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Is it really Christmas if you’re not wearing a funny ugly Christmas sweater? Some would say, “Please don’t make me wear one of these again!” And others, like us, would say it’s absolutely not Christmas without an ugly sweater party. There’s nothing more important than wearing one of the best ugly Christmas sweaters to ensure you have the best Christmas.
Love ’em or hate ’em, you just can’t ignore ’em. Funny Christmas sweaters are a welcome sight at most Christmas or Hanukkah parties (yes, there are ugly Hanukkah sweaters, too). And as December 25 approaches, it’s officially the beginning of the season for wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and ugly Christmas cardigans.
While the holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year, it can also be one of the most fun-filled. When it comes to lightening the family mood or bringing a laugh to the infamous office holiday Christmas party, these funny ugly Christmas sweaters will help everyone get into the Christmas spirit.
If you happen to have made it this far in life without coming chest to chest with an ugly Xmas sweater, you might be wondering what on Earth to look out for. Don’t worry; we’ve got you. Here is a selection of the best ugly Christmas sweater themes:
- Jesus in any unfamiliar situation
- Santa getting merry
- Animals dressed up for Christmas
- Mr. & Mrs. Claus naked
- Festive puns
- Cartoon characters
- Film character Christmas scenes (Think Baby Yoda, Ted Lasso or The Grinch)
- Ugly clashing colors
- Sewn-on physical decorations
Where to Buy Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Wondering where to buy ugly Christmas sweaters before your next ugly sweater party? Let us help you out. Because of their popularity during the festive season, there are a surprisingly high number of retailers who sell ugly Christmas sweaters. Staples like Amazon, Walmart and Target are filled with hundreds of different designs to choose from. So whether you’re after a truly ugly, funny or mildly offensive garment, there’s likely a Christmas sweater from these online retailers to fulfill your needs and desires. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little more original and outside of the box, you may want to check out Etsy.
Our Favorite Funny Ugly Christmas Sweaters
From sweaters to make guests and fellow party-goers slightly uncomfortable to sweaters that will likely scare away potential dates, we have an ugly Christmas sweater for every party situation. Check out our favorite laugh-out-loud men’s ugly sweaters below, and get ready to bring some life to your next holiday party. You might, however, want to avoid wearing some of these to the office holiday party – don’t say we didn’t warn you!
BEST OVERALL
1. RAISEVERN Unisex Ugly Christmas Sweater
The RAISEVERN Unisex Ugly Christmas Sweater combines two of our favorite things — pizza and kittens. While neither of those things necessarily goes hand-in-hand with Christmas, this sweater manages to pull it off by throwing in a few Christmas-related items. These include ball ornaments hanging from the pizza slices and miniature Santa hats on the kittens. Overall, this sweater is a bit weird and a bit wonderful at the same time, a little bit like the festive season.
Read More: The Best Places To Buy Ugly Christmas Sweaters Online
BEST WITH DINOSAURS
2. Blizzard Bay T-Rex Sweater
What goes together better than dinosaurs and Christmas? Get in the holiday spirit with this fun and festive Blizzard Bay ugly sweater. This green-and-read Christmas sweater features a fun tyrannosaurus rex who’s here to party and who is also wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.
BEST HOODIE
3. Grace's Ugly Christmas Hoodies
The Grace’s Ugly Christmas Hoodie features a hood, making it better than a traditional sweater for those cold and cozy winter nights on the couch watching Christmas classics, such as Gremlins. While the hood may offer additional function, it’s the Gizmo-adorned front that makes this hoodie stand out as an ugly Christmas sweater competitor. Additionally, the hood features a drawstring so you can pull it tightly around your head, only showing a tiny part of your face for some extra silliness this festive season.
TV PICK
4. Seven Times Six Ted Lasso Believe Fair Isle Ugly Sweater
With the third season on the horizon, it’s time to believe again with this Seven Times Six Ted Lasso Believe Fair Isle Ugly Sweater. It features everyone’s favorite soccer coach enjoying a cup of England’s finest hot brown water. To ensure it falls into the category of ugly, this officially licensed sweater features a snowflake-filled surround colored in a garish mixture of white, red and blue. It’s a great gift idea for fans of the series and also comes in sizes ranging from small to X-large.
MOST TOPICAL
5. NJKnitted Wordle Inspired Knitted Xmas Sweater
What better way is there to encapsulate 2022 in an ugly Christmas sweater than one inspired by everyone’s favorite smartphone word puzzle. This NJKnitted Wordle Knitted Xmas Sweater features the popular word grid filled with several Christmas-related guesses, before finally completing the puzzle with the correct answer “elves.” This is an ideal gift for any friend or family member who loves nothing better than their daily check-in to solve the five-letter puzzle.
BEST CARDIGAN
6. Daisyboutique Christmas Reindeer Cardigan Sweater
This cardigan sweater from *daisyboutique* is full of festivity and showcases some of your favorite holiday characters. Rudolph’s leading the bottom row while Santa’s up top, keeping your shoulders warm. Between them are some strips of other Christmas goodies, such as candy canes, snowflakes and Christmas trees. This cardigan sweater is a comfy Christmas montage, ready to wear.
