A beanie can be one of the seasonal hats you wear most, but it’s often the one you spent the least on. It gets stuffed into coat pockets, left on trains and replaced every other winter. That’s fine, right up until you put on a cashmere one. It’s lighter than wool and warmer than it looks. It’s soft enough that you forget it’s even on your head. No itch, no static and no red line across your forehead at the end of the day.

What separates a good one comes down to the yarn and the knit. Ideally, you want 100% cashmere, since blends cost less but rarely feel the same. You also want a rib with some stretch and recovery, plus a cuff you can fold to dial in the fit. Color is the easy part. Grey, charcoal or navy will work with every coat you own.

And spending more isn’t the jump from bad cashmere to good. It’s simply about thickness, texture and name. A basic beanie gets you the fiber at a price that barely registers. Spend more and you get a chunkier knit with real character. At the top end, it’s heavier yarn and a heritage label. Here are the ones we’d buy before it gets too cold.