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5 min readCELEBRATING EARTH DAY isn’t a one-day event. It’s a full 365-day commitment, but now is a great time to start. Contributing to it is easier than you think, and can be as simple as buying a sustainably sourced T-shirt for an extra few bucks.
We cover a lot of menswear brands here at Men’s Health, and we try to include eco-friendly options wherever possible. As your annual Earth Day reminder, I rounded up some of our favorite editor-tested brands to keep in mind next time you’re overhauling your wardrobe. These labels check a lot of our sustainability boxes—using eco-friendly fabric, eliminating greenhouse emissions during production, and offering durable, well-made apparel that lasts a lifetime, to name a few. We’ve tested all of these brands in some capacity, so we’re not playing any guessing games, and neither are you. Let’s get into it.
Patagonia
Patagonia has been all-in on sustainability before it was “cool,” with a focus on recycled materials, organic cotton, and Fair Trade certified manufacturing to meet Fair Trade USA’s rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards in its factories. They’re not all talk, either—the brand has a solid plan to achieve net-zero emissions across its entire business by 2040. Patagonia’s offices are currently transitioning to 100% renewable electricity, and back in 2022, the company pledged to dedicate all profits to fighting climate change. It also has a pretty awesome Worn Wear program that offers recycled products at a discount. We’ve tested Patagonia’s outerwear extensively, and “durability” is the prevailing theme. I’ve had my Better Sweater zip-up for years now, and it looks and feels the same as it did fresh out of the packaging. Patagonia also has a ton of editor-approved picks on sale right now, which isn’t a surprise given the big day.
Read more: Best Patagonia Jackets
Our Favorites From Patagonia
Outerknown
If you don’t own an Outerknown blanket shirt by now, you have no idea what you’re missing. It’s soft, surprisingly rugged, and eases the transition from your bed to the office. The brand also sells it in a cozy quarter zip, and I can’t bring myself to wear another. It also helps that it’s crafted by one of the most eco-friendly brands out there. Kelly Slater started Outerknown ten years ago with the pledge to support fair labor. The company regularly gives back to environmentally-conscious non-profits. The brand keeps some meticulously tracked metrics on its site, such as year-over-year preferred fiber usage and the number of garments kept out of landfills annually. Much like Patagonia, Outerknown is trying to serve the environment and its inhabitants; the comfy, stylish fits are a bonus.
Our Favorites from Outerknown
Fair Harbor
Fair Harbor makes our best-tested swim trunks for men, but that’s not all it offers. The eco-friendly brand offers a ton of classic spring and summer-forward menswear at a reasonable price. We love that it’s a pretty small company that’s made a name for itself in recent years. Most of its flagship pieces are available on both Nordstrom and Amazon, which adds a little more credence to the brand’s burgeoning popularity. Our editors own a few of their swim trunks, and I’m personally a huge fan of their ultra-soft, sustainably-sourced tee and cozy drawstring corduroy shorts. The brand lists the exact number of recycled bottles it uses for each piece. It averages 12 per item. It should be noted that, according to the Good on You database, there is no real public information on the brand taking specific steps to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. But it doesn’t use any animal products, and its unique plastic bottle construction methods earned it a spot on our list.
Our Favorites From Fair Harbor
Puma
Puma has flown under the radar for its high sustainability marks, as the longstanding athletic brand doesn’t do much to advertise it. There’s something to be admired in that. It uses some pretty low-impact recycled materials, and its entire process is overseen by the Fair Labor Association (FLA). It also sets some science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its direct operations and supply chain, which the brand claims is on track. Puma also offers clothing recycling to consumers and has set a viable pathway to eliminate hazardous chemicals from its process altogether. If you were on the fence about copping something from its brand-new Pokémon 30th Anniversary collection, this might just be the nudge you needed.
Our Favorites from Puma
REI
We wanted to include at least one major retailer, and while REI isn’t a “brand,” per se, it hits the mark on a few key metrics. For starters, it makes a concerted effort to keep garments out of landfills through its popular resale and repair programs. It’s also managed to offset operating emissions by 100 percent over the last decade, with plans to expand renewable energy use over the next one. The company’s in-house brand, REI Co-op, generally uses eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester, but they’ve also been known to use some high-impact fibers like synthetic cotton and virgin polyester. It still hasn’t phased out high emissions in its own production process, but the big box retailer has been a net-positive all things considered.
Our Favorites from REI
Altra
We’ve tested a few of Altra’s running shoes in the past, and they’re some of the most eco-friendly running shoes out there. It uses a lot of recycled materials when crafting its sneakers, and it's taken action to reduce heavy water use in its supply chain. Altra has also implemented a biodiversity protection policy into its supply chain, as well as recyclable packaging materials and shoeboxes. If you’re looking for a running shoe to tie together your Earth Day fit, Altra is a solid bet.
Our Favorites from Altra
Altra Experience Flow 3 X Pleasures
Alta Men's Experience Wild 3+
Jungmaven
Reviews Editor Danny Perez has been buying Jungmaven for almost a decade at this point and still wears some of those first tees and tanks to this day. Based out of California, the brand uses organic cotton/ hemp blends for a lot of its wares, and some are even 100% hemp. Hemp is a natural fiber that's durable, breathable, and has a low impact on the environment. Jungmaven has basics dialed in, but also makes great button-up shirts and light outerwear. They even have denim that trades cotton for hemp.
Our Favorites from Jungmaven
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Tim Kohut is the Deals and Trends Editor for Popular Mechanics, Men’s Health, Best Products, and Runner's World. He has extensive product review and gear coverage expertise, particularly in tech, home, auto, and health. Tim was previously the Deputy Commerce Editor of The Drive and a Commerce Editor at BGR. He’s also overseen gear coverage and strategy at Popular Science, Bob Vila, Outdoor Life, and Field and Stream. He has a strong affinity for cats, Batman, and early 90’s Nicolas Cage films, in that order.
Christian is the Style and Reviews Director at Men's Health and Women’s Health, where he oversees shopping and style content for both brands. He started his magazine career as an accessories assistant at Vogue, and has since held editorial roles at Tatler Asia and The Manual. When he’s not online shopping, you can find him on long walks with his two corgis.
