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Before we dive into the best hoodies for men, let's get one thing straight: There’s no such thing as a bad hoodie. If it’s got all the essential ingredients—cozy fabric, roomy hood, long sleeves (sorry, Bill Belichick)—it’s worth your time, in at least some capacity. Even the sloppiest, bleach-stained-iest hoodie around has the ability to take your enjoyment of a Sunday spent lounging on the couch from an 8 to a full-on 10. It’s a warm hug you can wear. But some hoodies are better than others, in terms of looks or quality or both. If you’re looking for a new public-facing addition to your hoodie rotation—the kind of sweatshirt that looks as great under a topcoat in winter as it will with shorts and a T-shirt in the spring—we’ve tracked down all the finest options available to you right now. All hoodies are good hoodies, but these 26 are the absolute best hoodies for men.
The Best Hoodies Shopping Guide
- The Best Hoodie Overall: Reigning Champ pullover hoodie, $145
- The Best Budget Hoodie: Russell Athletic Dri-Power fleece hoodie, $25
- The Best Eco-Friendly Hoodie: Everybody.World Trash hoodie, $108
- The Best Hoodie You Already Own: Champion Reverse Weave hoodie, $65
- The Best Zip-Up Hoodie: Uniqlo sweat full-zip hoodie, $50
- The Best Outrageously Expensive Hoodie: Visvim Jumbo hoodie, $980
- The Best Gym-Ready Hoodie: Nike Forward Hoodie, $160
- The Best Heavyweight Hoodie: Camber Cross-knit heavyweight hooded sweatshirt, $88
- The Best Vintage Hoodie: Russell Athletic pullover hoodie, price varies
What Makes a Quality Hoodie?
The three basic tenants of a hoodie: soft, warm, durable. Higher up on Maslow's Hoodie Hierarchy, a good quality hoodie should be made of fabric that's dense enough to not see through and have flush, flatlock stitched seams, smooth, double-faced hoods that won't rough up your hair. Self-actualized hoodies will use extremely rare loopwheel machines which are famed for their particular knitting style which uses the natural tension of gravity to knit a fabric that's unparalleled density and softness. Additionally, loopwheel fabrics are knit without any side seams which makes them more durable and comfortable.
If you're after a really warm hoodie, it's all about the fabric. The warmest hoodies will use thick, heavyweight fabrics which normally start at about 12 ounces or 400 GSM and go up from there. Oftentimes, warmer hoodies have a brushed interior which not only provides a lush handfeel, but also better insulation. For even better heat retention, some hoodies use a double-faced fabric, often with some kind of jersey or French terry for the exterior and a waffle-knit thermal fabric for the interior. But hoodies come in more materials than the usual cotton or cotton-poly French terry you're used to seeing. Designers are crafting hoodies from all kind of materials like cashmere, wool, fleece, even super technical performance fabrics, each with their own unique properties and advantages. Regardless of the material, high-quality fabrics use long staple fibers which are both strong and smooth.
The Best All-Around Hoodie
If you haven't had the chance—or, more accurately, the patience to line up for a chance—to wear a Supreme hoodie, you've been missing out. And we aren't (only) referring to the illusory clout you gain after slipping on a high-caliber grail. We're talking about the hoodie itself: the fleece is dense and weighty, the industrial-strength ribbed panels at the sides and hems deliver a healthy amount of give, the hood is perfectly proportioned. But in the event you just aren't the box logo type, or don't have an extra grand or two to blow on the streetwear resale market, there's another, more accessible way to understand how the hyper half lives. Just over a decade ago, Vancouver's CYC Design Corp—the former manufacturer behind Supreme's superior sweats—launched Reigning Champ, which churns out the same heavy-duty athleticwear minus the thirst-inducing branding and highly limited supply. All the game-raising coziness, zero risk of inciting an actual riot.
The Best Budget Hoodie
As far as affordable sweats go, it's hard to beat the fleece OGs from Russell Athletic. Would you expect anything less from the brand that actually invented the hoodie? While Russell Athletic sweats have become a vintage grail for hoodie enthusiasts in the past few years (including a few in-the-know celebs), the box-fresh hoodies you'll find today are still just as good, even if they don't come with their own pre-loved patina. They've got the classic V-insert detail at the neck, ribbed hems and cuffs, kangaroo pockets, and drawstring hoods. (And unlike its Champion counterpart, the Russell tag is a little more discreet.) The mid-weight fleece is made of a 50-50 cotton-poly blend with a near-vintage hand and the Dri-Power materials means it'll help wick away moisture, keeping you dry and warm. At just around $20, this is the hoodie to beat if you're on a budget.
