I grew up in a small desert town in Southern California.
My house was a mile down a dirt road. Our idea of fun was standing in the middle of a dust-devil getting sandblasted.
We had world-class tumbleweeds, road-runners, coyotes. The whole package.
And for some reason, people only wore sweatpants in public.
As a young man eager to build a sense of style, swearing off sweatpants was an easy choice.
About ten years later, I started seeing a new style of pants. They were like sweatpants but fitted. They were casual and comfortable—and still looked cool.
Joggers.
It’s taken me a while to get over my past and embrace the modern blend of athletic and leisurewear. But I’ve seen the light.
Now my joggers have a spot next to my jeans—perfect for day-time outings, cafe workdays, and meetups with the guys. Heck, I could even go jogging in them.
But I still eye them with suspicion. If they’re not well made, they end up looking a lot like sweatpants.
With that in mind, I put together a list of the six best joggers for men so you can get all the casual comfort while still looking stylish.
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What Are Joggers?
Joggers first became popular in the sneaker community. The tapered bottom leaves plenty of room to show off a killer pair of shoes. While jeans can scuff a pair of shoes or dye them indigo, joggers are a different story.
It didn’t take long for the style to become mainstream. The pants were popular in Europe long before they came stateside, but now that they’ve arrived, they’re everywhere.
Highschool kids wear them as they ride those rentable electric scooters. College guys wear them to play pick-up basketball. At breweries across the country, young dads wear them—baby in one arm and a beer in the other.
One thing’s clear—there’s a way to wear joggers, and there are a few key things to avoid.
Here are the three biggest things to consider when looking to buy a pair of joggers.
3 Things You Should Consider When Buying Joggers
1. For Style or For Comfort?
Be honest with yourself. Do you really just want to wear sweatpants? Or is it a style choice?
If you’re looking to buy a pair of joggers purely for comfort, you can choose any style.
But if you want to keep your stylish edge, you have to put a little more thought into what you buy.
Not all joggers are created equal. A lot of companies take short cuts with their materials and designs. Pick the wrong pair, and you’re wearing glorified sweats. If the fabric is thin or low-quality, it shows. But choose wisely and you’ve got a super-casual pant that looks great.
2. What’s Your Age?
For high school kids, low-quality is fine. You’re going to grow out of it anyway. And the same thing goes for college guys—why go over the top if you’re just going to drop a midnight burrito on your pants?
Once you’re out of college you have no excuses. It’s time to start dressing like a man.
That means you need to find a great pair of joggers made with top-quality materials. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking like a grown boy.
3. What Are You Wearing on Top?
Hoodies and T’s are natural on top of joggers. Your top has to fit well, and it has to be wrinkle-free. If you’re shirt isn’t clean looking, you’ll throw your whole look off.
The 6 Best Joggers for Men in 2020
Now that we’ve laid some ground rules, here are our top five favorite versions.
1. Public Rec ADED Jogger
What We Like
We’ve had good experiences with Public Rec in the past. We loved the comfort of their All-Day-Every-Day pants, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try their jogger version.
It didn’t disappoint.
The quality of the materials and construction of these pants make for a luxury experience. You can tell from 100 yards away that these aren’t your regular casual sweatpants.
With all joggers, you have to be careful with what you choose or you’ll look sloppy. With the ADED jogger, you won’t need to worry about that. They fit well and the taper is just right.
The cuffed hem is a nice, subtle touch. In our opinion, the full elastic scrunchy at the bottom of some joggers looks a little “fourth-grade,” but the cuffed hem on the ADED keeps a clean, slim profile.
Two zippered pockets add security so there’s no risk in keys or a wallet falling out.
What We Don’t Like
To be honest, there isn’t much we dislike about these pants. The pockets bunched up a little after a full day walking around town, but a quick adjustment made for an easy fix.
What Other Reviewers Say
As of this writing, the ADED jogger has 42 reviews with an average of five out of five stars.
