admin Okay, you got us: the best joggers for men are basically just gussied-up sweatpants. It’s true. Guilty as charged. But “basically” is the operative word here, and in that single, seemingly straightforward term lies a world of abstraction. Because joggers aren’t just sweatpants, at least not really.
Sure, most of ’em come with an elastic waistband, or maybe a drawstring closure. And plenty of ’em come in the same super soft French terry or brushed fleece as your favorite sweats. But at their core, joggers remain a separate category of loungewear, a powerful sub-genre of athleisure unto themselves. Consider the jogger a close cousin of the sweatpant—the familial resemblances are there (those telltale ankle cuffs, the relaxed fit), but the differences remain. Most important among them? Joggers can be worn less casually than their relatives, especially when they’re made of fabrics that lean more chinos than sweats. (Though, in full transparency, we’d strongly advise against pairing them with anything more formal than your swankiest lounging gear.)
The Best Joggers Shopping Guide
If thinking about the silhouette is enough to conjure up images of some nightmarish cargo jogger with a dozen extraneous zip pockets, calm down. The best joggers for men share nothing in common with type of pants-related atrocities Greg Kelly might commit on the timeline. And whether you’re in the market for a pair of slim-fit fleece pants to wear around the house, or some tech-y, moisture-wicking joints to wear to the gym, there’s a pair of joggers out there for you. Even better, they’re almost definitely on this list.
In the market for a pair of regular sweatpants? Here are the best sweatpants we’ve found. In need of a hoodie to wear them with. Here are the best hoodies in general, and here the best zip-up hoodies, specifically. Do you tend to run hot? Not to worry—we’ve scoped out all the best lightweight hoodies right over here, too.
The Best Classic Joggers
Champion’s basic hypothesis hasn’t changed much over the years: make killer sweats at an affordable price and the customers will come. And come they have! These are not luxe designer sweatpants (ahem) that include a price tag close to 5k. What they do include is an exceptionally soft feel, a sturdy, triple-stitched construction, and a trendproof, retro-inflected design that’ll make you reach for ’em time and time again—no matter how many pricier counterparts you accumulate.
The Best New Classic Joggers
Todd Snyder, the patron saint of approachable menswear, always has a few masterful tricks up his well-tailored sleeve. If you’re reading this, you’re probably aware that we’re fans of the designer’s Italian-made blazers, his stellar selection of knit polos, and the retro-doused watches he makes in collaboration with Timex. But for our money, where the man really excels is supremely polished casualwear, like the sweats he routinely churns out with Champion. The standout are these midweight joints, tailored to a T from a durable-yet soft French terry cotton, and equipped with dual pockets and a taped drawstring. Elevated sweats tend get a bad rap (and for good reason), but these are the rare example worthy of the moniker.
The Best Gym-Ready Joggers
Lululemon might have built its reputation off the strength of its ubiquitous leggings, but these days the Canadian athleisure juggernaut sells plenty of slick workout gear you don’t have to be a yogi to appreciate. We’re unabashed fans of the brand’s City Sweat joggers, but their sleeker counterparts offer the same quality with a slightly more technical bent. Let’s play a game: you name the product specs, and we’ll confirm if Lululemon’s ABC joggers have ’em. Added stretch for on-the-go mobility? Check. Secure back pockets? Of course. A touch of elastane for a snug but not restricting fit? C’mon, now—what do you think this is, a joke? If all that, and a bunch of moisture-wicking properties for good measure, sounds like a situation your gams could get into, the whole package can be yours for a little over a Benjamin.
The Best Designer Joggers
Contrary to what you might have thought, our favorite designer joggers are not a pair of monogrammed sweats that ostentatiously telegraph your allegiance to the 1%. Instead, they’re these understated, gently-tapered joggers courtesy of Jerry Lorenzo, the man reinventing American luxury fashion for a new class of customer. Cut loose with a soft billowing at the ankle and an exaggerated drawstring, they’re the closest approximation we’ve found yet of what the designer does best: simple, vintage-inflected menswear considered to the Nth degree, and rendered in the most exquisite materials on the planet. If all that doesn’t feel like quite enough to justify the price, suffice to say they’re just really cool and really cozy too.
The Best Nike Joggers
Nike makes a lot of different things. For our money, though, few pieces in the Swoosh’s repertoire are better than the brand’s fleece pants, the type of high-quality sweats that can stand up to the grime of the squat rack and still look good—great, even—when you roll to brunch straight from the gym. Largely unadorned save for a small logo on the upper thigh, these are pared-down joggers you’ll have a tough time quitting, even when social etiquette dictates they’re no longer the, uh, appropriate option. Best of all? Right now, they’re on sale for just over 50 bucks.
The Joggers Most Likely to Make a Cameo on Succession
There’s comfortable…and then there’s 100% cashmere comfortable. If you’ve never experienced the latter, fair warning: your early-morning coffee runs are about to get a whole lot more luxe. The Elder Statesman combines the ultra-soft winter fabric with a drape-y silhouette positively dripping in can’t-be-bothered opulence, and it can be all yours for a little over a stack. Loose change, if you’re a Roy—and worth every damn cent even if you’re just an average Joe.
