Ugly Holiday Sweaters for When You're Feeling a Little Extra [Gift Guide]

It's about that time of the year. The temperatures are dropping, people who still wear shorts in October are starting to put on jeans, and Christmas music is prematurely playing on the radio. Let's take time to appreciate the best part of the change in seasons: it's now appropriate to wear ugly holiday sweaters! Retailers like us at FUN.com are turning the familiar styles and aesthetics into something between ugly and cute. There are a TON of ugly Christmas sweaters out there, so we'll make it easy to find the ugly sweater aesthetic that's right for you. Hopefully, you'll find the Christmas sweater of your dreams!

2023 Ugly Christmas Sweaters

You can't knock a classic, and these comfy knit women's and men's Christmas sweaters will fill you with holiday cheer! Celebrate with your favorite movie series, or keep those frosty feelings at bay in a warm Sesame Street sweater. There's even adorable sweaters that remind us of some of our favorite childhood toys and games. You'll certainly receive a warm welcome at any holiday party while wearing these cute Christmas sweaters.

Nerdy Christmas Sweaters 

Let's face it—our insane variety of geeky Christmas sweaters is why you're here at FUN.com. These days, it's cool to be a nerd. Being a fan of Star Wars, superheroes, and video games is no longer a reason to be made fun of. If anything, it gives you more street credit. When it comes to geek apparel, you'll find plenty of nerdy sweaters to sate your appetite. Rep your favorite heroes/Jedis/anime and pick from our geeky Christmas sweater line and bring out the hero in you.

Anime Sweaters

Not to be left out, we absolutely love these anime sweaters! Find fan favorites with classics from Sailor Moon sweaters to Dragon Ball Z, or try something new with a My Hero Academia sweater. Perfect for watching your favorite anime shows at home or taking them to an anime convention, you can wear your fandom loud and proud. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to grab a bowl of our favorite ramen.

Harry Potter Ugly Christmas Sweaters

Christmas at Hogwarts is always a spectacle, and we'd expect nothing less from a batch of ugly Harry Potter Christmas sweaters and sweatshirts. Celebrate in style with Harry and Ron's R and H Christmas sweaters, or snag a lively Luna look. The Patronus-themed printed sweatshirt achieves a cool glowing effect that features a number of famous animal guardians.

Ugly Lord of the Rings Sweaters

You shall not pass...up buying one of these The Lord of the Rings Christmas sweaters. These beautifully designed sweaters are a must for any Tolkien fan! Wear your favorite book and movie moments from Gandalf's famous "You shall not pass!" scene to Pippin and Merry hanging with Treebeard. You'll love wearing these sweaters all fall and winter long while curled up with your favorite books and snacks. (After all, you can't skip elevenses!)

Ugly Batman Villain Sweaters

Many of us are familiar with the Batman version of Jingle Bells as sung by the Joker, but how do the famous Batman villains really celebrate the holidays when they're not pulling off a holiday caper? Does the Riddler arrange a holiday scavenger hunt with his henchmen? Maybe Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy take a stroll to see the Gotham holiday light display. No matter the holiday hubbub, you're bound to feel deviously delightful in these ugly Batman villain Christmas sweaters.

Superhero Ugly Sweaters

Is there anything nerdier than some great comic book character ugly sweaters? Sure, they have gone a bit more mainstream these days because of some of our favorite DC and Marvel movies, but you can still carry some serious nerd cred with these ugly Xmas sweaters. Show your dedication to comic books with Venom, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and a number of other themed holiday sweaters. Also, should you be in a pinch at any comics convention, you'll be able to wear your favorite nerdy sweater again!

Movie Christmas Sweaters

Were you hoping to find an ugly sweater that doesn't feel anchored to the Christmas holiday? Check out these lovely licensed sweaters featuring some of our favorite movies! The unisex fit ensures that movie fans can wear whatever their hearts desire! We love the Lord of the Rings sweaters, but who could pass up the computer coding featured in The Matrix? If you're fond of even louder designs, we also have colorful picks from The Wizard of Oz, Caddyshack and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! Great for Christmas or a winter movie night, you'll love wearing these geek ugly Christmas sweater designs again and again.

TV Christmas Sweaters

Not to be outdone by the silver screen, we love these licensed sweaters featuring some of our favorite TV series! Ted Lasso is a must-watch, and who could forget the 90s powerhouse that was the Power Rangers? We also love how these pop culture sweaters remain wearable outside of the Christmas holiday for a fun, cozy clothing option. Snuggle up at home to stream some TV shows or go grocery shopping in style—there's no wrong way to wear a fun character sweater!

80s Holiday Sweaters

While nerdy holiday sweaters might not be terribly "Christmasy", that only gives you more excuses to wear them during the colder months. (Here in Minnesota, that's practically 3/4 of the year!) Celebrate with 80s greats like Gremlins—arguably one of the best Christmas movies of all time—Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, Labyrinth and ALF. Your friends are about to be jealous that they don't have the coolest Christmas sweater at the holiday party. While most of these sweaters are unisex styles, we do have a hi-lo women's ugly Christmas sweater too. You'll certainly feel at your holiday best!

