The Best Men’s Wool Sweaters of 2024

Founded in 1863, Portland, Oregon-based Pendleton Woolen Mills is one of the most revered purveyors of tweed, flannel, and wool apparel. Now in its sixth generation of family ownership, Pendleton’s Original Westerley Sweater ($249) became a pop culture icon with its prominent role in the legendary Coen Brothers film “The Big Lebowski.”

The sweater originally debuted in 1972 but has been resurrected by popular demand. It remains a versatile, cozy piece of menswear that can double as a conversation starter.

Icon status aside, the Westerley is an immaculately knit, heavy wool sweater with great fit and feel. The lambswool material is warm, and the dense knit gives it the soothing feel of a weighted blanket. The styling is truly timeless, looking as great now as it did 50 years ago. Even wearers who’ve never seen the movie will appreciate the Westerley’s combination of style and comfort.

Though this sweater is geared toward casual use, we found it slotted in well on mellow winter adventures. We snowshoed and cross country skied in the Westerly, and it never felt sweaty or restrictive. Plus, we attracted numerous compliments from others on the trail.

Outdoor Voices is making a name for itself rather quickly in the outdoor industry, and the MegaFleece Snap Up ($138) didn’t disappoint. While not exactly viable for high-energy activities, this wool sweater is a great addition to the fall-winter wardrobe.

More rigid than conventional wool sweaters, the Snap Up still has a good amount of stretch for its weight. The cuffs are durable, the material cozy, and we found the fit to be spot on.

The MegaFleece probably serves best as a primary outer layer. It’s a bit too beefy to be worn under another jacket. The front pouch pocket has a hidden zip pocket within, which is quite large (big enough for a phone, keys, wallet, and whatever else you want to squeeze in).

The only downside is that this sweater is hand-wash only, and took quite a long time to dry. If you wash it to wear it the next day, you’ll have to dry it in front of a fire for it to be ready in time. That said, after hand-washing and drying it twice, the material felt the same. It actually softened up a little bit and became more pleasant on the skin.

The MegaFleece Snap Up looks and feels great, making it an ideal sweater to take the bite out of the cold. It was also surprisingly wind-resistant, and the bone colorway kept us cool when the high-altitude sun poked through the clouds.

If you’re looking at buying cashmere but don’t want to empty your bank account to do it, the Recycled Cashmere Crewneck from Patagonia ($199) is the way to go. It has all the feel of cashmere but with half the price tag.

Cashmere is made from the undercoat of Kashmir goats. This undercoat fiber is very fine, producing an extremely soft feel. Due to the low yield of fibers per goat, cashmere wool is very pricey and highly sought after. Because of this demand, overbreeding of Kashmir goats has wreaked havoc on the Mongolian region where they live. The sheer number of goats in the area has decimated plant life. This contributes to the desertification of the region.

To combat this, Patagonia is making recycled cashmere apparel using pre-consumer scraps from European factories. These scraps are blended with a small amount of virgin wool. The result is a sweater that has the fit and feel of cashmere with a fraction of the environmental impact (not to mention a fraction of the price).

This simple crewneck is comfy, soft, and highly versatile. It thrives as an everyday midlayer in the autumn and winter. Like most other cashmere sweaters, it isn’t the most durable. Keep an eye out for snags while on the move.

A great blend of form and function, Fjallraven’s Ovik Zip Cardigan ($250) is a 100% wool cardigan that works well for technical applications. It’s a classic time-worn garment. The dense weave resists pilling and holds up well in rugged environments.

We’ve worn the Ovik while backpacking during the shoulder seasons. The cardigan was warm and cozy in the cool morning air, and even the sweaty spots stayed warm when we started to perspire. As the day heated up, the sweater channeled away sweat and dried quickly. When we were done, there were no visible loose threads and the sweater showed very little wear from pack rubbing.

What’s more, the cardigan looks great. Its style makes it work just as well out to dinner or drinks as it does on the trail.

At $250, the Ovik is a significant investment. In our experience, the price-tag has been justified by many years of consistent use. Cardigans never go out of style, so it pays to pick a durable one.

Kora’s new Quarter-Zip Yardang jerseys ($150) possess an impossibly soft texture. Against bare skin, this lightweight pullover feels like a combination of silk, cashmere, and a cumulus cloud. The Yardang is composed of 70% “ultrafine” Merino and 30% Himalayan yak wool. Kora claims this exotic blend effectively regulates body temperature and lessens any extremes of feeling hot and cold. In our experience, it’s an ideal midlayer in freezing temps and a comfy outer layer between 50 and 65 degrees.

Unlike many layers on this list, the Yardang is truly built for high-output activity. The half-length zipper makes it easy to dump heat, and the fairly thin wool material breathes exceptionally well. Plus, both available colors are vibrant and beautiful.

