Most shots in a Rust fight land on the torso. The hoodie is the cheapest way to make those hits hurt less: a 40 cloth under-layer that sits under any chest armor and stacks with it, and the best top you can craft.
This hoodie Rust guide covers the craft cost and blueprint, the exact protection numbers, how the hoodie compares to the BDU shirt, longsleeve, t-shirt and burlap shirt, what to wear over it, where to find one, and the loadouts that use it best.
What Is the Hoodie in Rust?
The hoodie is a cloth clothing item for the chest and arms. In game it is just “a hoodie”, but it is the strongest under-layer you can craft, which makes it part of almost every serious fighting kit.
Rust gives the chest two clothing layers. The under-layer is a hoodie, t-shirt, longsleeve, shirt, BDU shirt, burlap shirt or hide vest. The outer layer is a jacket, snow jacket, poncho or a chest armor piece like the Metal Chest Plate. You can wear one of each, and their protection adds up. That is why our Rust clothing guide calls the hoodie and pants the best craftable under-layers.
Protection only counts where you are hit. A hoodie does nothing for a headshot or a leg shot, but every bullet, arrow or melee swing that lands on your torso or arms is cut by 20%.
Rust Hoodie Stats
| Stat | Hoodie |
|---|---|
| Craft cost | 40 Cloth, 1 Sewing Kit |
| Workbench | Level 2 |
| Craft time | 30 seconds at Workbench 2, 15 seconds at Workbench 3 |
| Blueprint | 30 scrap to research, 30 scrap node on the Workbench 2 tech tree |
| Projectile protection | 20% |
| Melee protection | 15% |
| Cold protection | 8% |
| Bite protection | 6% |
| Radiation protection | 5% |
| Slot | Chest and arms, under-layer (stacks with chest armor) |
| Recycle | 24 Cloth, 60% chance of 1 Sewing Kit (16 cloth and a 40% chance at a safe zone) |
| Despawn | 20 minutes on the ground |
| Stack size | 1 |
| Shortname / Item ID | hoodie / 1751045826 |
The BDU shirt is bdu.shirt and the t-shirt is tshirt. Every ID is in our full Rust item IDs list.
How to Craft a Hoodie in Rust
- Get a Workbench 2. The hoodie is a Workbench Level 2 item, so you need a Workbench 2 placed first.
- Get the blueprint. Put a hoodie in a research table with 30 scrap, or unlock the hoodie node on the Workbench 2 branch of the tech tree for 30 scrap.
- Collect the materials. 40 cloth from hemp or animals, and 1 sewing kit from crates, barrels or recycling.
- Craft it at the bench. It takes 30 seconds, or 15 seconds near a Workbench 3.
The cloth is easy. The sewing kit is what slows you down, because every good armor piece needs kits too. A hoodie needs only one, which makes it one of the best uses of a kit once you reach Workbench 2.
Rust Hoodie Protection
The hoodie gives 20% projectile and 15% melee protection, the most bullet protection of any craftable shirt. It also adds 8% cold, which helps offset the cold penalty of metal armor, plus a little bite and radiation protection.
It is not radiation gear. At 5% it barely changes your rad intake, so for monuments with real radiation a hazmat suit replaces your whole outfit, hoodie included. For the cold, a snow jacket on top does far more.
Hoodie vs BDU Shirt, Longsleeve, T-Shirt and Burlap
| Item | Bullet | Melee | Bite | Rad | Cold | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoodie | 20% | 15% | 6% | 5% | 8% | 40 cloth, 1 sewing kit, WB2 |
| BDU Shirt | 23% | 20% | 6% | 5% | 5% | Loot only |
| Longsleeve T-Shirt | 15% | 15% | 6% | 5% | 10% | 30 cloth, WB1 |
| T-Shirt | 15% | 15% | 5% | 3% | 6% | 25 cloth, WB1 |
| Burlap Shirt | 10% | 10% | 3% | 2% | 7% | 20 cloth, no workbench |
| Hide Vest | 15% | 15% | 8% | 3% | 5% | 10 leather, no workbench |
The hoodie wins every craftable comparison. The only better chest under-layer is the BDU shirt from the June 2026 Built Different update, which adds 3% bullet and 5% melee protection but trades away 3% cold and cannot be crafted or researched. If you loot one, wear it. If not, the hoodie is only 3% behind.
