23 Best Tank Tops for Men 2023: Bicep-Positive Layers From Hanes, Lululemon, and Telfar

The best tank tops for men go by many names: A-shirts, muscle tees, sleeveless tees, singlets. But we’re just calling them tank tops. Thanks to menswear’s obsession with camp collar shirts and everyone re-watching The Sopranos, the style’s exploded in popularity. They’ve even gone so far as to warrant their own renaissance with boatloads of designers twisting the tank in new and exciting ways.

That’s all great news because the tank top deserves to be in your wardrobe, if not for its many fashionable varieties, surely for its utter utility. Play to their undergarment roots and they can be a button-up-saving undershirt, the invisible hero to your outfit. You can hit the gym in a performance tank with all the moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties modern science can imbue. Or you can play the capital-F fashion card and wear a tank purely to augment your already-massive fits. The classic move is to layer a tank under an unbuttoned camp shirt (with a dope chain around your neck, of course)—but don’t be afraid to venture out into the fun, freaky side of tank tops by casting one in the lead role of your entire outfit.

All of which is to say, it’s a great big world of tanks out there, so GQ got into the weeds to find only the best tank tops for men. Whether you’re looking to flex your style chops (or those winter gains–another benefit of the tank top: they make your arms look really sexy), there’s a workhorse undershirt, muscle-baring workout partner, or a show-stopping sleeveless tee with your name on it. Even better, it’s almost definitely on this list. 


The Best Tank Tops Shopping Guide


The Best Basic Tank Top

Hanes tagless cotton tank (6-pack)

You’ve probably owned a six-pack of these at some point or another, and with good reason: Hanes’s no-frills, no-tags, all-cotton ribbed tanks are a preposterous value. They’re cut flatteringly from pure cotton, which means they’re presentable enough to wear on their own, and breathable and comfortable enough to survive the swampiest days of August. They’re best served, of course, as an undershirt—ideally peeking out from beneath a flowy button-down or polo sweater, the way the goodfellas in Goodfellas would do it. 

The Best Workout Tank Top

Lululemon metal vent tech sleeveless shirt 2.0

If you’re looking to make some gains in your tank, you’ll need one that wicks away moisture, dries quickly, and blocks odor. This one from Lululemon does all three better than most activewear tops do just one. The seamless construction also means a more comfortable workout with no chafing, and they come in a vibrant range of colors, so you can flex your excellent taste alongside your muscles. 

The Best Muscle Tee

Russell Athletic cotton performance sleeveless muscle T-shirt

Russell invented the crewneck sweatshirt a century ago, but its sleeveless T-shirts are just as worthy of your hard-earned dough as their fleece goods. They’re cut from a buttery-soft cotton jersey in a slim (but not too slim) fit that’s ideal worn as a base layer or all on its own. If your upper arm game is Dom Toretto-level beastly, these have just the right proportions to show off all your hard work. 

The Best Superfluously Designer Tank

Saint Laurent Logo-Embroidered Ribbed Tank Top

Do you need a designer tank? Probably not. But if you’re going to drop a few hundred bucks on one, it should be worth the sticker price. YSL’s ribbed version is cut from a smooth, mid-weight cotton-jersey blend that’s slimming but not skintight, a boon if your summer bod feels more like a fall project at this point. (You’re just perfect to us, bud.) The gentle scoop neck highlights your lats and makes you look runway-buff, while the embroidered logo is a not-so-subtle nod your finer tastes. Sometimes, it’s the small things that make the biggest difference, and sometimes, you need to dress up even your most basic of basics to feel like you’re putting your best self forward.

The Best Tank Top No One Will Mistake for an Undershirt

Abercrombie & Fitch Crochet Knit Tank

Over the last few years, the Abercrombie of your youth has grown up in a big way. Exhibit A: the brand’s crochet (!) knit tank. With its relaxed fit, textured diamond pattern, and banded hem, the silky-soft top is exactly what you should slip into when you want to grab attention without sweating the eyeballs. This isn’t the tank you sport at the local sports club—but it is the one you grab when you’re meeting boys for a “member’s only” happy hour downtown.


Plus 19 More Tanks We Love

Outdoor Voices Everyday Tank Top

Extra-wide arms and a relaxed body so you can take advantage of your full range of motion every time you wear it.

Dion Lee “Safety Slider” tank top

Sometimes all it takes is a simple twist–a cutout here, a cinch there–to transform a basic into a righteous fashion flex. In less than a decade, Dion Lee, a tank top virtuoso of the highest order, has perfected those types of big-little revisions. 

Ralpha Sleeveless Pro Team Base Layer

This biking base layer doubles as a club hit.

Banana Republic ribbed cotton tank

When in doubt, bet on black. 

Wales Bonner “Groove” Tank Top

When a simple piece is designed to this degree, you’re practically obligated to break out in dance.

Madewell “All Day” Tank

Like the name suggests, you’ll want to wear this all day (and probably all night).

Tracksmith Van Cortlandt singlet

An ultra-modern running tank built with a vintage chassis.

Nike AeroSwift running singlet

Sure, this mesh tank is super breathable, moisture-wicking, and aerodynamic. But most importantly, it’s goddamn sexy. The next time you’re really feeling yourself, tuck this into some thigh-baring shorts and head out the door.

Gap ribbed tank Top (2-pack)

What’s better than one classic ribbed tank from the saving grace of suburban malls across the country? Two, obviously.

CDLP pima cotton-blend jersey tank top

At this point, just replace all of your undergarments with CDLP and be happy.

Rhone Swift tank

So unbelievably lightweight and breathable, you’ll forget you’re even wearing it.

Telfar half tank

Telfar’s forward-thinking take is off-kilter but very on-trend.

Rick Owens rib long tank

The freakiest way to elevate your mid-section. 

Ten Thousand lightweight tank

With literal silver doing the Lord’s work of blocking your B.O. (in tandem with a micro-ventilated, anti-chafe fabric), this tank boasts more specs than a tricked-out muscle car.

Todd Snyder Made in L.A. tank top

You probably know Todd Snyder for his saliva-inducing outerwear, handsome tailoring, and world-class sweats, but don’t sleep on his top-notch cotton jersey tanks.

Arturo Obegero Blue Tank Top

Part tank, part tunic, 100% statement-maker.

Comme des Garçons SHIRT x Sunspel vest

Some of the silkiest, softest cotton you’ll ever have the privilege of experiencing.

K.NGSLEY “Romain” cutout ribbed tank

Leading the charge on the tank top reniassance, K.ngsley plays with the silhouette in a way that feels refreshing and fun. What more can you ask of a tank, really?

Mack Weldon 18-Hour jersey rib tank

Mack Weldon’s 18-Hour jersey rib tank is designed to regulate your body temperature through the heat and the cold, making it ideal as an undershirt.

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