Traditional Ugly Christmas Sweaters

While we love our crazy holiday sweaters, there's something to be said for a more classic Christmas sweater. You are unmistakably wearing this just for Christmas, and we respect that! Perhaps you really love all the iconic Christmas characters, from Santa and Frosty the Snowman to Rudolph and Krampus. We can even get behind adorable gingerbread houses, snowflakes, and Christmas movies. You can find all of our favorite ugly holiday sweaters for adults and kids here!

Ugly Christmas Movie Sweaters

Have a holly, jolly Christmas with these hilarious holiday sweaters and sweatshirts! If you find yourself turning on Christmas movies like Elf, A Christmas Story, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, you'll love representing your holiday favorites in cozy sweater form. Fans of gaudy knit sweaters can cozy up in leg lamps and pink bunny suits, or a sweater version of Will Ferrell's Elf outfit. However, if you're hoping for a pop of color and vivid details, you'll still be plenty warm with a printed Christmas sweatshirt with fuzzy fleece lining.

Funny Holiday Sweaters

If you're expecting to wear an ugly Xmas sweater for a holiday party—or perhaps an ugly Christmas sweater party—inject some fun into the moment with something funny! Silly sweaters with Santa doing something goofy or strange are always a hoot. (Such as wrestling a shark.) Or, you could try a 3D holiday sweater such as this wreath sweater, or this cat sweater with decorative pom poms!

Cute Holiday Sweaters

Ugly Christmas sweaters used to be "ugly" but they have since evolved into something more stylish. If you have an ugly sweater party coming up and are trying to stick with something that's cute, these are some of your best options. Can you imagine walking around the party with a cup of hot cocoa while sporting a sweater of a sloth with a Santa hat? You'll be the talk of the party! How about an adorable sweater with a corgi bounding through the snow? If none of these are quite your style, you can always choose other sweaters with cute animals or perhaps even a gingerbread house. Who wouldn't get a kick out of that?

Best Holiday Sweaters

Now if you're looking for a more festive outfit and want to don the red and green, we've got a selection for you to choose from. These aren't just any holiday sweaters, though! Additions like tinsel, bows, sparkly yarn, lights, and fantastic patterns make these holiday sweaters extra-festive! Rock around the Christmas tree sparkling with glitter and tinsel, or mimic the presents underneath. Perhaps you can even pull the fam together for a Christmas sweater family photo. With holiday sweaters as festive as these, no one is going to take your Christmas spirit into question!

Kids' Holiday Sweaters

Ugly Christmas sweaters may seem like an adult affair, but kids can get in on the silly Christmas spirit, too! A Batman Christmas sweater or perhaps a Wonder Woman sweater would be sure to make your kids keener on joining in with this weird holiday tradition. It's going to be hard to refer to these holiday sweaters for kids as "ugly" when they're so cute! You're going to want to take plenty of holiday photos to hang onto these memories for years to come.

Tacky Holiday Sweaters

Ugly Christmas sweater parties can get a little crazy. (Perhaps even a lotta crazy!) Party animals who love 3d sweaters and tacky, inappropriate ugly Christmas sweaters are going to need some serious stones to pull off these ensembles. Whether you're going for innuendo or politically incorrect humor, you're not going to be left out in the cold looking for something to wear. Now, we're not saying that these adult humor holiday sweaters should be worn to the family Christmas party, but that's ultimately your call.

Ugly Sweater Pop Culture Moments

We love a good, ugly sweater just as much as anyone else! While the ugly Christmas sweater craze that we now know and love took off in the early 2000s, they historically came onto the scene in the 1950s as "Jingle Bell Sweaters". Throughout the years, you have undoubtedly seen ugly sweaters appear in a handful of pop culture moments. We'll share a few of our iconic favorites below!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

[Source: Imagine Entertainment/IMDb]

The Grinch is famously known for his lack of Christmas cheer, but he still donned an ugly Christmas sweater in Jim Carrey's 2000 portrayal. The Grinch was nominated as the Holiday Cheermeister and had to endure a Whoville holiday celebration. During the events, he wears a white ugly Christmas sweater with tiny jingle bells on the sleeves. The front of the sweater also features a Christmas tree complete with LED lights and a "ho ho ho" border around the bottom.

Wil Wheaton Ugly Clown Sweater

[Source: Loren Cox/wilwheaton.net]

Actor and writer Wil Wheaton is probably best known for his role as Gordie in Stand by Me...and this viral picture of him wearing an ugly clown sweater. (The Internet never forgets!) While it's not explicitly a Christmas sweater, it certainly is ugly. The body of the sweater is merely an enlarged face of a clown, which only continues to stretch when worn. The upper halves of the sleeves are covered in a red, furry texture that resembles the clown's hair, completing the ugliest portrait we have ever seen worn on a shirt.

The Santa Clause

[Source: Walt Disney Pictures/Hollywood Pictures/Outlaw Productions/IMDb]

While wearing ugly sweaters becomes a running gag in The Santa Clause franchise with Santa's son's stepdad, Santa also wears one in the first film! Santa's ugly Christmas sweater looks a lot like his Santa suit, with a red body color and white and gray trim. There are two standing reindeer on either side of the chest facing each other, stitched in white and black. We quite enjoy this casual look for Santa!

