15 Best Sustainable Chunky Knit Cardigans You'll Love

The best heavy knitted cardigans are comfortable, affordable, fashionable, sustainable, and made from super-soft, eco-friendly organic or recycled materials.

They feature a flattering V-neck line, long sleeves, button plackets, and a thick, fresh, original design that screams modernity and sustainability.

If you are interested in fashionable warm clothing, choose ethically made and cruelty-free pieces that protect animals, the environment, and workers in the fashion supply chain.

Many knitwear brands create reasonably cheap and eco-friendly ribbed cardigans with a cozy, comfy, and timeless fit. They offer high-quality, responsibly made pieces for the cold season.

Check out our selection below of the best sustainable chunky knit cardigans made under high social and environmental standards.

Panaprium is proud to be 100% independent, free of any influence, and not sponsored. We carefully handpick products from brands we trust. Thank you so much for buying something through our link, as we may earn a commission that supports us.

1. Reformation Cable Knit Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, knitwear, outerwear, swimwear, activewear, loungewear, underwear
For: Women
From: Los Angeles, California, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, Fair Trade, carbon-neutral
Prices: $10-$220

Reformation is a sustainable clothing brand that ethically makes chunky knit cardigans from organic cotton. It offers a collection of stylish, comfy, eco-friendly knitwear for petite up to extended sizes.

The clothing retailer designs effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure with the most beautiful and sustainable fabrics possible. It pays attention to minimizing its social and environmental impacts.

Reformation uses sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled cotton, linen, and Tencel lyocell. It also makes some of its clothes with upcycled and recycled materials, such as regenerated nylon or deadstock fabrics.

Six of its suppliers have attained a social compliance certification like Fair Trade, SA8000, or WRAP. They are working to increase participation in social certification programs to ensure good working conditions.

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2. Everlane Oversized Ribbed Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, knitwear, outerwear, activewear, underwear, bags, shoes, accessories
For: Women, men
From: San Francisco, California, United States
Values: Organic, recycled
Prices: $10-$130

Everlane is an ethical fashion brand creating modern and beautiful essentials, at the best factories, without traditional markups. It's a great destination to buy high-quality, affordable, sustainable, chunky knit cardigans.

The clothing retailer is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and sells primarily online. It uses a high proportion of sustainable and vegan materials such as organic cotton and recycled fabrics.

The apparel brand also offers ethically made and designed-to-last knitwear and accessories for women and men. It believes in exceptional quality to make a difference.

Everlane is widely known for its radical transparency. It educates consumers on its supply chain, factories, employees, and the price breakdown of each product.

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3. Tentree Sunbeam Button Cardigan

Category: Basics, knitwear, loungewear, outerwear, bags, accessories
For: Women, men, children
From: Vancouver, Canada
Values: Organic, B Corp, recycled, give back
Prices: $40-$70

Tentree is an Earth-first fashion brand designing durable and affordable chunky knit cardigans for a healthy, sustainable world with recycled materials and organic fabrics such as cotton and hemp.

The sustainable fashion brand is B Corp certified and partners with global charitable organizations to plant trees and rehabilitate natural ecosystems.

Tentree aims to guide you on your journey and empower you to do your best when it comes to the environment. It already planted over 80 million trees and restored land in over eight countries.

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4. PACT Long Cardigan

Category: Basics, knitwear, loungewear, activewear, underwear, sleepwear, maternity
For: Women, men, children
From: Boulder, Colorado, United States
Values: Organic, Fair Trade, recycled
Prices: $20-$170

PACT is a leading sustainable fashion brand using organic fabrics and fair trade factories to design stylish essential clothing. It creates ethical and fashionable organic cotton cardigans for the whole family.

The fair trade clothing brand chooses the best ingredients, such as organic cotton and recycled materials, to make the best clothes. It promotes organic and ethical clothing for everyday use.

PACT considers the people who make the clothes as significant as those who wear them. It encourages people to care about what they put in their bodies and what they put on their bodies.

