7 Best Aprons, According to Our Chefs
After evaluating dozens of aprons, these are the picks our food pros recommend.
Tested by Raena LoperFashion Commerce Editor
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No matter your skill level, wearing an apron can elevate your cooking or baking game. While not as essential as a pot holder for handling hot dishes, an apron protects your clothes from stains and offers handy pockets for utensils. Plus, let’s be honest— it doubles as a dish towel for quick hand wipes between recipe steps.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab, our experts evaluate every type of kitchen essential from the best nonstick cookware and Chef's knives to the best kitchen towels. In testing aprons, we started with market research on top-selling brands and brought in over 40 styles for hands-on evaluation in the Lab, where we assessed construction and washability. Then, we had our Lab and Test Kitchen staffers wear the most promising options while they worked to gather feedback on fit and comfort.
You may recognize this classic look of a Hedley & Bennett apron from the popular series The Bear starring Jeremy Allen White as Carmen. We're also fans of the brand and the All Day Crossback Apron was a favorite among pros in the Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab.
In Lab testing, we found that the apron washed well and fit on a variety of body types thanks to long waist ties. "This is my favorite apron. I've been wearing it for years. I like the thickness of the apron and how it fits my body. I especially like the racerback because it covers my whole chest comfortably," said Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou. The racerback design means you only have to adjust the waist for a secure fit.
We found the location of the lap and chest pockets to be super convenient for easy access. The side loop can also hold a dish towel or even tongs. Note that while the thicker cotton makes a more durable apron, it may feel too heavyweight for some cooks. It's available in over 30 colors, but some colors increase the price to up to $125. If you want to match "Carmy" and his sous chef Sydney, opt for the Essentials Apron — which is also one of Papantoniou's favorite aprons.
Dimensions: 33" x 30" | Material: Cotton canvas fabric
Under $30 for a stylish apron that's also functional is a total steal. We often include products from Williams Sonoma in our shopping guides and consider it a go-to retailer for kitchen appliances and accessories. The striped look is giving Parisian bakery if you ask us, and you can choose from nine different colors to match your aesthetic. We do wish the logo on the front was a bit smaller, but you can replace it with a monogram for an additional $15.
In addition to its stylish design, we appreciated the spacious lap pockets and lightweight cotton construction that still feels substantial. The waist ties are also long enough to tie back to front. While we wish the apron also featured a chest pocket, we can't go over the great value. Papantoniou uses this apron all the time: "It's a great price point. It's comfy and gets softer as you wash it."
It's machine washable and dryer-safe for easy cleaning at a moment's notice. When it isn't tied securely around your waist, it will look nice hanging on a hook in your kitchen.
Dimensions: 27" x 36" | Material: Cotton canvas fabric
One of the most annoying parts of baking is opening a new bag of flour or pouring its contents into a mixing bowl a little too forcefully only to find yourself suddenly in a winter wonderland. If you're a frequent baker, then trust us, an apron designed for baking will help you avoid powdered ingredients landing on your bottoms or chocolate frosting stains on your top.
The Eco Modern Apron features three center pockets (one large and two small) plus a chest pocket in the shape of a hexagon. The chest pocket is the largest one we saw in any apron we tested. Deputy Editor Sarah Gregory liked that the hexiganol pocket has a snap and found the measurement chart on the underside of the apron was super helpful for quick conversions. The apron has an adjustable neck loop and an extra loop for hanging a kitchen towel or utensil.
While the sturdy construction means the apron will last, it may not mold to your body as well and may feel a bit stiff. The apron is machine washable, but isn't dryer-safe. Gregory found the apron to be "genuinely really nice" even if it wasn't the most earth-shattering design ever.
RELATED: Best Gifts for Bakers
Dimensions: 29" x 33" | Material: Recycled fabric
Cooking and baking ingredients are pricey these days — and that's totally separate from all of the appliances, gear and accessories you will probably invest in over the years. So, we don't think you need to splurge on an apron. We tested five different styles from Chef Works, one of Amazon's best-selling brands for aprons; the Ridgewood Apron came out on top as our favorite.
Even though it has a simple design and look, the apron was comfortable to wear and has an unbeatable price at just shy of $20. It also has two large lap pockets and a tie that can wrap around the front. Our tester found the apron to have a medium-to-light weight but noted that it was a bit shorter than they were expecting. Taller chefs may have to opt for a different style on this list or be content with potentially just their top half being well covered.
Dimensions: 22.5" x 31.5" | Material: Cotton
A smock apron has a more streamlined design without any ties to worry about. Instead, it has a built-in cross in the back. Another favorite Hedley & Bennett apron among GH staffers, it was soft and comfortable right out of the package and even maintained its softness after washing. It's machine washable and dryer-safe, and the cotton-linen blend provides enough structure while still feeling airy.
The thick straps won't fall off your shoulder and the pockets are deep enough that you won't worry about a spoon or whisk falling out and onto the floor. Papantoniou found it easy to get over her head and move around in. We like that the smock fits different body types and shapes, but note that its length is on the shorter side.