BEST FOR PETS
7. More and Merrier Reindeer Dog Sweater
Let your furry friends in on the fun with one of these Petco ugly Christmas sweaters for pets. Our favorite choice for dogs is this More and Merrier Reindeer Sweater. The colorful pet sweater features a box-adorned Christmas reindeer surrounded by a festive design in red, white and green. The design also includes a cutout to allow for easy access to a collar underneath. Plus, to ensure there’s a sweater for every pup (and cat), it’s available in multiple sizes, ranging from XXS to 3XL.
CHEEKIEST
8. Tipsy Elves Ask Your Mom Ugly Christmas Sweater
This sweater is hilarious or horrible, like the best of Holiday jokes, depending on the context. A wink is all it takes, and endless Santa-innuendos can ensue. Featuring a black base with candy cane piping around the neck, wrists and waist, there’s a reason we decided to close out the list with this funny ugly Christmas sweater; it’s just that good. Go ahead and cause a stir by showing up to your next holiday party in this hilariously offensive sweater.
BEST WITH JESUS
9. Tstars Go Jesus Ugly Christmas Sweater
Go, Jesus! It’s your birthday. We’re gonna party like it’s your birthday! And, even on the other 364 days of the year, when it’s not your birthday, we might put this Tstars sweater on and throw a party anyway! There is no better reason to celebrate, gather with family and have a party than Christmas. Thanks to the birth of the big man, we have an excuse to celebrate, so let’s use it and wear this lovely green jumper while we’re at it.
BEST COSTUME IDEA
10. Tipsy Elves Men's Gaudy Garland Sweater
Rather than just sporting a sweater with a Christmas tree on it, why not assume the role with this Tipsy Elves Men’s Gaudy Garland Sweater. This ghastly green combination dazzles with its mix of tinsel and ornaments as it turns your torso into the upper part of a Christmas tree. It also has snowflakes sporadically embroidered to complete the Christmassy look. In addition, to create the complete tree look, we suggest placing a star on your head and wearing brown leggings, too.
MOST RANDOM
11. Blizzard Bay Ugly Christmas Sweater
What could say “random Christmas sweater” better than a unicorn Santa being ridden by a pink flamingo while splashing in a tropical body of water? We say, not much. That’s why the Blizzard Bay Ugly Christmas Sweater is a must-have this holiday season. The main body of this sweater is an unusual combination (to say the least), but the knitted arms are adorned with lovely palm trees and flamingos to solidify that tropical feel. For a genuinely random ugly Christmas sweater, this is the choice.
BEST GAME
12. Tipsy Elves Drinking Game Ugly Christmas Sweater
Why wear any old ugly Christmas sweater when you can wear a multipurpose ugly Christmas sweater instead? Make your top the best drinking game of the night with this exciting ball-throwing gag all party-goers are going to love. Are you confused about how to play? Don’t be; the rules are knitted directly into the back of the sweater for all to see.
BEST FOR ANIMAL LOVERS
13. Blizzard Bay Festive Llama Ugly Christmas Sweater
Who said that llama’s don’t celebrate Christmas? Indeed, they do. And now, you can celebrate with them, too, by wearing this Blizzard Bay Festival Llama sweater. It has one bright white llama as the main feature, surrounded by red and white festival patterns, including a strip of scenic llamas amongst the mountains of the sweater. This sweater is the ideal ‘offend no one’ funny Christmas sweater (unless the people around you have a weird fear of llamas).
BEST FOR DADS
14. URVIP Shirtless Ugly Christmas Sweater
Do you want to confuse and scare everyone around you simultaneously? Then, it’s time to show off that dad bod of yours. Well, maybe not literally. Keep the shirt on this Christmas with a sweater that makes it look like you’re doing the opposite. This hairy as hell, nipple-pierced, sternum-tattooed sweater makes for one hell of a man. We wish we could look as good, but sadly, some of us can’t. That’s why URVIP made this sweater. Dad can get tons of confused faces and most certainly some laughs at the next holiday party.
BEST FOR POKEMON TRAINERS
15. Pokemon Center Stantler Holiday Lights Knit Sweater
If you love Pokemon or particularly cute characters, you’re going to love this Pokemon Center Stantler Holiday Lights Knit Sweater. On the sweater, Stantler, a reindeer-inspired Pokemon, has become entangled in a string of Christmas lights and isn’t looking too happy about their predicament. To complete the sweater’s festive feel, there’s a red and green color palette and snowflake-backed Pokeballs around the edge. In addition, the sweater is surprisingly warm when on and comes in a range of sizes, from XS to 4XL.
