As the leaves begin to turn, so does our wardrobe—meaning it’s time to top off your winter wardrobe with some sustainable beanies.
From sophisticated, sustainable wool beanies to minimalist organic cotton knits with pom-poms on top, these winter-ready hats make us feel snug and stylish—even when our favorite sustainable sweater is hidden beneath outer layers.
We considered fabrics, supply chain ethics, and various green business practices, such as using renewable energy and carbon offsetting, to find the best sustainable beanie brands that are heads above the rest.
Our new Brand Rating System extends these considerations to 22 criteria (covering everything from animal welfare to sustainable packaging). For a heads up on how this new system works, head to our explainer here and find rated brands on the list of beanies below.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Sustainable & Ethical Beanies We Love
Organic Basics offers a range of soft, colorful beanies, made from GOTS certified organic cotton, recycled polyester and a small amount of nylon. This carbon-neutral company has been extensively rated and reviewed by us here.
Then Frank And Oak is your go-to for cozy and conscious headwear.
For beanies perfect for pow days or just a good old-fashioned snowball fight, Patagonia helps insulate you and the planet from fast-fashion-induced climate change.
The Full List Of Eco-Friendly Beanie Brands
- Organic Basics Jump to brand
- Coal Headwear Jump to brand
- tentree Jump to brand
- Patagonia Jump to brand
- Menique Jump to brand
Organic Basics
Carbon Neutral
Brand has been certified as Carbon Neutral.
Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.
Organic
Products are made from organic materials.
Recycled materials
Some or all products are made with recycled materials
Sustainable Materials
Either all or most products are made with sustainable materials
Thoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.
1% for the planet
Better Work
FSC
GOTS
GRS
OCS
OEKO-TEX 100
REACH
WRAP
1% for the planet
Certified Environmental Giving — Businesses give 1% of their annual sales directly to vetted environmental partners.Organic Basics has been rated & reviewed by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
Organic Basics’ range of minimalist Soft Knit Beanies are made with 70% GOTs certified organic cotton, 20% recycled polyester and 10% nylon.
They come in a range of colors including green, pink, red, black and beige.
My Personal Review Of Organic Basics’ Beanie:
“I have been wearing this Beanie after my ocean swimming (& camping) and have found it to be be adequately warm. It sits well and does not itch. I like its minimalist aesthetic and how lightweight it feels.”
Review by Joy McConnochie, SJ Co-Founder
Coal Headwear
Coal Headwear has not been rated.
About Coal Headwear
For over two decades, USA-based Coal Headwear has refined the art of sustainable beanie hats, creating sizes and styles to fit every head (including kids).
Made for adventure seekers and explorers of the great outdoors, they offer a huge selection of cuffed and fisherman styles with low, mid, and tall profile lengths.
Headwear is (obviously) their specialty, but that includes ski and snow face masks, too.
Coal Headwear’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Coal Headwear uses Polylana® Fiber in some eco-friendly beanies. This OEKO-TEX-certified and PETA Approved Vegan yarn is made from rPET flakes and pellets that can be blended with other recycled fibers.
They also use recycled wool and blend recycled PET with Recover™, a low-impact recycled cotton fiber.
Other materials include wool and cashmere (unknown cruelty-free status— we’ll be reaching out to this brand for further information) as well as sherpa fleece and virgin acrylic. We recommend avoiding these as they transition to more fully sustainable options.
Supply chain & labor practices:
We know Coal Headwear’s factory partners are WRAP-certified, but we’ll be reaching out to fill in the gaps (er, caps?) in their supply chain information.
Green business practices:
Along with using eco-friendly fabrics in their recycled beanies, Coal Headwear further reduces the use of single-use virgin plastics by choosing Bio-logiQ plant-based poly bags to package all of their goods.
Community & charitable giving:
Keeping your heads and hearts warmed, Coal Headwear supports three organizations: Boarding for Breast Cancer, Skate Like A Girl, and Protect Our Winters.
tentree
tentree has not been rated.
About tentree
Based in Canada, tentree is one of the best ethical fashion brands around that lives up to its name: they plant ten trees for every order.
This creator of “earth-first apparel” fully understands that without the planet, there won’t be any people so they make products—everything from sustainable leggings to sweats—designed to help both coexist in harmony.
