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Sleep is one of your greatest health moves – do it well with a great set of pajamas. We considered 35 of the best pajamas for men and then purchased 8 of the most popular sets for side-by-side testing. We tested for comfort, style, and laundering demands with the aim of helping you find a pajama set that meets your wants, needs, and budget. There are many excellent options out there, and we discuss our findings on how these pajama sets stack up relative to the competition. Whether you are buying for yourself or another, we've rounded up our comparative analysis to present you with a clear summary of the best pajamas on the market.
The PajamaGram Classic offers just the right amount of warmth and breathability to make lounging effortless and help you sleep comfortably in a wide span of temperatures. If you aren't sure about how much warmth you want, this is a good place to start. If you haven't thought much about your sleeping temperature, you'll probably do just right with this all-cotton, slightly stretchy set of pajamas. They're available in a whole host of colors, giving you the option to choose your lounging style with ease.
Our primary issue with the set we tested is the printed stripes, which we could easily peel off with our fingernails. Aside from this breach of craftsmanship, we think these comfortable PJs offer the best balance of material comfort to keep you happy in any lounging situation. Other PajamaGram products do not have the printed stripes and are presumably more durable, although we didn't test this claim.
The PajamaGram top award winner is great for uncertain temperatures and average sleepers - like this camping trip.
Our outstanding value winner is a set of basic PJs. The Fruit of the Loom Jersey Knit Set is comprised of a short-sleeve, henley style blended shirt and stretchy cotton pants. The pants have both elastic and a drawstring in the waist, a button fly, and the deepest pockets in our test. It is a small thing, but we appreciate the handwarmer pockets found on this set.
Sleeping in this set reinforced our appreciation for full-cotton pajamas. The mismatched fiber content is noticeable in these. Our most discerning tester felt sweatier in the shirt (even though it is short-sleeved) than he did in the pants. Cotton really is miraculous for lounging and sleeping comfort. It manages the perspiration and temperature of a body at rest better than other materials. If you're seeking a great deal, we recommend considering this set.
For morning or evening lounging, comfy sweats like the Fruit of the Loom Jersey Pajama set are just the ticket.
Noble Mount's flannel pajama set is well made, nice looking, and ridiculously warm and cozy. For cold climates and “cold” sleepers, you can't do better than this. The 100% cotton construction is very comfortable against your skin, and the hand pockets are nice for standing around or carrying your phone from one room to another. The “wine” colored version we tested was a crowd favorite and served as a good contrast to the blue-dominated pajama landscape.
The only real drawback to these pajamas is also their primary advantage. They are really, really warm. It is a rare man that wants or needs pajamas this insulating. When you do need such warmth, you can't do better than these. These are the warmest PJs we tested.
The flannel Twin Boat pajama set is great for dreary, cold conditions like during this unexpected high Rocky Mountains holiday snowstorm.
For satin PJs, the Yimanie Satin is our first recommendation. This set is nicely made, with tight, straight seams and a mostly true-to-size fit. The biggest advantage of these over other satin offerings is the machine washability. They are simple to care for and feel super-smooth on the skin. Those that run hot might appreciate the cooling effect satin has when sleeping.
For the most part, the seams are clean. However, our test set had just a few stray threads along the button-up front. There were some creases from transit and packing, but since they're washable, they can be run through the laundry to remedy this. The sleeves are wide (like other pajama tops) and on the verge of too long. Aside from these small caveats, we can't help but recommend these pajamas for men that just can't help but love satin (and we don't blame you).
Satin pjs are a unique experience. When you want some, you want to get the Yimanie version, pictured here.
The Hanes Woven Pajama Set is an average, classic set of pajamas. When you picture “men's pajamas”, you probably picture these: plain pants, button-front shirt, one chest pocket. The pant waist is elasticized, with a basic button adjustment topping a button-closed fly. There's nothing to catch, nothing to tangle, and nothing to impede.
