Best affordable loungewear for hot weather

Cheap loungewear for hot weather

When it’s too hot to hang outdoors, you should kick back and relax indoors with some affordable loungewear.

While all loungewear is made for comfort, only some pieces are suitable for warm-weather wear. Fortunately, there’s a wide variety of lightweight, breathable pieces. It’s not just tank tops and shorts, either. You’ll find plenty of leggings, t-shirts and pajama sets worth considering.

Ready to slip into something cool and comfortable? To help you find the best affordable loungewear for hot weather, we’re sharing this buying guide featuring a few of our favorite items.

Affordable loungewear for hot weather

What is loungewear?

Loungewear includes any comfortable clothing worn while relaxing or hanging out around the home. It’s not an all-encompassing group that includes tops, bottoms, pajama sets, athleisure, nightshirts and dresses.

As far as loungewear tops for hot weather, it mainly includes short-sleeve or sleeveless styles. Bottoms are typically shorts, leggings or cropped pants.

Loungewear materials

Materials for loungewear in warmer times include lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton, polyester, bamboo or rayon. Some loungewear pieces have material blends, which often include Spandex for more flexibility and durability.

While satin and silk are both lightweight and breathable, they’re rarely as affordable as other options. However, you may be able to snag some of these pieces at much lower prices when they’re on sale.

Loungewear longevity

When shopping for affordable loungewear, it’s essential to examine its overall construction. Many pieces are well-made, though some are poorly constructed and won’t hold well with regular wash and wear.

Here are a few ways to determine whether affordable loungewear is made well:

One of the critical indicators of well-made loungewear pieces is even stitching. They should also be well-secured without any stray, loose or hanging thread.
If a loungewear piece has patterns or stripes, all panels should maintain alignment and face the same way.
Waistbands should feel reasonably durable. Drawcords shouldn’t feel flimsy, and elastic bands should stretch without “popping” any elastic fibers.
Loungewear should run somewhat true to size. If your usual size feels too small or too big, you should be able to find an ideal fit by sizing up or down by one size.

Loungewear comfort features

Comfort is the top feature wearers look for in loungewear. For the most part, loungewear should allow for easy, unrestricted movement whether you’re sitting, reclining, stretching or napping.

In terms of fit, many wearers are partial to loose or relaxed-fit loungewear. Other people prefer the snug, cozy fit of cropped leggings or fitted tees. Or, wearers may wear a combination of fit styles, such as baggy t-shirts with leggings or relaxed pajama bottoms with fitted tank tops.

Seams play a role in clothing’s overall comfort level, too. It’s common to see flat-lock seams in loungewear, in which seams are soft and smooth to prevent chafing. As seen in some leggings, some pieces have seamless designs to eliminate as much irritation as possible.

Loungewear care

Loungewear is easy to wear, and it should be easy to care for, too.

Most loungewear pieces are machine washable, and you can include them in laundry loads of the same color. Some pieces are dryer-safe, while others are line-dry. You won’t find many affordable loungewear pieces that require ironing, dry cleaning or special washing.

How much you can expect to spend on affordable loungewear

The term “affordable” means something different to everyone, but we’re sticking to $25 and below to include as many budget-friendly options as possible. For loungewear sets, which have two or more pieces, we include options priced at $30 or less.

Budget summer loungewear

Best men’s affordable loungewear for hot weather

Champion Mesh Athletic Shorts

These lightweight mesh shorts by Champion have a soft, lightweight material. The hybrid waistband provides an adjustable fit for wearers.

Where to buy: Kohl’s