The Very Best Men’s Cashmere Sweaters

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Sizing:XXS to XXL |Quality:Grade A |Style and details:Crewneck with tubular stitching at the neck, cuffs, and hem |Price:$

Naadam is one of the aforementioned affordable cashmere brands that’s come up a lot with stylishwomenand men. I own its most standard option — the Original Cashmere Crewneck — in a women’s small, and it’s supersoft (though it has a slight slickness). My boyfriend, who has helped me test numerous menswear items, tried the men’s version and likes that it’s smooth without being scratchy and has a light-to-mid-weight feel, making it perfect for layering. Thanks to the relaxed yet tailored fit, he can comfortably wear a thickwhite T-shirtunderneath (though I recommend sizing up as my boyfriend did, from his usual L to an XL). While he’s owned this sweater for only a short time, it has been ideal for cool summer nights, and he imagines wearing it into the fall. The Original comes in a wide variety of sizes (XXS to XXL) and colors (ten core and eight seasonal colorways), making it a clear winner for best overall in the category.

Several experts agreed with my take, including Joel Moore, a blogger atMoore His Style, who calls Naadam one of his “go-to brands for good-quality cashmere” owing to its affordability and sustainability.InfluencerSteven Sharpe Jr.told us he appreciates the brand’s dedication to sustainability and “ethical production from start to finish” as well.

Sizing:XS to XXL |Quality:Grade A |Style and details:Crewneck with tubular stitching at the neck, cuffs, and hem |Price:$

Quince, known for its supersoft bedsheets, recently expanded into the cashmere space. Its most affordable men’s cashmere sweater comes in at just $60. Avila has the women’s version of the sweater (she notes the women’s is $10 cheaper) and says it arrived in perfect condition, though after about a year, it has some pilling on the arms and waist. It has a similar feel to Naadam’s — supersoft with a slight slickness — but is a tad lighter in weight. The biggest difference between Quince and Naadam is its range of choices: Quince’s sweater comes in sizes S to XL and 11 colorways; it’s also available in a V-neck in the same size range and seven colorways.

Sizing:XS to XXL |Quality:Grade A |Style and details:Crewneck with tubular stitching at the neck, cuffs, and hem |Price:$$

Everlanehas a reputation for nailing basics, and its cashmere is no exception. A step up from Naadam and Quince, it feels a tad more substantial but still lightweight. “The texture isn’t as luxuriously soft as some higher-end sweaters, but it feels more resilient than the less expensive sweaters I’ve tried,” says senior writerMichael Zhao. “Out of the bag, the surface looks smoother and less fuzzy. It also feels a bit more textured — like how some strands of fur feel stiffer than others when petting a cat.” He also reports that it fits true to size. Pittsburgh-based streetwear influencer Joe Watkins and content creator Steven Fingar both call out its affordability, with Watkins adding that “the quality is very evident.” It’s available in sizes XS to XXL and nine neutral colors.

Sizing:S to XXL |Style and details:V-neck with tubular stitching at the neck, cuffs, and hem |Price:$$

State offers affordable cashmere sweaters, and the company has earned a reputation for its $150 option. Moore says they’re high quality and made from Mongolian cashmere. This V-neck, which Moore likes to wear when he wants a little less coverage, comes in 10 colors and goes up to a size XXL. And if you’re not into V-necks, the brand offers acrewneckat the same price.

Sizing:XS to XXL |Quality:Grade A |Style and details:Quarter-zip with ribbed stitching and suede zipper cover |Price:$$$

Brooks Brothers has been the unofficial clothier for American presidents for over two centuries, and the brand’s elegant take on the quarter-zip is a great example of its long-standing commitment to quality. It’s made of thick, triple-ply cashmere yarns, produced by Todd & Duncan, a Scottish mill founded in 1867 that supplies other high-end clothing brands likeSunspeland&Daughter. “It’s noticeably thicker, smoother, and softer than anything I’ve seen from the more budget-friendly options I’ve tried,” Zhao told me. “The coloring is more saturated and evenly toned than cheaper sweaters, and the suede lining on the zipper should improve longevity by preventing snags.” It has a slightly tailored, modern-feeling, true-to-size fit — the shoulder seams of a medium hit right where they should, and the length looked correct. Still, he preferred the more relaxed fit of the large. The full price of $650 is a bit hard to swallow, but Brooks Brothers offers steep discounts at its seasonal sales events. “If it’s available for under $400, that’s a great price for the quality of the materials used,” Zhao says.