What to Wear Over Your Hoodie
The hoodie is the under-layer, so the real question is what goes on top. Every option below stacks with it.
| Outer chest piece | Bullet alone | With hoodie | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Jacket | 20% | 40% | The snow biome, no metal cold penalty |
| Road Sign Jacket | 20% | 40% | Value roaming with no high quality metal |
| Metal Chest Plate | 25% | 45% | Everyday PvP, the meta pick |
| Ballistic Vest | 35% | 55% | When you loot one |
The Metal Chest Plate is the standard pick. With a hoodie under it, your chest goes from 25% to 45% bullet protection, which is the body half of the classic Metal Facemask, Metal Chest Plate and Road Sign Kilt kit in our Rust armor guide. Roll a chest plate with insert slots and the number climbs higher, as our armor inserts guide shows.
The hoodie cannot take armor inserts. Only armor pieces like the chest plate roll insert slots.
How to Get a Hoodie in Rust
- Craft it. The reliable route once you have the blueprint and a Workbench 2.
- Loot it. Hoodies drop from crates, supply drops and scientists, so you often wear one before you can craft one.
- Trade for one. Hoodies are cheap in player vending machines. Christmas presents do not drop hoodies.
- Recycle spares. A recycler turns a hoodie into 24 cloth with a 60% chance of the sewing kit back (16 cloth and 40% at a safe zone recycler).
The hoodie is one of the most skinned items in the game, from the Item Store and the Steam market. Skins change only the look, never the protection. See our Rust skins guide.
Best Hoodie Loadouts
| Stage | Chest | Full kit |
|---|---|---|
| Wipe day | Burlap shirt or hide vest | Burlap or hide set, no workbench |
| Workbench 1 | T-shirt or longsleeve | Longsleeve, pants, bandana |
| Value roam | Hoodie + Road Sign Jacket | Coffee Can Helmet, road sign jacket, hoodie, pants, kilt, boots |
| PvP meta | Hoodie + Metal Chest Plate | Metal Facemask, Metal Chest Plate, hoodie, pants, kilt, boots, gloves |
| Snow biome | Hoodie + Snow Jacket | Balaclava, snow jacket, hoodie, pants, boots |
The head of that meta kit is the Metal Facemask, and the legs are pants under a Road Sign Kilt. Whatever you wear on top, keep a hoodie underneath.
Rust Hoodie Tips
- Never run a bare chest. 20% less damage on every torso hit for 40 cloth is the cheapest protection in the game.
- Add a chest plate as soon as you can. A hoodie and a Metal Chest Plate stack to 45%, and that pair is the meta for a reason.
- Spend sewing kits wisely. A hoodie needs 1, pants need 1, and the kilt needs 2. Plan your kits before you craft cosmetics.
- Match it with pants. Pants do the same job for your legs, for the same 40 cloth and 1 kit.
- Swap to a BDU shirt if you loot one. 23% bullets beats 20%.
- Do not count on it for rads or cold. 5% radiation and 8% cold are small. Pack a hazmat for rad towns and a snow jacket for the Arctic Research Base.
- Remember the wipe. Clothing, blueprints and the base you keep them in all reset. Check when the next force wipe is.
Rust Hoodie FAQ
How do you craft a hoodie in Rust?
A hoodie costs 40 cloth and 1 sewing kit at a Workbench 2. The craft takes 30 seconds, or 15 seconds at a Workbench 3.
What workbench do you need for a hoodie in Rust?
The hoodie needs a Workbench Level 2. Before that, wear a t-shirt or longsleeve from a Workbench 1, or a burlap shirt with no workbench.
How much scrap is the hoodie blueprint?
Researching a hoodie costs 30 scrap at a research table. The hoodie node on the Workbench 2 tech tree also costs 30 scrap.
How much protection does a hoodie give in Rust?
The hoodie gives 20% projectile, 15% melee, 8% cold, 6% bite and 5% radiation protection on the chest and arms.
Can you wear a hoodie under a chest plate in Rust?
Yes. The hoodie is an under-layer and the Metal Chest Plate is an outer layer, so you can wear both and their protection stacks to 45% bullet protection on the chest. The same goes for the Road Sign Jacket, the Snow Jacket and the Ballistic Vest.
What is the best shirt in Rust?
The BDU shirt is the best chest under-layer at 23% bullet protection, but it is loot only. The best craftable top is the hoodie at 20%. For warmth, the longsleeve t-shirt has the most cold protection at 10%.
What do you get from recycling a hoodie?
A monument recycler returns 24 cloth and has a 60% chance to give the sewing kit back. A safe zone recycler returns 16 cloth and a 40% chance of the kit.
What is the hoodie item ID in Rust?
The hoodie uses the shortname hoodie and the item ID 1751045826.
Sources and Further Reading
- Description, recipe and workbench: Facepunch Wiki, Hoodie
- Protection values: RustClash, Hoodie
- Craft time, recycle yield and despawn: rustlabs item data (July 2026)
- BDU shirt and Ballistic Vest: Rustafied, Built Different update