Fashion
24 Joggers to Take You From the Gym to Brunch and Back Again

24 Joggers to Take You From the Gym to Brunch and Back Again

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.)

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.

The Fitness Buff Pick

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 just under a Benjamin.

The Classic Classic Pick

Champion powerblend retro 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 New Classic Pick

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Polo Ralph Lauren vintage fleece jogger

Looking for a plain ol’ pair of basic joggers? You came to the wrong place. Polo’s ultra-soft fleeceback jersey joints might seem simple, but their pared-down design belies the level of attention the brand pays to its products. These are classic joggers made with timelessness in mind, the sort of pants your kids will spot as they scroll through whatever augmented reality platform your photos migrate to in the future, and then ask you to borrow, STAT. Add them to your closet now and look on with pride when your progeny begs you to resurface ’em years down the line.

The Nike Pick

Nike Sportswear club fleece 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 Designer Pick 

Rick Owens DRKSHDW “Mastadon” cotton jersey cargo pants

By nature, joggers are a comfort-first proposition, but if you want a pair that’ll also turn heads—and nab a knowing nod or two from passersby on the street—look to Rick Owens’ exaggerated take on the cozy boy staple. Everything about the designer’s version is just a little extra—from the oversized cargo pockets, to the long drawstrings, to the way they taper from relaxed up top to slim below the knee. And sure, they’re comfy enough to replace your sweats on a lazy Sunday morning, but for maximum effect wear them exactly as intended: with a freaky pair of Rickensian kicks.

19 More Joggers We Love

Taylor Stitch apres pants

If your waffle-knit long johns and favorite blue jeans started cranking out kids, they’d look a lot like this.

J.Crew double knit joggers

This kind of hardy double-layer fabric once helped folks survive the long hike up Everest. Today it can help you survive the long hike from the living room to the kitchen.

The Elder Statesman heavy joggers

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.

$1,155

The Elder Statesman

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Gramicci fleece joggers

Heads up: The shorts of the summer are now the sweats you’ll live in all winter.
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Hanes pocket joggers

Pair with a beanie, a beefy long-sleeve T-shirt, and some cooked AF1s to make your early morning coffee runs the stuff of menswear dreams.

Adidas quilted track pants

Quilted anything is a quintessential cold weather move for a reason. But who says your upper body should hog all that warmth?

The North Face Men’s Big Pine Midweight Joggers

Live out your spelunking fantasies in high-flying style.

Todd Snyder Italian stretch drawstring camp jogger

Cutting anything but high-waisted dress pants out of Italian cotton this premium might sound like blasphemy, but Todd Snyder nails the landing with style to spare.

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Carhartt WIP cargo joggers

Give your go-to military cargos the day off.

Bonobos lightweight homestretch jogger

Because no one has to know your pants come with the type of forgiving four-way stretch typically endemic to far less handsome options.

Gap French terry joggers

Forget Yeezy Gap. These cozy french Terry sweats are plenty Ye-approved.

Smock rework lounge pants

Back in the day, to get patina this authentic you’d actually have to wear these guys consistently for years on end. Aren’t you glad we ain’t back in the day?

$158$79

Mohawk General Store

Vuori Sunday performance jogger

Vuori’s fan-favorite joggers come with a tapered leg that stops just above the ankle, the ideal length for showing off a particularly crispy pair of kicks.

Rhone Reign midweight jogger

Midweight pants made for heavy-duty lounging.

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John Elliott “Sydney” cotton joggers

Surprise, surprise: John Elliott—the L.A. designer indirectly responsible for every pair of elevated sweatpants in your closet—also makes pitch-perfect joggers.

Under Armour sportstyle tricot joggers

Water-repelling, four-way-stretching, elite-level workout pants stamped with UA’s industry-leading seal of durability.

Rag & Bone city prospect cotton joggers

The pants you wish you were wearing that time you spilled Malbec all over yourself.

Flint and Tinder 365 jogger

Can’t get enough of your favorite workout pants? Flint and Tinder makes ’em in office-appropriate form, too.