Joggers vs. sweatpants. What’s the difference between these two types of sports pants? If you’re in the market for either joggers or sweatpants, you should definitely look into the difference between these two.
Now, I’m not going to lie and say that joggers and sweatpants are used for exclusively different purposes. In fact, you can use joggers in any situation that would need sweatpants and vice versa.
However, if you want to make the best purchase for yourself, it’s worth looking into what makes each pant different. Joggers are better for some situations and outfits and the same goes for sweatpants. Therefore, I’d like to take a deep dive into each pant style so that we can find which one will best suit you. Let’s get started!
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What are Joggers?
Joggers are a traditional style of sports pants, designed for both ease-of-movement and comfort. Joggers are traditionally used for exercise and are a handy pair of pants to have during the winter.
Most joggers will have some type of drawstring around the waist and are tapered around the leg. You’ll also find that the bottom of joggers are more elastic than the other areas which is what gives joggers its flexibility.
Joggers largely became popular thanks to the incorporation of athleisure wear. Nowadays, you can find just about any athlete or gym enthusiast wearing joggers for both work and play.
However, joggers have also become a popular item for those who don’t go to the gym. As we’ll see later on in this article, you can make a killer semi casual outfit with joggers.
What are Sweatpants?
Sweatpants are also a traditional style of sports pants designed for both ease-of-movement and comfort. However, sweatpants have been the norm much longer than joggers have, having been used for both comfort and exercise since the early 1900s.
Sweatpants are also designed more for comfort than anything. These types of pants also have a drawstring around the waist. However, most sweatpants aren’t tapered and won’t converge around the ankles.
And since sweatpants are designed to help keep your legs warm, sweatpants are usually made of heavy material like cotton fleece.
What is the Difference Between Joggers and Sweatpants?
The main difference between joggers and sweatpants is how the pants are built. Joggers are generally tapered around the legs and close in around the ankle. Meanwhile, sweatpants are loose-fitting and easily reach your shoes.
There are also some other differences worth noting between joggers and sweatpants. For one, joggers tend to be used more for athletic situations. Since they have a more defined build around the legs, you can easily move them around. This allows you to play a multitude of different sports while still sporting the pants.
On the other hand, sweatpants use heavier material and have a baggier build. Thus, sweatpants act more like blankets around your legs than anything. This is why you might see someone warming up in sweatpants before a game or wearing them on a cold day.
You’ll also notice that sweatpants tend to primarily come in a gray shade. However, you can find the occasional pair in navy or black. For joggers, this isn’t the case. Yes, you can find quite a few joggers in a gray, navy, or black color scheme but major retailers offer joggers in just about any color that you want.
How to Style Joggers
Before we get to styling joggers and sweatpants, I just want to let you guys know that I like to style my joggers and sweatpants for cold weather. Therefore, I’m not going to focus so much on athleisure and more so on everyday wear for when you’re out.
In my opinion, joggers are the perfect layer piece. You can wear a pair of shorts underneath which adds to your warmth and outfit. Thus, you can complement joggers well with other layer pieces.
My two favorite pieces to match a pair of joggers are a quarter-zip and a crew neck sweater. Both fit well around the body and aren’t too baggy if you pick the correct size. These two match well with the joggers’ tapered look and can keep you warm in relatively cold weather.
However, for extremely cold weather, I recommend utilizing sweatpants for your outfit. Since sweatpants are usually made with cotton fleece, they’re very good at keeping your lower body insulated.
How to Style Sweatpants
Styling sweatpants can be a little trickier since sweatpants tend to be baggy and don’t show your body’s true physique. However, this can be used to your advantage.
My two favorite pieces to match with a pair of sweatpants are a parka and a hoodie. Both of these work extremely well in cold weather and have the same build as sweatpants. By matching these together, you offset the awkward shape that sweatpants can sometimes take on.
For parkas, I recommend having two layers underneath your parka. While parkas are great at insulating your body, they work even more effectively if you have some extra layers underneath.
It’s also really easy to match color schemes for sweatpants and parkas. Parkas are usually made in a neutral tone which works well with sweatpants since sweatpants usually come in navy, grey, and black.
For hoodies, I recommend going for an easy-fitting hoodie. You can go for a baggy hoodie as well but in my opinion, hoodies that are between slim fit and baggy look the best with a pair of sweatpants.
Styling sweatpants is not as easy as styling a pair of jeans or a pair of slacks. For one, they’re designed more for warmth and comfort than style and on top of that, sweatpants can only be worn with so much. However, if you have a parka or a hoodie lying around, you can use that to your advantage next time you want to wear sweatpants when you go out.
Best Joggers for Men
If you’re in the market for a pair of joggers, then look no further! I’ve compiled a list of my favorite joggers that are in my closet today. Some of these are personal favorites and others are ones that I’ve recently discovered. Let’s get started!
