Loungewear refers to clothes you wear when you are relaxing at home, in a hotel or even in your tent while camping. So comfort is the main thing to consider when shopping for loungewear. 

Here’s our quick guide to choosing the most comfortable loungewear for home and travel. 

What Is Loungewear (and Is It the Same as Sleepwear)? 

A lot of people confuse loungewear and sleepwear. While there are clothes that function as both, loungewear and sleepwear are different.  

Sleepwear includes clothes like PJs and nightgowns that are designed for sleeping in. They can be ultralight or thick and cozy depending on your sleep needs. But generally, they are only suitable for wearing in bed and at home.

Loungewear covers smarter but still casual clothing that can be worn to more places and occasions. Examples include sweatpants, t-shirts, jumpers, leggings and hoodies. You can even get underwear designed specifically for lounging such as our super comfy and self-cleaning Kribi lounge underwear.   

You can wear loungewear at home, in a hotel room or run errands with them. Some loungewear clothes are stylish enough that you can even go to brunch and other informal events with them. 

You can also find loungewear that’s comfortable enough to double up as sleepwear. These are particularly ideal when traveling as they help save space and weight. There’s no need to pack both PJs and loungewear. 

5 Things to Consider When Buying Loungewear

When you shop for loungewear, here’s what to consider. 

1. Fabric

Most types of fabric, synthetic or natural, are fine for loungewear. That’s because you are typically not sweating or out in the sun when you wear loungewear. So even polyester, which has poor breathability compared to natural fabrics like cotton, can feel comfortable. 

Just make sure the fabric is soft and gentle on your skin. It should also be breathable enough that it doesn't make your skin hot and clammy. 

That said, natural and semi-natural fabrics like cotton, wool, silk, linen, bamboo and modal are the best choices for loungewear. They are soft, hypoallergenic, extra-breathable and moisture-wicking. They are especially useful if the weather is hot or humid. 

If you plan to walk around town and run errands in loungewear, definitely go for highly breathable natural fabrics. They are much more comfortable outdoors. 

2. Fit

Comfortable loungewear should have a loose fit. Depending on your style preferences, this can range from comfortably snug to baggy. 

Loungewear should not feel tight, restrict movement or reduce blood flow. 

3. Light, Breathable and Moisture-wicking 

Choose loungewear that is light, breathable and can wick away sweat. This will keep you comfortable no matter the temperature. 

Breathable loungewear keeps you from overheating and reduces sweating particularly in warm weather. Moisture-wicking fabric ensures that any sweat is quickly absorbed from your skin to keep you cool and dry. 

High quality polyester loungewear can be breathable and allow sweat to evaporate. But if you are getting loungewear for hot weather, we highly recommend wool, silk, cotton and other natural fabrics. 

A note on cotton: Normally, cotton loungewear is fine. In fact, it’s great thanks to its high breathability and soft feel. But if you sweat a lot, it absorbs all that moisture and stays damp. So if you expect heavy sweating (e.g. it’s humid, you have hot flashes etc.), we recommend staying away from cotton. Silk, linen, bamboo, wool or even lightweight polyester is better.   

4. Cooling or Insulating 

Do you want lightweight loungewear that keeps you cool or cozy loungewear that keeps you warm? Most people need both and then you can choose the right one depending on current weather. 

For cooling such as during summer, get lightweight and breathable loungewear made from natural fabrics or super lightweight polyester. For winter and cooler weather, materials like wool and fleece provide excellent insulation. 

5. Versatility 

Finally, consider how much versatility you want in your loungewear. If you just want comfy clothes to wear in the house, you can easily find a loungewear set that’s perfect for that. 

If you want loungewear that doubles up as sleepwear, you have to make sure it’s comfortable for lounging as well as sleep (should be extra-soft, lightweight and good at wicking sweat). 

If you want loungewear you can wear at home and outside, then you need more presentable loungewear that won’t look out of place in the grocery store or cafe. 

Final Thoughts

It is likely that a single set of loungewear is not enough to meet all your needs. Get different items for different needs. Cozy pair of wool sweatpants and top for winter, lightweight shorts and a tee for summer, PJs for home and sleep, polyester loungewear you can go for a brisk walk in and so on.