The best sweatpants for men have evolved with the times. Way back when, they used to represent the pinnacle of athletic performance, the culmination of a century’s worth of fabric innovation. Then they became a little more like pajamas, or the pants you pull on to take a break from all the hard work you’ve put in, even if that “hard work” was just getting a fit off. (When you don’t want to expend another iota of energy getting dressed, they’re your fleece-lined panacea—an oasis of cozy zen in a cruel, hard-clothed world.)
But the truth is, they can also work right in the middle of those two extremes, and get you through all your errands in comfort, and even a little style. That's because these days, the best of the bunch are spearheading the category's boldest transformation yet: helping you relax without looking remotely slovenly.
With this particular evolution in mind, we've assembled a who’s who of the softest, sturdiest, most stylish sweatpants on the planet, from exquisite designer riffs rendered in pure cashmere to bulk-buy stalwarts that only look better with a light dusting of Cheetos crumbs. Then we whittled them down to the absolute best sweatpants for men, each worn, tested, and (very lightly) sweated in by a fleece-addled braintrust of GQ editors.
The Best Men’s Sweatpants, According to GQ
Best Sweatpants Overall: Reigning Champ Midweight Terry Sweatpant
Everyday basics like T-shirts, underwear, and, yeah, sweatpants are easy to take for granted. But when you experience a true upgrade, you’ll wonder why you skimped on something so essential. For sweats, Reigning Champ was that eye-opening experience for me. The Canadian company has been a leader in the genre for decades (even if they’re not exactly a household name like Champion or Hanes), and it’s the attention to detail at every step of the process that sets them apart from the rest. At the heart of the brand’s high-quality product is the French terry fleece itself—burly and tough on the outside, brushed and soft on the inside, with plenty of gorgeous texture and made to their custom specs in Canada.
It’s a midweight fabric that’s perfect for year-round wear (they also make lightweight versions for those of us who prefer a breezier option). And unlike many other options that cut their sweats from a synthetic mish-mash of materials, these are made from 100% cotton for a naturally soft and breathable experience. From there, smooth flatlock seams keep everything together while upping the durability by a considerable margin, and the relaxed silhouette is right in line with classic sweats we’re feeling these days. Though we’re partial to the adjustable open hem, they also make a version with an elastic cuff that’s equally as good.
| Fit | Relaxed, standard, and slim |
| Materials | 100% cotton French terry |
| Colors | 5+ classic colorways |
| Sizes | XS-XXL |
Best Budget Sweatpants: Champion Powerblend Fleece Open-Bottom Sweatpants
It’s likely no surprise to you that Champion clinched a winning honorific on this list. The American sportswear juggernaut—now owned by Hanes, another national icon—has been in the sweatpants business for just about as long as it’s been around. (Over a century, for those curious.) There’s a reason big-name designers from Milan to Mexico City keep turning to the Main Street stalwart to collaborate, GQ senior commerce editor Avidan Grossman notes: “Champion is the first name in high-quality, low-cost sweats.”
Grossman has owned a few versions of Champion's Powerblend sweats, and touts their cozy fleece lining and roomy fit as crucial selling points. “You could expend a whole lot more energy—and spend quadruple the money—on a buzzier pair,” he says, “but the only one you really need is fifty bucks.” The elastic hem isn't too tight and, given the roomy silhouette, feels blessedly more like a classic pair of sweats than an athleisure-adjacent jogger.
| Fit | Relaxed |
| Materials | 50% cotton, 50% polyester |
| Colors | Charcoal, gray black, navy |
| Sizes | S-5XL, Big and Tall |
Best Upgrade Sweatpants: Les Tien Heavyweight Classic Pant
When Grossman and GQ style editor Yang-Yi Goh put together the inaugural class of Recommends All-Stars, there was only one pair of sweatpants they considered. Les Tien specializes in sweats of the highest order, they wrote then, cut with a tailor’s eye for precision and an Angeleno’s appreciation for pared-back ease. In the year or so since, not much has changed. “Every time we call these into GQ HQ,” Grossman says, “ a colleague wanders into the shoot and asks about them—and then inevitably buys a pair.” Think of them as supremely cozy capital-T trousers and style ’em accordingly.