PACT designs fair trade clothes that are affordable, practical, comfortable, and effortless. It offers ethical alternatives that fit the lifestyle of conscious consumers because doing good should be easy.

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5. La Maison Simons Loose Knit Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, outerwear, knitwear, activewear, swimwear, loungewear, underwear, sleepwear, bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry
For: Women, men, children
From: Quebec City, Canada
Values: Organic, recycled
Prices: $10-$280

La Maison Simons is a Canadian fashion retailer and creator of sustainable knitwear. It offers many affordable and sustainable chunky knit cardigans designed in Canada. It also makes some of its clothes locally.

The Canadian clothing brand creates knitwear that combines style and durability by adhering to high social and environmental standards. It uses sustainable fabrics made from 100% organic cotton and linen.

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6. Etsy Lightweight Boho Cardigan

Category: Clothing, bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry
For: Women, men, children
From: NYC, New York, United States
Values: Natural, vintage, independent sellers
Prices: $10-$210

Etsy is an American e-commerce website focused on hand-made or vintage fashion items, homeware, and craft supplies. It offers a wide range of cute, affordable, and organic chunky knit cardigans.

Many independent sellers list cozy, eco-friendly, and comfy knitwear and basics on Etsy. The marketplace is very active and widely recognized as the most trusted vintage store.

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7. Toad&Co Bianca Cardigan

Category: Basics, outerwear, knitwear, accessories
For: Women, men
From: Santa Barbara, California, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, vegan
Prices: $50-$120

Toad&Co is a sustainable fashion brand making socially and environmentally committed outdoor clothes. The label creates cute and affordable chunky knit cardigans from recycled and organic cotton.

Toad&Co aims to make a difference and clean up a dirty apparel industry, educate people on sustainable practices, and inspire folks to live their best lives.

The brand believes in sustainability and spontaneity because every day is an adventure. It uses eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton, hemp, Tencel, and recycled fabrics to make affordable clothes.

Toad&Co offers a large selection of sustainable and vegan outdoor wear and equipment, ethically made with cruelty-free and eco-friendly materials.

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8. People Tree Bridget Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, loungewear, activewear, knitwear, outerwear, underwear, sleepwear, accessories, jewelry
For: Women
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Organic, Fair Trade, recycled, artisan craft, give back
Prices: $30-$120

People Tree is an online garment retailer making sustainable chunky knit cardigans from environmentally friendly materials, including Fair Trade, GOTS-certified organic cotton, and Tencel lyocell.

People Tree became the first fashion company to receive the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) product label in 2013. It guarantees dedication and compliance with the Fair Trade principles.

People Tree is committed to working with disadvantaged farmers and workers to promote fairer trading conditions. It helps combat poverty and employs people in underserved communities around the world.

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9. ABLE Boyfriend Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, knitwear, outerwear, bags, accessories, shoes, jewelry
For: Women
From: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Values: Organic, artisan craft
Prices: $50-$90

ABLE is a sustainable clothing brand working with worldwide communities to stop the cycle of poverty by producing slow fashion and paying a living wage to women.

The label makes beautiful, functional, affordable, sustainable, chunky knit cardigans for everyday wear. It uses eco-friendly materials such as certified organic cotton, lyocell, and linen for its collections.

ABLE believes in progress over perfection and aims to be transparent and accountable to end poverty in the fashion industry. It publishes on its website the lowest worker wages of its manufacturing partners.

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10. Thought Fluffy Pointelle Cardigan

Category: Basics, knitwear, outerwear, loungewear, underwear, sportswear, nightwear, accessories
For: Women, men
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Organic, recycled, give back
Prices: $10-$50

Thought is a fashion label offering ethically-made and sustainable chunky knit cardigans. It creates stylish and affordable knitwear for women and men with eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and hemp.

Thought creates timeless pieces in a flattering shape and breathable fabric that work wherever you are. The organic brand offers many pure cotton and vegan options.

