Are Sweatpants Warmer Than Jeans? Cold Weather Pants | Tall Paul (2024)

This article will help you understand what option works best for what circ*mstance.

Plus, I will give you some tips on making both your jeans and sweatpants warmer.

Sweatpants will be your best choice to wear when the weather is cold. Sweatpants tend to be thicker than jeans, and also, the fabric that the sweatpants are made with (mainly cotton) will be warming to your skin, unlike denim.

One instance where jeans might be the wiser choice when wanting to be warmer is when a windchill drops below 0c / 32f. Jeans will act as a better windbreaker than the loose-knit of sweatpants. Staying warmer from the denim windbreaker will only work for short periods in the cold elements, so pick and choose carefully.

Like sweatpants, joggers will also keep you warmer than jeans. However, with the different fabrics that are used in joggers, there is a higher chance that a pair of jeans will be the warmer option.

When looking for a warmer option of pants, whether it is a sweatpant, jogger, jeans, or slacks, always keep in mind that a tight cuff on your ankle will keep more warm air inside. And keep less cold air out.

The warmest pants for winter are snow pants, possibly also called ski pants. These pants have a solid windbreaking layer made out of water repellent & windproof polyester or nylon.

Be careful when washing polyester (can you shrink polyester?)

If you do not have a pair of ski pants, the next best choice would be to wear sweatpants and jeans simultaneously. By layers your jeans over the sweatpants, they will act as a wind barrier and soak up the snow, while the sweatpants underneath will hold in your body heat.

You may sweat more than you like. However, that is a better option than freezing.

Sweatpants will be worn less in the summer due to daily hot temperatures.

Because sweatpants are made from mainly cotton and have a cuff at your ankles, they will keep your body heat trapped inside your pants legs. With the trapped body heat, plus the outdoor temperatures above 25c/75f, you will most likely sweat when your wear your sweatpants in the summer.

There are ways to style your sweatpants in the summerto help this, plus look good while doing it.

Sweatpants are not suitable for going out and playing in the snow. They will quickly absorb the snow as a liquid and have you cold and wet in a very short time. Instead of wearing sweatpants, you should wear snow pants/ski pants when playing in the snow.

Suppose you are not playing in the snow and instead walking around doing chores. Then yes, sweatpants are a great pant choice to wear when snowing. They will keep the cold air out and, with the help of the cuffs, will keep your body heat in.

You should choose to wear jeans in the rain 100% of the time. Now, both jeans and sweatpants will absorb the rain as time passes, making them wet. However, sweatpants will do this much faster than your denim jeans.

Sweatpants fabric will also change colour by getting darker in the wet spots, affecting the look of your outfit. Unless you wear whitewashed jeans or denim of a very light colour, you will not notice the rain dampening them.

There are a few ways you can make your jeans warmer, so you can brave the freezing weather with them and not worry about getting too cold.

Before you take any of these steps below make sure you jeans are broken in first. New jeans are stiff, which will leave them sitting awkwardly away from your skin no matter what effort you put in to warm them up. Learn how to break in your jeans with our guide.

There are many more options when buying jeans these days: a blend of elastic with denim. This combination of fabrics allows the jeans to stretch when you squat, which works well for taller men and women and those who are fitter and muscle-bound.

These jeans also help keep your body temperature in while keeping the cold air out by allowing you to wear tighter jeans than you would be with 100% denim.

The biggest issue with jeans is the space between your legs and the denim; this is where cold air is allowed to stay, making you lose warmth.

A way to address this problem is to wear tight leggings underneath your jeans, which will help keep your body heat in. You can wear the athletic tights that you wear at the gym underneath your gym shorts or a pair of thermal underwear.

Lastly, wearing a pair of sweatpants underneath your gym can help keep yourself warm. Due to the bulkiness of most sweatpants, this might not be an option for the size of jeans you have. Also, sweatpants stuffed under your jeans will alter the look of the jeans.

However, if you are in sub-zero and need to stay warm, it’s as great a choice as any of the three.