Sizing:S to XXL |Style and details:Turtleneck with tubular stitching at the neck, cuffs, and hem |Price:$$

Moore is also a fan of State’s turtlenecks, which are just $10 more than the aforementioned V-necks. These reasonably priced cashmere sweaters are “easy to dress down while still looking polished,” Moore says. The brand’s turtleneck, which I’ve had for a little under a year, is soft and lightweight while providing lots of warmth. Since wearing it through part of last winter, it hasn’t pilled or stretched out. The sizing runs a little small, so if you like your sweaters on the looser side, consider sizing up.

Sizing:XS to XXL |Style and details:Crewneck with tubular stitching at the neck, cuffs, and hem |Price:$$

“Any color of this simple sweater with a pair of dark jeans will make you look pulled together even if you don’t feel it,” saysNick Axelrod-Welk, co-founder ofNecessaire. After hearing about Tricot’s more sustainable practices (its sweaters consist of wasted cashmere garments that are respun with virgin cashmere fibers and knit in Italy), Avila reached out to test a sweater for herself. After just a few months of wear, she’s hooked: The Tricot sweater is thicker with a more natural feel and hasn’t pilled yet. “I especially like the structured fit compared with Naadam and Quince’s sweaters, which cling to my body more,” Avila says. And the ribbing at the neck, hem, and sleeves is longer and thicker than the rest, giving it a more put-together look.The sweatercomes in a wide range of 20 colors and sizes XS to XXL.

Sizing:XXS to XXXXXL |Style and details:Cable-knit crewneck |Price:$$$

“Have you ever touched this sweater? It’s obscenely, almost immorally soft,” says Andrew Favorito, a senior public-relations director at Christian Dior, who adds that the feel makes it worth the price tag. He calls it “substantial enough,” meaning it’s “not too thick or bulky, and it feels light as air,” but it’ll still keep you warm. Photographer Malcolm McNeil says this “truly iconic” sweater is his go-to because it’s “soft as butter” and the cable-knit detailing “adds an extra dimension and bring home the aesthetic.” Zhao can personally attest, too: “If you’re wondering whether there’s a real difference between the yarns used in say, a Quince sweater, and the Italian yarns used in a higher-end one like Ralph’s, feeling is believing,” he says. Zhao received the sweater as a Christmas gift from his wife, who purchased it vintage from eBay in a now rarely produced royal purple. “It feels much smoother than Uniqlo’s cashmere, and there’s no signs of pilling anywhere,” he says. It comes in unisex sizing ranging from XXS to 5XL and 15 colorways. Note: The sweater’s price has gone up $100 since I last updated this story, so I plan to test this out and find a suitable cheaper alternative for a future update.

Sizing:XS to XXL |Style and details:Drawstring hoodie with French shoulder seams and ribbed collar, cuffs, hems, and side gussets|Price:$$$

Reigning Champ, one of the Strategist’s favorite men’s andloungewearlabels, replaces our former pick for the best cashmere hoodie, a now-discontinued Todd Snyder pick. Nico Lazaro, author of the menswear newsletterThe Bengal Stripe, recently called the Cove one of his favoritemen’s sweaters, saying it was his “elevated off-duty staple” of choice. It’s a “luxury upgrade to the everyday hoodie — incredibly soft, relaxed, but still polished enough to wear out of the house without feeling sloppy,” he says, all thanks to its fine ribbed finishes on the cuffs, hem, pockets, and sides, plus 100 percent cashmere makeup for an ultrasoft feel.

Sizing:XS to XL |Style and details:Crewneck with striped design |Price:$$$

Another pricey cashmere-sweater brand on our radars is Leret Leret (which also came up in our article on women’s cashmere sweaters). “It’s often hard to tell why good cashmere costs as much as it does, but not with Leret Leret,” says former Strategist associate editor Louis Cheslaw. “On top of being one of the few brands stretching the limits of how cashmere can look — with over 38 wild prints, including clouds and hemp leaves — they also pay attention to the small stuff like how tightly ribbed their cuffs are and where the sweater drapes.” Cheslaw has had his for six months (“I was gifted it after befriending one of the founders while playing soccer,” he says) and reports “zero pilling.”