With foldover embroidered beanies, and faux fur pom sustainable knit beanies for women, men, and kids, they have a classic fit beanie or bucket hat to keep everyone’s head covered.
tentree’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Choose between recycled polyester, hemp, organic cotton, recycled wool, and TENCEL lyocell, in various combinations.
While they do use small amounts of spandex/elastane, it allows for a snug yet flexible fit.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a top-ranking Certified B Corp, all product descriptions detail where their beanies were manufactured. Most are ethically made in Vietnam and China.
All of tentree’s partners follow a Code of Conduct based on ILO standards with a majority having some kind of certification including WRAP, BSCI, SA8000, Fair Trade, and Fair Wear Foundation.
Green business practices:
With their GreenStep-assessed Eco Log, you can find information about each garment’s environmental impacts such as CO2e, water, and waste saved compared to traditionally-made products.
They are also Climate Neutral-certified and offer monthly subscriptions or one-off payment options to offset your events, travels, or daily life activities.
Community & charitable giving:
With a major focus on reforesting areas that have lost biodiversity, tentree intends to plant one billion trees by 2030.
Patagonia
Patagonia has not been rated.
About Patagonia
Have you skied those vegan gloves into repair or donate territory?
Patagonia has an extensive and transparent ethical track record to equally match their vast collection of sustainable outdoor clothing to fill the hole in your drawer.
Top it off with an eco-friendly fleece-lined beanie or knit sustainable hats. The pom-top Powder Town men’s and women’s sustainable beanies have become one of the brand’s many cult classic pieces.
They also offer sun-protective bucket hats and trucker caps for warmer weather.
Patagonia’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Patagonia specializes in recycled beanies made of mostly recycled polyester and recycled nylon, both of which are moisture-wicking (ideal for when you’re freezing but also sweating).
Their eco-friendly materials also include virgin and recycled wool that meet the Responsible Wool Standard.
The R1® Daily Beanie incorporates a few other fabrics like spandex flat-faced fleece, miDori™ bioSoft, and HeiQ® Pure odor control technology.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Want to hit the slopes knowing your ethical beanie also helped (ski) lift up those who made it?
Each product listing has “Footprint Chronicles” detailing the eco-friendly materials, impact report, and where it was made for your viewing pleasure.
As a Fair Labor Association founding member and Certified B Corp, Patagonia is fully transparent about its manufacturing factories and partners.
All beanies are Fair Trade™ Certified sewn, along with 87% of their line.
Green business practices:
Patagonia is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2025, but they understand and take responsibility for cutting emissions in their manufacturing process instead of simply offsetting.
They support other organizations that are working on regenerative soil practices, renewable energy, and removing virgin fibers from their clothes.
Their Worn Wear program encourages a circular economy by accepting, repairing/upcycling, and re-selling Patagonia branded items.
More importantly, they offer a lifetime guarantee of repairs or replacements for damaged items.
With 87% of their line using recycled materials, they also ensure that 100% of their cotton is organic, recycled, or regenerative (thanks to their piloting a certification for regenerative agriculture).
Community & charitable giving:
Patagonia’s Action Works tool is available to anyone online and connects hopeful volunteers with grassroots groups through events, campaigns, or petitions.
They’ve donated over $100 million since 1985 to various environmental groups through 1% for the Planet (which they founded), and founder Yvon Chouinard sold his stake in the company to two environmental nonprofits who will receive all earnings henceforth.
Menique
Menique has not been rated.
About Menique
Menique is on a mission to “help you live comfortably without making our mother Earth uncomfortable”.
Providing linen sleepwear, underwear, and activewear, they have the essentials (and ears) covered.
Hailing from Lithuania (where they certainly know a thing or two about cold winters), they produce some of the best sustainable beanies for men and women in knitted and ribbed styles.
Menique’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Menique handcrafts their organic sustainable merino wool beanies, using wool sourced from cruelty-free sheep farms in New Zealand.
This OEKO-TEX-certified fabric absorbs odors, is temperature regulating, and biodegrades at end-of-life.
Everything is dyed using plant-based alternatives.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Menique states its apparel is made in a safe environment and compensates its workers fairly. They do not have any certifications or information available on their garment factories, so we will contact them to find out more.
Green business practices:
This planet-conscious brand prides itself on zero-plastic packaging, working with recyclable and biodegradable products that are printed with water-based inks.