Similar to our best overall Hedley & Bennett apron, some patterns are more expensive than others. The smock is also already a little over $100 at its lowest.
Dimensions: 35" x 28¾" | Material: Cotton and linen
Helt's Raven apron is made from a lightweight polyester and spandex blend that our testers loved immediately. The fabric is silky smooth and feels like fitness clothing — running around the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner is a sport after all.
Our tester found the apron to be comfortable and the waist straps long enough. It's only available in black though, which is versatile and won't show stains as easily but may not be everyone's style. The lightweight material also means it's thinner than other Helt aprons we tested, but if you want a thicker style we recommend the Ranch Tan Bib Apron.
Dimensions: Not listed | Material: Canvas and cotton
Kitchen Appliances Lab Reviews Analyst Eva Bleyer, who has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry working as a personal chef, food stylist and more, wears this Tilt apron to test appliances in the Lab. It has a spacious front pocket and a smaller chest pocket that's perfect for storing a meat thermometer and the like. While it's marketed as a wrinkle-free apron, we did note some wrinkling after putting it through the washing machine.
Our tester enjoyed wearing this apron but it wasn't a complete standout — mostly because it was a little big which meant extra material around her waist. Still, she appreciated the large pocket and liked that she could tie it around her waist in the front so she can hang a dish towel. Both our tester and analyst found that the material felt a little cheap, in part because it's made from a cotton polyester blend.
Dimensions: 27" x 33" | Material: Cotton and polyester blend
How we tested the best aprons
When evaluating the best aprons, our Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab analysts joined forces with the pros in our Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab and the GH Test Kitchen to evaluate over 40 styles. We paid close attention to the following performance and ease-of-use factors:
✔️ Fit test: Our testers wore their assigned aprons during daily tasks in the kitchen, reporting on how well the apron fit, how the material felt and if it was comfortable to wear for multiple hours.
✔️ Fabric evaluation: Our textile expert also observed the fit and feel of each style, as well as evaluated how thick the material was and if it was easy to clean.
✔️ Design evaluation: We look to see if the apron has chest and/lap pockets and note how large these pockets are and if they have additional compartments for better organization. We also look at how long the waist ties are to ensure you can wrap them around your waist comfortably. Lastly, we note how easy it is to adjust the neck strap.
✔️ Washability: After the aforementioned initial evaluation, we then take a deep dive into each apron's care instructions, noting if they were easy to follow and if it can be thrown in the dryer or needs to be hang dried. We began initial wash testing, noting if there were any wrinkles, fading or shrinkage after washing, but we will continue to update our findings during long-term testing.
What to look for when shopping for the best aprons
✔️ Style: There are typically four styles of aprons and which type you go with depends on your body type and what kind of cooking you plan on doing.
- Bib: This is a traditional style of apron that you put on over your head. It features an adjustable strap around the neck and has ties that wrap around the waist.
- Smock: Flowy and easy to throw on, this apron is super basic because it only has arm holes and doesn't feature any waist ties. This makes it easy to put on when you're in a rush but may be too loose-fitting for some.
- Waist/half apron: If you don't need a full apron or only care about having an easy place to wipe your hands or hold a few items, a waist or half apron is the perfect style. It covers the bottom portion of the body and ties around the waist.
- Bistro apron: These also only cover the bottom portion of your body and tie around your waist, but they are a lot longer and can go all the way to your knees or even longer.
✔️ Pockets: Our pros like an apron that has lap and chest pockets that are sizeable enough to fit whatever you may need. Some pockets may even have additional compartments inside to help keep your utensils organized.
✔️ Length of waist ties: It's important to make sure the apron's waist ties are long enough to fit around your waist securely. You don't want the ties to be so long that it gets in the way, but you also want enough fabric to tie a strong knot.
✔️ Neck strap: Make sure the neck strap is easy to adjust so you can find the perfect fit and consider whether a D-ring, button, strap adjuster, etc. is easiet for you to use when fastening.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Updates Editor Elizabeth Berry collaborates with staffers across our Labs to ensure our shopping guides are up-to-date with the most recent testing data, pricing and product information. She has reported on a variety of categories in the kitchen space, including the best food dehydrators and kitchen towels.
To write this story, Elizabeth worked with Contributing Writer and Analyst Raena Loper, Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papintoniou and Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Associate Director Emma Seymour. All three GH staffers conducted our latest categorical test of the best aprons.
Raena Loper is the Fashion Commerce Editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers emerging fashion trends, style recommendations, and more. Raena is a graduate of Montclair State University, where she earned dual degrees in fashion studies along with gender, sexuality, and women's studies. She was previously the Assistant Style Editor at O, The Oprah Magazine, where she worked on Oprah’s Favorite Things and O List. During her 10+ years in the editorial industry, she worked as an Updates Editor and Product Analyst for Good Housekeeping and Forbes, where she tested everything from BBQ grills and air fryers to self-tanners and sunscreen. Follow Raena on Instagram @raenaloper
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