15 Different Types of Sweatpants to Choose From

There’s a better than average chance that you wear sweatpants from time to time. As a matter of fact, you might even love wearing them. For some people, sweatpants are just something to wear at the gym. As a matter of fact, it’s no small coincidence that they ended up getting their name, sweatpants, from their association with going to the gym and sweating it out. That being said, sweatpants are often some of the most comfortable forms of clothing that can be found. As a direct result, many individuals absolutely revel in the opportunity to wear them outside of the gym. They make great options for lounging around the house, a fun and casual day out, and even to sleep in. If you think that there are just one or two kinds of sweatpants to choose from, think again. Did you know that there are actually 15 different types of sweatpants? Once you learn more about the individual types available, you can tailor the type of sweatpants you purchase to your liking as opposed to merely settling for whatever you can find available on the rack at your nearest store. This may not be a life-changing article, but it can certainly make you more comfortable. Who knows, that added level of comfort might be just what you need to clean your entire house from top to bottom, start that new side hustle you’ve been thinking about for months, or maybe even give yourself permission to sit back and relax for a couple of hours while you watch a movie and let the rest of the world fall away. All of those options sound pretty good, so let’s get down to examining the different types of sweatpants available.

15. Basic Length Sweatpants

Just as the name implies, these sweatpants are what you might consider a standard length. They don’t tend to be so long that you’re stepping on them while you’re walking around without shoes on, nor are they so short that you sit down and they end up just below your knees. Like most types of traditional sweatpants, they usually have a cuff at the bottom which gives them a little bit more of a fitted look. They don’t tend to be especially baggy, provided you choose the right size. By the same token, they’re not so tight that they’re uncomfortable or difficult to move around in. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this particular type of sweatpants is that they can be made from a lot of different materials, ranging from 100% cotton to other types of materials that are either more economical or more upscale. It gives you a great deal of options when choosing these types of pants because you have so much available to you when it comes to the type of material used and how they actually look when you try them on. If you choose a more upscale pair and you’re careful about choosing the right fit, you can even wear these types of pants when you’re out and about, while going to lunch with someone or running errands. They look good enough to be worn outside of the home when you’re not working out without making you look sloppy in the process. It’s one of the major reasons that so many people love them. Just in case you’re wondering, they’re also exceptionally comfortable.

14. Drawstring Sweatpants

It’s not at all uncommon to find sweatpants that have a draw string around the waist. As a matter of fact, it’s a very common practice to manufacture pants in this manner because it’s practical. If you’re actually wearing sweatpants while you’re working out, the drawstring can really come in handy because you tend to lose water weight as you sweat and this can make a dramatic difference in the way that pants fit around your waist. The drawstring can effectively keep your pants where they belong instead of allowing a situation to happen where you have a major wardrobe malfunction at the worst possible time. In short, you don’t have to worry about doing a set of jumping jacks and then doing the squat, only to find out that your pants have migrated from your waist to being down around your ankles in front of everyone else at the gym. Furthermore, the drawstring also comes in handy because it keeps your pants snug as you’re running on the treadmill or doing other types of movements, not to mention keeping you from having to go out and buy new pairs of sweatpants every single time you lose a few pounds. If you’re going to the gym regularly for weight loss, this can save you a lot of money because you can wear the pants for a longer amount of time before you have to go out and buy new ones, giving you the chance to save up money to buy an entirely new wardrobe once you hit your goal weight.

13. Cropped Sweatpants

Back in the day, a lot of people referred to these types of pants as capris. They’re very popular in warmer climates, especially during the summer months because for the most part, they’re made of lightweight materials and they only come down to the mid-portion of your calf, just a few inches below your knees. That makes them a great option for people that are exercising during warmer weather, but it also gives you the option to wear something that is cooler and more comfortable during warm weather, especially if you’re not particularly comfortable in shorts or you’re going somewhere that requires dressing up just a little bit. If you get capris made from the right materials, you can actually look quite stylish in them as opposed to looking like you’re just throwing something together that’s for maximum comfort and little else.

12. Sweatpants With Pockets

There are two distinct camps when it comes to sweatpants with pockets. One group of people has a difficult time understanding why on Earth you would want to include pockets into your sweatpants, especially if you’re using them only to workout. For them, it simply isn’t a necessity because they don’t wear them all the time. However, there is a whole different group of people out there that won’t purchase sweatpants unless they have pockets. After all, don’t you need a place to store your phone or other valuables while you’re working out? It really helps if the pockets have zippers on them so that you can secure those items while you’re running, lunging and lifting weights. That gives you the opportunity to utilize those pockets to their maximum benefit without the need to worry yourself about items slipping out of your pants and landing on the gym floor, unnoticed until hours later. The point is, if you’re a fan of sweatpants with pockets, you can find them made in just about any material that you desire, with or without cuffs on the legs or drawstrings around the waist.