| Fit | Relaxed |
| Materials | 100% cotton |
| Colors | Multiple, including core and seasonal editions |
| Sizes | S-XXL |
Best Earth-Conscious Sweatpants: Everybody.World Trash Fleece Apartment Pants
It can be difficult to lounge around knowing that the world is on fire. While the best thing to do for a fashion lover is to buy your clothes secondhand, fishing a pair of used sweats out of a pile at your local thrift isn’t so appealing. The next best thing is to opt for a brand with the least ecological impact. Everybody.World has been a trailblazer for reclaimed cotton, touting its resourcefulness while highlighting the extreme waste of the fashion industry. It’s Trash Fleece Apartment pants are made from that same reclaimed cotton, knit into a heavyweight brushed fleece, cut without any polyester, and dyed with all-natural dyes. That means each pair is actually biodegradable (sans the elastic waistband).
| Fit | Relaxed straight |
| Materials | 13-ounce reclaimed cotton waste |
| Colors | Varies |
| Sizes | S-2XL |
Best Sweatpants for Menswear Nerds: Lady White Co. Jersey Sweatpant
Ever since they set out to create the perfect tee (which they basically did on the first go), we’ve admired the folks at Lady White Co. for their unwavering dedication to all things knitwear. I've always thought they have an almost Zen-like focus on knits that almost no other brand can touch. LWC at once has great respect for the tried and true sportswear garments they reference while constantly pushing the genre in all the right directions.
These are cut from a midweight french terry that gives the sweatpants a firm but gentle drape. This is an important detail especially if you're the type of person that don't want a pair of sweats that feel like you are wearing medieval chainmail. It also clean interior drawstring waistband and a gentle taper, which makes these some of the cleanest sweatpants out there.
| Fit | Wide straight leg |
| Materials | 100% California cotton |
| Colors | Dark Kelp, Black Mushroom, Grindle |
| Sizes | S-XL |
Best Baggy Sweatpants: Abercrombie & Fitch Essential Baggy Open-Hem Sweatpant
Reeboks with the straps haven't quite come around, but baggy sweatpants certainly have. These days it's less about the slim sweats with ankle-grabbing elastic and more about the extra leg room from the waist to the hem. Sizing up on a pair of classic Champions is all well and good, but there's an avalanche of brands that have caught on to the wide-leg tsunami. Along with boxy cropped hoodies, every menswear-pilled TikToker is on a quest to make their own version of the baggy sweatpant to hawk to their followers. Plenty of ‘em are surprisingly solid, but if you don’t care for influencer faff and the same old lame back story, we'll gladly point you toward an established brand that actually knows what they're doing. Namely, Abercrombie & Fitch.
The Moose's Essential Baggy Open-Hem Sweatpant is what DIY designers really are trying to make. They're made of a supremely soft 70-30 cotton-poly fleece blend that's hefty enough to carry a good drape, but not overly dense to the point of becoming a winter-only sweatpant. It features a nice baggy cut that'll give you plenty of room for roundhouse kicks or like, just hangin' out. On top of that, the inclusion of an open hem makes them billow and look even baggier. We also love that they come in a huge variety of colorways and patterns, not to mention three different inseam lengths (no more taking your sweats to the tailor like a weirdo).
| Fit | Baggy |
| Materials | 70% Cotton, 30% Recycled Polyester |
| Colors | Varies |
| Sizes | S-2XL |
Best Cashmere Sweatpants: Mr P. Wool and Cashmere-Blend Sweatpants
On the athleisure spectrum, cashmere sweatpants are 0% “ath” and 100% “leisure.” And if your first response to the above pair is “Hey, that's a cashmere blend!”— we hear you. But hear us: The wool in this extra-soft pair of sweats from Mr Porter's in-house line doesn't just bring the price down. It also makes the pants a little stronger and a little warmer, keeping you even cozier as you wait out the rest of the winter, or the rest of the flight. The good people at Mr Porter (say that three times fast) also added a dropped crotch, for even more of a Sunday feeling.
| Fit | Relaxed tapered |
| Materials | 70% wool, 30% cashmere |
| Colors | Gray, Black |
| Sizes | XS-XXL |
More Sweatpants We Love
Merz b. Schwanen
359 Loopwheeled Classic Fit Midweight Sweatpants
Renowned for its loopwheeled T-shirts and sweatshirts, German outfit Merz B. Schwanen makes some of the most luscious fleece and terry products available. These sweatpants feature the same organic cotton, knit on the same ultra rare, vintage loopwheel machines that prove why so many things were made better back in the day.
Haven
Excel Sweatpant
Crafted out of Japanese Azume Urake cotton French terry, Haven’s sweats are satisfyingly plush, dense, yet airy—kind of like fresh-baked bread. And while the sweatpants look like most others, hidden details like hidden pockets within pockets and crotch gussets for movement are just more evidence that the brand takes lounging very seriously.
