Photo: Taylor Stitch The Après Pant

Prior to the start of the pandemic, our wardrobes were largely focused on the clothes that we wore outside of the house, with sweats and other staples taking a backseat to office attire, outdoor clothing, and outfits for nights on the town. As such, most men don’t own what we consider to be proper loungewear and instead utilize old workout sweats or gym shorts as impromptu garb for lazy days around the house. However, with so many now spending much of their downtime in their home while also working from it, a quality pair of lounge pants has become increasingly essential.

Thanks to the athleisure and loungewear markets‘ enormous influx in popularity over the last two years, we’ve seen dozens and dozens of new pairs introduced. And while the sheer abundance of available offerings gives buyers an enormous selection of different styles, colors, and materials to choose from, it can also make it tricky even knowing where to begin. Recognizing the endless sea of available options, we’ve scoured the segment to deliver this guide to the best men’s lounge pants.

While similar to athleisurewear and pajamas, there are several factors that make true lounge pants unique. As such, there are certain areas that are crucial to factor in whenever shopping for a pair. With this in mind, we’ve pieced together this condensed primer on the five most important things to think about before pulling the trigger on your purchase.

Primary Construction: Regardless of what type of clothing, the primary material(s) used to make it will always play a pivotal role in its overall quality — with lounge pants being no exception. The most frequently-utilized primary constructions used in this segment are cotton (particularly in a French Terry weave) and cotton-poly (or nylon) blends, though it’s also not uncommon to see pairs crafted from innovative recycled materials, proprietary multi-layer constructions, or even ultra-hardwearing cutting-edge constructions like Dyneema.

Secondary Construction: While not as important as a pair’s primary construction, a lounge pant’s secondary construction is still more than worth looking into when shopping around. It is true that a decent number of pairs share a single construction for both the interior and exterior, though there are just as many pairs that have been bestowed with secondary linings — often acrylic, jersey, or fleece — or waterproof yet breathable GORE-TEX-style membranes.

Style: No matter what your personal taste may be, there’s almost certainly a pair of lounge pants that will resonate with you. Not only are these pants produced in a huge array of different colors, but they also vastly range in materials, weave and knit patterns, and finishes. It’s also worth noting that a decent number of pairs on this list are offered in multiple colors, as well as some that are available in several constructions.

Fit: Lounge pants come in a huge variety of different shapes, each affording its own unique fit, with some offering slim-fitting tapered cuts and others sporting roomier, baggy designs. In addition to considering the shape of the pants — in terms of how they fit around the thighs, calves, and ankles — it’s also worth looking into whether or not a given pair offers multi-way stretch properties, as this too will play a role in determining the fit.

Comfort: When it comes to shopping for lounge pants, comfort is king. And while this area is largely determined by factors such as the materials used and the shape and cut, there are smaller elements that can also have a major impact on how comfortable a given pair is. Elements such as brushed or micro-brushed finishes will almost always greatly bolster comfort, as will properties such as stretch, breathability, and moisture-wicking, just to name a few.

Part of Mack Weldon’s daily wear-focused Ace Collection, this pair of lounge pants puts a modern spin on traditional sweatpants, with a minimalistic design that’s made from a micro-brushed French terry fabric. Available in regular and tall sizes and in more than a dozen color choices, these pants also sport a stealth zippered pocket, a drawcord-secured waist, and back-ribbed ankle cuffs. And, while the Ace Sweatpants are presentable enough for trips to the corner store without looking like you just rolled out of bed, Mack Weldon also offers the zip-and-button-fly Sunday Lounge Pant if you do find yourself wanting something a bit more formal.

Blurring the line between sweatpants and slacks, Buck Mason’s Brushed Loopback Trouser features the cut and silhouette of your average pair of khakis and the ultra-plush material of a sweater. Crafted from a knit 9.5oz brushed French terry cotton, this slim-fit pair also boasts a faux fly, non-elasticized ankle cuffs, and an easily-concealable drawstring-secured waist, giving it a markedly more formal and presentable look than practically any other pair of lounge pants on the market. And, in addition to producing this pair in eight colors, Buck Mason also offers a range of matching premium hoodies in the same colors and constructions. 

Knit, dyed, sewn, and finished entirely in Southern California, Flint and Tinder’s French Terry Sweatpants are an ultra-comfortable yet surprisingly affordable pair of lounge pants that are crafted from a breathable midweight Loopback French Terry composed of a rayon-infused cotton-poly blend. The use of premium flatlock stitching throughout affords the pair a clean, streamlined look while simultaneously bolstering comfort. Offered in five different garment-dyed color options, this pair also comes preshrunk and features a drawstring closure. 