Where these pajamas fall short are the sleeves—literally. The sleeves are significantly shorter than any of the other options we tested. While the button-front shirt is supposed to be “long sleeve”, our size medium lead tester's wrists were exposed. Try moving, and you will only further exacerbate this annoying design flaw. Although, if you have short arms or don't mind shorter sleeves, you may find this classic set is the perfect fit.
6
Warm Pants and Close Fitting Shirt
Essentials by Seven Apparel Long Sleeve Top and Fleece Bottom
This is an interesting combination of pieces. The Essentials by Seven Apparel set features a 100% polyester pajama top and bottom. The top is a close-fitting, waffle-knit Henley style, and it has a sort of lumberjack look. The pants are loose, drawstring fleece; the look “works”, but it isn't what you'd expect.
Across the board, our testers preferred 100% cotton for sleeping in. If it has to be a blend, more cotton is better. Polyester is less expensive but far less comfortable. We noticed this, especially with the 100% polyester construction of the Seven Apparel set. Sadly, the Essentials by Seven Apparel set left our testers feeling hot and clammy, especially on warm summer nights. If you are looking for a polyester set because you run cold or live in a cold environment, this set may be just the ticket.
Fabric Content, Top: 100% polyester | Machine Washable: No, hand wash only
REASONS TO BUY
Satin!
"Blind" button fly
REASONS TO AVOID
Hand wash only
The Tony and Candice short sleeve set is a nice-looking, simple set of satin pajamas. Our testers found these pieces to be sewn nicely and tailored appropriately. The hidden-button fly is a subtle touch that makes more of a difference than you'd think.
Our primary complaint with this satin set is that it requires hand washing. There are other polyester satin options available that can be laundered in the machine, so it's tough to justify the maintenance demands of this version. However, if you can deal with the care routine and you like the short sleeve and shorts combo in a satin textile, this is one to consider.
We get the distinct impression that many men out there have worn, one after the other, dozens of sets of Fruit of the Loom Broadcloth PJ sets over long lives of blue-collar rest. It's not a bad nightly ritual to look forward to. These are light, simple pajamas. The fabric nor the cut is sophisticated, but it does the job.
It was indeed the first warm night in a while, but the Fruit of the Loom Broadcloth set didn't make it through its first night of testing. The blended fabric was just too sweaty in this particular situation. We found the same thing with other blended and polyester sets. Further, and we really wonder why it is this way, but this pajama top has very short sleeves, which barely reached our wrists when our arms were at our side.
At first glance these two satin pajama sets look very similar. Look more closely and you will see that one requires hand washing and the other can be laundered in a machine. Which do you prefer?
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Why Trust GearLab
After researching and selecting the lineup in our review, we purchased each pair and developed a testing regimen that mainly meant lounging and sleeping in all the tested products. We tested each over a period of a few weeks. In addition to doing some hard hang-outs, we binge-watched Netflix shows, hung out with family, and did some household chores around the home. We cooked, cleaned, and took out the garbage. We also laundered each and critically evaluated each set for quality and breathability. We organized our findings into separate judgments for comfort, style, and care/laundering.
We sleep, test, write, and sleep again. All of this, through the pajama-test period, went into our pajama review. We have a deep and broad testing protocol that, with specific adaptations, can be applied to nearly any product. In the case of pajama sets, we enlisted long-time GearLab lead test editor Jed Porter. Jed has written several review categories for all sorts of gear ranging from snow sports outerwear to household items to loungewear. He's been testing for years, almost since the inception of OutdoorGearLab. While he often spends nights in full outdoor garb, huddled in a tent, he also appreciates a good pair of pajamas.
The Essentials top had, at time of purchase, a small hole in the seam.
Examining the fabric is an important part of assessing pajama sets
Analysis and Test Results
Selecting pajamas isn't a complicated process, but so few of us can make extensive trials while shopping. We've made those extensive trials and compare them directly for your benefit. Like with many wearables, comfort is king. After comfort, decide how much style matters. Beyond that, your main choice is in terms of ease of care. We've assessed each of these products to our highest standards and are confident in what we've recommended in our fleet.
