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The Best Sweatpants to Wear Everywhere

Whether you’re lounging on the couch or lunging for a loose ball, this mix of sweatpants features pairs that work at-home and outside.

collage of three pairs of sweatpants Outerknown, Everlane, Richer Poorer

By Evan Malachosky

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Sweatpants are the epitome of casual that don’t need to remain at home. The best sweatpants are comfortable enough for a day inside, but stand ready to step out. They come in all kinds of materials, from all-cotton fleece-back jersey to super comfy tri-blend concoctions or high-end cashmere and velour versions are among more stylish sweatpants options.

Products in the Guide

  • Best Overall Sweatpants: Richer Poorer Recycled Fleece Tapered Sweatpant

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  • Best Upgrade Sweatpants: Todd Snyder x Champion Midweight Slim Jogger Sweatpant

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  • Best Affordable Sweatpants: Italic Midweight Sweatpants

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  • Best Everyday Sweatpants: Outerknown Sur Sweatpants

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  • Best Textured Sweatpants: Taylor Stitch The Après Pant

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  • Best Thick Sweatpants: Everlane ReTrack Sweatpant

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Whether you’re headed out with a slim pair and rare sneakers or are staying in laissez-faire style, loose and lounge-y with your favorite slippers, these are some of our favorite sweatpants.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

Pros

  • Recycled polyester has a more broken-in feeling than virgin synthetics
  • Ribbed cuffs and waistband lend a more put-together style

Cons

  • Users say you must size up for a cozier fit
  • Sizing is inconsistent among colors
  • Country of Manufacture: Indonesia
  • Fit: Classic
  • Material(s): 60% cotton, 40% recycled polyester
  • Colors: Black, heather gray, blue nights, dark oak

Richer Poorer’s sweats look like a successful vintage score — like super soft, worn-in sweatpants colleges would assign to student athletes before college sports became a trillion dollar business. (And long before Nike or Jordan sponsored athletes, too.) They have a unique faded gray color to them, and super soft, relaxed-fit legs. Plus, they’re made from 40 percent recycled polyester, which means each pair diverts 40 water bottles from the landfill. The mixture of recycled polyester and cotton reinforces its strength while maintaining a loose, broken-in fit.

Pros

  • Slim, tailored fit is a contemporary silhouette for the sweatpant
  • Heavy 18-ounce french terry for cozy fit

Cons

  • Sizing runs small, and users say it’s hard to find the perfect fit
  • Only two pockets
  • Country of Manufacture: Vietnam
  • Fit: Slim
  • Material(s): 100% cotton
  • Color: Black

Todd Snyder’s ongoing collaboration with Champion has produced modern-day classics, not the least of which is its luxurious sweatpant. Crafted using a hefty French terry fabric, the cut is tailored as perfectly as its famed suits.

“Quality and fit are of the utmost importance when designing our collections,” Snyder says of his sweats. “We work with the most renowned, best-in-class mills and manufacturers around the world, like Champion Sportswear – a partnership I’ve grown for a decade now. It’s not about catching the latest trends, it’s about creating a product that will stand the test of time and will keep people coming back for more season after season.”

Pros

  • Users say they’re ultra comfortable and soft
  • Zipper front pockets prevent goods from falling out

Cons

  • Hard to nail down sizing, according to user reviews
  • Too tight in the thighs for some
  • Country of Manufacture: Imported
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 80% polyester, 20% cotton body; 97% cotton, 3% spandex ribbing
  • Colors: Black, gray

Italic used to be a members-only shopping platform for selling popular products made in the same factories as expensive designer goods at cost. Sounds too good to be true, right? Right. Not anymore. While the offerings were once only available to those that pay a monthly fee, but anyone can now get these lightweight sweatpants in one of five colors for half the price of competitors’ versions. (They say they’re made in the same factory as Kith’s.) Users say that while they’re comfortable and have an excellent price, the sizing is hard to nail down. One user says they fit too snug in the thighs.

Pros

  • Slightly heavier due to inclusion of hemp
  • Zippered back pocket keeps goods from slipping out

Cons

  • Only available in faded styles, lack of color options
  • One user says they had issues with seam quality
  • Country of Manufacture: Imported
  • Fit: Slim, tapered
  • Material(s): 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton body; 97% organic cotton, 3% elastane ribbing
  • Colors: Faded black, admiral blue

Outerknown’s Sur Sweatpants are made from a blend of organic cotton and hemp, the latter of which affords extra weight, while the former provides softness. They’re sturdy and structured yet comfortable and breathable, and they boast zip pockets on the front and back. Colors are limited, though, and they’re only available in faded blue and black.