Bridget Jones's Diary

[Source: Universal Pictures/Miramax Films/Mars Distribution/IMDb]

Is an ugly Christmas sweater good to wear for a first impression? In Bridget Jones's Diary, Mark Darcy meets Bridget at a holiday party wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. The green turtleneck has what appears to be a reindeer on it, but it was supposed to be a moose. This scene is often considered the first pop culture ugly Christmas sweater appearance before the sweater boom in the early 2000s.

The Goldbergs

[Source: Adam F. Goldberg Productions/Happy Madison Productions/Sony Pictures Television/IMDb]

While Beverly is iconic for her ugly sweaters bedazzled and worn throughout the series, an ugly Christmas sweater is worn by Barry Goldberg in "Yipee Ki Yay Melon Farmer". Barry goes overboard, emphasizing how incredible the Lewis' Christmas celebration is, hoping that Beverly will put on a fabulous Hannukah. We can't blame him for wanting to party!

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

[Source: Quincy Jones Entertainment/NBC Productions/Warner Horizons Unscripted Television/IMDb]

We already know Carlton can rock a mean sweater, but the kids were extra festive in "Christmas Show". Unfortunately, a grinch shows up at their ski resort and steals their Christmas gifts. Even through all the chaos, they learn to appreciate the importance of family. Out of all the Christmas sweaters seen in this episode, we have to give Carlton the win for his old-fashioned truck driving with a Christmas tree. This episode also introduced us to the "Carlton dance", as evidenced by a number of gifs with Carton dancing in his Christmas sweater.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

[Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/Heyday Films/IMDb]

While Christmas is a hot event at Hogwarts, the most iconic sweater in the series is actually worn by Neville Longbottom in the final film. After a rousing speech, he heroically pulls the sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat while wearing this Fair Isle cardigan sweater. (Neville certainly came a long way from his shy, introverted self!) He defeats the seventh and final Horcrux with the sword of Gryffindor, showing us that even ugly sweaters can be awesome.

Bob's Burgers

[Source: Wilo Productions/Buck & Millie Productions/20th Television/IMDb]

Bob's Burgers has some of the best holiday episodes in animation. "The Last Gingerbread House on the Left" sees Bob entering a gingerbread house competition while Linda and Teddy take the kids out caroling. In this episode, Teddy wears a red Christmas sweater that says "I ♥ Santa" and a Christmas light necklace. We only wish the town's residents were more receptive to their holiday cheer!

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

[Source: 3 Arts Entertainment/RCG Productions/FXP/Fandom.com]

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia had a Christmas episode that featured not only a Christmas sweater but a very festive cutoff t-shirt. (Leave it to Mac to try and make a Christmas shirt look tough!) In truly unhinged Philly fashion, we find that Mac's parents always stole Christmas presents from other houses, Frank is sewn into a couch, the gang has a Christmas claymation segment, and they end the episode giftless and throwing rocks at trains.

Modern Family

[Source: Lloyd-Levitan/20th Century Fox Television/IMDb]

At a mid-December family hangout, the Pritchett family realizes that they won't all be together for Christmas in the episode "Express Christmas". In a last-ditch effort, they put together an immediate Christmas holiday where they take the rest of the day to celebrate ASAP. Of course, with zero preparation, things don't go according to plan. Still, we see this lovely snowman ugly sweater vest paired with a festive button-up.

Dumb and Dumber

[Source: Katja Motion Picture Corporation/Krevoy/Stabler/Wessler Production/IMDb]

Dumb and Dumber may not initially sound like a Christmas movie, but there is a scene with a room full of adults wearing ugly Christmas sweaters. Things only get weirder, of course, when Lloyd lights a fart—and somehow, everyone is amused without a single nose turned up. While our own Christmas parties may never be this silly and rowdy, it looks like everyone was having a blast!

Christmas with the Kranks

[Source: Columbia Pictures/Revolution Studios/1492 Pictures/IMDb]

With their daughter gone to Peru, the empty-nested Kranks decide to set the holiday aside by going on a Caribbean cruise instead. However, they get a last-minute surprise when their daughter calls to say she's en route for the holidays! With no time to spare, they manage to pull everything together for an unexpected Christmas celebration. We also get to see Jamie Lee Curtis wear an ugly sweater vest, complete with embroidered Christmas trees.

Step Brothers

[Source: Columbia Pictures/Relativity Media/The Apatow Company/Mosaic Media Group/Gary Sanchez Productions/IMDb]

You may have noticed a trend with ugly Christmas sweaters in comedies, which ties in well with their silly nature. Step Brothers is no different, as you can see with this majestic Christmas sweater. Two reindeer prance upon snowy hills during a starlit night, complete with an inexplicable holly trim near the top. We only wish they were both in ugly sweaters together!

So which sweater are you going to wear this year? Something geeky? Something funny? Something cute? Maybe something on sale? (We love sales here at FUN.com, so you're sure to find cheap ugly sweaters that are the quality you want and won't break the bank.) Let us know in the comments below! Happy holidays!