Sweatpants are听an easy garment to overlook. The mainstay of dads and guys who live in their mom鈥檚 basement, the frumpy, super casual trousers have long been the international sign for 鈥淚 give up.鈥 But fashion and outdoor brands have revamped the听听into something more modern, versatile, and鈥攄are we say it鈥stylish. I had the tough job of testing half a dozen of the best-looking pairs听on the market. I rotated these听through my wardrobe on a daily basis, wearing them to yoga and the gym听and听the coffee shop, during heated Ping-Pong battles, and even to dinner. (Yes, there are date-night options now.) Here are my favorites.
Reigning Champ Midweight Slim听($120)听
Best For:听Lounging around the house
Imagine your favorite pair of sweats from high school听but with 70 percent less volume. That鈥檚 what Reigning Champ, based in Vancouver, B.C., did听with its Midweight Slim. The company took the classic, 100 percent cotton design and gave it a slim fit with a tapered leg to make a more casual version of skinny jeans. The construction is a thick terry,听so these are made for lounging,听not track laps. You don鈥檛 get any extras, like thigh or zippered pockets, but the quality is second to none:听this pair is听built听to last.
Buck Mason Loopback听($85)听
Best For:听Dressing up or down
You probably aren鈥檛 going to wear sweats to a wedding, but if you were, might be a suitable option. Buck Mason uses a thick, French-terry cotton with pronounced seams and stitching, all of which give these sweats听more structure than other picks on this list. Couple that burly build with a traditional silhouette, and you have a pair that鈥檚 almost business casual. Fancy sweatpants? Yes, indeed.听
Mack Weldon Ace听($78)听
Best For:听Tackling errands and听activities
Out of all of the trousers on this page, is the option听I reach for most.听I like the modern cut, which is tapered without being too skinny.听The micro-sanded cotton is ultrasoft and blended with Lycra for stretch听and performance. I ran听in the Ace on particularly cold January afternoons and never felt clammy.听The zip-up thigh pocket is only big enough for a set of keys, but the hand pockets are the deepest of the bunch, which means your phone won鈥檛 fall out when you sit down. A zippered back pocket adds storage you can actually use. The Ace is the definition of athleisure wear: a pair of pants that look good, feel great,听and can handle the sporadic bit of action when you鈥檙e lured off the couch.听
Cotopaxi Baja听($100)听
Best For:听Working out
To call 听sweatpants is too one-dimensional. Yes, they鈥檙e comfy enough for napping, but there isn鈥檛 an ounce of cotton built into them. Instead听they鈥檙e made from a four-way-stretch soft shell comprised of recycled polyester that has a DWR treatment to repel light rain. The Baja is a utilitarian workhorse: elastic听enough for yoga or climbing, and light and airy enough to handle a jog. (I鈥檝e been playing basketball in them nonstop.) There鈥檚 no back pocket, and the hand pockets are on the shallow end of the spectrum, but the zippered seam pocket on the thigh is big enough to hold my iPhone 11. These are听joggers that I鈥檇 actually work out in.
Icebreaker Shifter听($150)听
Best For: Ski layering and lazy days
Sweatpants are traditionally made from cotton, but Icebreaker used merino wool (with a little nylon and Lycra for durability and stretch) in to create a thin and light number听that borders on pajama territory. They鈥檙e warm without being too weighty听and hands down the softest听on this list. Given the merino wool, you could easily wear these听as a midlayer during cold ski days, but I鈥檝e been using them solely for my laziest days when I don鈥檛 leave the house.
The North Face听Heavyweight Fleece听($70)
Best For:听Everday wear
There are some expensive picks听on this list, but the North Face听proves you don鈥檛 have to drop a Benjamin to get听fashion-forward听loungers. is built from an 80/20 blend of cotton and polyester that鈥檚 thick and warm听but moves well if you鈥檙e on the go. Some people might be turned off by the severely tapered leg, which is meant to rise a little above your sock line, but I like the look. There aren鈥檛 a lot of frills, so don鈥檛 go looking for zippered pockets, but these are way more stylish than the price tag suggests.听