The Best Eco-Friendly Hoodie
Look, we're not claiming that buying new clothes is actually a sustainable practice (it's the exact opposite, in case you're not sure). But if you are in the market for a new hoodie and you're not buying secondhand, the next best option is certainly from Everybody.World. The LA-based brand's Trash collection uses nothing but reclaimed and recycled waste cotton to produce its tees and sweats, preventing as much new waste as possible. On top of that…it's just a damn good hoodie, regardless of its eco-friendly status. The fabric is a beefy 13 ounce fleece that's plush to the touch and the relaxed yet ever-so cropped fit is right in line with The Current Vibe. And, it's all made in Los Angeles with fair labor. For just a pinch over a hundred bucks, you can't find a better value.
The Best Zip-Up Hoodie
We're well-known fanboys of Uniqlo U, the fashion-forward Uniqlo sub-label headed up by the esteemed Christophe Lemaire. In the midst of all the (deserved) praise, we should remind you that Uniqlo's mainline still slaps—and the full-zip hoodie is among its best products. It's surprisingly well built for a hoodie that costs a very approachable $50, outpacing hoodies that cost more than double. And the silhouette is worthy of the juiciest chef's kiss. It's relaxed but not oversized, precisely cropped for a vintage feel, but not so cropped that it enters Fashion territory. And it's hard to find a hoodie at this price made of 100% cotton, especially cotton that's as soft as this one is.
The Best Hoodie You Already Own
Okay, come on: we don't really need to sell you on this one, do we? Champion sweatshirts, like 501s and Chucks, have probably been a fixture in your wardrobe since before you could spell "wardrobe." Instead, let's use this space to reaffirm why they've been worthy of your loyalty all these years. Mainly, it's the construction: way back in the '30s, Champion introduced their patented reverse weave technique, a process that jacks ups the fleece's durability and makes it impervious to shrinking. That one innovation instantly made Champion's sweats the go-to outfitter for every college sports program in the country, and a favorite of Japanese vintage hunters many decades later. They still make 'em the same way, and their hoodies still last damn near forever—and deserve a spot on this list—because of it.
The Best Outrageously Expensive Hoodie
The hoodie may be one of the most humble garments in any wardrobe, but designers have been elevating the lowly hoodie to stomach-churning heights. Sitting comfortably at the top is Visvim and its Jumbo hoodie which has been a staple in the Hiroki Nakamaura's lauded brand for years. The plush, dense fleece not only fits like a perfect vintage hoodie, but it's also dyed using vegetables for an unparalleled depth and richness that will only get better over time.
The Best Gym-Ready Hoodie
It's products like this that ensure Nike's place at the forefront of clothing innovation. The Nike Forward hoodie took top honors in our GQ Fitness Awards thanks to its industry-shifting fabric, which is neither woven nor knit. Instead, the fabric is made by combining multiple thin layers of select fibers which results in an incredibly light fabric with surprising warmth. The new innovation also means it cuts down the carbon footprint by an average of 75% so you can hit the stationary bike knowing your hoodie is doing right by Mother Nature.
The Best Heavyweight Hoodie
Camber's shored up a sizable following over the decades, even with months-long lead times that have become par for the course. Though the patience required to get your own Camber hoodie certainly adds to the lore, the proof is in the hoodie. The custom-developed cross-knit fabric is incredibly dense and impressively durable (we're talking decades-long-wear-durable). Not only does Camber produce all of its hoodies in its Pennsylvania factory, the brand does it using US-made materials. Each piece is cut with obsessive craftsmanship by sewers who have been with the company for longer than most people have been at multiple companies. The cross-knit hoodie was originally built off the inspiration of the iconic Champion Reverse Weave hoodie, but time and customer enthusiasm has proven that it has far exceeded its muse. Are there heavier hoodies on this list? Yes. Are there any that do it better? No.
The Best Vintage Hoodie
Russell Athletic's a verified OG in the hoodies game, no wonder it's been a favorite of serial vintage shoppers who just as easily put the brand in the same breath as archival Ann Demeulemeester. A vintage Russell Athletic hoodie is a prime reason for ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to’ conversations (though, of course, many of them do). And if you're after a unique hoodie with a good story to tell and even better fades, then you couldn't do much better than a vintage Russell. All that's left is to pair it with some vintage Levi's.
