13 Best Sweatpants for Men 2025: Tested and Reviewed by GQ

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. Today they’re a little more like pajamas, the pants you pull on to take a break from all the hard work you’ve put in, even if that “hard work” is simply getting a fit off.

During the colder months, 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. Sure, most sweatpants are designed for relaxation. But in 2024, the best of the bunch are spearheading their boldest transformation yet: helping you do just that without looking remotely slovenly.

So with that particular evolution in mind, 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—and every cold, shivering fella on your gift list this season, from your dad to your significant other to literally any guy with gams—each worn, tested, and (very lightly) sweated in by a fleece-addled braintrust of GQ editors.

The Best Men’s Sweatpants for Winter, According to GQ

• The Best Sweapants Overall: Reigning Champ Midweight Sweatpants, $110
• The Best Budget Sweatpants: Champion Powerblend Fleece Sweatpants, $45 $27
• The Best Slim Sweatpants: Todd Snyder x Champion Jogger Sweatpants, $118
• The Best Upgrade Sweatpants: Lady White Co. Jersey Sweatpant, $220
• The Best Fashion-Guy Sweatpants: Les Tien Cotton-Jersey Sweatpants, $160
• The Best Cashmere Sweatpants: Ghiaia Cashmere Tapered Cashmere Sweatpants, $1055
• The Best Nike Sweatpants: Nike Standard Issue Dri-FIT Basketball Pants, $90 $68

Take Me To: More Sweatpants We Love | What to Look When Buying Sweatpants | How We Tested | Sweatpants FAQ

Best Sweatpants Overall: Reigning Champ Midweight Terry Sweatpant

Fit: Relaxed | Materials: 100% cotton French terry | Details: Flatlock seams, front and rear pockets, adjustable hem Colors: Black, Green, Gray Sizes: XS-XXL

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 is that eye-opening experience for me,” says GQ style commerce writer Gerald Ortiz. 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.

Best Budget Sweatpants: Champion Powerblend Fleece Open-Bottom Sweatpants

Materials: 50% cotton, 50% polyester Colors: Charcoal, Gray Black, Navy Sizes: S-4XL, big and tall

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 this exact pair over the years, and touts their cozy fleece lining, roomy fit, and open hem 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.”

Best Slim Sweatpants: Todd Snyder x Champion Midweight Slim Jogger Sweatpants

Materials: 18oz. 100% cotton French terry Colors: Varies Sizes: XS-XXL

Todd Snyder's longstanding collaboration with Champion is responsible for our favorite crewneck sweatshirt, so it stands to reason that they also make a top-notch sweatpant. For once, an assumption won't make an ass out of you and me—but it will make your ass look mighty damn fine. (Sorry.) Because, of course, the Todd Snyder + Champion line's sweatpants are great, and for many of the same reasons as their upper body counterpart: the fit is tailored and on point, the details are handsome and vintage-inspired—plus the French terry fabric has just the right mix of structure and softness. If you're looking for a simple, classic pair of sweatpants executed flawlessly, these are the way to go.

Grossman doesn’t own a pair of Todd Snyder’s joggers himself, but he has recommended them many times over to friends who just can’t quit the silhouette. “I’m not really a joggers guy,” he’s quick to assure us, “but if you are, these are far and away the least egregious on the market.” Grossman especially likes the beefy French terry fabric and garment-dyed finish, both of which lend the silhouette a pleasantly throwback vibe. “I’ve sent countless jogger-pilled homies straight to Todd’s site,” he says, “and have yet to hear a single complaint.”

Best Upgrade Sweatpants: Lady White Co. Jersey Sweatpant

Fit: Relaxed, tapered | Materials: High-gauge 2-ply 100% cotton grown in California | Details: Side pockets, back pocket | Colors: Varies | Sizes: S-XL

Ever since they set out to creating 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. “They seem to have an almost Zen-like focus on knits that almost no other brand can touch,” Ortiz says as he wears a pair of their jersey shorts. 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 jersey lounge pants are a perfect example.