Thought is committed to responsible design, ethical sourcing, and fostering change. It aims to show there are more sustainable ways to live, dress, and be.

Thought supports TRAID, a UK charity that works to minimize, improve, and transform the environmental impact of clothing manufacturing. Send your clothes back to TRAID to support the people and places making your clothing.

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11. NA-KD Ribbed Knitted Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, outerwear, knitwear, underwear, swimwear, nightwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Gothenburg, Sweden
Values: Organic, recycled
Prices: $20-$30

NA-KD is a top next-generation fashion marketplace, a mobile-based online shopping sanctuary for fashion addicts. It offers affordable, stylish, and sustainable chunky knit cardigans made from organic cotton.

NA-KD sells many different clothing labels at various price points and designs a range of cute and fashionable clothes, footwear, and accessories under its brand.

The NA-KD brand is one of the fastest-growing on social media. It regularly partners with influencers to launch new collections, such as Andrea Hedenstedt, Anika Teller, Astrid Olsen, Camille Botten, Dilara Avci, Pamela Reif, and Kristin Sundberg, and more.

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12. Boden Crochet Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, knitwear, outerwear, swimwear, loungewear, sleepwear, shoes, bags, accessories, jewelry
For: Women, men, children
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Organic, recycled, give back, inclusive
Prices: $90-$110

Boden is a British clothing retailer selling high-quality and sustainable chunky knit cardigans. It uses a large proportion of sustainable materials such as better cotton.

Boden takes climate change seriously and is taking steps to reduce its environmental impacts, such as using regenerated fibers to make its clothes.

The clothing label also donates to numerous charities to support vulnerable families, educate young people, and empower workers in fashion supply chains.

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13. Kowtow Henri Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, loungewear, knitwear, outerwear, sleepwear, swimwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Values: Organic, Fairtrade, recycled
Prices: $60-$120

Kowtow is an ethical fashion brand that creates sustainable, affordable, natural, timeless, chunky knit cardigans from non-toxic, organic, renewable, and biodegradable materials.

The clothing label strives to create positive change by designing each fabric in-house from the yarn with unique weave, weight, stitch, color, and prints.

Kowtow believes in responsible production processes and designs its collections with the entire lifecycle in mind. It uses responsibly sourced materials to achieve a minimal identity through simplicity and circularity.

Kowtow sources cotton certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). It empowers farmers to negotiate with buyers to secure better prices. The brand pays a premium on every single cotton garment.

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14. Hessnatur Organic Cotton Cardigan

Category: Basics, denim, underwear, loungewear, activewear, outerwear, sleepwear, shoes, bags, accessories
For: Women, men, children
From: Butzbach, Germany
Values: Organic, recycled
Prices: $40-$170

Hessnatur is an eco-friendly clothing brand making affordable and sustainable chunky knit cardigans that respect the environment and people, using organic and natural fabrics.

Hessnatur creates ethical and vegan knitwear for women, men, and children using only eco-friendly materials and processes. It designs a wide range of cardigans using organic cotton and linen that protect your skin and the environment.

The brand is committed to sustainable fashion that respects natural resources and high-quality and timeless design. It makes sure to care for the people who make their clothes.

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15. Emerson Fry V Neck Cardigan

Category: Basics, outerwear, knitwear, loungewear
For: Women
From: NYC, New York, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, zero-waste, made in the USA
Prices: $50-$240

Emerson Fry is a fashion brand that makes beautiful and comfy clothes that enhance your enjoyment of life. It offers comfortable and sustainable chunky knit cardigans made in Los Angeles from organic cotton.

Emerson Fry believes in the beauty of the individual. Its eco-friendly garments are made to order with sustainable dyes and natural fabrics such as organic cotton, linen, and hemp.

Emerson Fry is a small, family-owned business that focuses on limited collections. It consciously creates beautiful clothes made to last to reflect the women who wear them.

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Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.