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While the past few years have felt like a whirlwind, one thing I don't regret is investing in quality loungewear. Despite what you grew up hearing, today's loungewear proves you don't have to sacrifice comfort for style. While it's always been a staple for lounging on the couch or running errands, nowadays, you'll even see people wearing comfy wide leg pants to the office. Modern loungewear is beyond cozy. It's stylish.
At the Good Housekeeping Textiles Lab, we've tested everything from your favorite baggy jeans to the most comfortable bras available and more. We're experts in everything cozy and are constantly evaluating new products to find the best of the best. When it comes to loungewear, we've seen it all, from classic sweatpants to must-have hoodies and sweatshirts, and have rounded up our favorite brands, including editor-approved, best-selling pieces.
Vuori's athletic-inspired pieces tend to have a higher markup, but we think they're totally worth it. The designs drape well on your body for a relaxed fit that feels comfortable without sacrificing style. Plus, the brand's DreamKnit fabric feels buttery soft and holds up to repeated wear and washes without being too thick to wear year-round. We especially love wearing Vuori on long flights and car rides.
Here are some of our favorite pieces from the brand:
- Performance Jogger ($94)
- Halo Essential Hoodie ($96)
- Villa Wideleg ($118)
RELATED: The Best Joggers for Women
| Size range | XXS to XXL |
From lightweight tank tops and lounge pants to cozy sweatshirts and sweatpants, Hanes can do it all and then some (and, most importantly, without breaking the bank). But don't let the price fool you: Hanes consistently outperforms more expensive brands with ease in our tests. The Ecosmart line has a fleece-lined interior that's perfect for the fall while the new SuperSoft fabric proves cool and comfy year-round.
Here are our favorite pieces for lounging:
| Size range | S to XXL |
Eberjey's Gisele pajamas are iconic: Not only are they chic, but their soft, drapey fabric is to die for. Made of Tencel modal, each piece is lightweight without feeling flimsy and comes in a slew of classic silhouettes, from fitted to relaxed. While they're definitely a splurge, there's nothing like spending all day in these pajamas.
Here are some of the most popular styles:
- Gisele Tencel Modal Long PJ Set ($148)
- Gisele Tencel Modal Shortie Short PJ Set ($128)
- Gisele Tencel Modal Slouchy PJ Set ($148)
RELATED: The Best Pajamas for Women
| Size range | XS to XL |
Popular retailer Quince continues to surprise us with affordable offerings that don't skimp on quality. The variety in textures and styles is unmatched, including everything from cozy cashmere and fleece to lightweight, washable silk and drapey Tencel lyocell. We also like that the brand carries maternity specific styles.
While there's so much to choose from, these are our favorites:
| Size range | XS to XL |
Credited for inventing the hoodie, Champion has mastered the quintessential sweat set and expanded to comfy lounge essentials. Its Reverse Weave line pays homage to its original design with thick, substantial fabric for added structure while Powerblend styles feel warm and cozy. For something a little more airy, check out its lightweight lounge pants and shorts.
While there's more to each collection, here are our favorites:
- Reverse Weave Oversized Hoodie ($65)
- Lightweight Lounge Pants ($25)
- Powerblend Sweatpants ($45)
| Size range | XS to 2XL |
Oversized sweatshirts, comfy lounge clothes and cute activewear? Aerie has it all, from classics to versatile essentials. The brand's constantly keeping up with trends, especially within athleisure. And unlike compressive, performance-oriented workout leggings, Aerie's activewear has soft and smooth feel that isn't restrictive. Plus, its crossover flared leggings come in multiple inseams.
These are our favorite loungewear staples from the brand:
| Size range | XXS to XXL |
Plush, soft and undeniably cozy, Aritzia's fleece sweats check all the boxes for loungewear that isn't too homey. The selection of silhouettes is incomparable, with everything from Perfect and Boxy to Boyfriend and Mega plus fun cargo and barrel-leg options. And the cozy fleece material doesn't disappoint.
Here are Aritzia's most popular styles for lounging:
| Size range | 2XS to 2XL |
Known for its celebrity-loved activewear, one thing Alo excels at is style, and its loungewear is no exception. All too often, cozy clothes can look formless and unflattering, but Alo's mastered the oversized silhouette, so you'll look effortlessly on trend 24/7. There's three core lines (Soho, Muse and Accolade) featuring supersoft pullovers, gorgeous ribbed sets and classic sweats.
Our favorite pieces include:
- Soho Pullover ($88)
- Muse Sweatpants ($108)
- Accolade Crew Neck Pullover ($118)
| Size range | XS to XL |
Uniqlo's offerings are great if you lean towards basics or if you're looking for fun collabs that don't skimp on quality. Their sweat sets feature French terry instead of fleece for less bulk, and in the past year, they've released sweatshirts with Peanuts, KAWS and mofusand. Beyond hoodies and sweatpants, they've got comfy knit sets for lounging indoors that feel soft.
