffs, and to great effect. The shirt layers smoothly and slides over other shirts without pulling up the sleeves.

Hanging inside each sleeve is an 8-inch strap for keeping the sleeves rolled up tight. The sleeve placket unbuttons 8 inches, allowing you to roll them up and sling the strap under the rolled up arms. It gives the shirt that safari like look and they are great for active work. The strap keeps the sleeves up over the elbows all day long.

The Singi is sewn together using a combination of flat-sewn overstitching and flat-felled seams. The hem is long and stays tucked in. Instead of a gusset, Fjäll sews a strap of flannel to the bottom of the side seams hem. Worth noting, all the buttons are wrapped around the stem, giving them extra longevity in your wardrobe. Not a lot of manufactureres give this much attention to details.

The Singi Heavyweight Flannel is a classic perennial flannel that Fjällraven hasn’t touched for years. And why would they — it’s a well-built, classic flannel that does the job well.

Named after one of Portland’s historical streets, Burnside was one of America’s first “skid rows.” This isn’t a pejorative. This originally refers to streets that were used to “skid” felled timber off the forested hills down to the sawmills on the river. 

Leaning softly into Portland’s working roots, the Burnside has a pair of mitered pockets sewn to the front. For durability, the pockets are bar tacked to the shirt. On the inside, all seams are flat-felled, giving you both a simple and very clean shirt. Yet, the Burnside swings hard into comfort. The double brushed cotton is buttery soft off the shelf and continues to soften over time. It’s the softest flannel we tested this season.

Another nod to the work-shirt roots, we love the oversized buttons. They are easy to use and sewn to the shirt with criss-cross stitching over the 4-hole buttons. They are so confident in their buttons that they don’t sew spares into the hem.  

The front placket and side hem gussets are backed with cotton twill taping. A loop of the cotton twill is sewn inside the collar as a locker loop. The twill is pliable and durable without adding a lot of bulk. 

It’s a simple shirt with just a few upgrades. The left pocket has a pencil loop. We used it to keep our sunglasses. The cuffs have two buttons to adjust around your wrist. You are buying into pedigree cotton with this shirt, and it’s incredibly plush. So much so that it will begin to wear in a bit prematurely — and if you need a longer-lasting flannel, we recommend looking to the Pladra Every Day Elite.

While wool is the brand’s old-school classic, the Burnside is a fantastic daily driver option for those who don’t like the course fibers of wool. And while we don’t usually look at shirts as assets, their classic wool Board Shirt holds value and will still run you $50 for a beat-up shirt at the thrift store. The Burnside Flannel, on the other hand, is half the price of the eye-wincing $200 Board Shirt and is regularly on sale.