If you’re an athlete (or a weekend warrior), then you know how muscle soreness can interfere with your activities in the days following a workout. To avoid that, you might do everything you can to recover from your sweat sessions quickly, such as stretching, foam rolling, doing yoga, and prioritizing high-quality sleep. Now, a new type of clothing might provide another piece of the athletic recovery puzzle.
Recovery pajamas are a new trend in the world of sleepwear (much like high-tech sleepwear). These fabrics could take several forms. They might simply be breathable, stretchy, and comfortable, thus helping you drift off to dreamland and enjoy the sleep that’s essential for recovery. Or they might incorporate a variety of performance-related materials or technologies, from Celliant to Far Infrared (energy on the infrared spectrum that could promote circulation and oxygen flow to muscles). Want to invest in some of the best recovery pajamas around right now? Then start by checking out our roundup of women’s and men’s recovery sleepwear.
Best Women’s Long-Sleeved Set
Thermajane Women’s Ultra Soft Thermal Underwear
Pros:
- The four-way stretch construction ensures the pajamas move with your body and don’t cause pinching, chafing, or discomfort.
- The pajamas are designed to quickly wick away moisture so you don’t get clammy while sleeping.
- The set is available in lots of vibrant colors, so you can customize the look to your personal preferences.
- This is a fairly budget-friendly pajama set.
Cons:
- The pajamas might not fit exactly true to size.
- The fabric doesn’t seem like it’s super durable.
Thermajane Women's Ultra Soft Thermal Underwear
Sleep comfortably all night long in the Thermajane Women’s Ultra Soft Thermal Underwear, which wick away moisture and move with your body. The set is available in tons of vibrant colors.
Sleepopolis Score
4.60 / 5
Best Men’s Long-Sleeved Set
HAREWOM Thermal Underwear for Men
Pros:
- The top and bottoms are designed with comfort in mind. The inner lining is super soft to the touch, and the four-way stretch design allows for freedom of movement.
- The fabric is breathable and moisture-wicking, so you shouldn’t wake up in a pool of sweat.
- This is a fairly budget-friendly set of recovery pajamas.
- The set is available in five colors, so there’s some room to customize the overall look to your personal preferences.
One con? The pajamas don’t feature specific materials to promote circulation or muscle recovery.
HAREWOM Thermal Underwear for Men
The HAREWOM Thermal Underwear for Men are ultra-comfortable thanks to a silky-soft lining and four-way stretch construction. The breathable fabric wicks away fabric so you don’t wake up hot.
Best Women’s Short Sleeve
Under Armour Women’s Athlete Recovery Sleepwear Short Sleeve Shirt
Pros:
- Relative to other recovery sleepwear shirts, this is fairly budget-friendly.
- The shirt incorporates elastane and has a 4-way stretch construction to create a stretchy feel that moves with your body.
- The pattern on the inside of the shirt incorporates Celliant, a unique material that could support athletic recovery (though it’s worth doing your own research on that point).
- The breathable material does a good job of wicking sweat and drying quickly.
The main con? There’s no guarantee that the fabric will support athletic recovery, but you’ll pay for that possibility.
Under Armour Women's Athlete Recovery Sleepwear Short Sleeve Shirt
The soft Under Armour Women’s Athlete Recovery Sleepwear Short Sleeve Shirt has a 4-way stretch construction that moves with your body. The shirt incorporates Celliant to support athletic recovery.
Best Men’s Short Sleeve
Under Armour Men’s Ultra Comfort Athlete Recovery Shorts Sleepwear
Pros:
- The fabric is super soft and comfortable.
- The shirt is designed with a 4-way stretch construction to stretch and move with your body.
- The print on the inside of the shirt reflects Far Infrared, which could possibly enable better sleep and athletic recovery.
One con? You’ll pay more than you might for a regular sleep shirt because of the athletic recovery angle, but that recovery isn’t guaranteed.
Under Armour Men's Ultra Comfort Athlete Recovery Shorts Sleepwear
The Under Armour Men’s Ultra Comfort Athlete Recovery Shorts Sleepwear lives up to its “ultra comfort” claim: It’s soft, breathable, and moves with your body. The print on the inside of the shirt reflects Far Infrared to potentially contribute to athletic recovery.
Here’s a quick overview of the criteria that we considered while putting together this roundup of best recovery pajamas.
Breathability
When pajamas trap heat, they can disrupt sleep. And an interrupted night of sleep is definitely not going to help with athletic recovery. For that reason, we focused on options that are breathable and should help you sleep cool.
Comfort
Pajamas that are scratchy, itchy, or constrictive will make it harder to get comfortable enough to drift off to sleep. So we focused on options that are soft, stretchy, and comfortable. Each of the options on this list has a high likelihood of creating a comfortable night’s sleep.
Recovery Claims
If pajamas claim to support athletic recovery, then there needs to be something about the design that could live up to those claims. So we focused on options that are designed with athletic recovery in mind. Each of the pajama pieces here feature special features or materials, such as moisture-wicking fabrics, four-way stretch construction, and/or a special material that could theoretically boost athletic recovery, from Celliant fiber to print technology that reflects Far Infrared back to a sleeper’s body.
That said, it’s important to do your own research into these materials and technologies. While the options on this list are designed to support athletic recovery, they aren’t guaranteed to do so.
Sleepopolis Buying Tips
Trying to settle on the best recovery pajamas for your needs? Think about the following:
- Short sleeved or long? Depending on your climate and comfort preferences, you might feel more comfortable in a short or long sleeve shirt. Or maybe you want both options to stay comfortable year round.
- Celliant or Far Infrared? Recovery pajamas can incorporate either Celliant fiber or Far Infrared technology in an effort to boost athletic recovery. After researching both options, you might be more inclined to pay for one over the other.
The best recovery pajamas are most likely to be breathable (so they sleep cool) and comfortable (so they don’t interfere with falling or staying asleep). If your pajamas help you sleep soundly, that alone will support athletic recovery. Beyond that, special materials or technologies are the icing on the cake.
FAQs
What is recovery sleepwear?
Recovery sleepwear is a style of pajamas that incorporates special materials or technologies that could support athletic recovery. Currently, the most common types of recovery sleepwear use either Celliant (a material that might boost circulation and oxygen flow to the muscles) or print technologies that direct Far Infrared toward the wearer’s body. In either case, the idea is to provide targeted support for tired muscles.
How does far infrared clothing work?
Far Infrared is a type of energy that’s on the infrared spectrum and might have certain benefits for human bodies. Far infrared clothing incorporates this energy via a special printing process. Theoretically, this clothing will reflect Far Infrared toward the wearer’s body, which could possibly support athletic recovery.
Should I wear pajamas to bed?
This is a matter of personal preference. Pajamas that cause you to sleep hot or feel uncomfortable might disrupt sleep, while the right pair of pajamas could help you rest more comfortably (which could make it easier to stay asleep throughout the night). According to one study, wool pajamas might be especially conducive to sleep.
