Our 12 Favorite Kitchen Aprons of 2025

Lightweight and protective: Merci Washed Linen Apron

How it fits: The Merci apron is intentionally oversized, so it fits wide across the chest and wraps around the body for ample hip and backside coverage. It’s long, and it’s meant to be folded up so the ties hit your natural waist.

This apron was a favorite among our testers across a wide range of sizes and shapes. Fit tip: It’s easier to fine-tune the neck strap after you’ve secured the straps around your torso.

Why we like it: The Merci Washed Linen Apron is well loved among the Wirecutter kitchen team for its complete coverage and oh-so-soft wispy linen. We also admire its simplicity. It’s nothing more than a large rectangle of linen with the top two corners folded down to create a bib, and cotton twill straps.

The fabric is thin, but because this apron is meant to be folded up to fit around your natural waist (the most secure and comfortable spot, trust us), most wearers will have three layers of fabric around the midsection, aka the prime splatter zone.

The Merci apron is one of the only bib styles we’ve found that doesn’t tug at the back of our necks. We suspect that’s due to a combination of the lightweight fabric and the way it anchors around the waist. The best way to ensure that it doesn’t tug at your neck is to gently blouse the bib out after you’ve folded and tied the waist. And don’t worry, the drapey bib is still protective.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Merci Washed Linen Apron is our only pick that doesn’t have pockets. Also, it ships from Europe, and the $20 for shipping is at least twice what it costs to ship any of our other picks. The good news is that the shipping fee was the same whether we ordered one apron or three. With that in mind, you could buy a few aprons for gifts, or add a couple of linen tea towels to your order.

How the Merci Washed Linen Apron has held up: Editorial director Marguerite Preston has been testing this apron for eight months, and she loves how soft and drapey it feels. Since it ties at the waist, it feels tidier than the loose Fog Linen Over Apron, which she’s also been testing at home. Her biggest complaint is the same for all linen aprons: It shows grease easily, and because of the loose weave, the stains have a tendency to spread.

Sizes: one size, adjustable
Material: linen with cotton straps
Colors: a wide spectrum of hues

Basic and affordable: Williams Sonoma Classic Apron

How it fits: The Williams Sonoma Classic Apron falls below the knee on folks under 5-foot-10, and those under 5-foot-4 may need to fold it up in order to wrap the straps around their natural waist. An adjustable neck loop holds the bib in place, and long ties cinch around your midsection.

Why we like it: This quintessential, around-the-neck bib apron from Williams Sonoma checks all the boxes: It’s affordable, thick, and durable, and its generous bib gives great coverage. With an adjustable neck loop, roomy front pockets, and long ties, this apron is a steal at $25. That said, this apron isn’t as weightlessly comfortable as the Merci.

For such an inexpensive apron, the Williams Sonoma is notably well constructed. Wirecutter editorial director Marguerite Preston said her 15-year-old version “still lives in the kitchen at my parents’ house and continues to get regular use there.” She added, “The color is still fresh, the seams are still good as new, and it’s still the apron I reach for most often when I’m home.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The thick-gauge cotton and tight weave make this apron one of the stiffest of our picks, but it softens over time as you wear and launder it.

If you don’t spring for monogramming, the Williams Sonoma Classic Apron comes with a large branded patch sewn onto the bib. If this bothers you, just remove the patch with a seam ripper.

Style: neck-loop bib apron
Sizes: one size, adjustable
Material: cotton
Colors: many year-round and seasonal options