3XL Hoodies: Chest Sizes, Zip-Ups and Where 3X Fits In

A 3XL hoodie is cut for about a 54 to 56 inch chest at Westport Big & Tall and a 56 inch chest on Carhartt’s chart. Tall versions, 3XLT or 3XT, keep the same chest and add sleeve and body length. A women’s 3X is a different size: 51.5 to 54 inches of bust at Dia & Co.

3XL is a size both regular and big and tall lines carry: Carhartt’s regular K121 runs to 4XL, and Champion’s big and tall Powerblend includes 3XL. Here is how to read the size, the styles worth knowing and what changes in the tall and women’s versions. For the full size ladder, start at the hoodie size guide.

What does a 3XL fit, in inches?

These are body measurements, the size of you, not of the hoodie. A hoodie adds its own room on top, which is why a relaxed or loose fit feels roomier than the chart number suggests.

Which hoodies come in 3XL?

Size lists from the makers’ own pages:

• Carhartt Loose Fit Midweight Sweatshirt (K121). Regular sizes run up to 4XL and tall sizes from L to 3XL. Carhartt lists most colors as a 10.5-ounce, 50% cotton and 50% polyester blend.
• Champion Powerblend Hoodie, Big & Tall. Champion’s big and tall listing offers 3XL, 3XB and 3XLT among its sizes, in what it calls a midweight fleece made to reduce pilling and shrinkage.
• Gildan Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt (18500). A common blank for printed hoodies. Gildan’s retail page lists sizes up to 5XL and an 8.0 oz/yd² cotton and polyester fleece, so a printed design you like may well come in 3XL if the seller stocks it.

Size availability changes by color, and Gildan notes that not every size comes in every color.

3XL hoodies: pullover, zip-up and heavyweight

Shop 3XL hoodies→

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• PulloverBrowse →
• Zip-upBrowse →
• Women's 3XBrowse →
• HeavyweightBrowse →

Pullover or zip-up?

A pullover has a single kangaroo pocket and nothing to snag, and it keeps its shape across the chest. A zip-up is easier to put on over a shirt, can be worn open when the chest feels close, and lets you adjust warmth through the day. If your chest sits at the top of a size range, a zip-up worn open gives you more room than the same size in a pullover. Women’s zip-ups in plus sizes have their own page: plus-size zip-up hoodies.

Heavyweight, fleece-lined or regular?

Weight changes how a hoodie feels. A heavier fabric is thicker and warmer; a lighter one layers more easily under a jacket. Makers state weight in ounces per square yard or in grams per square meter, and the fabric guide explains how to compare the two. For the warmest option, a sherpa or fleece-lined hoodie adds a pile lining inside the shell.

Where does a women’s 3X fit in?

A women’s 3X at Dia & Co is US 22/24 with a 51.5 to 54 inch bust and a 53.5 to 56 inch hip. On a unisex chart, that bust lands between a 2XL and a 3XL. If you wear a women’s 3X and want a unisex hoodie, the 3XL usually gives room at the bust; check the hip against the hem width if the listing gives one. Women’s plus cuts in 2X to 6X sit in the slot below.

Women's 3X and other plus-size hoodies

Shop women's hoodies in 2X to 6X→

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• 2XBrowse →
• 3XBrowse →
• 4XBrowse →
• 5X and 6XBrowse →

Keeping a 3XL at 3XL

A hoodie that fits in the store can lose length after a few hot washes. Whirlpool names hot water, agitation in the washer and overdrying as the main causes of cotton shrinking, and notes that cotton typically shrinks most in its first wash. For a cotton-rich hoodie, a cool wash on a gentle cycle and a low-heat or air dry keep it closer to the size you bought. Blends are less likely to shrink.

3XL in sweatshirts, quarter zips and crewnecks

Within one brand, a 3XL crewneck sweatshirt, quarter zip and hoodie are usually cut from the same size chart, so the chest measurement you used for the hoodie carries over. The differences are at the neck and hem: a crewneck has no hood weight pulling at the back, and a quarter zip opens at the neck. If you like the fit of a 3XL hoodie from one maker, its 3XL crewneck is the safest second purchase.

How to buy a 3XL hoodie that fits

1. Measure your chest at the fullest point, over a shirt, with the tape level.
2. Find the chart on the listing and the size whose range covers your number.
3. Check sleeve length if the chart has one, and choose tall if you usually push sleeves up because they are too short.
4. Read the fabric line. A cotton-heavy hoodie is more likely to shrink in the dryer than a blend; the fabric guide explains why.
5. Keep the receipt or check the return window before you remove tags.