Dinosaur Christmas Sweaters: Nine Knitted Designs, and When to Order

An ugly sweater party is a contest nobody admits is a contest, and a dinosaur is a strong entry. We make nine dinosaur Christmas sweaters, all of them knitted, not printed, and each one tells a different joke: a T-rex that can't reach the top of the tree, a T-rex losing a fight with the gift wrap, a pair of pterodactyls standing in for the reindeer. Below is what each design is, which to pick for which party, the sizes and fabric, and the one date that matters most: these are knitted to order overseas, so they need ordering weeks earlier than most Christmas clothes.

Which dinosaur Christmas sweater?

All nine use the same knit, the same unisex fit and the same sizes. The design is the only difference, so pick by the joke and the color.

Every one has a fair-isle band above the hem and cuffs, and the back and sleeves carry the same snowflakes or stars as the front, so it still looks like a Christmas sweater from behind.

For the ugly sweater party

If the point is to get a laugh across the room, pick a design with a punchline.

The Tree Rex ugly Christmas sweater is the one people get from ten feet away: a determined T-rex, tongue out, reaching for the star with arms that were never going to make it. Wrap Rex is the same joke on a different chore, a T-rex wrapped up in its own curly ribbon, on bright royal blue. If you're the one who always ends up wrapping the presents, it's the one to wear.

Fa La La La Roar is the loudest of the nine, a raptor mid-carol with its head thrown back and music notes coming out of its jaws, on burgundy. The Pterodactyl Sleigh Ride is the slow-burn one: it reads as a normal Santa-and-sleigh sweater until someone notices the reindeer have wings and beaks. On a black knit with gold stars, it's also the darkest of the set.

For the family photo, the office or Christmas Day

Some sweaters have to survive a photo your mother will frame, or a full day at work. The gentler designs are cute rather than ridiculous.

Let It Snow puts a brachiosaurus in a striped scarf on a deep violet knit, which looks nothing like the usual red and green. Merry & Bright, a stegosaurus wearing Christmas lights on a cream background, is the lightest-colored of the nine. Santa Rex is the classic: a cheerful T-rex in a Santa hat with a present. Sleighceratops turns a triceratops into a reindeer, red nose and all.

For a group, Santa Hat Dinos is the one that already looks like a group photo: three dinosaurs lined up in Santa hats above a bead garland. And because all nine share the same knit and fit, a family or an office team can each pick a different dinosaur and still look like they planned it.

Knitted, not printed

This is the part that explains the price. The design on each of these sweaters is jacquard-knitted: the colors are separate yarns knitted into the fabric, the way a traditional fair-isle sweater is made, rather than ink printed on the surface. That gives you the textured look a holiday sweater is supposed to have, and there's no print on top to crack or peel.

What the listings say about the knit:

• 55% cotton, 45% polyester
• Fabric weight 13.27 oz/yd² (450 g/m²); the listings call it a lightweight, soft-feel knit
• Unisex classic fit
• Machine washable at 30–40°C (86–104°F)
• May shrink slightly after the first wash

If you want something festive that's softer, cheaper and quicker to arrive, our printed Christmas sweatshirts are a different garment, fleece rather than knit, from $34.99. We compared them in our guide to dinosaur sweatshirts, and they're in the same collection.

Sizes, fit and price

All nine sweaters come in nine sizes, 3XS through 3XL. They're $79.99 in most sizes and up to $83.99 in the largest.

The fit is unisex and classic. The store's advice is to order your usual size for a relaxed look, and to size up if you're between sizes or plan to wear a shirt underneath. Check the size chart on the listing before ordering. Because the knit can shrink a little in its first wash, sizing up is the safer mistake.

There's no children's knit sweater in the range yet. The smallest size is an adult 3XS.

When to order for Christmas

This is where knitted sweaters are different from almost everything else we sell. Each sweater is knitted when you order it, at our production partner's facility in China, and then shipped to you. The listings quote 7–14 days to make it and 6–9 days to ship it, and the two add together.

To be safe, we counted those as working days, took the longest end of both ranges, skipped Thanksgiving Day, and worked back from delivery by Monday, December 21:

These are our estimates from the ranges on the listings, not a delivery promise. Standard shipping is US-only, and you'll get a tracking number when your order moves from production to shipping. The searches for dinosaur Christmas sweaters peak in December, which is too late for these, so if there's a party on the calendar, order now.

Questions people ask

Are these real knitted sweaters or printed sweatshirts? The nine sweaters are knitted, with the design knitted into the fabric. The collection also has three printed crewneck sweatshirts, which are clearly labeled as sweatshirts.

Is there a men's or a women's version? Every design is unisex, in one fit, 3XS–3XL.

Do you make a kids' dinosaur Christmas sweater? Not in knit. The range is adult sizes only for now.

Will it shrink? It may shrink slightly after the first wash. Wash at 30–40°C (86–104°F) and check the care label.

Can I still get one for Christmas if I order in December? Probably not in time. Order by November 17 to be safe. If it's December already, a printed sweatshirt is quicker: its listing quotes up to about two working weeks, made and shipped.

What about the rest of the outfit? For Christmas morning, our dinosaur Christmas pajamas come in one print for the whole family.

See all nine

Every design, plus the printed sweatshirts, is in the Dinosaur Ugly Christmas Sweaters collection. Pick your dinosaur, check the size chart, and order by November 17.