25 Outrageous Ugly Christmas Sweaters for $30 or Less

Hideous holiday sweaters have been such a cliche for so long that they're actually now in vogue. Christmas parties are a competition for who can wear the most unsightly, the ugliest, and most criminally unattractive sweater in the room. This year, you can win that battle with any of these eyesores that are ugly and cheap, but try to avoid the temptation to give them to co-workers. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change. It is the holiday season, after all.)

Price: $9 | Buy it at Boscov's
Although the makers of ugly sweaters are in a mad scramble to outdo each other's knitted unsightliness, some of the best ugly holiday sweaters are the ones that keep it basic. This cotton, long-sleeved crew neck is a perfect example.

Price: $26 | Buy it at JCPenney
Between the two-toned sleeves and chest, the matching cuffs, and the giant embellished gold bow, this ugly cotton/polyester blend sweater would be hideous enough by itself. But when they added the To/From tag you stick on a present, the ugly outdid itself.

Price: $12-$30 | Buy it on Amazon
Up close, it's just an interconnected string of animated Santa Clauses holding hands. When you stand a few feet back, however, this Alex Stevens sweater blurs into an Atari-esque, 8-bit blur of red, white and green awfulness that no one at the Christmas party could ignore. For good measure, the bottom is adorned with yellow trim.

Price: $28 | Buy it at Target
More bellhop uniform gone awry than Christmas sweater, the women's Xhilaration is big, loud and bright. Off the shoulder with fuzzy straps, it will instantly transform you into Mrs. Claus … sort of. It's more like Mrs. Claus on her way to a North Pole nightclub.

Price: $30 | Buy it at Macy's
If you want an ugly sweater but are worried that you'll be the only one at the party who looks ridiculous, grab a pal and one of these doubly ridiculous sweaters for two. Although the sweater will turn any duo into Santa and an elf, you'll basically spend the entire night as a human tandem bike that doesn't allow one person to go somewhere unless the other agrees. As an added bonus, both of you will have the use of only one arm each for the entire night.

Price: $18 | Buy it on Amazon
Half Hanukkah. Half Christmas. All ugly. With this 100 percent polyester sweater, the left side tries to out-ugly the right side -- but when it comes to painful aesthetics, it seems to be a draw. Both the Hanukkah and Christmas themes merge in the back for one, big interdenominational ugly fest.

Price: $20 | Buy it at Macy's
In all its ribbed, V-neck glory, this gem from American Rag looks like misprinted Christmas wrapping paper made of cotton. The sweater seals the deal, however, with sequin accents -- the ribbed knit hem and armholes don't hurt, either.

Price: $30 | Buy it at Macy's
Nothing makes an already-ugly holiday sweater even uglier than a cheesy play on words. This ugly-on-the-sleeves-only sweater features three cheery snowmen, who are, of course chilly and are therefore chillin'. If you butcher the word "snowmen" enough, it rhymes with "homies," so, that's what's happening here. Also, it comes with a legitimately awesome pom-pom hat that matches the sweater's ugly sleeves.

Price: $30 | Buy it on Amazon
Not only is this sweater warm and cozy, but it's ugly, irreverent and funny all at the same time. Made of 100 percent acrylic, the 3D front features Rudolph -- just slightly different than the one you're used to. On this ugly sweater, everyone's favorite reindeer is beaten, bruised, and boozing.

Price: $12 | Buy it at Target
This Steve Urkel-Meets-Santa sweater vest comes complete with a green bowtie and quiltwork patches. A thick red collar unifies the entire ensemble of intensely colored Christmas imagery. Just in case the front isn't outrageous enough for you, the word "noel" is written in big letters on the back.

Price: $15 | Buy it at Target
Snowflakes. Weiner dogs in Santa costumes facing in opposite directions. The phrase "winter wonderland" stitched in light letters on a background with a shade so similar you have to squint to read the words. This polyester must-have showstopper can be yours for less than $15.

