- The T-shirt has evolved from an unseen undergarment into one of the most popular and prominent articles of clothing.
- We’ve tried many different kinds over the years, and narrowed down the tried-and-true options for every category, from undershirts to athletic wear.
- The Everlane Uniform Cotton Crew is our top pick overall because it’s affordable, available in many colors, durable, and backed by a one-year warranty.
T-shirts are absolutely essential to a person’s wardrobe. Everybody owns them, everybody wears them, and there are literally an endless amount of options to choose from. Since just about every brand has its own version, we decided to cut out all the noise and narrow it down to the best ones we’ve tried.
I own and wear a lot of T-shirts, so if you’re looking to add a few new ones to your wardrobe, you’ve come to the right guy. I’ve selected five of the best T-shirts based on the countless brands I’ve personally tested or bought over the years. You’ll find picks for comfort, affordability, undershirts, working out, and the best overall.
It’s also worth noting that while all the T-shirts listed below are in men’s sizing, anyone can wear them. If you’re unsure of which size fits you best, check each brand’s size chart for more details.
Whether you’re lounging around, getting busy in the gym, or dressing up in a suit and tie, you’ll find the best T-shirt options, below.
Here are the best men’s sized T-shirts:
- Best T-shirt overall: Everlane Uniform Cotton Crew
- Best T-shirt for performance: Rhone Reign T-shirt
- Best T-shirt for comfort: Brooklinen Prospect Tee
- Best undershirt: Tommy John undershirts
- Best affordable T-shirt: Uniqlo Packaged Dry T-shirt
- Best T-shirt for style variety: Cuts Clothing Crew
Updated on 8/18/2020 by Amir Ismael: Updated prices and links.
The best T-shirt overall
As part of the Everlane Uniform collection, the Cotton Crew Tee is backed by a one-year warranty and comes in a handful of colors.
The T-shirt is quintessential to casual style, so there's a good chance you already wear one on a regular basis - sort of like a uniform.
Everlane created the Uniform Collection to make getting dressed feel more effortless. Among those styles is the Cotton Crew Tee, which is easily the best T-shirt on the market.
During the design process, Everlane put the Cotton Crew Tee through 25 wash cycles, three tests for fading and pilling, and six measurements for shrinking to make sure it can withstand constant wear.
To fully stand behind the quality, the Cotton Crew and everything else in the Uniform collection is backed by a 365-day guarantee. If it shrinks, rips, fades, or does anything else that compromises the original quality, Everlane will replace it for free.
Aside from the quality, the variety makes these tees good for any wardrobe. There are more than 10 colors to choose from, and you can also choose from styles that have a pocket or a V-neck. They're fairly inexpensive at $18 for one, or $45 for three ($15 each), so it's easy to stock up on multiple of your favorite or most-worn colors.
Read my full review on the Everlane Uniform collection.
Pros: Reasonably priced, backed by a one-year warranty, lots of colors, and also available in V-neck and pocket tee versions
Cons: None to speak of
The best performance T-shirt
Built for performance, the Rhone Reign T-shirt will keep you cool, dry, and comfortable during your workouts.
Rhone is one of the leading startups in the athleisure menswear space, so it's no surprise they've figured out how to make a really good T-shirt. The brand offers a decent selection of performance T-shirts, some specifically for sports like running, but the Reign T-shirt is its best for all-around performance.
The brand doesn't make mention of the T-shirts being stretchy (I guess at this point, it's pretty much expected from any performance gear), but its blend of nylon, polyester, and spandex material does have an impressive amount of stretch. The material is also moisture-wicking and features GoldFusion technology to fight body odor.
I use my Rhone T-shirts exclusively for the gym, and I've found the GoldFusion technology to be effective. This is an important feature for me because washing my gym clothes after one wear is simply unrealistic. The shirt also has built-in UPF 50+, so you're getting extra sun protection for your outdoor workouts and activities too.
When I do wash my Rhone shirts, they come out of the washer and dryer in perfect condition. At this point, Rhone shirts have been in my gym rotation for about two years, and I've yet to experience fading or shrinking - and at $68 each, that type of quality is expected.
Aside from the stellar quality and fit, I really appreciate the quotes that Rhone incorporates into its shirts. The bottom of the hem on the Reign T-shirt reads, "While living I want to live well." It's a nice touch for people who are working to reach their goals and could use some extra inspiration.
Again, at $68, this shirt is expensive, so I'd suggest going with a cheaper option if you only need something to wear casually or to lounge in.
Pros: Stretchy, moisture-wicking, GoldFusion technology that fights body odor, UPF50+
Cons: Expensive
The best men's T-shirt for casual comfort
The Brooklinen Prospect Tee is so soft and comfortable, you won't want to take it off.
Before testing the Brooklinen Prospect Tee, I wasn't expecting to have such a positive experience with it. Just about any T-shirt can be considered comfortable to some degree, so I figured Brooklinen's wouldn't be much different. After all, it is just a T-shirt.
But as soon as I put it on, I was proven wrong. The Prospect Tee is super soft and has a slightly relaxed fit that makes it especially comfortable to wear. I originally wore it around the house and then to bed since Brooklinen technically considers it loungewear, but I've also worn it quite a few times outside. Don't let the word "loungewear" trick you into thinking you can't wear this T-shirt in the real world, because you absolutely can.
Brooklinen says that each piece undergoes five separate quality-control checks to ensure it won't warp, shrink, stretch, sag, or pill, and so far I've found that to be true. My Prospect Tee, as well as the Bergen Joggers (a pair of lounge pants I've also tested from Brooklinen), have held up amazingly in the wash. Both pieces are just as soft as the first time I wore them.
