The 12 Very Best Pajamas for Women

Sizes: XS–XL | Material: Tencel modal, spandex | Design: Button front, notch collar, contrast piping | Price: $$

When I first started writing this guide, I envisioned what the perfect pajama set would be like: supercomfortable, soft, and nice-looking. The Giseles from Eberjey are exactly that. There’s an easiness and lightness about them, which I attribute to the modal fabric, and the piping is very attractive. I always get a good night’s sleep when I wear them, and I’ve never felt too hot or too cold. They are a little indulgence to my nighttime routine — something that made putting on a sheet mask and brushing my teeth in front of a dimly lit bathroom mirror feel more special. The quality’s there, too: A year’s worth of washing hasn’t worn mine out, an impressive feat for a set that’s $118 — not cheap in the slightest, but compared to the other pairs I tested for this article, not the biggest splurge.

The Giseles have many fans, too. Their mighty following includes Cup of Jo’s Joanna Goddard (who included them in her list of things she can’t live without twice), who loves how the material doesn’t wrinkle or look particularly disheveled in the morning. Content creator Yuneida Gutierrez praised the set for its lightness — she didn’t feel that there was much separating her from her sheets when she had them on. And Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen likes that they “don’t scream I’m in my PJs” when working from home. (Her boyfriend even asked for his own version after catching how supple the fabric was himself.)

You can take your pick between different versions of the set — including a nightshirt, short-sleeved top with pants, long-sleeved top with pants, and a cami-shorts combo. There are a number of soothing shades to choose from — like peach, petal, and sorbet — and you can get them monogrammed for an additional $15. Just note: These are offered only in sizes XS to XL, which makes their sizing limited and is the one drawback on an otherwise excellent list of pluses.

Sizes: One size (fits sizes 2–12) | Material: Cotton | Design details: Square neckline, bell-shaped sleeves, embroidery | Price: $

I own a handful of nightgowns, which are all under $100, from Salter House, where you’ll find several vintage-inspired styles, like the Darcy, which looks like it would be worn by the heroine in a Jane Austen adaptation, and the Wendy, which has a Peter Pan collar. Stock can be limited at times, though there are three styles that are almost always available: the First Nightdress, a replica of one that store owner Sandeep Salter received for her 13th birthday, as well as the Sisters and Lamb. All of the styles are made from a rich-feeling cotton that’s crisp on the skin. I hand-wash mine, though the brand says you can also machine-wash on delicate before hang-drying; the cotton and embroidery have held up well, and I haven’t seen so much as a loose thread so far. 

The nightgowns have something of a cult following. Lucy Weisner, co-founder of Café Forgot, describes the Salter House nightdresses as romantic and reminiscent of 19th-century undergarments in a “Victorian, Picnic at Hanging Rock” way. According to Lauren Mechling, creator of @thecloglife, “Their look is very sleepy Portuguese aristocrat.” And Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield, who wears the nightgowns out of the house, told us they’re one of the things she can’t live without.

Sizes: S–XL | Material: Silk | Design details: Scoop neckline, adjustable straps, racerback | Price: $

Underwear writer Estelle Puleston introduced me to century-old corsetier Etam. Because of her recommendation, I bought the brand’s Pearly chemise (Puleston has the Milky from the lingerie label, which features front lace trimming in lieu of a racerback). It’s wonderful to sleep in — feeling barely there (it’s unlined) with the sheen on the silk making the slip seem more expensive than it actually is. For $89, it’s a good bargain on silk. Puleston has worn hers often enough that the chemise has gotten little “gaps” on the fabric. I haven’t had that problem in the year since it first arrived — and I haven’t exactly been delicate about mine (I have fished it out of a dresser when it was caught in the corner of a drawer). Although my Pearly has since sold out (you can sign up to receive an email when your size is back in stock), you can get the Milky for the same price.

Sizes: XS–XL | Material: Modal and spandex | Design details: Drawstring waistband, side pockets, keyhole back cutout | Price: $

This jumpsuit falls somewhere between loungewear and pajamas, and I’ve been wearing it more often for bed. It’s a glorified onesie, really. Part of the reason I started sleeping in the jumpsuit is because it reminds me of my favorite (now slightly ratty) college sweatshirt: supersoft, worn-in, and doesn’t pill in the wash. It doesn’t feel smothering underneath the sheets, either — without sleeves and with a low V-neck and keyhole in the back, the style is actually pretty airy. You can also layer around it — I’ll put a pullover over it or wrap up in a robe on chiller nights.