Pros

  • Colors indicate a broken-in and well-worn appearance
  • Double-cloth for a visually interesting seersucker-like texture

Cons

  • Many users say they shrink dramatically after a single tumble dry cycle
  • Although a fly is nifty, a button-fly is an awkward choice for sweats
  • Country of Manufacture: China
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 99% organic cotton, 1% elastane
  • Colors: Navy, indigo, charcoal, coal, natural

Taylor Stitch’s Après Pants are made with organic Sashiko-woven cotton and are washed for a worn-in feel. They have two slash pockets and two patch-button pockets to securely hold your essentials. They sport a vintage-y appearance due to a faded color scheme, and its double-cloth makes a visually interesting texture similar to seersucker. Users say they shrink dramatically after a single tumble dry cycle.

Pros

  • Classic, retro-styled sweatpants
  • Loose, baggy style

Cons

  • Sizing skews large
  • Thick drawcord is distracting for some
  • Country of Manufacture: Sri Lanka
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 70% cotton (26% recycled cotton), 30% recycled polyester
  • Colors: Black, gray, cream, green

You should know what to expect from Everlane by now: Elevated essentials at sensible prices backed by a 365-day guarantee. All of the products in the brands Uniform collection are backed by the same promise, but rarely, we can assure you, do issues arise. These 100-percent organic cotton sweats are soft, plenty durable, and available in several stylish hues.

Heritage 14 oz. fleece sweatpantJ Crew

Best Sweatpants That Won’t Shrink: J.Crew Heritage Fleece Sweatpant

Pros

  • Classic old-school sweats that remind us of military garbs
  • Cross grain stitching prevents sweats from shrinking after wash

Cons

  • Way too oversized with a large seat
  • Some users say the drawcord is too thin
  • Country of Manufacture: China
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 84% cotton, 16% polyester
  • Colors: Gray, green, black

You can’t go wrong with J.Crew’s basics. These brand-new sweatpants are constructed from a 14 ounce — that’s heavy — blend of cotton and polyester that’s soft on the skin but tough enough to withstand constant wear, dynamic workouts or a weekend on the couch (and the spills that come with it). Users say these run too big, so size down when grabbing a pair.

styleNike

Best Tall Size Sweatpants: Nike Sportswear Club Fleece Joggers

Pros

  • Available in over 15 colors, as well as tall sizes
  • Ultra-comfy fleece cotton

Cons

  • Small sizing
  • Users say they shrink after washing
  • Country of Manufacture: Vietnam
  • Fit: Standard
  • Material(s): 80-82% cotton, 18-20% polyester (depending on color)
  • Colors: 15+

We’ve already proven that Nike’s sweatshirts are some of the best, and these are the matching bottoms. They’re exactly what you’d expect from Nike: consistent, high quality and plenty comfortable. Plus, they come in over a dozen colors and are available in tall sizes for those who need longer inseams

Pros

  • High elastane percentage give joggers a wide range of stretch
  • Gusset adds extra freedom of movement

Cons

  • Major shrinkage, fading, and pilling after wash cycle
  • Some users say its weak construction attracts rips and tears
  • Country of Manufacture: Vietnam
  • Fit: Slim, tapered
  • Material(s): 63% cotton, 32% polyester, 5% elastane
  • Colors: Black, gray

You may know Lululemon better for its stretchy leggings and performance fabric T-shirts, but its sweatpants — dubbed the At Ease Joggers — are an interesting standout. They have a heathered texture and appearance, a super stretchy waistband and a gusset for easier movement.

styleReigning Champ

Best French Terry Sweatpants: Reigning Champ Midweight Terry Slim Sweatpant

Pros

  • Flatlock seams for less obstructive construction
  • Gusset provides wide range of movement

Cons

  • Slim fit may not be for everyone
  • Sizing runs small
  • Country of Manufacture: Canada
  • Fit: Slim
  • Material(s): 100% cotton
  • Colors: 10+

Reigning Champ produces some of the best knits out of its Canadian factory and it’s got legions of fans to show for it. Its sweatpants give an old-school vibe with drawstrings at the waist and hem, a beefy all-cotton fabric and flush flatlock stitching that won’t irritate against the skin.

