11 Best Undershirts for Men in 2020: Lightweight & Comfortable

Wearing an undershirt might feel like your first steps toward dad style—and not the cool kind. But the best undershirts for men don’t call to mind Ed Bundy or Homer Simpson. Like other practical man things (ball powder, nose hair trimmers, calf-high dress socks) undershirts just make sense. Whether you opt for 100% cotton or a blend of moisture-wicking synthetic fabrics, you need a base layer to guard against excess sweat and nipple visibility.

Whether it’s the swampiest stretch of summer or the chilliest days of winter, these crew neck undershirts are engineered to keep you dry, comfortable, and completely stench-free. And, since their main purpose is to sacrifice itself to save your favorite button-ups, most of our top picks cost less than a fancy cocktail—so you can wear and wash them to death, and then replace ‘em semi-regularly without a care in the world. Oh yeah, and none of them have tags anymore, because no one needs to spend all day trying to ignore a tiny rectangular piece of fabric. Without further ado: the 11 best undershirts for men to tuck in pronto.

The Best Buy-in-Bulk Undershirt

Uniqlo Airism crew neck short-sleeve T-shirt

Uniqlo stays doing what Uniqlo does best: delivering tech-driven, well-designed, perfect-fitting basics at no-brainer prices. Their Airism tees are crafted from a smooth and stretchy polyester blend that’s anti-microbial, deodorizing, and will keep you feeling cooler than the Fonz in the face of turgid, muggy July days. At just $10 a pop, you can afford to buy enough for every day of the workweek—plus a few extra for the gym and hikes and whatever else the summer brings your way.

Buy Now

The Best Soft-as-a-Kitten Undershirt

Tani SilkCut crew shirt

If you’ve ever bought underwear using a podcast discount code, then you’re already familiar with modal. Fashioned from beech trees, the fabric is purportedly [extremely Marc Maron voice] twice as soft as cotton, naturally antibacterial, and fully biodegradable. These tees from Tani take those claims another step further still: they’re crafted from Micro Modal Air, the finest form of the stuff around, which the brand says is thinner, stronger and softer than silk. We have no way of proving the science behind those assertions, but we can at least say anecdotally that these shirts are so soft and light they nearly feel like wearing nothing at all, and they seem to do a bang-up job of keeping summer-induced stink at bay. Now, back to the pod.

Buy Now

The Best Sneaky Advanced Undershirt

Under Armour Charged cotton crew undershirt 2-pack

Maybe you’re a traditionalist, and the feel of all these new-fangled fabrics—your polysters and bamboos and tencels—just don’t feel right against your skin. You prefer the simplicity of cotton, even if you acknowledge it has its shortcomings in the sweat containment department. That’s where these Under Armour shirts come in: they’ve got the look and texture of regular cotton, only leveled up with some polyester in the mix to dry faster and keep its shape better throughout the day.

Buy Now

The Best Classic Cotton Undershirt

Calvin Klein cotton classic fit 3-pack crew neck T-shirt

In the event that you really just want to keep things old-school, well, Calvin Klein still makes the very best 100% cotton undershirts in the business. They’re lightweight, fit well, and are polished enough to wear around casually as a regular tee. If you’re lucky enough to land on the drier, less-malodorous end of the scale, and just need a easy, classic base layer to get you through the week, this is the three-pack for you.

Buy Now

Seven More Undershirts We Love

Spanx cotton compression crew neck

Yes, Spanx makes stuff for dudes. Yes, it’ll keep things tight on those days you need to look really sharp and put together.

Buy Now

Sunspel cellular cotton T-shirt

Sunspel found a way to make a loose, airy knit still look crisp and refined.

Buy Now

Hanes ComfortSoft short sleeve T-shirt (4 pack)

No scratchy tag and no twisted collar—no matter how many times you wash it. At around $5 bucks a shirt, you can afford to buy a dozen and stash them in your desk drawer for emergencies.

Buy Now

Fruit of the Loom Stay Tucked crew T-shirt (6 pack)

For guys who want their shirt to stay put all day long, these minimal undershirts are where it’s at. The longer body construction means it tucks in easy and won’t untuck every time you lean over to stretch or pick up a penny.

Buy Now