The Best Men’s Quarter-Zip Sweaters For 2024
The humble zipper may not seem like a miracle of the modern age—but prior to its invention in 1851 and popularization in the early 1900s, adjusting just about any piece of clothing could be quite a chore. That goes doubly for bags and camping gear, where water-resistant zippers have revolutionized the industry.
So if you want to make it fast and easy to adjust your comfort and temperature levels with your outdoor gear and clothing, look to the zipper. This curated list of sixteen of the best men’s quarter-zip sweaters (and one half-zip sweater) will have you looking great, and feeling even better this winter and spring.
Faherty Movement Quarter Zip
For those days you want to move fast and train hard, the Faherty Movement Quarter Zip should be your go-to. The sweater is made from a blend of tough recycled polyester, sweat-resistant Tencel, and just enough elastane to give it plenty of stretch and flex to keep up with your active lifestyle.
The fabric is also wonderfully soft and smooth against even sensitive skin. It’s got room enough that it’ll be comfortable over a long-sleeved shirt or thermal base layer in the winter, but the addition of tapered sleeves and stand collar make it suitable to wear out to social events when you want to look your most stylish.
Peter Millar Perth Mélange Performance Quarter-Zip
Take to the links in style and comfort with Peter Millar’s Perth Mélange Performance Quarter-Zip. This handsome, sleek quarter-zip sweater is crafted using a velvety loop terry fabric that’s soft against your skin but tough enough to take out on the golf course. The four-way stretch provided by the integrated Spandex ensures it’ll never interfere with your golf swing.
Thanks to its moisture-wicking properties, you’ll stay cool and dry even when the sun is shining down hot. With the classic fit, mock collar, and banded cuffs and hem, it’ll pair perfectly with your favorite golfing slacks and polo.
Luca Faloni Fine Silk-Cashmere Zip-Up
Luca Faloni is a brand renowned for its quality craftsmanship and their Fine Silk-Cashmere Zip-Up lands here in a fall-ready navy blue color. Made in Italy, this product is a blend of 70% premium cashmere and 30% silk, ensuring a soft, luxurious feel against the skin.
The quarter-zip design is suitable for both casual and formal occasions and features a YKK zipper, double-reinforced stitching for longevity, and a modern, tailored fit. The garment undergoes a meticulous crafting process with superior materials via expert artisans in the brand’s Italian workshops and stands as a testament to the brand’s commitment to delivering quality menswear pieces.
Mizzen+Main ProFlex Quarter Zip
For a sweater that’s presentable anytime, anywhere, look towards Mizzen + Main’s ProFlex Quarter Zip. It uses a unique rayon, nylon, and spandex fabric blend to create a sweater with a flattering professional fit—but more importantly, one that resists wrinkles like a champ. That makes it an excellent layering piece to stuff into your bag before heading to work on an unpredictable fall day. And thanks to its midweight warmth and excellent four-way stretch, the ProFlex does a fine job of accommodating all those heavy holiday season meals, too.
LESTRANGE Lightweight Easy Zip Sweater
Made with 100% merino wool, this quarter-zip sweater is warm enough to wear on it’s own in the cooler months, yet breathable enough to wear under a heavier coat during the winter. Thanks to the merino wool design (one of our favorite materials) the pullover maintains a lightweight feel and is ideal for dressing up during the work week and dressing down on the weekends.
Key features of the sweater include its innovative RIRI zip, which ensures easy wearing and removal. Additionally, the sweater’s raglan sleeve design not only provides a relaxed fit but also promotes mobility, suitable for everyday wear. The ribbed cuff and hem further enhance its tailored look.
Tracksmith Downeaster Merino Quarter Zip
Heading out for your chilly-day run? Throw on the Tracksmith Downeaster Merino Quarter Zip and you’ll be ready for the worst the outdoors can throw at you. The sweater is made using largely Merino wool, which is soft, warm, but offers impressive thermoregulating properties so you won’t overheat when you start to sweat.
The addition of polypropylene into the fabric makes it even more breathable and adds moisture-wicking properties to keep you from getting soaked (and chilly) as you settle into your run. The performance fabric is wonderfully light for those cool summer days, makes for a great midlayer beneath a heavy winter parka, and can stand on its own all autumn long.
It’s the most versatile quarter-zip running sweater around, a game-changer for dedicated athletes who refuse to let rain, snow, sleet, or wind stop them from getting in their daily miles.
Orvis Merino Wool Quarter-Zip Sweater 2.0
Made from sustainably produced wool, Orvis’s Merino Wool Quarter-Zip Sweater 2.0 is a big step up in comfort, durability, and breathability. It’s one of those layers that you’ll want to wear all day, every day throughout the fall, thanks to merino wool’s natural temperature regulating abilities—it’ll keep you at just the right comfort levels no matter whether it’s warm or cold outside. But beyond that, this Orvis sweater is quite handsome as well.
A trim but athletic fit is paired with suede detailing at the zipper to give it an attractive professional look and feel, and the rib-knit trim at the collar, hem, and cuffs ensures it won’t be stretching out of shape anytime soon.
Flint and Tinder 10-Year Quarter Zip
There was a time not long ago that the United States was a major—and majorly respected—producer of high quality clothing. And while much of that production may have gone offshore, there are still a handful of brands doing things the old fashioned way right here in the USA. Flint and Tinder is one of those, and their 10-Year Quarter Zip is a fine example of what American-made clothing should look and feel like.
Crafted from a heavy duty 23 ounce South Carolina cotton, it’s then accented with pieces from Georgia and Philadelphia before being sent to Los Angeles for final construction. And true to its name, this is the sort of sweater that will last at least a decade—and that’s backed up by a 10 year guarantee.