Sizes: XXS–3X | Material: Cotton | Design details: Side pockets and logo waistband | Price: $

As someone who frequently kicks their sheets off in frustration in the middle of the night, these boxers are about as next-to-nothing as it gets. These can get slightly wrinkled — granted, I move around a lot while asleep — but I don’t mind it all that much. The crinkles give the cotton a cool texture, making me look undone in the best way. I’m not the only fan: Former Strategist writer Chloe Anello wrote an ode to a (now-sold-out) version of them. Like mine, hers didn’t have an opening in the front and featured pockets (unlike traditional boxers) — she even took to wearing hers out of bed, as they’re “actually chic, not like a bad Risky Business costume.” Since the shorts swung out from the hips, they allowed for more airflow to keep her legs cooler, she adds.

Sizes: XS–3X | Material: Pima cotton, modal | Design details: Button front, notched collar, satiny trim piping, patch pocket | Price: $$

Anello says there’s no better word than buttery to describe the Cosabella’s Bellas, which are made from a combination of smooth pima cotton and modal. Even though they’re long-sleeved, Anello says she doesn’t overheat while wearing them. Writer Laura Lippman agrees — she discovered the Bellas during a trip to Miami in May, and despite the excruciatingly hot temperatures, she found they kept her comfortable. And as someone who would live in pajamas if she could, Lippman says these are the best for making her seem “fairly put together for someone walking around the house in pajamas” at 3 p.m., as she is wont to do.

Sizes: XS–XL | Material: European-flax linen | Design details: Stonewashed, crew-neck collar, tie-waist | Price: $

Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie never saw herself as a linen-pajama person, but she eventually came around to this set from Magic Linen — partly thanks to the fact that the pair “doesn’t particularly look like pajamas, especially in this linen-obsessed, loose clothes era,” she says. The comfortable looseness can be attributed to the high-quality linen (made from top-tier European flax) that drapes in a “supremely flattering” way. In the winter, Gillespie considers them a savior, especially with the hit-or-miss heating in her prewar apartment.

Sizes: XS–XXXL | Material: Viscose (bamboo-based), spandex | Design details: Button-front, notch collar, contrast piping | Price: $$

This set features a breathable, moisture-wicking bamboo viscose, and according to Strategist sleep writer Amelia Jerden and Strategist associate editor Jenna Milliner-Waddell, that makes for very refreshing pajamas. Jerden told me she doesn’t ever feel too warm in them, and even though Milliner-Waddell says that sometimes she wakes up soaked in sweat, that’s never the case with these. The pair is so comfortable that Milliner-Waddell stays in them for as long as she can in the morning.  “I just feel important in them,” she says. Part of the reason, she thinks, is because they are also beloved by Oprah.

(An honorable mention in this category goes to a set from Hass, a loungewear line from Avocado, the maker of some of our favorite mattresses. Strategist writer Arielle Avila never wore PJ pants to bed because of how hot she would get — until she tried these. The tee and pants are sold separately, however.)

Sizes: XXS–XXL | Material: Cotton | Design details: Scoop-neck with matching trim, slight cutaway on hem of shorts | Price: $

Strategist writer Dominique Pariso — another self-professed sweaty sleeper — suggested this set from Lake as a more affordable alternative to Cozy Earth’s. (Corsillo is another on-the-record fan of Lake’s pajamas.) She found that the lightweight pima cotton was not only “so, so soft” but kept her cool through the night. Pariso confirms that, per the washing instructions, the set shrinks slightly the first time you put it through a washer (and you should definitely air-dry it). “It was fine and to be expected for Pima cotton,” she assures, but if you prefer a very loose fit or are between sizes, you may want to size up.

Sizes: XS–XXL | Material: Micro-modal, spandex | Design details: Button-front, notch collar, contrast piping | Price: $

While pregnant with her second child, Strategist writer Lauren Ro got a chance to test out a pair of pajamas from Larken (the maker of her favorite nursing bra). Although she didn’t try them out until after the baby was born, she “still wears them nearly a year later” and likes them even more than the Eberjey Giseles that top this list. Ro says she always felt like she was “swimming” in the Eberjeys, and the ones from Larken have a closer-to-the-body silhouette that she prefers — while still having enough drape to feel comfortable in, she adds. “These are the only pajamas I want to wear now, and I recommend them to everyone, whether they’re expecting or not,” Ro says. Still, they are designed with pregnancy-friendly features, including a no-digging waistband for growing bumps and a button-front for pumping.