Pros

  • Viscose makes cotton smoother, cooler and silkier on the skin
  • Drawstring is also elasticized for easy tie-up around the waist

Cons

  • Users say they come up short in length
  • Fabric is thin, according to some
  • Country of Manufacture: China
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 49% cotton, 32% polyester, 17% viscose, 2% elastane
  • Colors: Navy, gray

Because Faherty’s blend polyester, viscose and elastane into their cotton sweatpants, they stretch without losing their shape, a common complaint for 100-percent cotton pairs. Plus, if you’re between sizes, the sweatpants — yes, these sweatpants — can get tailored by Hemster for free through Faherty.

Pros

  • Available in various colors, lengths and big sizes
  • Supremely soft and thick

Cons

  • Sizes differ between colors
  • Some users say pocket liners are too thin
  • Country of Manufacture: China
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 70% cotton, 30% polyester
  • Colors: 10+

Did the sight of Abercrombie & Fitch just scare you a little? Don’t freak. The once decrepit mall dud is doing interesting, albeit pleasantly simple, things in the menswear space. Get your hands on this retro-inspired pair of sweatpants, with thick legs, a relaxed-fit, and your choice of 12 colors. Sizing differs between patterns and colors, but if you can nail it down, you’ll have warm bottoms for lounging and beyond.

Pros

  • Incredible quality and vintage style due to steel brush technique
  • Relaxed, heavyweight and loose style for ample moving room

Cons

  • Unisex fit requires some rolling and folding to get a perfect style
  • Very pricey for a basic
  • Country of Manufacture: U.S.A.
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 100% cotton
  • Colors: 25+

Manufactured in the US from 100-percent cotton, Les Tien’s luxury sweats are started on a fine loom and finished with a steel brush, which gives it a vintage look and feel. They’ll be pleasantly soft — eerily worn-in — from the first time you put them on. Plus, they come in 29 colors.

Pros

  • Flattering silhouette and classic style
  • Available in 22 colors, from vivid pastels to muted shades

Cons

  • Graphic font on the front may be too distracting for some
  • Tumble dry is not advisable
  • Country of Manufacture: Portugal
  • Fit: Relaxed
  • Material(s): 100% organic cotton
  • Colors: 20+

Pangaia’s eco-friendly 365 Track Pants are offered in 22 different colors, including pastels and seasonal shades. They’re made from 100-percent organic cotton, made with dyes infused recycled water, and are finished with a treatment that prevents shedding. They’re available in genderless sizing and have a front-facing graphic, which some may not enjoy.

Pros

  • Soft fabrics and worn-in feel
  • Cozy, warm interior

Cons

  • Users say they pill and shed
  • Significant shrink after wash
  • Country of Manufacture: China
  • Fit: Slim
  • Material(s): Recycled polyester 23%, cotton 77%
  • Colors: Black, heather gray, biege, dark gray

Gap’s basics are pretty damn good. And you can get them for the price of most fast fashion iterations. (Although Gap is fast fashion, in my opinion, they’re better than ASOS or H&M). Made from majority cotton, these come in four colors and have a noticeable, vintage-like softness.

Pros

  • Excellent relaxed look and drape
  • Cuffs are subtle and offer plenty of cinch for a great fit

Cons

  • Not available in many colors
  • Pricey
  • Country of Manufacture: Portugal
  • Fit: Classic
  • Material(s): 100% cotton
  • Colors: Black, gray

British model-turned-car-nut David Gandy also owns a clothing brand he calls David Gandy Wellwear. It mostly sells sweats and swimwear, the two things you see him, aside from a suit, wearing most often. These are extremely soft, the right size through the legs and easy to wash, too.

Pros

  • Highly breathable and soft fabric
  • Merino wool naturally wicks away moisture and wards odor

Cons

  • Small range of sizing, plus unisex fit, means tougher to nail down your size
  • Some say the elasticized cuffs feel constricting
  • Country of Manufacture: China
  • Fit: Unisex classic
  • Material(s): 55% hemp, 45% merino wool
  • Colors: Navy, gray, black, copper, terracotta, white

Wool isn’t exactly a fabric you think of when you consider the sweatpants, but Jungmaven makes a great case for it. By blending merino wool with hemp, the Alaska Hemp Wool Sweatpant is a highly breathable, soft and temperature regulating bottom. Wool naturally wicks away moisture and wards odor, which is highly desirable for sweatpants. These are unisex, so nailing down your perfect fit may be tough, but if you can find it, they won’t disappoint.

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