Calibrating your wardrobe for the WFH era is all about finding those Swiss Army garms that look and feel right in the widest possible range of situations. J.Crew's newest hoodie fits that mold perfectly: the ultra-soft Mongolian cashmere is warm but refined like your best business casual sweaters, but it's still, you know, a hoodie. Which means you can wear it on an important Zoom call with a client, out to the dog park for a little fresh air, and then cinch it up on the couch for a long night of The Crown without anyone ever blinking an eye.
Best Heavyweight Hoodie: Camber 232 Cross-Knit Heavyweight Hooded Sweatshirt
Materials: 100% cotton | Fabric Weight: 12 ounces | Sizes: S-6XLT | Colors: 11 colors
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.
Plus 15 More Hoodies We Love
Todd Snyder x Champion
Relaxed Hoodie in Silver Mix
For years, the relationship between Todd Snyder and Champion has been one of the tightest bonds in the fashion world. And while we still love the first several iterations of the duo's signature sweats and hoodies, this latest version is even better thanks to the more classic, relaxed silhouette.
lululemon
Steady State Hoodie
Aside from Lululemon's aspirational yoga gear, the brand makes a slate of really solid hoodies that are equally adept at chilling as they are at breaking a sweat. But perhaps their most versatile yet is the Steady State hoodie which looks more like a classic hoodie than a gym hoodie. The boxy feel and generous kangaroo pocket are prime reasons to add it to your rotation and to pair it with some wide leg pants.
Gap
Reissue Logo Zip Hoodie
There are many versions of a classic hoodie. You’ve got your no-frills gray Champion-types. You’ve got your old-school, throwback cotton hoodies, the kind that Japanese brands reproduce with painstakingly accurate details. And then you’ve got Gap’s iconic arch logo hoodies. Few brands have actually exploded their logo to everlasting success, but the mall brand’s dominance in the 1990s cemented its collegiate-inspired hoodie as a new classic. The cotton-blend hoodie features a zip-front design with kangaroo pockets, smooth face, brushed terry interior, and relaxed fit that pairs so well with some wide-legged pants.
Flint and Tinder
10-Year Pullover Hoodie
Flint and Tinder makes a pretty bold claim calling this the 10-Year hoodie. But with American-made fleece weighing a whopping 23 ounces (literally three times as heavy as some of the other options here), we wouldn't be surprised if you didn't need to re-up a decade from now.
Buck Mason
Loopback Wool Hooded Sweatshirt
Organic cotton and triple-brushed terry hoodies are great and all, but some of the most comfortable hoodies on the market are actually made from wool. Buck Mason’s balanced blend of merino wool and cashmere is proof that the brand is way more than its cotton T-shirts and puts a major portion of the hoodie market on notice. Thanks to the mid-gauge wool yarns and perfectly-cropped length, it feels elevated enough to pair with a blazer avoiding the flimsy hoods that plague most other wool hoodies.
Carhartt
Loose Fit Firm Duck Insulated Flannel-Lined Active Jacket
This may not be what you had in your mental lineup of men’s hoodies, but if your M.O. when it comes the genre is a hard-wearing garment that also happens to be decently cozy, then this is for you. It features Carhartt’s ultra-durable signature duck canvas for the face, insulating fill, and a soft flannel lining. So while the tough outer shell is like a hard candy, it’s got a gooey center that’ll sweeten the deal.
Patagonia
Fitz Roy Icon Uprisal Fleece Hoody
If sustainable sweats are more your jam, there are few that do it better than Patagonia. The Fitz Roy hoodie is made entirely of recycled material by blending recycled polyester and cotton to produce a fleece hoodie that’s as sustainable as it is comfortable.
Chamula
Mix Heather Hoodie
Chamula’s ultra-plush, mega comfy hoodie is hand-knit by Mexican artisans using thick wool yarns and a whole lot of skill and time. It’s thick enough to wear as a standalone jacket, but the loose fit ensures that you can layer up with a mid-weight sweater or puffer vest for extra protection against the biting cold.
Jungmaven
Montauk Hooded Sweatshirt
If you’re prone to overheating but love the feel of a heavyweight hoodie, you might want to consider ditching the usual cotton hoodies. And we’re not necessarily suggesting an over-engineered hoodie with insane moisture-wicking tech. Instead, try a naturally-cool fiber like hemp. Jungmaven’s Montauk hoodie is substantial at nearly 10-ounces, but feels significantly cooler thanks to the heavy helping of hemp fibers which help naturally regulate your temperature.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Premium Heavyweight Popover Hoodie
It may come as a surprise to some of you, but spending hours digging through dusty flea markets and grody charity bins in search of the perfectly patinated, sun-faded hoodie isn't most people's idea of a good time. Neither is forking over hundreds of dollars for an artisanal, hand-distressed version. But, friends, Abercrombie has managed to nail the grail vintage hoodie look—fades, silhouette, and all—for less than 100 bucks.
Outerknown
Sur Snap Hoodie
Outerknown's Sur snap hoodie offers a delightful switchup to the usual cotton-poly options that dominate the market. The hemp-cotton blend gives the hoodie a unique texture and heft while retaining a softness and breathability that's perfect for days when it's slightly too warm for the usual poly blends.
The Real McCoy's
Double Face After-hooded Sweatshirt
There are few reproduction brands counted in the same sentence as The Real McCoy's. The Japanese brand is notorious for its hardcore obsession with reviving vintage grails, and for the vintage heads out there, its wares may as well be the real thing. This particular hoodie references some of the earliest hoodies in history with its ‘after hood’ detail, a floating hood attached around the crewneck collar. On top of that, TRM uses a custom-knit loopwheel fabric that forgoes the typical sideseams for a seamless finish—and then doubles it for an insane heft.
Carhartt
"Paxton" Hooded Heavyweight Sweatshirt
Our own Chris Gayomali recently described this hardy, water-repellent joint as being "on the heavier side, so it feels kind of like you're wearing a weighted blanket." Sounds comforting.
Lady White Co.
Super Weighted Hoodie
Lady White Co.'s quest for knitwear greatness has produced, well, some pretty great knitwear. From the fabric to the cutting and sewing, their flagship hoodie is made in Los Angeles and features a beefy 13-ounce fleece that's brushed on the inside for cozy warmth and a dialed-in relaxed fit.
How We Tested
All hoodies are comfy hoodies…in theory. If you want the best hoodies for men, you gotta take the time to really try them out side by side. And that's exactly what we did. We wore a ton of hoodies from the most popular to the most expensive to the most affordable and everything in-between. We wore them around a chilly office, looking for warmth, softness, fit, and overall quality. Though fit is subjective, we like hoodies that we could easily layer over a button-up and reached a length just below the belt line. And the main point of a hoodie is that they're comfortable. Most hoodies are comfy, but in side by side comparisons, some hoodies stood out more than others.
Your Hoodie-Related FAQs, Answered
What makes a quality hoodie?
There are three basic tenants of a hoodie: soft, warm, durable. Higher up on Maslow's Hoodie Hierarchy, a high quality hoodie should be made of fabric that's dense enough to not see through and have flush, flatlock stitched seams, along with 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.
What fabrics should I look for?
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.
How much should a good-quality hoodie cost?
No matter your budget, there's a good hoodie at every price point. We've been surprised by some very cheap hoodies and we've also been really disappointed by some expensive hoodies. It all depends on the brand and where they chose to either cut corners or pass the savings on to you. That said, we feel pretty confident that a really good-quality hoodie can cost around $40-$60. Both Uniqlo's zip-up hoodie and Champion's Reverse Weave hoodie sit in that range and are great examples of the kind of quality we look for in a hoodie.