That’s not a typo. Perfect scores across the board. If they were bowlers, Public Rec would have a perfect 300 game going. If they played golf, they’d be on their way to an 18 round. If they…you get the picture.
Many reviews mentioned that these looked great on a variety of body types. Guys ranging from 5’7” to 6’4” loved the look and fit.
The Verdict
If you’re going to get joggers, choose quality. Public Rec uses great material and minimalist design so you can look comfortable and put together at the same time.
The zippered pockets make these a natural choice for Sunday afternoon strolls through the city. These are perfect for guys who want a sporty look and don’t want to look like slobs. If you’re ready to step up your casual game, check out the Public Rec ADED Jogger.
If you’re going to get joggers, choose quality. With their jogger All Day Every Day variant, Public Rec have continued their trend of stellar materials and minimalist design so you can look comfortable and put together at the same time.
2. Vuori Balboa Pant
What We Like
Vuori has a history of quality clothing. We put this sweatpant on the list because it has the look and feel of a great pair of joggers. Simple style with great fabric—the way Vuori always does it.
Made with 12oz peached microsanded cotton, these pants don’t have the same technical feel of our previous entry. They are, without a doubt, closer to sweatpants when it comes to comfort. That said, they’re still great for working out and lounging on the couch while still looking put together.
What We Don’t Like
There’s no room for error with sweatpants. If they’re wrinkled at all, or if you have even a single stain on them, you run the risk of looking like you just rolled out of bed. Most of our other entries on this list are made with fabrics that will avoid those stains and wrinkles just for this reason.
What Other Reviewers Say
Over 150 reviews give these a 4.8 out of 5 rating. Pretty popular, to say the least. We’ve had nothing but good experiences with Vuori, so it’s no surprise that they’re getting love for their sweats.
The Verdict
The Balboa Pant from Vuori is built entirely for comfort. They’re solid for chill workouts and quick errands, but these joggers shine the most at home relaxing. Still, just because they’re sweats doesn’t mean they’re not stylish.
These peached cotton sweatpants have jogger cuffs at the bottom. They're excellent for lounging, exercise, and adding a touch of effortless style.
3. LuluLemon ABC Jogger
What We Like
Premium materials make for a clean look. We like LuluLemon’s ABC jogger’s deep square front pockets. These are thinner through the thigh so they work well for the skinny guys.
Apparently, ABC stands for Anti-Ball Crushing. While we couldn’t find anything on the LuluLemon site to confirm that, we can confirm that we love our balls completely un-crushed.
There’s a zipper on the back pocket which helps keep your wallet secure, which is necessary when it comes to stretchy materials. Speaking of stretch, the ABC jogger is made with Warpstreme—a super-stretchy material that will hold up to even the most extreme activities.
What We Don’t Like
While the back zipper is necessary, it looks a little out of place. It’s large profile and bright chrome look stick out in an otherwise streamlined design.
Besides the zipper, these pants have a few extra sewing details that might make them less than ideal for shorter guys. The pattern under the knee creates a visual shortening of the legs. These joggers work really well for tall guys with skinnier thighs, but they may not be ideal for others.
What Other Reviewers Say
There aren’t too many other reviews on the ABC jogger. It’s only a matter of time before people start pitching in their ideas, though. LuluLemon has traditionally been a women’s brand, but they’re branching into the men’s space and doing a great job of it.
They still have a little way to go before they’re not totally associated with ladies’ stretchy pants, but the ABC jogger is a great start.
The Verdict
The ABC Jogger is a great look for guys over 6’ with skinnier thighs. If you’re any shorter than that, the detail below the knee might not do you any favors.
But the high-quality material here will give you that refined look that’s hard to come by.
LuluLemon still have a little way to go before they’re not totally associated with ladies’ stretchy pants, but the ABC jogger is a great start.
4. Southpole Basic Joggers
What We Like
These are the top-rated joggers on Amazon. They’re inexpensive and perfect for working out. The Southpole Basic Joggers are super simple—just soft cotton with a little elastic in the waist and at the ankles.