Rhone Commuter 1/4 Zip
The Rhone brand has a masterful command over creating workout-ready clothes. And for their more upscale, professional designs, they still carry over a lot of that technical expertise—crafting great looking pieces with performance to match, like their Commuter ¼ Zip. Designed to be worn over their ever-popular Commuter Shirt, it’s made with a knit fabric for comfort and warmth, and a tailored fit that’s best for athletic builds. We like the interior chin guard on the collar too, as it will keep the zipper from bothering you when it’s fully up.
Peter Millar Excursionist Flex Quarter-Zip Pullover
Looking for a more elegant sweater to wear to the country club, golf course, or to a yacht party? The Peter Millar Excursionist Flex Pullover was made just for you. It’s made from primarily Merino wool, which is naturally tough, odor-resistant, temperature-controlling, and moisture-wicking, and which holds its colors well through repeated washes.
The addition of just a hint of nylon and Spandex makes it “performance-rated” so you can trust it’ll hold up on hot, sweaty, and active days. The soft interior is complemented by the smooth exterior, tailored fit, and the casual-yet-classy style. Pair it with chinos and boat shoes or loafers to strike the perfect balance between upscale and down-to-earth.
Land’s End Bedford Rib Quarter Zip Sweater
The Land’s End Bedford Rib Quarter Zip Sweater is built for comfort first and foremost, with practicality coming in a very close second. The cotton and polyester blend is soft and light, but offers excellent protection from the early spring or late autumn chill.
The French rib construction gives it a more elegant look, great for pairing with slacks or chinos and a collar shirt, but the smooth interior won’t rub or catch on your shirt buttons. The fabric has good structure and feels solid without being stuffy or heavy. Wear it out on the town or for a day spent lounging on your couch—it’ll serve you well indoors and outdoors.
Toad & Co. Kennicott Quarter Zip Sweater
The Toad & Co. Kennicott Quarter Zip Sweater is built to serve you well in any active lifestyle, be it filled with adventure, travel, or social engagements. The wool (and reclaimed Italian wool) used in its construction makes it highly versatile and sturdy, providing natural thermoregulation, odor-controlling, and moisture-wicking properties. The addition of polyester adds structure and extra durability.
The interior is cloud-soft and itch-free, great for guys with sensitive or irritation-prone skin, while the outside is velvety to the touch and features an eye-catching, sophisticated finish that makes it the ideal date night sweater. Pair it with your favorite stone-washed or faded jeans and a pair of Chuck Taylors or white leather shoes.
Billy Reid Diamond Quilt Half Zip Sweater
The title may say half-zip, but it wears closer to a quarter-zip sweater. Light yet surprisingly warm, this is the ideal cool-weather sweater for those chilly early spring and late autumn nights. The fabric blends cotton and polyester to make the sweater sturdy as well as versatile, and the relaxed fit allows for great freedom of movement whether you’re walking, hiking, or working.
Details like the quilted pattern, the ribbed cuffs and waist, and the antique brass zipper make it a stylish choice you’ll love wearing as a top layer, but it’s thin enough you won’t feel constricted or stuffy when wearing it beneath a coat or parka during the winter. Pair it with your favorite slacks or chinos to dress it up, or wear it with jeans or running pants for a more laid-back vibe.
Johnnie-O Sully 1/4 Zip Pullover
Just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you have to put your beach-ready style away entirely. In fact, with pieces like Johnnie-O’s Sully ¼ Zip Pullover, you can carry the calm of the sand and the waves with you all the way through the cold season. Made from a cotton and viscose blend (with just enough polyester for durability), it lays smoothly and snugly without ever feeling constricting.
Two details really set it apart from other sweaters, though: A contrast-colored inside collar that looks great when layered with a polo or button down, and a leather zipper pull for the finishing touch.
Kuhl Interceptr 1/4 Zip
Some guys may accuse Kuhl of being overbuilt, what with their dozens of proprietary fabrics and constant addition of details you won’t find in any similar garments. But as far as we’re concerned, there’s definitely a place from Kuhl’s clothes in our closets—because in addition to their crisp looks, each piece of Kuhl clothing performs with amazing reliability in a wide variety of activities and weather conditions.
Their Intercept ¼ Zip is true to this rule, with a performance fleece fabric that’s both incredibly warm and always breathable, articulated sleeves for great range of motion, and specialized stitching for low-bulk seams and a slimmer look and feel.
L.L. Bean Men’s Organic Cotton Quarter Zip Sweater
L.L. Bean is pretty close to being the original American outdoor wear company, and their outerwear continues to impress year after year. Their Organic Cotton Quarter Zip Sweater follows suit—and it’s the heaviest weight zip sweater on this list. A thick waffle-knit structure provides year-round warmth and top notch durability, and the ribbed collar, cuffs, and hem ensure that it will keep its shape admirably. Better yet, it’s one of the few sweaters on this list that’s entirely machine washable, too.
Patagonia Men’s Better Sweater 1/4-Zip Fleece
We’ve saved the Better for last. And lest you think that Patagonia’s being overly confident in naming their Better Sweater ¼-Zip Fleece, one day of wearing it will change your mind. You’ll find these cult classic fleece sweaters everywhere that people love the great outdoors, thanks to their finely tuned blend of comfort, style, warmth, and durability. And since this sweater is made entirely from recycled polyester in Fair Trade Certified factories, it’s not just better for you—it’s also better for the environment, and for the people who make your clothes.
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