Adidas Men’s Tapered Cuffed Pants
These were actually the first pair of joggers I ever bought in my life and after wearing my first pair for a year, I’ve decided to buy two more pairs. These joggers use a 70-30 cotton polyester mix, so your pants will be quite flexible around the leg.
However, my favorite part is the fit around the ankle. The pants are tapered around the ankle, but they leave enough room for comfort. This results in a well-fitting pair of pants that have enough room for your legs to move around while also maintaining its own physical integrity.
Also, you can’t go wrong with the design. I’ve been hard-pressed to find a pair of joggers and sweatpants that have the three-striped design. And while this might be due to the trademarked Adidas logo, there are only a few joggers that are on par with their designs.
Champion Jersey Jogger
Another favorite in my closet is the Champion jersey jogger. This jogger is composed of 90% cotton and 10% black polyester or 60% cotton and 40% polyester. These joggers come in six different colorways for you to choose from and they have a Super Comfort waistband to help keep the heat in.
They have a nifty Champion logo on the left side of the pant and while they are a little thinner than most joggers, I still find myself wearing these whenever I want to keep things casual.
The North Face Men’s TKA Glacier Pants
These are by far my favorite pair of joggers to wear at the moment. North Face uses TKA fleece which allows for maximum insulation. And in my opinion, the TKA fleece allows for a warmer pair of joggers than what you’d get with the Adidas or Champion joggers.
The joggers also provide quite a bit of utility for your convenience. There are side hand pockets along with a back pocket secured via a zipper. I’ve found this perfect for small items such as my wallet and keys.
One other nifty thing I’ve found with these pants is that they’ve uniquely placed the North Face logo on the left knee. While I normally wouldn’t advocate for awkward placements of a logo, this one actually works out quite well and provides a signature look.
Best Sweatpants for Men
If you’re in the market for a pair of sweatpants, I’ve also compiled a list of my favorite sweatpants to wear. While they do vary in price and material, all of these are high-quality sweatpants that you can style with your next outfit.
The North Face Unisex Vert Sweatpants
While these might look like your standard pair of sweatpants, there’s more than meets the eye. The makeup of the sweatpant itself is around 69% cotton and 31% polyester, giving it a stretch that most sweatpants don’t have.
The sweatpants themselves have side-pocket storage so that you can stow away keys, wallets, watches, and any other small items that you keep on you. But what I love best about these sweatpants is that they’re somewhat tapered so that they aren’t too baggy.
There’s plenty of leg space for you to move around. However, the sweatpants converge around the ankle, giving the sweatpants a physical integrity to keep its shape. I also really like the subtle North Face logo on the left leg.
This is overall a solid pick if you want a pair of sweatpants that aren’t too baggy but still provide warmth and comfort. Oh yeah, and did I mention it comes in a grey colorway?
Amazon Essentials Men’s Fleece Sweatpants
When I first came across these sweatpants, I was a little skeptical about buying them. After all, Amazon has never really been a reputable clothing retailer. But for $15, I’d say that Amazon easily outdid themselves.
Not only do these sweatpants come in fifteen different colorways, but the fleece material ensures maximum warmth. The pants themselves are made with 52% cotton and 48% polyester and the waist has elastic closure for flexibility.
They don’t have the taper that the North Face sweatpants have. But for $15, I’d say you’re getting a great steal, especially since you can choose your ideal color from the fifteen different offerings that they give you.
Hanes Men’s EcoSmart Fleece Sweatpant
If you take one step up in terms of quality and durability from the Amazon fleece sweatpants, you get the Hanes Men’s EcoSmart Fleece Sweatpant. These sweatpants are built for time more than anything.
The fleece of the pant is designed such that the material won’t fade no matter how many times you wash it. One downside is that these sweatpants don’t have pockets, but the pants do adjust more naturally to your body since there are different rises in the front and back.
And if you’re into helping the environment, you’ll feel great about wearing these sweatpants since they come from Hanes’ EcoSmart line. This means that part of your sweatpants have been made from recycled plastic bottles.
Overall, I would say that these sweatpants definitely fit better and are more durable than the Amazon sweatpants. However, unfortunately, they do lack pockets which in some instances, can be a deal breaker. Nevertheless, all the other qualities of the Hanes EcoSmart Fleece sweatpant are top-tier.
Final Thoughts
Joggers and sweatpants are both great choices if you’re to buy a new pair of sports pants. While both are built for colder weather, there are some subtle differences that are worth noting before your purchase.
Personally, when it comes to joggers vs. sweatpants, I like to go with joggers. They fit better around the legs and while they aren’t as insulating as sweatpants, they still do a great job. What about you? What’s your preference? Let me know down in the comments.