We tested the Yardang while cross county skiing, snowboarding, and ice climbing, and it thrived in every setting. It’s stretchy enough to allow full range of motion and breathable enough to remain in use as the afternoon temps begin to rise.

The only entrant on this list made with alpaca wool, the All-Paca Fleece Hoodie ($165) from Appalachian Gear Company is a perfect choice for outdoor activity. Built with backpacking and hiking in mind, the All-Paca sports tough seams and a knit structure designed for durability under a pack. Also, the quick-drying wool will evaporate sweat quickly when you take your pack off for a quick breather.

Why use alpaca wool? Besides the fact that the animals are adorable, alpaca wool fibers have a smoother surface than Merino wool, so they feel less prickly than Merino. In addition, they have a higher tensile strength than Merino, so these hoodies are built to last.

The fibers are also more water-resistant without a loss of breathability. This means it dries faster and insulates better when wet. If your definition of doing laundry is dunking your clothes in a creek, wringing them out, and hanging them to dry, this is the hoodie for you.

Thanks to its nifty hood, the All-Paca doubles as a protective layer on sunny winter days. The hood fit well over a climbing or cycling helmet.

The Shak Jacket ($260) from Ibex is the quintessential modern merino jacket. It’s light, luxuriously soft, and suitable for both the front and backcountry. It easily combines with a button-up and dress shoes at the office, yet it’s plenty stretchy and breathable for a cross-continental bike-packing trip. It’s a bit pricey, but it offers unparalleled utility.

Made from 100% fine merino fibers, the Shak is buttery soft against the skin and can be worn with or without an undershirt. It breathes well and effectively prevents perspiration — if you do sweat in the Shak, it dries in an instant. Three zippered pockets (one chest and two hand) open and close smoothly, even after dozens of wears.

Ibex clothing is generally built with active use in mind. If you’re seeking a reliable new midlayer for backcountry skiing or winter camping, you can’t go wrong with the Shak.

Well-known for its outstanding outdoor apparel, the icebreaker Cool-Lite Merino Nova Sweater ($150) takes New Zealand Company’s trail tech to in-town garments. This sweater is a 50-50 blend of merino wool and TENCEL, a wood-based fiber that adds softness and moisture-wicking properties.

Featuring a classic style, the Nova is great for wearing around town. The merino-and-TENCEL blend feels extremely soft, and the crewneck sweater’s breathability ensures that it won’t become a hotbox if the weather warms up.

Not only that, but icebreaker’s clothing is shockingly odor-resistant. We’ve worn icebreaker apparel for days on end without any foul smells. This comes in handy on long trips where you’ll be wearing your clothes over and over again. The combination of form and function in the Nova makes it an ideal piece to throw in a duffel for a weeklong trip.

The Capilene Air Hoody ($159) is a fixture in many outdoor adventurers’ closets, and for good reason. This sweater-baselayer hybrid hoody has an unbeatable warmth to weight ratio, making it ideal for long days and nights where comfort and functionality are in high demand.

We loved the high, gaiter-like neck, and found that the hoody can be worn either over or under a helmet (though under seemed to function better). Made with 51% merino and 49% recycled nylon, the sweater is remarkably stretchy, and moves seamlessly with the body.

As with any wool sweater, the material is prone to snagging, so we’d recommend layering over it if you’re hiking through dense foliage. We also managed to put a small hole in it with a quickdraw, although we’d attribute that to user error, and due to the nature of the fabric, it’s almost unnoticeable.

For active use, the Cap Air Hoody might be the single best wool sweater for layering on cold days. It works great with whatever type of jacket you want to layer on top, and even functions as a primary layer while active. The material wicks moisture well, and dries fast.

It’s also surprisingly classy, so you won’t stand out if you head straight from the trail to meet up with friends. At $159, it’s definitely a bit pricey for its intended application, but if you value a high warmth to weight ratio in your activities, you won’t be disappointed.

Smartwool is known for their Merino wool craftsmanship, and the Sparwood Crew Sweater ($105) lived up to the hype. Aside from being incredibly comfortable, this sweater is surprisingly versatile.

Designed like a single-knit jersey, wool’s stretchy qualities are on full display with this sweater. It fits to your body while maintaining its form, making it applicable as a layer on cold days, or as a primary casual top. It can even be dressed up with a collar for more formal events.

The sweater’s ribbed cuffs and collar are functional but not obvious, and we found the overall weight ideal for preserving heat while maintaining breathability. While primarily known for their baselayers, Smartwool has transitioned well to casual wear, as the Sparwood Crew is one of the best sweaters to have in your wardrobe. 

Note: The fit of the Sparwood Crew Sweater is a bit athletic, so we’d recommend sizing up if you have broad shoulders, or if you simply want a looser, more relaxed fit.