The days may be getting shorter, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t exhausted at the end of the day. The best way to shake off the effects of a tiring day is to lose the work clothes, be it a suit or a blue-collar uniform, grab an excellent loungewear set, and get comfortable.
There’d also a mindset surrounding the practice. If you remember your childhood, watching Mr. Rogers enter his home and start his monologue, you may remember the first thing he did was remove his suit jacket and don a cardigan. This is about more comfort. This is about creating a separation between work and home. The buffer is valuable to shut your work brain off and start to recover your mental health for tomorrow.
Of course, there are always great options mixed in with not-so-great options. So we looked around (we admit, it was a selfish pursuit toward our own mission to shut our work brain off and kick start our mental recovery). Here are the best loungewear sets for men — the ones that work for us — and we know they would work for you. But first, let’s define it.
What is considered loungewear
Men’s loungewear can meet several different criteria. However, it’s different from athleisure or athletic gear. Men’s loungewear typically includes a T-shirt or long-sleeve shirt in soft cotton or cotton-blend fabric versus a technical fabric that you’d find in a workout T-shirt. This top portion can also take the form of a pajama shirt. Loungewear pants aren’t like tapered sweatpants, either. They often feature a more relaxed, fuller fit (think of how pajama bottoms tend to fit) and are also made of soft, breathable fabric (also in a cotton blend). Here’s where it can get tricky.
In our opinion, loungewear bridges the gap between the clothing you wear to the gym and the clothing you wear to go to bed. While loungewear could be comfortable enough to wear to bed, it is appropriate enough to wear for errands or quick outings.
How did we choose these sets?
When choosing what we believe to be the best, we go through a few different steps. First, we look at the brands we like and know are reputable. When you trust the brand, you trust the product. Next we look at what they have that we have tried or know others who have tried them and we make a list of what we believe are our finalists. Of course, some of this could be objective, so then we take a look at what other people are saying about the product and make sure the overall feelings we have are echoed by others. What is left is a list of great products we know you can trust, because we do.
Now, on to our favorites.
Best all-around set
Outerknown Highland
- Classic sweats look
- Terry cloth softness
- basic colors
- Not elevated enough for the outdoors
A lot of times, there is a lot of overthinking when looking for the best of the best. But for us, keeping it simple is the best policy. That is why this set from Outerknown is the choice for everyone. The soft terry cloth fabric is like wrapping yourself in the softest robe on the market.
Best easy-to-care-for set
True Classic Dark Oak Fleece Lounge Set
- The truest classic tee feel
- Easy to care for
- Hat to tame the mane
- Sold separately
True Classic is a premier destination for people looking for something more comfortable than everyday garb. While the technology of tees doesn’t seem to have changed that much, it found a way to improve on the classic. Of course, once you perfect the tee, there appears to be little reason not to keep going. Now that this team has expanded, it has released a 4-pack with everything you need to shut off your brain.
Best luxury set
HUGO BOSS Cotton Loungewear Set
- Recognizable name
- Luxury upgrade
- Elevated enough to wear out of the house
- May not want to wear it when eating messy snacks
Cotton is one of the most comfortable fabrics you can get your hands on, but not all cotton is created the same. HUGO BOSS became one of the most sought-after brands because it only accepts the best of the best. And that doesn’t end just because you’re lounging at home. This top-notch set is one of the most comfortable hoodies and sweats you will find, and with the subtle BOSS logo and stripes on the hood, it works even if you need to run out really quickly because you ran out of ice cream during your Netflix binge.
Best fashion set
Fabletics Go-To Hoodie
- Easy-to-use subscription
- Don't have to be a member
- Comfortable enough for the gym
- Sold separately
Fabletics exploded onto the scene with an easy way to shop for clothing to keep you active in your fitness journey. A subscription-based online store specializing in making your choices easy so you can focus on your routine. Since then, the company branched out to provide you with everything from chinos to loungewear. This Go-To hoodie with matching joggers, boxer shorts, and shirt is the set you can relax in year-round. While it isn’t sold as a set, you can scroll to the bottom to find the other ensemble pieces.
Best built-for-movement set
alo Conquer Reform
- Four-way stretch
- Moisture-wicking material
- Tested by the team
- Made for yoga and not technically for loungewear
Another set sold separately, the alo Conquer line is one of the most movable and comfortable on the market. The four-way stretch fabric is perfect whether you are doing your nightly stretch routine to stay nimble or eagerly watching the new episode of Yellowstone with your favorite snacks. The alo team wear-tests these sets to ensure they work for everyone and aren’t focused just on the guys built like mannequins.
Best vintage set
Dandy Del Mar Rio Velour
- Vintage excellence
- Thrives in the throwback style
- Complete set
- Wear it wrong and you'll look like a knock-off Tony Soprano
Loungewear bridges the gap between gym wear and sleepwear. One of the most classic ways to bridge that gap with your loungewear is with a velour tracksuit. While this was made popular by the movies depicting the Italian mafia bummin’ around the neighborhood, the truth is the style and comfort of these are perfect for your bummin’ around the house or running out for a cannoli. Now that old is new again, it’s time to reinvent this look with the masters of vintage reinvention, Dandy Del Mar.
If you’re wondering if you can sleep in loungewear, the answer is yes, if the loungewear mimics pajamas. The soul of loungewear is that it finds that happy medium between gym wear and sleepwear. Gym wear is athletic-based, focused on function, and easily worn out of the house. Sleepwear is designed for wearing in bed and is not meant to be worn out of the house. Loungewear is that happy medium, best described as comfort wear that can be worn out of the house.
However, if you want to differentiate between the gear you wear to relax on the couch after work and what you wear to sleep, keeping your loungewear separate is best. This is especially true if your loungewear set is a T-shirt and lounge pants of a different color, meaning you can wear them separately for different occasions.