If you prefer a V-neck, the York Tee has all the same great features.
Read our full review on Brooklinen loungewear.
Pros: Super-soft feel, great fit, has held up well after multiple washes
Cons: Limited color selection
The best men's undershirts
Tommy John is unlike any other undershirt on the market - in a good way. The collar stays flat, it fits closely to your body, and never comes untucked.
Tommy John started with the mission to bring men's undergarments into the 21st century and its undershirts are, in my opinion, the best example of how it's doing that.
To be completely honest, I gave up on T-shirt-style undershirts a long time ago because they're almost always ill-fitting at the collar, the sleeves become loose, and they rarely stay tucked in. To put it plainly, they look sloppy.
Tommy John's undershirts are the complete opposite. They're close-fitting, but not tight, long enough to stay comfortably tucked into your pants, and they almost disappear underneath your top layer of clothes.
While browsing, you'll find that Tommy John undershirts are available in three materials - Second Skin, Cool Cotton, and Air. I've tried all three and I can't say one is better than the other; it really depends on what you look for most in an undershirt, whether that's softness, breathability, or a lightweight feel.
I especially like Tommy John's undershirts instead of basic tank tops when I'm wearing dress shirts. They're more comfortable (which is important when you're already wearing not-so-comfortable dress clothes), they help prevent sweat stains on the armpits, and they're a lot less visible if you're wearing a white or light-colored shirt.
Read my full review on Tommy John undershirts.
Pros: Close-fitting, comfortable, different material options, stays tucked in
Cons: Expensive, can't be worn as a regular T-shirt
The best affordable T-shirt
If you simply need a good T-shirt without spending a lot of money, Uniqlo's Packaged Dry T-shirts are the way to go.
Uniqlo's Packaged Dry T-shirts are far from the brand's best-made T-shirts (check out the Uniqlo U Collection if you want higher quality), but they're still essentials in my wardrobe.
I love them because they're affordable enough that you can stock up on a bunch of colors. You never know when you're going to need a T-shirt in a specific color, so you can buy all of your favorites and have them on deck.
Something to note is that they come folded and packaged (hence the name), so you'll want to quickly hit them with a steamer to get rid of the creases.
In my experience with Uniqlo Dry Packaged T-shirts over the years, I have seen fading, shrinking, and pilling after a decent amount of wears, washes, and dry cycles, but I didn't mind. By the time they were worn out, I felt like I had gotten my money's worth.
If you like to buy a T-shirt and wear it repeatedly - not sparingly - then I'd recommend a higher quality pick, but these will certainly get the job done.
Pros: Affordable, lots of sizes and colors, great fit when new
Cons: Not the highest quality T-shirt, will wear out eventually
The best T-shirt for style variety
The T-shirts from Cuts Clothing are soft, fitted in the right places, and come in a variety of fashionable hem styles and colors.
As the self-proclaimed makers of "the only T-shirt worth wearing," I had pretty high expectations before trying the shirts from Cuts Clothing. But, they ultimately lived up to the hype.
Founded in 2016, Cuts Clothing was created for men looking for high-quality clothing that could be worn anywhere. Most T-shirts are more or less the same, but Cuts Clothing's T-shirts have notable differences that give them a unique and elevated feel.
The shirts use the brand's proprietary custom-engineered material, which is just as soft and stretchy as some of the best performance gear I've worn. What makes the shirts special is the contemporary cuts and colors available.
You can choose between fitted or regular; crewneck, V-neck or henley; regular, split, rounded or elongated hems. I had the opportunity to try the crewneck with every hem style and I enjoyed being able to create different looks.
In addition to the great assortment of shirt styles, Cuts is also known for its contemporary colors. You'll always find basic colors like black, white, and grey, but the brand also offers out of the norm colors like Red Rum and Laurel Oak.
If you like to get dressed with a bit more consideration than whether your T-shirt is clean and if it matches, then Cuts Clothing is a great option.
Pros: Available with different hem styles and contemporary color options, stretchy, wrinkle-resistant, buttery soft feel
Cons: Expensive
What else we considered
You can feel the quality of the Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee the first time you wear it, and you'll enjoy this shirt for years to come.
When it came time to update this guide, I immediately knew which T-shirts I wanted to include, so there weren't a bunch of options that didn't make the cut.
However, one shirt that I briefly considered (previously featured in this guide as the best overall) was the Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee.
I ultimately removed it as the best overall pick because, at $32, I don't believe it's substantially better than the Everlane Cotton Crew ($18) or the Brooklinen Prospect Tee ($28). Don't get me wrong; it's still a great shirt if you don't mind spending the extra money. If you'd like to consider the Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee, here's the full review from the previous version of this guide:
As the name suggests, the Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee is made from 100% Pima cotton. Pima is American cotton prized for its long fibers that allow for a tight, durable weave that yields amazing softness. The hem of this shirt also has a curved arc that adds a stylish accent, hides your stomach when you lift your hands, and helps keep the T-shirt in place should you want to tuck it in.
The Pima Curved Hem Tee comes in a dozen different colors, all of which are muted yet masculine. And it arrives pre-shrunk, so you should choose a size that'll fit you right out of the box. One more note: Not only is the Buck Mason shirt made with American cotton, but it's made in America, too.
A writer with Time Magazine was effusive in his praise for Buck Mason T-shirts, saying they have a "perfect fit" and hold up well even after repeated washings.
Pros: Soft from day one, well-made, durable, available in many colors
Cons: More expensive than similar options
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