BEST ANIME INSPIRED
16. Naruto Shippuden Ichiraku Ramen Shop Holiday Sweater
This Naruto Shippuden Holiday Sweater sports a design inspired by the popular ramen shop from the anime series. Each side of this Crunchyroll exclusive features a steaming hot bowl of delicious ramen, with the world’s greatest teenage ninja appearing on either arm. And even if you’re not a fan of the anime series, we think there’s something inherently appealing and comforting about having a steaming hot bowl of noodles on your sweater over the festive period.
BEST FOR FOOTBALL FANS
17. Buffalo Bills Dear Santa Light Up Sweater
Being funny or ugly can mean more than just garish colors and dizzying designs, as this colorful Buffalo Bills Dear Santa Light Up Sweater shows. At first glance, it appears to feature just an everyday letter to Santa, but closer inspection reveals that instead of the more familiar toys or candy, this person is asking for their football team to win the Super Bowl. The sweater is available for a number of different NFL teams. Furthermore, SPY readers can get 10% off all purchases by using the code “SPY10” until the new year.
EDITOR'S PICK
18. Blizzard Bay Manatee Christmas Sweater
SPY’s Site Director Tim Werth is totally obsessed with manatees. So we couldn’t resist including this funny ugly Christmas sweater, which features the noblest and gentlest creature in the animal kingdom — the sea cow. It’s a fun and festive holiday sweater that will put a smile on anyone’s face, and isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
And if you’re not into manatees, Blizzard Bay has several more version of this sweater featuring narwhales, alligators, ghosts and orca whales.
BEST FOR RICK AND MORTY FANS
19. Ripple Junction Rick and Morty Holiday Sweater
It’s sweater Rick! If you’re a fan of one of the best adult cartoons to hit the entertainment universe in years, “Rick and Morty,” this is an excellent option for you. While this particular sweater will go over some people’s heads, true fans of the Adult Swim cartoon won’t be able to resist giving you a well-deserved fist bump. Don this sweater, and you can discuss the ins and outs of this great show while enjoying a pickle or two with a mutual fan.
BEST FOR STONERS
20. Costume Agent Ugly Christmas Sweater
If you like your Christmas cookies extra delicious, this may be the sweater option that speaks to you the most. The sweater features an all-green background with a rather stoner-faced gingerbread man spread across the chest. Other stoner-inspired details include the “Let’s Get Baked” message circling the gingerbread man and the accompanying cannabis leaves printed on either elbow.
BEST FOR FITNESS FREAKS
21. Blizzard Bay Men's Ugly Christmas Sweater
Ever wondered what Santa does on the other 364 days of the year? Or what he looks like under that big red suit? Well, this Blizzard Bay Men’s Christmas Sweater should answer both of those questions. It seems that our favorite festive man spends his spare time in the gym and has quite the muscular body hiding under that suit. Who knew? This jacked-up Santa sweater is one to wear to your CrossFit Christmas party.
MOST ADORABLE
22. RAISEVERN Unisex Sloth Christmas Sweatshirt
There’s nothing cuter than a sloth – except when you toss a red Santa Clause hat on it. This spandex and polyester sweater features a gigantic ginning sloth, surrounded by vibrant, on-theme Christmas decor. It’s laugh-inducing, just the right amount of random, and definitely not elegant, earning it a well-deserved spot on our roundup.
BEST BAD SANTA
23. Santa's Log on the Fire Ugly Christmas Sweater
Were you naughty or nice this year? Being nice can get a little boring, so if you feel like taking on a bad Santa persona this year, look no further than this sweater that shows off Santa Claus relieving himself on a chimney while reading the paper. You might get some judgemental looks from everyone who isn’t into poop humor, but in our eyes, it’s totally worth it.
BEST FOR DOG LOVERS
24. Crazy Dog T-Shirts Crew Neck "Feliz Navi-Dogs" Sweatshirt
There are a lot of breed-specific ugly funny Christmas sweaters out there, but if you love all the dogs and want the world to know, consider this cozy and colorful “Feliz Navi-Dogs” sweater with adorable prints of Fido and everything he loves, like bones and fire hydrants. Mini snowflakes and trees ensure that the sweater still stays seasonal.
BEST PJS
25. jambys Candy Cane JamTee
When you aren’t wearing your favorite ugly Christmas sweater, slip into this jambys Candy Cane JamTee (and accompanying shorts) to continue the festive-themed fun. Both pieces feature candy cane-inspired designs, made up of red and white, wavy lines which are bordered by a Christmas tree green collar and waistband. The shorts and shirt are also available in a wide range of sizes, ensuring each and every member of the family can be looking like your favorite Christmas candy in no time.
BEST FOR WARMER CLIMATES
ALSO CONSIDER: "It's Too Hot For Ugly Sweaters" T-Shirt
If you easily get overheated or live in a place that’s warm year-round, consider swapping your funny ugly Christmas sweater for a funny ugly Christmas T-shirt. It’s available in men, women, and youth sizes, so you can get one for everyone you know! This cotton tee makes a great gag gift and still lets you enter an ugly Christmas sweater contest with the perfect loophole.