Best Christmas jumpers: knitted, light-up and funny
The best Christmas jumper is one you will wear more than once. We compare knitted, printed, light-up and funny styles on fit, fabric and care, with the date of Christmas Jumper Day 2026.
The best Christmas jumper is the one you will pull out again next year. When the environmental charity Hubbub checked 108 jumpers from 11 high street and online retailers in 2019, it found plastic fibres in 95% of them and reported that two in five festive jumpers are worn only once. This guide sorts jumpers by style (knitted, printed, light-up and funny), then covers fit, fabric and washing, so the one you pick lasts more than one December.
Best Christmas jumpers by style
Christmas jumpers come in four main styles, and each suits a different kind of December day:
| Style | What it is | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knitted motif or Fair Isle | Pattern knitted into the fabric | The whole season, and January if the colours are muted | Acrylic knits can bobble |
| Printed sweatshirt | Design printed on cotton or polyester jersey | Heated offices and busy pubs | Less warm than a thick knit outdoors |
| Light-up | LEDs in the design, powered by a small battery pack inside | Parties and dark evenings | The battery comes out before every wash |
| Funny and novelty | Slogans, film and TV references, 3D noses, pom-poms, bells or sequins | Christmas Jumper Day and family gatherings | Check the joke suits the office |
Our Christmas clothing range covers all four, from Fair Isle knits to LED jumpers.
Knitted Christmas jumpers you will wear again
A knitted jumper has the pattern worked into the fabric rather than printed on top. Fair Isle, named after a small island between Orkney and mainland Shetland, is the classic: knitters use no more than two colours in a row, with the unused yarn carried across the back. The style took off in the 1920s, after the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, wore a Fair Isle jumper to play golf at St Andrews.
Snowflakes, stars and reindeer in navy, burgundy, green or cream carry on into January; a giant Santa face does not. Stylist’s December 2025 edit took the same line, picking jumpers that are “festive without being cheesy”. Wear a fine knit over a shirt collar or with dark denim, and see our Christmas Day outfit ideas for the rest of the look.
Light-up Christmas jumpers: how they work
A light-up jumper has small LEDs stitched into the design, wired to a battery holder that is usually tucked into a pocket inside the jumper. It is the one to wear to a party or on a dark walk to the pub, and it needs one extra step at wash time:
- Unplug the battery holder and take it out of the inside pocket.
- Check the label: some jumpers have waterproof LEDs that stay in, others need the light string removed.
- Hand wash in lukewarm water, or use a cold delicate cycle in a mesh bag if the label allows it.
- Dry flat, and reconnect the battery only when the jumper is completely dry.
If the holder takes button batteries, keep spares high up and out of children’s reach. The Child Accident Prevention Trust warns that a swallowed button battery can badly hurt or kill a small child; if you think one has been swallowed, go straight to A&E or call an ambulance.
Funny Christmas jumpers
Funny jumpers carry the joke: a slogan, a film or TV reference, a 3D Rudolph nose, pom-poms, bells or sequins. They work best on Christmas Jumper Day and at family parties, and since you will be photographed in it all evening, pick one you are happy to see in the family album. Our funny Christmas jumpers include slogan, pop culture and 3D designs, plus light-up styles.
Best Christmas jumpers for women and men: fit and sizing
Women’s Christmas jumpers are sold in dress sizes and in cuts from fitted to oversized; men’s and unisex styles use letter sizes from S upwards. The letter on the label tells you less than the chest measurement, so compare the size chart with a jumper you already own.
- Wearing a shirt or thermal underneath: go up one size.
- After a slouchy look: go up one or two sizes, or pick a style sold as oversized.
- Buying for someone else: check whether the listing is a women’s or a unisex cut before choosing the size.
Our women’s Christmas jumpers run from Fair Isle and cable knits to sequin slogans, and the men’s Christmas jumpers from Nordic knits to football and film designs.
Acrylic, wool or cotton: read the label
The fibre content decides warmth, comfort and how long a jumper lasts:
- Acrylic: light, warm and usually machine washable, but it bobbles and sheds microfibres in the wash. Hubbub found it in three quarters of the jumpers it tested.
- Wool and wool blends: warm and more breathable, so more comfortable in a heated room; most need a wool cycle or a hand wash.
- Cotton: lighter and cooler, used for most printed sweatshirts, and easy to wash.
- 95%of 108 jumpers tested by Hubbub in 2019 contained plastic fibres
- 44%were made entirely of acrylic
- 2 in 5festive jumpers are worn only once, the charity reported
A University of Plymouth study cited in the same coverage found that acrylic fabric released nearly 730,000 microfibres per wash. None of this means skipping the jumper: buy one you will wear for several Decembers, wash it less often, and swap or pass it on when you are done. Save the Children itself suggests a second-hand knit for Christmas Jumper Day.
How to wash a Christmas jumper so it lasts
- Read the care label first: the fibre decides the method.
- Turn the jumper inside out to protect the design and any sequins or pom-poms.
- Hand wash in lukewarm water, or use a cold delicate or wool cycle if the label allows it.
- Skip fabric softener and bleach.
- Dry flat on a towel, away from radiators and direct sun, and reshape it while damp. Keep it out of the tumble dryer.
- Store it folded rather than on a hanger, so the shoulders keep their shape.
Christmas Jumper Day 2026
Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day 2026 falls on Thursday 10 December, though schools and workplaces can choose another day. The first one was held on 14 December 2012, and the charity says more than £42m has been raised since. Our Christmas Jumper Day 2026 guide explains what the money funds and what to wear, and the wider Christmas clothing collection covers Santa hats and matching pyjamas for the rest of the season.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Christmas jumper?
The best one is a jumper you will wear for more than one December: a knitted pattern in muted colours is the safest bet, a light-up style suits parties and a funny one suits Christmas Jumper Day. Check the fibre content and the chest measurement before you buy, since those two details decide comfort and how long it lasts.
What are the best places to buy Christmas jumpers?
Buy where the listing gives a full size chart and the fibre content, because those decide the fit and the warmth. For the lowest-waste option, Save the Children suggests a second-hand knit for Christmas Jumper Day, and a swap with friends or colleagues works as well.
What are the best jumper brands in the UK?
Britain’s best-known knitwear name is a place rather than a brand: Fair Isle, a small island between Orkney and mainland Shetland, gave its name to the patterns knitted two colours to a row that appear on many Christmas jumpers. Whatever the brand, the label tells you more than the logo: check the fibre content, whether the design is knitted in or printed on, and the washing instructions.
What Christmas jumpers are in fashion this winter?
The fashion press has moved towards jumpers that look festive without shouting; Stylist’s December 2025 edit, for example, left out novelty knits altogether. For Christmas Jumper Day, which falls on Thursday 10 December in 2026, novelty and light-up designs are still fair game.
What is the best Christmas jumper for women?
For something to wear all season, a fine Fair Isle or motif knit in navy, burgundy or cream works with jeans or a skirt, while sequin slogans and light-up designs suit parties. Check whether the cut is women’s or unisex, as unisex jumpers are sized in letters rather than dress sizes.
What is the best Christmas jumper for men?
A Nordic or Fair Isle knit over a shirt collar is the most versatile choice, and a printed sweatshirt is cooler in a heated office or pub. For Christmas Jumper Day, football, film and slogan designs suit the occasion; go up a size if you will wear a shirt underneath.
