Outrageously Ugly Christmas Sweaters (Most for $40 or Less)

Hideous holiday sweaters have been such a cliche for so long that they're actually now in vogue. Christmas parties (even those on Zoom) 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 for less — in fact, most of the hideousness on this list costs $30 or less. 

Prices and availability are subject to change. 

Paige Cerulli contributed to this story. 

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$20 from Amazon
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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.

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$20 at Amazon

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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.

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$25 from Walmart

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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.

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$26 and up from Amazon

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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 and long sleeves.

$25 from Amazon

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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.

$29 from Amazon

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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.

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$29 from Amazon

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Ugly nearly to the point of being offensive, this sweater makes whoever wears it look like a hairy, shirtless man who's never seen the inside of a gym. For good measure, creepy human hands clutch the belly, which is adorned with a belly button ring. The reverse side is at least as unflattering as the front.

$36 and up from Amazon

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Just in case this hideous holiday sweater didn't draw enough attention, it lights up just to make sure every eye in the room is drawn to this polyester attention-grabber adorned with candy canes and Christmas ornaments.

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$27 from Walmart

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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.

$38 from TeePublic 

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Nothing says Christmas quite like Bigfoot — er, Bigfoot wearing a Santa hat, that is. If you had any doubt, the added Christmas trees and snowflakes put this piece distinctly in the ugly Christmas sweater category. Form aside, the function is solid: The fleece lining will keep you warm, and the twill neckline and banded cuffs also help to keep cool drafts out.

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$25 from IWOOT

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Perfectly punny, this shirt features the iconic yet ugly figgy pudding. It’s available in sizes from 3 to 12 years and it’s made from pre-shrunk cotton to ensure a great fit. That cotton makes it soft and comfortable. 

$29 from Ugly Christmas Sweaters

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Christmas is a magical season, and now you can bring your own magic to the party with this unicorn sweater. This ever-so-tasteful unicorn is vomiting candy canes and stardust, so you’ll both shock and delight everyone you meet. When you walk away, they’ll be treated to another surprise — the unicorn is farting glitter. Of course. 

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$40 from TeePublic

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We all know who wins in the cat versus Christmas tree battle, and this sweater is a fun option for cat lovers. It’s plenty ugly, with its 'Meowy Christmas' phrase and rough looking graphics. You can choose from eight sweatshirt colors, and it’s available in sizes small to 5XL.  

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$30 from Look Human

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Show off your pride in listening to Christmas music in November, October, or July. This sweater makes your message loud and clear — in fact, it can’t be missed when it’s in big, bold letters. Sleeve and bottom hems make the sweater durable, so you can wear it year after year.

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$30 from Look Human

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Raccoons might not be the first animal you think of when you think of Christmas, but here they are, Santa hats and all. They’re pictured next to the best present a trash panda could ever ask for — a big can of garbage. This sweatshirt is made of a soft fabric and is preshrunk for a great fit. 

$30 from Shinesty

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Saint 'Nicolas' (as in the prolific actor Nic Cage himself) in a cage. You don’t get much more ugly Christmas than that, unless you consider the Chrstmas tree and snowflake pattern that adorns both arms. This sweater features a slim fit so you’ll look your best while you’re turning heads at every Christmas get-together. 

$38 from TeePublic

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Yukon and the Bumble are fitting additions to any Christmas sweater, but the reindeer, snowflake, and present graphics give this piece an outdated look, so it fits solidly into the “ugly” category. You can choose from a crew neck or a lightweight crewneck style that’s ideal if you like to layer your shirts.

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$40 from Spirit Halloween

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This sweater is ugly enough without any special effects. The faded baby blue background, the bold graphics — it’s plenty. But you should know that it actually also plays "Jingle Bells." You’ll be able to sing and dance all night long (if no one kicks you out of the party), and all you need are three AAA batteries to power the sweater. 

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$38 from TeePublic

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Celebrate Christmas with chicken nuggets in this incredibly ugly sweatshirt. If you weren’t sure what those little blobs were, the shirt spells it out for you in big, bold letters that seem to be straight out of a comic book. Choose from eight different sweater colors and sizes from small to 5XL.