14 Best Sweatpants for Men and Everyone in 2020 – Blog of the Universal News Group

Just a few years ago, the idea of trying to find the best sweatpants for men would’ve sounded ludicrous. Sweatpants were the thing you wore exclusively in your most lethargic moments—sniffly on the couch, hungover in a college lecture, picking your kids up from soccer practice without ever getting out of the car—never something for true public consumption. So why bother? Just keep right on wearing the same ratty pair with the bright orange stain from the Great Kraft Mac & Cheese Disaster of 2003.

Then the athleisure movement happened, and everything changed. We’re thankfully a few years past the peak of everyone rolling around town in high-concept yoga pants and $500 zip hoodies, but the idea of owning truly great sweatpants has stuck around for good. With the right pair—i.e. sweatpants that are hyper soft but still have some structure, that are tailored in a way that accentuates your legs instead of drowning them, with a decent number of pockets and a waistband that won’t stretch out and get all flabby—you’ll be able to roll around all weekend, from brunch to a bike ride to binging Big Mouth, without ever changing your bottoms. Doesn’t that sound nice? If you’re looking to comfy up right, we did the hard work of lazing about in fleece and definitively determined the 14 best pairs of sweatpants for men—and everyone—in 2020.

The Best Era-Defining Sweatpants

John Elliott “Escobar” Sweatpants

When they launched in 2013, John Elliott’s Escobars quickly came to define the athleisure movement, and they paved the way for men getting away with wearing what was once workout gear in public without looking lazy. They remain a great choice for looking both cozy and cool. Because they’re crafted of an insanely dense, proprietary Japanese terry fleece—and because everything American is better in Japan—John Elliott’s signature sweats actually get comfier the more you wear them. Like jeans, they’ll feel a little restricting at first, but a couple wears sees them loosen up in the thighs and knees (so don’t worry if you’re not built like Kevin Durant). If you want your Escobars to fit like new every time out, a simple cold wash and air dry will restore them to their original shape.

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The Best Do-Anything Sweatpants

Nike Sportswear Tech Fleece

As far as Nike innovations go, Tech Fleece may be one of Nike’s all-time greatest. The fabric brings that classic spongy and elastic feel with a space-age structured look that makes it the perfect fabric for sweatpants. They’ve got the slim fit and reinforced knees, but because they’re Nike, you can sweat your ass off in them without feeling guilty.

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The Best Heavyweight Sweatpants

Reigning Champ tiger fleece slim sweatpants

The details help to separate Reigning Champ’s sweats from the pack: reinforced seams, a subtle taper, and a wide waistband with a thick rope drawstring that sits on your hips instead of below them. But it’s the Canadian-made fleece itself—thick and tough on the outside, brushed and soft on the inside, with plenty of gorgeous texture—that really earns them a spot on this list.

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The Best Fancy-Pants Sweatpants

Thom Browne classic drawstring sweatpants with stripe detail

Yes, Thom Browne—the guy who makes our favorite shrunken suit and who
literally goes running in a polo shirt—makes some of the best sweatpants money can buy. They’re pricey, but like Browne’s suits, oxford cloth shirts, and wingtips, you can feel that these made-in-Japan sweats are built to last. And the fit’s a little looser—imagine the perfect pair of sweatpants from a 1950s gym class—if you’re working with thick-thigh-itis. The branding isn’t so subtle, with those signature four stripes, plus a Thom Browne tag near the left ankle, but it’s not egregious, either. And unlike the Nike sweats above, they work with any brand of sneakers out there.

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The Best Classic Sweatpants

Todd Snyder + Champion Terry Slim Jogger Sweatpant

Todd Snyder’s longstanding collaboration with Champion is responsible for our
favorite crewneck sweatshirt, so it would stand 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. 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, the french terry fabric has just the right mix of structure and softness. If you’re looking for a simple, classic sweatpant executed flawlessly, these are the way to go.

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Nine More Pairs We Love