Price: $16 | Buy it on Amazon
Do high-strung elves teetering precariously on a ladder while recklessly decorating a tree sound like holiday fun to you? Luckily, someone decided to sew this scene onto the front of a sweater. This acrylic/cotton blend pullover features a crew neck, a barrel bottom and long sleeves.

Price: $26 | Buy it at JCPenney
From the back, it appears to be a regular pinkish-peachish sweater. But when the wearer turns around, you meet the 3D fuzzy-bearded smiling Santa living on the front. He's perched directly above the word "sleigh," which is spelled in equally fuzzy green and red letters. The letter "I" appears at the top … I sleigh. Get it?

Price: $24 | Buy it at JCPenney
Most ugly Christmas sweaters put their own spin on the traditional holiday color scheme. This sweater, however, takes a chance on black. The sweater would be completely dark and bland -- if it weren't for the giant snowflakes, white dots and loudly polka dotted, raised Christmas tree.

Price: $22 | Buy it on Amazon
Although it maintains the traditional red, white, and green color scheme, you can choose alternative colors -- each of which are equally ugly. The long, knitted sweater, which comes complete with pockets, features ornaments stacked on top of royal penguins stacked on top of reindeer.

Price: $8 | Buy it at Boscov's
Help your kids unleash their inner elves with this gloriously ugly elf costume sweater. The longsleeve crewneck comes complete with bell embellishments and a faux buckle.

Price: $24 | Buy it at Kohl's
This plus-size gem from Fashion Avenue features tan sweater sleeves, but only from the wrists to the forearms -- and they have pompoms. So do the shoulders, although not same color. As if things weren't ugly enough, the front of the sweater is dominated by a nutcracker body that needs your head to be complete.

Price: $17 | Buy it on Amazon
You might think that the most feared dinosaur in history, the tyrannosaurus rex, has nothing to do with Christmas, and it might not -- until, that is, you throw a Santa hat on it. If you have a little Christmas lover who's also a dinosaur lover, this is the sweater of choice.

Price: $25 | Buy it at Target
The words "R2-D2" and "sweater" generally don't appear in the same sentence -- but you haven't seen this sweater. Made for girls -- or really tiny women -- the sweater is a perfect "Star Wars" gift that honors the ugly-holiday-sweater tradition. Yes, R2 is wearing a Santa hat.

Price: $26 | Buy it at JCPenney
If it looks like someone glued a wreath to a shirt, you know it's an ugly holiday sweater -- and that's what happened here. There's an embellished cat stuck in an embellished tree, so if you're going for outrageously ugly this year, this is the sweater for you.

Price: $21 | Buy it on Amazon
If you know "Jurassic Park," you'll get the reference. If not, you'll just think this prehistoric ugly sweater is a random trio of velociraptors dressed like the three wise men from the traditional Christmas story. Either way, your friends will revel in all its glorious ugliness.

Price: $18 | Buy it on Amazon
This vintage cardigan is sort of like an Andy Warhol painting but it's so ugly it must be the pattern on a hideous holiday sweater. This button-up vest features Santa, a reindeer, a bunny, a lamb and -- for good measure -- some random ugly penguins.

Price: $30 | Buy it at Target
Just in case this hideous holiday sweater didn't draw enough attention, it lights ups just to make sure every eye in the room is drawn to it. No batteries are needed to ignite this polyester attention-grabber, which is adorned with candy canes and Christmas ornaments.

Price: $27 | Buy it at Walmart
If you're torn between dressing up in a shirt and tie this Christmas or going for broke with a ridiculous ugly sweater, you're in luck -- the decision has already been made for you. Take the most awful shade of reddish-orange imaginable and attach a tie with a classic ugly holiday sweater print and you've got the perfect blend of dressy and dreadful.

Price: $25 | Buy it on Amazon
This 100 percent cotton shirt is an official Nintendo-licensed item. Who knew? Don this sweater and the front of your body becomes a screenshot from Mario's bid to save the princess.