11. Tailored Sweatpants

Is there really such a thing as tailored sweatpants? It really shouldn’t come as a surprise. You can get virtually any type of clothing tailored to fit your body shape, so why not sweatpants as well? For the most part, sweatpants that are tailored are made of more upscale materials and they have a tendency to look good as part of an ensemble that you might wear out, albeit not to anything too fancy. However, there are people that wear tailored sweatpants to the gym as well. If you think that’s a little bit ostentatious, you might be forgetting to look at the practical side of things. Sweatpants that are tailored allow you to move freely without restriction, yet they’re not so baggy or loose that they run the risk of getting caught in some of the equipment that you might routinely use at the gym. For serious gym-goers, it’s a way to up their game. While they might cost more than something off the rack, they also have a tendency to last longer.

10. Baggy Sweatpants

Of course, some people really like their sweatpants baggy and there’s nothing wrong with that. As luck would have it, there are a specific type of sweatpants known as baggy, and that describes them perfectly. Just like the name implies, these pants have a tendency to be a lot baggier when you’re wearing them than virtually anything else you might have in your wardrobe. It’s something that some people absolutely can’t stand, but others simply wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, it isn’t exactly fun to be sweating it out in a gym and discover that you’re wearing something so tight that it pulls and tugs at you every time you move. These pants are especially beneficial if you’re doing certain dance moves as part of a group fitness class or you’re doing stretching exercises that require you to move around a lot because they don’t restrict you in any capacity.

9. Joggers

These pants are typically worn by runners. They can be made of cotton or fleece and they typically fit closer to the body than a lot of other types of sweatpants. That being said, they definitely aren’t restrictive in nature. They also typically have elastic cuffs at the bottom so you’re not distracted by flared pants flying around all over the place while you’re running.

8. Slim Fit Sweatpants

Some people who can get away with wearing clothes that fit tighter to the body without restricting them prefer a slimmer fit in virtually everything they wear, up to and including sweatpants. If that sounds like something that interests you, then you can definitely purchase sweatpants designed with a slimmer fit that are cut closer to the body and look far less baggy when worn.

7. Relaxed Fit Sweatpants

However, if you find yourself on the other side of the spectrum and you like something that moves with you and doesn’t feel too restrictive, relaxed fit sweatpants might be the way to go. They don’t fit quite as closely to the body and they allow you to move more freely, yet they don’t look particularly baggy. As is the case with virtually every other type of sweatpants on this list, they can be made from a variety of materials.

6. Racing Sweatpants

You guessed it, there are sweatpants designed specifically for racing. They look so similar to other types of sweatpants that it can be difficult to tell one from the other, but dedicated runners practically swear by them. They tend to be more lightweight than other styles, and they hug the body without restricting movement. Perhaps the best part is that they are usually made from material that breathes well, helping you stay cool during even your most intense races.

5. Striped Sweatpants

Who doesn’t love wearing striped sweatpants? This is the same style made famous by Adidas years ago, and it’s still popular today. In fact, it’s such a popular design that you can find these types of pants almost anywhere.

4. Nylon Sweatpants

Some people really love wearing nylon sweatpants. They’re often touted as being lightweight and capable of keeping moisture at bay. Others will tell you that they make you sweat like you’re a baked potato in an oven, but isn’t that the goal when you go to the gym anyway?

3. French Terry Sweatpants

These pants have been around for decades. It’s easy to see why they’re so popular. They’re comfortable, affordable and easy to care for. Just as the name implies, they are made from terry. That means they’re soft and they can keep you warm without making things uncomfortably hot.

2. Tapered Sweatpants

Surely you’ve seen the popular trend in jeans and trousers where the cut is tapered all the way down to the ankle. It’s sort of like a slim fit, but not quite. The end result is a product that looks closer to a slim cut, yet doesn’t make you feel as restricted. This can be a huge benefit if you really like the style but you don’t like your clothes squeezing you when you work out.

1. French Jogger Boyfriend Sweatpants

For the most part, people generally consider sweatpants to be more or less unisex in nature. However, these are distinctly popular with a lot of women. They’re designed to look like the french terry joggers your boyfriend might wear, hence their name. Despite that fact, they are typically cut for (and marketed toward) women.