Here's some of our favorite evergreen products:
- Washable Knit Ribbed Polo Sweater ($40)
- Sweat Pullover Hoodie ($50)
- Sweatpants ($40)
| Size range | XXS to XXL (depending on style) |
Lululemon makes some of the best activewear we've ever tried, from workout leggings and sports bras to running shorts and running jackets, and its quality materials and thoughtful designs extend to loungewear. The Scuba hoodies are especially popular for their boxy fit and cozy fleece and pair seamlessly with its famous, buttery-soft Align leggings or lightweight Softstreme shorts.
Our top favorites include:
RELATED: Our Textile Experts Confirm Lululemon Leggings are Worth the Splurge
| Size range | 0 to 20 or XS to XXL (depending on style) |
Light as air, Spanx's AirEssentials collection is made of an ultrasoft and substantial spacer fabric that looks like structured neoprene but feels lightweight and cloud-like on your body. The athleisure line has been a go-to for GH editors and analysts, with several sharing that they "practically lived in" the fabric when working from home and traveling.
While there's tons of styles to choose from, here are our favorite AirEssentials pieces:
- AirEssentials Half Zip ($128)
- AirEssentials Wide Leg Pant ($138)
- AirEssentials Jumpsuit ($148)
| Size range | XS to 3X |
Famous for its compressive workout leggings, Girlfriend Collective has proved that it can do more than simply activewear. From eye-catching sets to supersoft, drapey joggers and stylish wide-leg pants, there's something for almost every occasion. Plus, it's got an impressive size range from XXS to 6XL. You'll just need to keep your eye on your favorite styles — they'll sell out like crazy.
Check out our all-time favorite picks:
- 50/50 Cropped Sweatshirt ($78)
- 50/50 Classic Jogger ($78)
- ReSet Jogger ($78)
| Size range | XXS to 6XL |
Abercrombie, one of our favorite online clothing brands, offers loungewear staples like zip-ups, sweatshirts and shorts that prove both soft and structured. We like the wide variety of tops and bottoms, which you can mix-and-match for different sets or even dress up for a more put-together look.
Here are some of the brand's best sellers:
| Size range | XXS to XL |
Pact is known for its 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton basics, like T-shirts and dresses plus pajamas and underwear. One of our favorite sustainable fashion brands, it's also Fair Trade Certified, which takes into consideration factors like working conditions and wages. Its Airplane Collection is perfect for traveling or running errands. The fabric feels soft, comfortable and not so thin that you'd feel uncomfortable wearing it out and about.
Here are our favorite pieces:
- Airplane Jogger ($58)
- Airplane Cardigan ($68)
- Airplane Wide Leg Pant ($58)
| Size range | XS to 3XL |
Things to consider when shopping for loungewear
As the world of loungewear has grown over recent years, finding your perfect styles may seem confusing and overwhelming, but here are a few things to look for to better inform your shopping experience.
✔️ Material:
- Cotton: Cotton fabric can vary from the mid-weight to heavyweight feel used in sweatshirts and joggers to lighter cotton knits you'll see in pajamas. Cotton fleece is a brushed fabric typically used to line the inside of clothing for extra warmth. French terry, on the other hand, features soft loops on the inside and a smooth surface on the outside, making it more breathable than fleece.
- Polyester: One of the most popular fibers for its versatility, polyester can be blended with other materials or used alone for signature smoothness. It's often more lightweight than other loungewear options.
- Rayon/Lyocell/Modal: Very popular for pajamas for their drapey look and ultra-soft feel, these fibers are used frequently in thinner loungewear meant for indoor wear. Modal and rayon have a "buttery" feel while lyocell offers a smoother, "silky" texture.
✔️ Style: Loungewear has evolved over the years as interest in comfort has skyrocketed. Here are a few different types you'll see available.
- Hoodies & Sweatshirts: Hoodies and sweatshirts are the most classic loungewear styles you'll see people wear both indoors and outside their homes. They're often lined with fleece for extra warmth and come in a mid to heavyweight thickness.
- Pullovers: Thinner than your heavyweight and midweight hoodies and sweatshirts but thicker than pajamas, pullovers offer coziness that's great for at-home wear or travel.
- Pajamas: Meant as sleepwear, many wear pajamas as loungewear around the house for comfort. While rayon pajamas are extremely popular, pajamas come in all types of fabrication from warm flannel to classic cotton and cooling synthetics. Nowadays, many brands sell lightweight lounge bottoms reminiscent of pajama pants.
- Joggers: Joggers have a tapered cut with a cinched design at the pant legs, meant to end above the ankle. They tend to be thicker than pajamas but thinner than sweatpants for a happy medium suited to year-round wear.
- Sweatpants: Sweatpants are heavier than joggers and are meant to trap heat to keep you toasty warm and cozy during chilly weather. They have more of a straight cut rather than the cinched design of joggers.
- Wide-leg pants: The wide leg silhouette is common in everything from workwear to denim and has made its way into loungewear. This shape extends out, offering a looser fit around the knees and calves.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Grace Wu is a Textiles Product Review Analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute. She's evaluated and written stories about all kinds of clothing and lives in loungewear and sweats outside of the office. Prior to joining GH, Grace earned a Master of Engineering in Materials Science & Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science from Cornell University.
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