Unlike many other sweats which use French terry or fleece, LWC’s are made from jersey, the same material T-shirts are made of. While that would normally make for a pretty flimsy sweatpant, the jersey in these pants is the same that’s used for the brand’s heaviest T-shirts, weighing in at 10-ounces per square yard—that’s essentially sweatshirt territory. Most midweight sweats clock in around 16 ounces or so, which puts these on the lighter end of the spectrum which is great for warmer seasons. Add to that details like clean interior drawstring waistband, a full fit and gently tapered, and these are some of the cleanest sweatpants out there.

Best Fashion-Guy Sweatpants: Les Tien Cotton-Jersey Sweatpants

Fit: Relaxed | Materials: 100% cotton | Details: Side pockets, rear pocket, extended drawstring | Colors: Varies | Sizes: S-XXL

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.

Best Cashmere Sweatpants: Ghiaia Cashmere Knitted Joggers

Ghiaia Cashmere

Tapered Cashmere Sweatpants

$1,055

Mr Porter

Fit: Relaxed taper | Materials: 100% cashmere | Details: Side pockets, drawstring waist | Colors: Varies | Sizes: S-4XL

On the athleisure spectrum, cashmere sweatpants are 0% “ath” and 100% “leisure.” And if you’re gonna lean into the royal coziness that comes with cashmere, you might as well put your shoulder into it like Ghiaia Cashmere founder Davide Baroncini did. Ghiaia Cashmere sits in the upper echelons of quiet luxury and, as the name suggests, its seat is upholstered in ultra-fine cashmere. The plush cashmere fabric for these over-the-top sweatpants/joggers is made in a family-run factory in Italy and cut into a relaxed tapered fit that feels ultra cozy and looks even cleaner.

Best Nike Sweatpants: Nike Standard Issue Dri-FIT Basketball Pants

Nike

Standard Issue Dri-FIT Basketball Pants

$90 $68

Nike

Fit: Relaxed | Materials: 61% cotton, 39% polyester | Details: Elasticated cuffs | Colors: Varies | Sizes: S-4XL, regular and tall inseams

Despite Nike’s dominance in the athletic apparel industry, they do make clothes that aren’t geared toward performing heart-pumping physical feats. The Swoosh’s Standard Issue Dri-FIT Basketball pants are more like your classic fleece sweatpants than an aerodynamic pair track pants with four-way stretch. They’re made from a midweight French terry fabric comprised of cotton and polyester that feel like and look the sweats you’re used to wearing. But because it’s Nike, they’re imbued with Dri-FIT technology for moisture-wicking properties that allow you to rock them in a pickup game. Not only that, but they also come with the modern convenience of zippered pockets to keep your phones and earbuds secure.

Trumbull Vintage Wash Double Front Sweatpants

Trumbull

Vintage Wash Double Front Sweatpants

$158

Huckberry

When Aaron Levine, your favorite menswear influencer’s favorite menswear influencer, debuted his inaugural collaboration with Huckberry, we were appropriately stoked. But when we tried on the first drop’s hero product, our gams were even more excited. Trumbull’s retro-inspired sweatpants are made exactly the way they used to be: in America, out of pleasantly hefty midweight fleece designed to age like top-shelf Chianti.

Buck Mason

Interloop Sweatpant

$98

Buck Mason

Taking after Marine Corps examples, these 100% cotton sweatpants are made of a brushed French terry fabric that’s cut on the cross grain so you don’t have to worry about shrinkage.

Everybody.World

Trash Sweatpants

$88

Everybody.World

Made entirely from waste material, Everybody.World’s Trash sweatpants are a treasure. The lofty yet substantial fabric feels like it’s been worn in to a vintage softness and the relaxed fit is on point.

Camber

Cross Knit Sweatpants

$87

All Clothing USA

If we’re measuring beefiness, Camber’s Cross Knit Sweatpants would qualify as a Tomahawk steak. That heavyweight fabric is stiffer at the start than the coddled sweats you’re used to, but it just gets softer and softer with every wash and wear until you eventually have a vintage-looking pair that you created all on your own. Don’t be surprised if you still have the same pair 15 years from now because the durability on these is next level.

