I had high expectations for Reigning Champ, given my previous experience, and I’m not surprised at all with how nice this zip-up is. And while I’m partial to the standard fit, it’s also available in a slim fit version, too.

Best Budget Zip-Up Hoodie: Hanes EcoSmart Fleece Full-Zip Hoodie

Hoodies were originally meant for sportswear, as warm up gear before a grueling game of football. These days, they’re more often worn for lounging on the couch to watch the kickoff. And if you want to kick it in comfort while saving your pennies for booze and amuse bouche for the big game with the boys, the best budget zip up hoodie to buy is Hanes’ EcoSmart zip hoodie. The fit is spot on—relaxed, but not sloppy, comfy in the body and the sleeves without swallowing you like a sand pit.

The fit is impressive for the price, and the overall quality means you’re getting a little more than what you pay for. It’s not a hoodie that’ll last you for too long, but it is a good quality piece for just 15 bucks. And when other hoodies offer lesser quality and worse-fitting options for about the same price? The answer is clear.

Best Fashion Zip-Up Hoodie: Our Legacy Level Hoodie

Hoodies live in a universe well beyond the sportswear world from which they originated. And while we still enjoy the OGs and the classics that made the hoodie a bona fide menswear must-have, we also love seeing all the ways the style has been pushed, tweaked, and freaked. Our Legacy’s Level Hood has been a successful avenue for the Stockholm-based brand to explore the limits of the hoodie and this particular version strikes a delicate balance between the freaky and the fashion-curious. It’s made of an English wool knit into an all-over ribbed texture for a throwback ’90s feel. The cropped, boxy silhouette and elongated sleeves harken back to the grunge-y era, while the sultry dual-tone nightshade colorway throws you off in the best way possible.

Best Cropped Zip-Up Hoodie: Abercrombie & Fitch Essential Cropped Zip Hoodie

Menswear influencers will be happy to regale you with their TedTalk on the golden ratio of clothing proportions. Essentially, that means your outfit should be divided into three equal sections where the top takes up one third of the outfit. Basically, your tops should be cropped and sit closer to your natural waist. Follow it up with some high-waisted pants with a wide silhouette and you’ve instantly garnered 300K views on TikTok (RIP). With so many indie brands and influencers scrambling to make their own versions of “the perfect cropped hoodie” you’re probably tired of wading through all the choices. Do yourself a favor and go to Abercrombie.

The Moose’s version is backed by actual trend forecasters, actual designers, and actual fit models. What does that mean, exactly? It means that its cropped zip hoodie fits really well and uses surprisingly beefy fabric. It was a revelation for me, too—Abercrombie wasn’t a name I associated with hoodies, but after I saw this in person, I had to readjust my menswear word cloud.

Best Heavyweight Zip-Up Hoodie: Camber Heavyweight Hoodie

Some of the best zip-up hoodies for men are made by a brand you never see in brick and mortar stores. Camber has been crafting the most durable sweats for decades, right here in America and have been the shining example of the difference between good quality and great quality. Sure, you have to order through an old-school web 1.0 website and wait for several weeks to actually get your hoodie. But trust us when we say that the relatively minor inconvenience is completely worth it.