19 Best Knitted Polo Shirts 2023: Retro-Doused Polos From Beams, Todd Snyder, and More

The best knitted polo shirts combine the most winning elements of two of the trustiest menswear staples already in your closet. The sweater, as you might know, is renowned for its uncanny ability to render its wearer supremely cozy without sacrificing an iota of respectability in the process. The polo, on the other hand, is a shirt that dads and dad-types have turned to on the weekends and on golf courses since the dawn of time. 

Back in the days of goodfellas like Henry Hill, short-sleeve knitted polo shirts in lightweight fabrics (sometimes embellished with bold patterns) were a go-to. Thankfully, the style gods have brought them back right as a new wave of old man style is reaching a fever pitch. Whether you’re on your Don Draper tip, woefully posturing your way through country club life, or simply looking for something else to wear besides a graphic tee this summer, the best knitted polo shirts in the biz deliver in a big way. Here are 19 options worth familiarizing yourself with STAT. 

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The Best Knit Polos Shopping Guide 

• The Best Beginner-Level Knit Polo: Abercrombie “Johnny” collar sweater polo, $60
• The Best Long-Sleeve Knit Polo: Todd Snyder cotton-linen pocket polo, $348
• The Best No-Frills Knit Polo: John Smedley “Roth” Sea Island cotton polo, $250
• The Best Zip-Up Knit Polo: Beams jacquard zip-up cardigan polo, $195
• The Best Designer Knit Polo: Bode lattice polo, $735
• The Best Knit Polo That’s More Knit Than Polo: J.Crew cotton cable-knit cardigan polo, $98
• The Best Red Carpet-Ready Knit Polo: Percival cabin weave polo, $225
• The Best Links-Ready Polo: Metalwood abstract knit polo, $128

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The Best Beginner Level Knit Polo

If you’re a little timid about diving into the texture-heavy deep end of the knit polo market, Abercrombie’s enormous selection of stylish, sub-$100 options can help you test the waters without breaking the bank. This particular option is not only easy on the wallet, but because it’s on the more minimal side—single color, buttonless design—its integration into your wardrobe doesn’t require a full style overhaul. And should you learn to the love the vibe, the resurgent mall brand has a stock room’s worth of attention-grabby options to help you double (or triple) down on the look down the line.

The Best Long-Sleeve Knit Polo

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: few garments are more handsome-inducing than a long-sleeve knit polo. Push up the sleeves, throw on a pair of chinos and loafers, and you’ve got yourself a look that can (and we’ve definitely said this before) take you from the boardroom to the bar and back again. This Todd Snyder number is crafted from an airy linen-cotton blend that will keep you cool and comfortable even in the sweltering heat. Its slightly loose cut works well over over slacks or tucked into light wash denim, thanks to an elegant drape that looks plenty polished.

The Best No-Frills Knit Polo

The core benefits of the knit polo are rather simple: comfort, style, and instant outfit-elevating powers. None do all three quite as well as this sea island cotton (code for “cloud-like soft”) version from John Smedley, a company that’s been in the knitwear game for a solid two centuries. This deceptively simple-looking polo is cut slim, but not so tight that it’ll show off any ab imprints, and the charcoal gray color is formal enough to wear to the office but won’t look out of place once you clock out for drinks at the bar down the street.

The Best Zip-Up Knit Polo

So you’ve already (wisely) decided to separate yourself from the pique polo masses. Why not take it a step further by reaching for a polo that also ditches the traditional button placket in favor of a full-length zipper? Even better, this shirt comes from Japan’s somehow-still-flying-under-the-radar Beams Plus, a brand whose take on American prep is often more interesting than what we’ve got to offer stateside. Case in point? In addition to the aforementioned zipper, we also dig this polo’s unapologetically country-club-ready argyle pattern that’ll have you swaggering around like a modern day Arnold Palmer in no time.

The Best Designer Knit Polo

If you’ve just checked the weather app and realized it’s going to be, like, tropics-level hot for the next few weeks, the last thing you want is to expend undue energy worrying about what to wear. Short of going shirtless, your best bet to beat the heat is a loose-gauge knit—like, say, the one immediately above. Bode’s polo flirts with sheerness but feels buttoned-up enough to wear on a Summer Friday under a linen blazer (or any other day of the week, if you work at one of those lax creative agencies, or, uh, this magazine). The horizontal stripes lend it a retro vibe that feels extremely cool in 2023, while the ribbed hem and cuffs keep the relaxed silhouette looking neat. 

The Best Knit Polo That’s More Knit Than Polo

Should the words “cable knit” immediately conjure up pastel V-necks draped over some trust fund kid’s shoulders, we can’t say we blame you. But as J.Crew continues to prove, prep’s latest permutation is all about remixing stuffy classics for the modern age. This knit polo is a prime example: It still boasts the intricate swirling pattern that’ll help you clank glasses with the yacht club crowd, but a handsome, navy blue for rubbing shoulders with the downtown cool kids, too. The full-placket design also lets you choose your own adventure with how to wear it—fully buttoned and tucked into a pair J.Crew’s buzzy Giant-Fit chinos, or worn open over a ribbed tank top with your most thrashed pair of jeans.

The Best Red Carpet-Ready Knit Polo

Want a polo with serious star power? Upstart London imprint Percival knows a thing or two about that—last year their “Impressionist” knit polo went gangbusters after Chris Evans showed up to The Gray Man premiere wearing the brand’s now-famous multi-hued style. They’ve since re-issued the Captain America special, but we’re also feeling their new crop of options, particularly this snazzy zig-zag number. (You know who else is? Adonis Creed himself.) The pattern evokes the groovy carpeting of some swanky ’60s crash pad, which, when combined with Hollywood’s current favorite shirt, mean it’s guaranteed to garner you the kind of double-takes usually reserved exclusively for A-listers.

The Best Links-Ready Knit Polo

You’re a cool guy who likes to golf, and your fits should reflect that. Thankfully, there’s more ways than ever to skip the drab, ill-fitting khakis and mesh-y pique polos that used to dominate the links. Metalwood’s abstract knit would bee equally at home at country club or at a 3 a.m. rave. The loose fit lets you sweat it out in style, while the neutral colorway keeps things interesting without veering into the chaotic.

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Plus 13 More Knit Polos We Love