What’s the Best Men’s Loungewear?

Alternatively, if you want to invest in something made to last, menswear writer and blogger Jordan Bunker recommends Organic Basics. It’s a Danish brand that seems “to have a way of making really simple clothes quite appealing,” he says. Organics Basics is also a B Corp, which means it has higher standards of transparency and accountability around the clothing they make. “I featured the brand in my own loungewear round-up, and I’ve got to say, a navy sweat suit along with a pair of loafers is an easy win.”

Tekla’s flannel sleepwear is a true go-to, says Kafesu. “Designed in Denmark and made in Europe using the best raw materials available, the brand has given folks a reason to invest in better loungewear,” he says. And because of that, Tekla’s sleepwear can be worn both inside and outside the house. “In Copenhagen, you’ll find some of the top models strutting about or having a coffee at one of the hotspots in Tekla sleepwear teamed up with a pair of New Balance 990s,” says Kafesu. Nikolaj Hansson, creator of the tennis-focused menswear brand Palmes, is a fan of the line’s unique brand of loungewear. “Their trousers are equally sick — crisp cotton poplin with a subtle color combo. Very pared down but in a way that doesn’t bore you,” he says. “The fit is a breeze, too. I wear them in the house year-round and, more often than not, take them outside in the summer months as well.”

Adidas’s sweatpants were the second-most recommended to us, with two guys telling us about different pairs that have become a part of their loungewear wardrobes. “I would generally never wear sweatpants out,” says Matthew Malin, a co-founder of unisex beauty brand Malin+Goetz. “But I’ve had these track pants with a stripe down the side for a couple of months now, and I find myself wearing them pretty regularly to casual outings.”

Zach Halberg, the publisher of Newest York, also likes to lounge in Adidas pants, but wears a more recognizable style that features the brand’s iconic three stripes running down the sides. “These pants have a lot of great, even hidden, attributes: The pockets have zippers — but so do the ankles, for reasons I have not yet discovered,” he says. “There is also a mysterious material just above the knee whose purpose I suspect will one day reveal itself to me.” Most importantly, Halberg says, the pants are comfortable: “They feel natural with any shirt you’re Zooming in — business up top, working up the courage to exercise down below.”

Those looking for lounge pants that are a little more mature than sweatpants might want to take this recommendation from Pen, who bought these Patagonia bottoms while on the hunt for a full-length version of his beloved Baggies shorts. The GI Pants, which Pen owns two pairs of, have a built-in belt he says helps make them look a touch more formal. But even though they appear a bit more polished, Pen told us these are still “cozy enough.” For 16 pairs of similarly elevated lounge pants, click here.

Patagonia Baggies currently sit atop our lists of both the best men’s lounge shorts and the best women’s lounge shorts. Their many fans include Chris Black — who says the five-inch inseam is the way to go — and Strategist senior editor Anthony Rotunno, who says they’re the centerpiece of his loungewear collection: “On weekends, they’re usually what I pull on for the hours between being asleep and ‘getting dressed,’ which, in warmer weather, just means putting a fresh shirt on top of the Baggies and calling it a day.”

These Nice Laundry lounge shorts are a go-to for contributor Robert Khederian, a self-proclaimed loungewear skeptic who was won over by the shorts’ style and “tailored fit.” He adds, “They’re superlight — perfect for warm weather but equally ideal for movie nights on the couch beneath a cozy blanket, which can sometimes get too toasty in full sweats.” Cheslaw is also a fan and, like Khederian, says these shorts can work in any number of settings. The price for the shorts shown incorporates the cost of personalizing them (you can add letters or one of a handful of small graphics), but if you don’t want that customization, Nice Laundry sells a standard pair for $42.

You could say these Jambys shorts are even loungier than Baggies because their micromodal fabric (the same stuff used to make its tees and pants) is more breathable and stretchy than the more technical nylon material used by Patagonia. But the Jambys shorts are similar to Baggies where it counts: They have pockets and come in 12 color combinations including this gray-and-lavender style. Cheslaw has been wearing his pair (which he received from the brand) for months. “Even though I sleep in them every night and live in them on weekend mornings and after evening workouts,” he says, “I find just one weekly wash keeps them feeling fresh as a daisy.” One thing to keep in mind: While you can wear the Baggies or Nice Laundry shorts out of the house, Cheslaw says the Jambys shorts are probably best for lounging indoors because they’re designed to be more like boxers.

An undeniable benefit of the current loungewear-as-everydaywear moment is the T-shirt’s evolution from a casual-Friday item to a daily essential. In reporting on the best men’s T-shirts over the years, we’ve learned that Uniqlo’s, like many of its other basics, are a favorite among cool guys for their simplicity and price. Houston-based clothing designer Lawrence Oke particularly likes Uniqlo “U” crewneck tees for their “quality feel, boxy fit, and relaxed silhouette.” Mickey Pangilinan, an art director at Apple, is another fan, praising the T-shirt for its “weighty material and nice texture.” He adds that even though it’s cut boxier, the tee falls at a shorter length than other roomier T-shirts.

For a tee to lounge in that’s cut a little slimmer, writer Max Lakin told us that he picked up “a half a dozen” of these super-affordable Comfort Color T-shirts in black and white, just two of the 75 colors they’re available in. (The brand also makes one of our writer Liza Corsillo’s favorite unisex sweatshirts for lounging.) The tees are a simple thing to put on while wearing around the house, he says: “They hold up to repeated washing, and only get softer with time.”

While discussing comfy T-shirts to lounge in, we can’t leave out Sunspel. The British luxury brand has been making its T-shirts for more than 100 years, picking up more than a few fans in the meantime (its black and white T-shirts top our lists of the best cool-people-approved black-and-white T-shirts for men). Yes, they cost much more than the two tees above, but writer Ken Chen, the executive director of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, says their “insanely high craftsmanship” and “great fit and fabric” makes him believe that Sunspel’s T-shirts are “not as expensive as they could be.” Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski is another fan of this T-shirt, noting that, unlike other white tees, it does not turn yellow in the armpits. “I study this shit,” Porowski adds.

A hoodie, of course, will give a cocoonlike element to any loungewear look, and we wouldn’t blame anyone who’s looking for that level of calming comfort these days. Contributor Eric Margulies, a fastidious shopper rivaling any on our staff, recently wrote about the ten hoodies he recommends to most everyone he knows and described this one as “the perfect hoodie and the first one I will recommend to nearly everyone who asks.” Details he likes about it include that it’s “heavy, insanely comfortable, and looks good on anyone.” Margulies adds he’s “yet to hear of a single return” after recommending it and that “even LeBron James is a fan” of the style. (Though not because of any tips from Margulies, alas.)

This cardigan is made by a Bolivian co-op, says Nicolas Lazaro, community manager at Grailed, and it’s crafted from 100 percent alpaca fiber that is naturally hypoallergenic, “meaning it won’t be as itchy as other wools against your skin.” Lazaro says he prefers to wear the Industry of All Nations cardigan on chilly mornings, and “the pockets are big enough to hold your phone, keys, or even a small paperback.”