Uniqlo
Wide Sweatpants
Uniqlo is widely known for its affordable basics and these wide sweatpants are no different. They have a hidden drawstring around the hem, which you can use to cinch the leg opening. The subtle relaxed fit also works well with a pair of sneakers or some cheeky loafers, if you're feeling courageous.
Nike
Club Fleece Pants
The Swoosh’s bestselling sweats feature a distinct blend of classic materials and silhouettes with subtle, modern touches like on-seam hand pockets, a welted rear pocket, and hidden drawstring. The result is a marriage of the past and the present for a pair of sweatpants that feels timeless.
What to Look for in a Great Pair of Sweatpants
As with any garment, it's important to consider the quality of the fabric, the construction involved, and, most importantly, your personal taste. Jonathan Streeks, a fashion influencer who has ID’d more hoodies than bouncers have ID’d club goers, has amassed a huge following for his endless sweats content and earned himself the title of Hoodie Detective. But his hoodie expertise extends to sweats as well.
Some old-school sweats are designed without pockets—you might be wearing yours strictly for chilling, but having a pocket to hold your phone is probably a good idea. Streeks says there are a few non-negotiables. “Sweatpants must be comfortable over long periods of time. An elastic or drawstring waistline and fabric that does not shrink after multiple wash/dry cycles is essential and guarantees the garment will fit the same for months and years.” Ari Katz, brand director of Everybody.World says sweats should be “Practical but unfussy, made from industry-challenging earth-friendly materials and with thoughtful details like deep pockets and an inside drawcord.” Eventually, the elasticity of the fabric inside the waistband will deteriorate and lose its stretch, so that drawstring will help extend the life of your sweats.
Ideally, sweatpants should be sewn with flatlock stitching. In this kind of stitching, two pieces of fabric abut each other rather than overlap, and the stitching zig-zags across the two pieces. The result is a smoother, less bulky construction..
How We Test and Review Products
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
How We Make These Picks
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)
Your Sweatpants FAQ, Answered
What's the difference between sweatpants and joggers?
The difference is so subtle that it’s almost not worth mentioning, but the main difference between sweatpants and joggers boils down to silhouette and fabric. Sweatpants are usually made of heavier-weight knit material like fleece or French terry, and tend to come in a baggy or relaxed fit. Warmer sweatpants will not only use thicker fleece, but will also have a brushed interior to add insulation and a soft hand. (We dig sweatpants made from 100% cotton, but a tiny bit of stretch will go a long way if comfort is a top priority.)
Joggers, on the other hand, are more likely to be made of thinner, lightweight materials with a slim fit and tapered leg. That said, many of today's sweatpants feature both a traditionally heavier fleece fabric with a tapered leg, making the distinction between the two increasingly hazy. For more intel, check out our guide to the best joggers for men.
What are the best sweatpants made of?
Sweatpants come in a variety of fabrics like hoodies and pullover sweatshirts. These fabrics can range in materials, thickness, and weight. “I typically lean towards heavier weight, 100% cotton fabrics,” he says. “or poly blends with over 70% cotton in the blend. Oftentimes polyester is used to alter the feel and prevent shrinking which I don’t mind.” For the nitty gritty, Streeks says heavyweight fabrics range from 350-550 GSM (Grams per Square Meter).
Fleece: If you imagine a Patagonia fleece jacket, you're not far off from what sweatpant fleece is. They're practically the same thing, but on a slightly less chunky scale. Fleece is made by knitting fabric to have the fibers stand up. Those raised fibers are then shorn and brushed to produce a fuzzy texture which is super soft and warm.
French Terry: Similar to fleece, French Terry features raised yarns which resemble loops—this is the same stuff bath towels are made of. These loops help to absorb moisture which made them great for soaking up sweat during a workout (remember that epic scene from Rocky II?). Additionally, the loops help trap heat and insulate you from the cold. French Terry most often is made from cotton as opposed to fleece which is more commonly made of synthetic materials like polyester. French Terry can come in both brushed and un-brushed forms.
How should sweatpants fit?
Should sweatpants be slim or baggy? That's up to you, bud! Relaxed-fit sweatpants are certainly more classic, but slimmer sweatpants can feel more streamlined and more apt for working out. Most sweatpants will come with some sort of ankle-hugging hem, whether that's made of elastic or a form-fitting ribbing, but these days, we tend to dig sweats with a wider, open hem. For inspo, check out our story on how to style sweatpants.
Production Credits:
Photographs by GQ
Styled by Tyler Austin
Grooming by Akane Awaji