Comfort
You wear pajamas to be comfortable, and that is their primary job. Behind the scenes, when we scored each set, we considered comfort to be 50% of what is important. You wouldn't be wrong to rank it higher in some cases. What contributes to comfort? In our testing, we found that the bulk of comfort comes almost equally from the materials and cut. For lounging and, especially, sleeping, 100% cotton is what we found to be the most comfortable. You want the tailoring of your pajamas to be generous and allow full freedom of motion without excess fabric to tangle. Beyond cut and materials, we like pockets, button flies, and clean interior seams.
The 100% cotton pajamas we tested are, not coincidentally, also the highest scoring. Many of our award winners are made of 100% cotton. The PajamaGram Classic and Noble Mount are the most comfortable sleeping garments in our test. Good sleeping comfort is also good lounging comfort. For immediate next-to-skin comfort and for extended at-rest moisture management, nothing beats cotton. We can't say enough about the comfort of cotton against one's skin.
Comfort is king, and you want your pajamas to all but disappear in use. Whether sleeping, starting coffee, or lounging, matters of comfort are pretty consistent.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
A good choice of materials is supported by great tailoring. Mainly, you want freedom of motion. Next, you want no prominent seams or hard materials. Few strings and such to tangle helps. Sleeves and legs that are long enough are surprisingly rare; for some reason, pajamas are often made with shortened sleeves. All three winners have good to great tailoring. The top choice Yimanie Satin Set achieves comfort with good tailoring and the easy draping nature of its polyester satin fabric. The Tony and Candice Short Satin Set is also quite comfortable and gets there with its minimal amount of material. The pants included with the Fruit of the Loom Jersey Knit Set are all cotton, very stretchy, generous in fit, with very deep pockets. We love these pants and find the whole set to be worth it for just the comfort of the pants.
Many tested pajama sets had short sleeves, which is strange and often annoying.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Style
Style is entirely subjective; style matters in your pajamas if it matters to you. You can wear your pajamas alone in your bedroom only and have the style matter; if you look good, you feel good. If you cohabitate, consider the goal of your pajama choice. If it is to set a certain mood, choose that mood carefully.
Satin PJ sets are the obvious, bold mood choice. When they do what you want them to do, nothing does it better. But if your partner isn't into the satin PJ look, this might not be your first choice. Among satin options, short sets are even bolder than longer versions. The top choice Yimanie Satin Set is as classic as a satin set can look — at a reasonable price with easy care.
If you'll just wear your pajamas in bed, style might not matter that much to you.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
On the other hand, the most comfortable and classic PJs can be bland and take something away from your appearance. In assessing appearance, the colors, drape, and cut matter. The stretchy, robust fabric and careful tailoring of the PajamaGram Classic yields a look that most appreciated. The more basic choices made of lighter materials draped in a way that made them appear, in the words of our primary style tester, “shapeless” or “boxy”.
Care/Laundering
We want our pajamas to be easy to care for. Maybe you're on the fence about owning or wearing pajamas in the first place. If they require special care, they must remain sitting in the hamper.
Take note of care instructions when purchasing any comfort-oriented clothing. There should be no need for onerous cleaning strategies.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Thankfully, most of the pajamas we tested can be machine washed. Only the Tony and Candice Classic Satin require hand-washing and line drying. The rest can be machine dried. Remember that anything that can be machine washed in warm water can also be machine washed in cold water, but the opposite is not true. Most of the tested pajamas specify cold water machine wash. The Fruit of the Loom sets are robust enough to be washed in warm water.
How you'll wash your pajamas matters. It's ideal when they fit right in with your regular laundry; most do, but not all. Shop carefully.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Conclusion
We put our team on the pajama job, lounging for a living, sleeping for work, and compiling it for you. Testing included a thorough examination and consideration of comfort, style, and laundering/care demands. We've identified a variety of options, including comfy, classy, and easy. Whether you are a pajama regular or looking to formalize your sleepwear for the first time since toddler “footies”, we have advice and findings for you. We trust that our thorough process and clear communication has helped your important pajama choice.
