It’s something of a joy when you can build a wardrobe filled with your favorite menswear brands, packed with pieces you love to wear all the time. That sentiment can apply across the board, even with a casual pick like lounge pants. Sure, lounge pants might not be the first staple piece to add to your style rotation, but these days, they’re all the more important.
In my experience, I’ve found that once you decide to “level up” a category that was once an afterthought – like lounge pants – you’ll never go back, so to speak. The difference between super-soft, well-made lounge pants and a bargain bin pair is, at least in my personal experience, a game-changer in these increasingly casual times.
Working from home? Throw on comfortable lounge pants, as I do for days in Brooklyn and trips to my favorite coffee shop. Hitting the road? Find a pair of lounge pants with interesting texture and a cool design (I’ve got a few favorites).
Looking to find a pair of cozy lounge pants you can even wear to run errands? Yes, these days, you can certainly do just that, and in my experience, there are plenty of cool pairs of lounge pants you can readily wear outside the house (I prefer pairs from brands like Taylor Stitch, which upgrade the details in terms of texture, fabric and style points, but more on that in a second).
Taylor Stitch checks the right boxes with an indigo-dyed pair of waffle-weave fabric lounge pants, the kind you can readily wear at home on lazy weekend days but that won’t let you down when you step outside the house, either.
In my experience wearing Taylor Stitch, the fabric on these lounge pants is supple and soft yet just the right amount of thickness, with a waistband and ankle cuffs that won’t bunch or ride up.
The organic cotton fabric is sustainable, and these look right at home with a henley, a soft merino tee or a zip hoodie for casually cool, easygoing weekend style.
While the best lounge pants are laidback by nature, there are some pairs of men’s lounge pants that can be put to good use during your warm-up – or your actual workout or cooldown session.
Vuori kept all of that in mind (along with supreme comfort for relaxed lounging) when designing the Sunday Performance Joggers.
The key is the moisture-wicking technical knit fabric, plus useful features like a zip pocket for valuables. The tapered fit and ankle ribbing keeps them secure and streamlined no matter your pursuit of choice. Bonus points for the cool range of stylish colors.
I personally love the soft, stretchy fabric of the Sunday Performance Joggers, yet I’ve also found it’s pleasingly durable, rather than flimsy. The ankle cuffs and waistband bounce back and retain their shape, while useful details like a side zip pocket are effective at holding my keys and a slim card case.
The fact that you can build a workout or post-gym #OOTD made entirely of Vuori’s performance menswear is a major bonus in my book.
Champion gear can power everything from your warm-up to your cooldown, and then some, and these lightweight lounge pants are certainly not an exception to the rule.
The open hem is ideal for comfortable lounging (as the name implies), while I trust the Champion logo to deliver quality in every stitch.
There’s a difference between finely crafted lounge pants and lounge pants that are sloppy – when I travel, I prefer sweats in comfortable, visually appealing fabric in a nicely tailored fit. These sustainably made Outerknown sweatpants check all those boxes, and then some.
Nice Laundry bills its lounge pants as the “most comfortable” on the market, and although they’ve got some stiff competition, the company might not be that far off the mark.
If the rest of its loungewear is any indication, the brand’s fabric should prove soft, supple and stretchy. They’ve stepped up their game with these lounge pants by using a proprietary micromodal liner for anti-odor performance, and the tailored fit should prove flattering.
Suffice to say, if you’re a fan of Nice Laundry’s famed lounge shorts, these lounge pants could become a new go-to in the chillier months.
The best lounge pants need to be comfortable yet useful, heavy and yet not too cozy, and easy to wear for days on the road or at home.
Hanes delivers an utterly classic take on the sweatpant using American-sourced cotton in a year-round weight. Dial in your fit with the drawcord, use them as warm-up pants or step into ‘em for lazy days on the couch.
Rhone performance gear sits near the top of this writer’s list in terms of standout quality, stretch and dependability. And while the brand normally uses lightweight tech fabrics in tees, hoodies, sweatpants and jackets, Rhone has set its sights on the iconic grey cotton sweatpant here with the aptly named Heritage Sweatpants.
From the thick ribbed waist to the secure ribbed ankle cuffs, the timeless details are on-point. They’ve also added downright helpful features like zip pockets for storage on the go, while cotton-blend fabric offers warmth. Side panels inject these sweatpants with even more mobility and performance qualities.
All the classic details you might expect from a pair of the best lounge pants – like elasticated cuffs, soft-yet-strong fabric and an easily wearable straight-leg design – are front and center in these durable Reigning Champ sweatpants. They’re as suited for laidback lounging as the gym.
Although Patagonia gear is perhaps at its best in harsh conditions on and off the trail, the brand makes relaxing lounge pants for off-duty occasions, too.
With a wide, comfortable elastic waistband for a snug fit, plus recycled cotton and polyester construction, these are an eco-friendly pair of the best lounge pants you can feel good about wearing (I know I certainly do).
Trade in your rugged Flint and Tinder Waxed Trucker Jacket for some much more casual, easygoing sweatpants, ones that still retain all the markers of quality you expect from the famed Huckberry brand.
I’ve found these to be soft yet durable, and the garment-dyed cotton is a nice touch among the best lounge pants.
Outerknown continues to flip the menswear industry on its head with an intense focus on sustainability and style in equal parts.
That approach centers around using eco-friendly fibers to craft cool style essentials like rugged flannel shirting and of course, soft sweatpants.
The Hightide Sweatpants are aptly named, since they’re cut from Terry cloth (like your post-surf session beach towel). They’re at home around the bonfire or kicked back on your couch while wearing an Outerknown tee.