The Real McCoy's

Loopwheel Sweatpants

$210

Standard & Strange

Based on early vintage sweatpants, The Real McCoy’s uses rare loopwheel knitting machines to craft these lounge-ready pants giving them an unparalleled weight-to-softness ratio that’s hard to believe until you experience them for yourself.

Bather, the Toronto-based label that makes our favorite swim trunks, might be better known for its beach and poolside wares, but they've spent most of the year expanding into more year-round friendly threads. The brand's sweatpants are made out of 100% recycled polyester for a low-pile, anti-pill fleece that is heavy enough to keep you cozy all winter long.\n","productBrand":"Bather","dangerousHed":"Walnut Fleece Sweatpant","embedSize":null,"isFirstProduct":false,"isSponsored":false,"offerRetailer":"Bather","offerUrl":"https://bather.com/products/walnut-fleece-sweatpant","contentType":"product","productId":"676455b85100fd7dbce368e2","productOfferVariation":"PriceOutsideCenter","showOfferUrl":false,"showPriceOnButton":true,"showAffiliateDisclaimerOnFirstProduct":false,"dangerousCredit":null,"showLocalisedOffers":true,"isUpcEnabled":true,"showClampedProductDescription":true,"productDescriptionLineLength":5,"hasReadMoreFeature":true,"index":17,"hasAffiliateLinkDisabled":false,"isMobileView":false,"hasMultipleImageSupport":true,"showImageCreditText":true,"showMultipleImageCount":4,"hasProsConsFeature":false,"hasRatingFeature":false,"pros":[],"cons":[],"rating":"","isPrimeExclusive":false,"shouldUseAmazonPrimeDayLiveAPIData":true,"id":"676455b85100fd7dbce368e2","brand":{"name":"Bather"},"offers":[{"offerUrl":"https://bather.com/products/walnut-fleece-sweatpant","price":"$110","currency":"USD","purchaseUri":"https://cna.st/p/3f9WuwYQpUGdHFbFAs2wxAunsDD7N9NXVa835Y7BrsDXGC1U69nVnFm9zD1UAvcBxdAbwTGy5fM4GZJRsb6m5gJGX3MJPcDb5tax44Sp97h8aXtxmBEMPbM12eCmjzZis131M6BZx8NmtqFDVAbaTzguxXcXrVWxZotJGuNzuLY44m61cgE5BGLk6dB7C1sTASEPR3TTjUsq3dsxWFcmbiNme7AKwUsbJtGEtEXjwPN5QWoxFCidmCZgETypi","sellerName":"Bather","countryCode":"US","reducedPrice":""}],"component":"unified_product_card","hasMultipleImage":false,"componentType":true,"showProsConsData":false,"showBadge":false}">

Bather

Walnut Fleece Sweatpant

$110

Bather

Bather, the Toronto-based label that makes our favorite swim trunks, might be better known for its beach and poolside wares, but they've spent most of the year expanding into more year-round friendly threads. The brand's sweatpants are made out of 100% recycled polyester for a low-pile, anti-pill fleece that is heavy enough to keep you cozy all winter long.

As with anything, really, it's important to consider the quality of the fabric, the construction involved, and, most importantly, your personal taste. 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.

Regardless of how they fit, though, sweatpants are also distinguished by their elastic waistbands—and the best of the bunch should come with a drawstring, too. 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.

To kick off the process, we enlisted a who's who of GQ staffers to wear-test our contenders. Some of our colleagues have worked in retail; others have toiled for small-batch labels; all spend objectively too much time thinking about pants. We leaned 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 narrowed down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.

Our testers owned some of the sweatpants on this list already, but a whole bunch were totally new to us. So after wear-testing the entire crop, we recorded our deeply scientific observations and rejiggered our selections accordingly. Based on those evaluations, we ran the numbers, collated the anecdotal evidence, and emerged with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best sweatpants for men 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 pair here for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process.)

• Gerald Ortiz, GQ Style Commerce Writer
• Michael Nolledo, GQ Associate Commerce Director
• Reed Nelson, GQ Contributor
• Avidan Grossman, GQ Senior Commerce Editor

Production Credits:

Photographs by Bowen Fernie
Grooming by Melissa DeZarate for A-Frame Agency