Since the premiere way back in 2014, Barry Allen has had a significant number of costume changes through his time as the protector of Central City. Most of them have been upgrades provided by Cisco Ramon, yet the occasional outfit appears that isn't nearly as cool as what viewers usually see the Scarlet Speedster wear.
Whether its an outfit made from whatever the plot requires or a suit that was probably better on paper than in action, The Flash's costume design team has provided viewers with speedster costumes fans want to run around in themselves, and some that are better left forgotten in the past.
10 Lame: Prototype Suit
This one may not be a fair comparison, considering it was created for one episode but come on, it could've looked a little cooler. This "suit," if you can even call it that, was created by the STAR Labs team in the series premiere to test Barry's powers at an empty Ferris Aircraft base. Flash: Year One came out years later, but it showed that even a simplistic design with kneepads and jeans still looked cool on Barry as his first costume.
9 Cool: Black Suit Flash
This one actually never made an appearance on the show, but it's just so sleek looking it's hard not to include it. Grant Gustin posted this picture recently himself, saying this was made for a fitting session in between seasons 4 and 5 before the red fabric came and the crew could make the legit suit. However, he says he now wants to see Barry don a black suit on the show, and most fans agree wholeheartedly.
8 Lame: No Emblem
If you think back to the first official Flash suit, chances are it will be the red emblem that comes to mind. However, this is the ACTUAL first Flash costume made by Cisco way back in episode 1. Cisco designed it using fabric based on the material firefighters wear to help resist the friction Barry endures as he runs.
There are no lightning bolts present on the ears or chest, as Barry hadn't decided to become an official vigilante just yet. The goggles and mask were also quickly removed by the time Barry actually wore the suit, and it hasn't been seen since.
7 Cool: Newspaper Suit
The suit in the future newspaper is honestly the perfect Flash costume. The white emblem is shining, the cowl doesn't look too big, and the suit itself looks like it fits perfectly. It's not ranked higher purely because of the fact that Barry hasn't actually worn it yet. Cisco was inspired to change the emblem because of this newspaper, but fans have still been waiting patiently to see Barry wear this comic-accurate suit.
6 Lame: Season 1
This is probably a hot take, as there are tons of fans who love Barry's first legit Flash suit, but comparing it to the other suits he's worn across the years, the original didn't age well. The two halves don't exactly match with each other, ruining the flow of the suit, as it's supposed to look like a one piece.
The cowl makes his head look a little too big, and of course, the red emblem is an odd choice, considering it would've been just as easy to make it white. Thankfully Cisco is inspired by the newspaper suit and changes it after one season.
5 Cool: Season 6
Season 6 is pretty much everything the Season 5 suit should have been, but more on that later. This suit is probably the most comic-accurate suit seen on the show so far, with the fixed lightning ears and the bright colors. He's finally wearing fabric as opposed to leather, and the suit looks more like a second skin, which is something necessary for a speedster. If only there were the golden boots, but one can always hope for Season 7.
4 Lame: Savitar
Enough time has passed for the elephant in the room to be addressed: Savitar's suit is dumb. Literally the only good thing about this costume was the blue lightning. Obviously a comic accurate suit wouldn't have transitioned well into live-action, but it makes less sense to go in the complete opposite direction. He looks like a failed Transformer design, and the big and clunky metal parts don't really make sense for someone who is supposed to be swift as lightning. Plus, because this is most likely the CW's adaptation of the Future Flash, fans will never get to see blue suit Barry, which is a bummer.
3 Cool: Seasons 2 & 3
Barry wore this suit for the longest time on the show, and it makes sense because it really just looks great. It took everything about the Season 1 suit and just made it a lot better.
The coloring really puts the "Scarlet" in Scarlet Speedster, the cowl looks much better, the two halves flow together much more evenly, and the emblem is white. Maybe the two are unrelated, but the show was at it's best while Barry was wearing this suit, and it gives a nostalgic feeling of better times.
2 Lame: Season 5
When it was hinted that Barry would finally get his Flash ring that stored his costume in Season 5, fans were ecstatic. Until fans saw what comes out of the ring. No one is really sure why the costume was changed for Season 5, and it's even odder to believe that this is supposed to be a suit from further in the future designed by Ryan Choi, implying that this is an upgrade to all the suits that Cisco makes. There is little to no yellow lightning streaking across the suit, and the lack of a chinstrap is what really served as the main criticism. The mask barely looks like it even fits Grant properly.
1 Cool: Season 4
When fans saw the Flash of 2024 wear this suit, they knew this was it. For the past few years, the constant use of leather in the CW shows turned into an eyesore, but this suit managed to look perfect. This was where the Flash suit became brighter, but it also had the crimson colors that fans had gotten used to over the years. The lightning bolts circling the forearms are another thing fans had always wanted, and Barry not only looks more muscular but much sleeker too. The belt also got an extreme upgrade.