Consumer Reports

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. 
While this beanie is made to wear in any weather, it is not our first choice when trying to look stylish. This has a slim, athletic fit and an oddly slouchy alternative when un-cuffed. It still has a clearly well-made look and comes in appealing 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. Meriwool made a hat that we found many purposes for and recommend it for all-day comfort in any outdoor setting. 

OutdoorGearLab

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. 
While this beanie is made to wear in any weather, it is not our first choice when trying to look stylish. This has a slim, athletic fit and an oddly slouchy alternative when uncuffed. It still has a clearly well-made look and comes in appealing 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 we recommend it for all-day comfort in any outdoor setting. 

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Best Men's Beanies

Classic Carhartt at its finest, the Knit Cuffed Beanie is our favorite cold-weather hat. Built with the heavy-duty and high-quality construction that the brand is synonymous with, you get exactly the kind of product you'd expect here. While other beanies we tested had a similar construction style and similar material used, this one was always coming out a notch above and on top. This beanie features quality design and construction, with stretchable rib knitting providing a snug fit on most head sizes without ever feeling too tight. Made with acrylic materials, this beanie provides serious protection from the elements while also having the ability to keep you dry from sweat on those long and rugged days. This beanie kept us comfortable and warm through it all. Holding up strongly through the rain, snow, sleet, and wind, you'll appreciate this beanie when the going gets rough. 
Synthetics can sometimes get a bit stuffy, but this is hands down one of the most breathable synthetic rib-knit beanies we tested. It can still get pretty toasty on the inside during lengthy periods of physically demanding activity. Most of the time, we were comfortable just rolling it up a bit higher and trucking on. The look is classic cool and is ready for anything while still offered at a solid price point. The Knit Cuffed Beanie is hands down our favorite option. 

Classic Carhartt at its finest, the Knit Cuffed Beanie is our favorite cold-weather hat. Built with the heavy-duty and high-quality construction that the brand is synonymous with, you get exactly the kind of product you'd expect here. While other beanies we tested had a similar construction style and similar material used, this one was always coming out a notch above and on top. 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. 
Synthetics can sometimes get a bit stuffy, but this is hands down one of the most breathable of the synthetic rib-knit beanies we tested. It can still get pretty toasty on the inside during lengthy periods of physically demanding activity. Most of the time, we were comfortable just rolling it up a bit higher and trucking on. The look is classic cool and is ready for anything while still offered at a solid price point. The Carhartt Knit Cuffed Beanie is hands down our favorite option. 

Carhartt's Most Popular Product is This Basic Beanie

Which Affordable Beanie Is Worth Your Money?

This beanie ticks all the boxes for us &mdash; comfy, stylish, warm, and functional. Our team of testers all agreed, the Carhartt Lookout is as close as it gets to perfect; it's warm and comfortable, with a tight-knit acrylic weave that provides stretch and coziness without too much bulk. We loved the wide roll-up band that not only offers an extra layer against the cold but also adds some serious style points with its dual-tone design. The seams and overall construction appear to be built to last, and we were impressed by the softness and stretchiness of the material. Overall, this hat was the one we reached for the most as we bundled up for cold weather. 
Some of our test team wished this hat came without a pompom. Though many of the top women's winter caps have pompoms, and we are by no means against them as a style choice, it does impact the overall versatility. The Carhartt Lookout is not typically a hat you'd want to wear under a helmet or during any serious physical activity. Carhartt does offer a few different styles &#40;without poms&#41;, which might be better suited to your needs. 

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Best Beanies for Women of 2022

The North Face Salty Dog Beanie 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.

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.

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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 here is terrific, but the build of this one makes it one of the least breathable from our test group, and that can make this one a bit too hot if you start really exerting yourself. The material itself isn't the most breathable and can wind up getting itchy when you wear it for lengthy periods of time. If you need a simple and straightforward beanie to stay very warm and dry, this one should be a staple for anyone living in or even passing through colder climates. Coming in at a low price point and offered in many color options, this is a great purchase to add to your winter wear when the cold and wet days really hit home. 

Warm, affordable, and stylish, Connectyle makes a great option with traditional looks and great functionality. This is a double-layered synthetic beanie, which helps the Classic Winter Hat keep you warm and dry while looking good while doing it. Wide rib knitting gives a bulkier and incredibly comfortable build to a hat that can keep up on the trail or in the city. This beanie comes in a wide array of colors so you can show your own style. Connectyle made this one feel super comfy all day long, whether you are getting up and getting active or lounging around. 
Coming with a wide opening can make this beanie feel a bit loose on a smaller head, but it stays nicely in place and adjusts well on other head sizes. The thread pills pretty fast, but it gives it some character and keeps things looking appealing. The internal seams seem a bit ragged, but this doesn't impact the look or comfort, so it didn't bother us in testing. All things considered, this one is a lot of hats for a small price. Comfort, style, and warmth packaged up into one affordable beanie that can be used in any application? Sounds like a good choice to us. 

Warm, affordable, and stylish, Connectyle makes a great option with traditional looks and great functionality. This is a double-layered synthetic beanie, which helps the Connectyle Classic Winter Hat keep you warm and dry while looking good while doing it. Wide rib knitting gives a bulkier and incredibly comfortable build to a hat that can keep up on the trail or in the city. This beanie comes in a wide array of colors so you can show your own style. Connectyle made this one feel super comfy all day long, whether you are getting up and getting active or lounging around. 
The wide opening can make this beanie 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 offers comfort, style, and warmth for an affordable price.

If you're in the market for a cold-weather running hat, a ski touring cap, or a thin winter hat to wear under a helmet, the Smartwool Merino Sport 150 Beanie is the ticket. This hat is slim yet comfortable; it has a tighter band across the bottom that holds it in place and fits our small-headed lead tester perfectly &#40;with plenty of space for those with larger heads&#41;. We love that this cap is made from 100% wool but is as soft as any hat in this review. Wearing it when exercising caused no itchiness and was extremely breathable on sweaty runs and bike rides. Additionally, this hat comes with reflective decals for extra visibility. There was very little about this hat that we didn't like. 
For some, this hat may lack versatility because it is so sporty in its aesthetic. We found that though we loved wearing the Smartwool Merino Sport when exercising, it wasn't the first one we reached for when heading out on the town.  

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The Durio Knit nabs this award thanks to its cozy fleece lining and its stretchy, versatile design. It comes in tons of color options, and most importantly, it boasts a reasonable price tag. Additionally, its lining adds extra warmth that the slouchy style knit caps sometimes lack. The Durio has the best of both worlds &mdash; the stylish look of an oversized, cable-knit beanie and the warmth that a traditional fleece cap provides. We also liked how stretchy it was, allowing it to fit on all head sizes. For the price, it's hard to find a hat as cozy, comfortable, and easy to wear &mdash; we almost forgot it was on when wearing it!
If you like to have the option of rolling your hat up when you're not in a slouchy mood, the Durio probably isn't the hat for you. This one is a fixed size, with no roll-up option available. Its slouchy nature also means it is not the best for exercising since it bunches and falls over the eyes. These downsides are not a huge deal if you plan to wear this hat in mostly urban settings. 

Beanie Hat Comparison