We’d recommend these if you’re looking for comfortable pants to hit the gym. It’s understandable if you don’t want to don something over $50 when you’re only going to pump some iron.
What We Don’t Like
While these are a great choice for gym rats, they leave a lot to be desired in terms of construction and fabric quality. They’re not bad, but you won’t be turning any heads.
With almost 3,400 reviews as of this writing and an average of 3.9 out of 5 stars, it seems like these pants are worth the money.
It’s funny, both negative and positive reviews say the same thing: you get what you pay for.
On the one hand, you’re getting a basic, comfortable pair of pants on the cheap. You can take them to the court to shoot hoops, do chores around the house, or do your daily workout in them. Just don’t be surprised if they wear out a little quicker than your other pants.
The Verdict
These are the least expensive joggers on our list. But we felt adding a low-cost option for those just looking for something to wear to the gym was important.
Don’t go getting these expecting to find a great pair of pants. And don’t get these if you’re looking for top-of-the-line fashion.
But if you need something you don’t care about getting a little dirty, the The Southpole Basic Joggers might be for you.
5. Mack Weldon Ace Sweatpant
What We Like
The terry cloth is super soft and wicks moisture well. We added them to our list because, unlike the Everlane French Terry sweats, these have two zippered pockets. While this might mess with the Ace’s simple design, the extra security for your wallet and phone is great.
What We Don’t Like
We’ve read these can run short on tall guys. Shorter pants make for stockier looking legs. This can be a positive or a negative depending on how you like your pants to fit.
What Other Reviewers Say
The Ace sweats boast a 4.3 out of 5 on 895 reviews (as of writing). People say they’re like “dress sweats,” which we got a kick out of. Besides a few reviewers that thought they were on the short side, most people love the fit.
The Verdict
The Ace is a great choice if you want a little more structure than the Everlane sweats. With the added zipper, these are great for short jaunts and comfortable airline travel.
The Ace is a solid jogger choice if you want a little more structure than the Everlane sweats. With the added zipper, these are great for short jaunts and comfortable airline travel.
6. Rhone Commuter Jogger
What We Like
Liquid, stain, odor, and wrinkle resistant—Rhone’s Commuter Jogger are perfect for taking care of errands while staying comfortable. And don’t count them out when it comes to getting your sweat on, either.
The cuffed ankle keeps these tapered and secure when you’re out and about.
What We Don’t Like
These are built for guys with larger thighs. If you have skinny thighs, you might be better suited to Public Rec’s joggers. But if you’re an athlete, you’ll enjoy the Commuter Jogger.
What Other Reviewers Think
Rhone has been building their reputation for years and they’re starting to build a loyal fan base. The Commuter Joggers racked up over 150 reviews and average a 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Several reviewers mention the responsive and helpful customer service, so that’s always a big plus in our book.
The Verdict
The Rhone Commuter Jogger is a go-to for Saturday afternoon chores and hitting the town afterward. The five-pocket pant construction will blend in look up to par with other people’s jeans, but you’ll be so much more comfortable.
Rhone's Commuter Jogger is a five pocket pant made with technical fabric and a tapered leg. It's a one-of-a-kind style that'll give you the stylish edge out on the street.
Ready for a Jog?
A man can’t get by on jeans alone.
For a well-balanced wardrobe, we like to have something more casual than jeans.
Joggers are a great choice when you want to stay dressed down but still look stylish.
With this list, you can rest assured knowing that you’re going forth into the world as a put-together man.
Unlock the next step in your casual wardrobe today with a great pair of joggers.
FAQs
What brand has the best joggers?
Our favorite joggers come from Public Rec. But other brands do a fantastic job, too, including Vuori and Rhone. We recommend getting at least one good pair of joggers so you can lounge in style.
What should guys wear with joggers?
Joggers are casual, so something as simple as a t-shirt or hoodie is solid. You can spruce them up a bit by wearing a technical fabric polo, or go more stylish with a denim jacket.
