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Think of the best knit polo shirts as the granddaddy of all polos, and not just because your grandpa probably loves 'em. Polo shirts in general are a great style equalizer—they help everyone look like they have their act together even if they're still figuring it out—and from scuzzy long-sleeve riffs to GQ-coded pique joints to burly scrum-ready rugbys, there’s one for every season and occasion. Only one particular polo takes its wearer from athlete to A-lister, though: The knit polo. Custom Printed Polar Fleece Fabric
Typically crafted from blends of cotton, merino wool, or cashmere, it's a wardrobe staple with endless styling possibilities. (If you aren't sure where to start, watch a few episodes of Mad Men to get the creative juices flowing.) Whether you’re in dire need of a little old-Hollywood glamor or just looking for an alternative to your scuzziest tee, we've curated the absolute best knit polo shirts for men immediately below.
Take Me To: More Knit Polos We Love | How We Review Products | How We Make These Picks | What to Look for in a Great Knit Polo
Just as black and gray suits take a backseat to navy, a long-sleeved navy knit polo is exactly where you want your collection to start. The color is laid-back enough to rock with a denim jacket, but polished enough—especially when long-sleeved—to hold its own under a corduroy blazer. Honestly, it's almost impossible to brick a fit with this specific knit.
J.Crew's version is spun from sustainable cashmere and clocks in at just under $200—a steal for the fabric, the fit, and that feel-good, eco-friendly boost. With its classic three-button placket, you can leave one button undone for a “middle of fall semester vibe” or go full Mick Jagger with all three open under a dinner jacket. Plus, that ribbed hem stops things right at the belt—because nothing kills confidence like a polo that droops where it shouldn’t.
For over 200 years, John Smedley has been producing some of the most handsome knit polos out there, all thanks to their meticulous quality and craftsmanship. They call their extra fine Merino wool "nature's wonder fiber"—sourced straight from New Zealand and spun into this dashing smoke-blue polo. Now, about that fit: it’s wonderfully relaxed and feather-light, with 30-gauge Merino wool that feels as smooth as Egyptian cotton on the skin. What the hell even is 30-gauge in the clothing world? It’s a measure of knit tightness—think 30 stitches per inch—which makes for a thin, drapey fabric that moves with you. Case in point: this polo. Pair it with a white blazer, an ascot, and a set of Moscot frames, and you’ll be channeling Reynolds Woodcock from Phantom Thread—minus the drama, but keeping all the style.
Smokey Robinson’s hits with Motown just kept rolling in, and I imagine that’s how Abercrombie feels right now—they can’t miss. The brand’s on a winning streak, nailing everything from jeans to suits, and now this full-button sweater polo. The subtle cable stitching is cleverly woven into a striped design that brings to mind retro bowling alleys, and we’re here for it. You can layer it over a ribbed tank or an obscure band tee, or button it up for that charming “good boy” vibe. Even better, with a cotton-nylon-viscose blend, you can skip the dry cleaner and simply toss it in the wash—though it’s probably wisest to hang-dry.
Japanese label Beams Plus must have had Goodfellas-era Ray Liotta (RIP) on their mood boards for this one. A cotton-wool blend, it’ll keep you plenty warm, and those perfectly contrasting vertical stripes are also an understated power move: Because they’re vertical (always go vertical, never horizontal) they elongate your frame, helping you feel like even more of a boss in this piece than you already would. It would be an absolute killer paired with relaxed blue jeans or black dress pants alike.
British clothing purveyor Percival makes one of the best rain-repellent trench coats, and is a favorite of celebrity stylist (Chris Evans, The Rock, Ryan Reynolds) Ilaria Urbanati. Maybe it’s the brand’s down-to-earth vibe or their unexpected colors and patterns, but their polos are perfectly dialed in: Take their bevel-knit shirt. It’s got that “reupholstered 1970s sofa” look, in a great way. The warm walnut color practically radiates autumn, and those geometric shapes? Just the right level of bold. This piece has one of the most relaxed fits on the list, so treat it like a shirt jacket. Pair it with neutral hues like an ecru pair of trousers or cream tee, and you’ll be fully leaned into pumpkin spice season.
Auralee has the clout right now as one of the brands to watch—even though they've been around since 2015. Known for their dedication to fabric innovation and quality, designer Ryota Iwai teams up with mills across Japan, Italy, and beyond to bring his neutral-toned collections to life.
So, how do you become the "it" brand of the moment? Easy—make great stuff, plain and simple. This mohair-wool blend knit is a case in point. It’s extremely soft, with glossy buttons for that “fasten whenever you feel like it” vibe. The camel color takes what could be an impractical, avant-garde knit polo and gives it a bit of real-world appeal. From a distance, it might pass as a standard sweater polo, but up close? It’s pure, textured magic.
We've been giving buttons the boot for a while now—so why stop here? Made from 100% cashmere in a shade the brand lovingly calls "hazelnutty," we wouldn’t mind spreading this color across our entire autumn wardrobe.
Buck Mason’s one of those rare brands where no matter what you grab, it all just clicks together. This light oat shade? It looks (and sounds) like something you'd toss in your morning joe, while the sweater's softness practically begs to be layered over a fresh white tee.
Colorful, soft to the touch, and uber-relaxed—this knit polo from Banana Republic has it all. The yellow hue is like something Kurt Cobain might’ve rocked during his MTV Unplugged session, and the collar? It’s one of the most exaggerated on the list, begging for a close-up. This beauty would look fantastic layered under a wool topcoat, or with a quilted vest thrown over for good measure.
If Monopoly money were real, it wouldn’t be spent on getting out of jail—it’d be used to buy everything from Stòffa. Their indulgent mohair-wool-silk blend is paired here with a deep open placket that lets your chest hair flow, should you be so lucky. And if not, an espresso brown T-shirt will do the trick.
Howlin’ does the damn knitwear thang. Made in Scotland from 100% wool and always in eye-catching colors—in this case dragonfly—they’re bringing surprise back to established sweater cuts. Pair it with some toasted corduroy pants.
Besides making one of our favorite T-shirts, Los Angeles-based Lady White Co. has also answered the call with this knit polo. The thick jersey fabric has the comfort of sweats, but LWC’s fashion-minded cut makes it look so much sharper, even as you’re swaddled in total comfort. Plus, they’ve opted for a two-press stud placket instead of buttons—because who needs the extra hassle of a button when you can snap your way to style?
Carter Altman is the young American menswear designer to know. (Even if he wasn’t dressing A-listers like Ethan Hawke, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Mescal, his quiet Americana designs would still make an impression.) Take this understated polo, a cozy wool-acrylic blend with football paneling around the shoulders that gives you strongman shoulders whether you have them or not.
How We Test and Review Products
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
How We Make These Picks
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)
What to Look for in a Great Knit Polo
Knit polos are already plenty versatile, but you can maximize that versatility by opting for neutral tones like navy, olive, and gray, or looking for earthy hues and subtle patterns like understated stripes or small prints. And don’t forget about the collar—a little structure up top is essential. A sturdy, slightly spread collar offers a dressier vibe and stands up beautifully under a jacket, while a softer collar can lean a touch too casual, like your friend who showed up to brunch in sweatpants.
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