Lightly washed in order to afford a lived-in feel right off of the rack, the Taylor Stitch The Après Pant is cut from organic cotton in a variety of knits and weights and boasts a myriad of high-end touches such as available dark horn buttons and a button fly. These pants also feature a pair of front slash pockets supplemented via an additional set of button-secured back patch pockets — all of which feature linings that are adorned in printed maps of the style brand’s hilly hometown of San Francisco.

Taking lessons from its game-changing pair of single-layer riding jeans, SA1NT’s track pants sport a ridiculously hardwearing stretch denim construction that’s been heavily infused with Dyneema, before being further fortified via reinforced seams. In addition to featuring an elastic waistband and cuffs, welt back pockets, double-welt front-side pockets, and a drop crotch, the latest version of these track pants also now features more flexible cuffs, an improved drawstring design, and SA1NT’s signature contrasting orange Wing logo along the trim.

Just as conducive to workout applications as it is lazy days sprawling around the house, lululemon’s At Ease Jogger features an athletic design with a gusset placement that allows for a completely unrestricted range of motion, a streamlined fit hugging the glutes and thighs before tapering to the hem, and an advanced cotton-poly construction that’s breathable and offers four-way stretch properties. Sold in a trio of heathered color options, the At Ease Jogger also boasts a secure, anchored, zippered pocket, a rear locker loop, and a drawcord closure that can be worn inside or outside the waistband. 

Easily one of the most interesting and unique pairs of lounge pants in existence, this cable knit pair of Wellen pants is made from a super-eco-friendly proprietary material known as “Seawool” — a soft polyester yarn that’s derived from a combination of crushed oyster shells and recycled plastic bottles. On top of genuinely replicating the softness and feel of wool, this construction also affords these pants quick-drying, antimicrobial, and temperature-regulating properties — making an already cozy pair even more comfortable. 

Born out of the ongoing collaboration between American clothing brands Todd Snyder and Champion, these pants put a utilitarian twist on the genre, with a traditional sweatpant design that’s been bestowed with a set of cargo pockets. Produced in a whopping 14 different color choices, the Utility Cargo Sweatpant is crafted from a French terry cotton fabric and manufactured using Champion’s Reverse Weave technique — a game-changing technology the company first introduced prior to the Second World War. 

What the George Cotton Trouser lacks in presentability, it more than makes up for in comfort, with an ultra-baggy and super-relaxed, straight-leg cut extending from the waist down to the ankles. Made from a brushed, elastane-infused viscose, cotton-poly blend, this high-end pair of lounge pants has also been treated to flat-felled, clean-finished seams, one front slash pocket, a single back welt pocket, and an embroidered Saturdays NYC back logo patch.

Designed for use in colder climates and seasons, the Relwen Superfleece Trackpant is a cozy take on a regular pair of joggers, with a cotton jersey exterior that’s paired with a warm sherpa poly lining and an elasticized waistband. The use of elasticized double-ribbed cuffs further bolsters warmth by trapping in heat. And, alongside the standard gray colorway, Relwen also produces a dark charcoal variant that’s available exclusively through Huckberry. 

Since its inception in 2007, Reigning Champ has built a reputation for producing high-end takes on wardrobe staples — an MO beautifully summed up by the Vancouver company’s Merino Terry Pant. Made by hand in Canada, this model is a traditional-looking pair of sweats that conceal a host of modern features and amenities. Crafted from a midweight knit merino wool terry, these pants boast natural temperature-regulating, antimicrobial, and moisture-wicking properties, as well as a woven drawcord, a modern tapered leg, jersey-lined in-seam pockets, merino rib and waistband gussets, and flatlock seams throughout. 

Despite their unassuming appearance, Vollebak’s 100 Year Sweatpants unequivocally represent the most advanced and over-engineered pair of lounge pants on the planet. These ultra-top-shelf sweats are made from a Polartec-developed three-layer fabric — which was originally produced for use by elite military forces — that’s breathable, moisture-wicking, equipped with multi-way stretch, and heavily resistant to fire. What’s more, the use of a special interior membrane allows these pants to also be impervious to wind and water. Also highly resistant to abrasions, these pants feature an engineered fleece lining, a zippered fly supplemented via a drawcord waist with heat-molded rubberized ends, and fully-waterproof, rubberized zippers throughout. 

Interested in checking out a wider selection of garments engineered specifically for relaxing around the house? Then be sure to head over to our guide to the best pieces of men’s loungewear for a hand-picked list of the dozen comfiest and most-capable loungewear staples.

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