Home / Style / Accessories

The Best Long Underwear for Staying Warm When It’s Cold Out

From Uniqlo to Sunspel, there are plenty of great pairs to keep you warm this winter.

collage of long underwearCourtesy

By Evan Malachosky

Published

·

Updated

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

When we focus on layering for warmth, it’s easy to get caught up in figuring out what great shirt and sweater you’ll pair under your peacoat. In our rush to figure out how much we can stack over our clothes, it can be easy to forget about what goes underneath them: our base layers.

Products in the Guide

  • L.L. Bean Double-Layer Underwear

    Best Overall Long Underwear

    Read more
  • Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms

    Best Upgrade Long Underwear

    Read more
  • Uniqlo HEATTECH Ultra Warm Tights

    Best Affordable Long Underwear

    Read more
  • SmartWool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer

    Best Merino Wool Long Underwear

    Read more

  • Ibex Woolies Tech Bottoms

    Read more

  • 32Degrees Lightweight Baselayer Legging

    Read more

The Benefits of Wear Long Underwear

Long underwear isn’t the sexiest way to describe this type of base layer, but their benefits — keeping you warm and dry when it’s cold out by moderating your body temperature — abound and can make all the difference on a particularly frigid day. Plus, base layers are best saved for winter sports — like snowboarding or skiing.

Long underwear, on the other hand, can be worn on any cold day — or in any cold office.

Materials to Know

Merino Wool

Merino wool is the gold standard. Its fibers are naturally antimicrobial, which makes this material perfect for life underneath another layer. They won’t start to smell after a few repeat wears, and the fabric regulates your temperature, too, making it suitable for chilly days and cold ones alike. It also breathes well and wicks moisture.

Cotton

Classic cotton underwear inherently isn’t the most performance-focused, but it is trustworthy. It’s an easy fabric to fall back on when your synthetics become too suffocating.

Synthetics

Synthetic materials are the value pick. While they tend to pick up a stench easier than merino wool, for example, they keep you warm and wick moisture away rather easily. Nowadays, plenty of synthetics are blended into natural weaves, and the combo is highly breathable.

L.L. Bean Double-Layer Underwear

Pros

  • These fit and feel like traditional underwear

Cons

  • Because they're 100% cotton, they can lose their shape
  • Material(s): 100% cotton

L.L. Bean’s Double-Layer Underwear looks like, well, regular underwear made longer. It has the standard open-fold front fly, an elasticated waistband and long, non-compression legs. The cuffs at the bottom are sizable, though, which means they’ll bunch up under your socks. But these are about as quintessential as they come. They feel like standard boxer briefs but they extend the length of your legs to deliver warmth where standard pants lack.

Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms

Pros

  • Skin-tight fit ensures heat stays close to your body

Cons

  • Your legs get a little itchy in these if you wear them too long
  • Material(s): 100% recycled polyester

Patagonia’s Capilene material has long been one of the industry’s best polyesters, but this season’s iteration has some great features. Among them are a Polartec grid construction for comfort, better odor control and a touch spandex for flexibility.

Uniqlo Heattech Ultra Warm Long Johns

uniqlo heattech ultra warm tightsUniqlo

Best Affordable Long Underwear

Uniqlo HEATTECH Ultra Warm Tights

Pros

  • They're cheap, thin and comfortable, says podcast host and DJ Jason Stewart

Cons

  • There are better-made options out there, albeit not at this price
  • Material(s): 41% acrylic, 32% polyester, 20% rayon, 7% spandex

Muck like its excellent Ultra Light Down jackets, Uniqlo has made a name for itself with its quality Heattech products. The price for its long johns is easy to stomach; DJ and podcaster Jason Stewart, who endorses Heattech on the podcast he co-hosts with Chris Black, How Long Gone, agrees: “I like Heattech because it’s cheap and thin and easy to buy,” he says. But at 6’9″, it isn’t quite long enough, he adds. “I don’t like that it’s too short for me.”

Smartwool Merino 250 Base Layer Bottom

Pros

  • Merino wool is naturally antimicrobial

Cons

  • These tend to get loose at the knees, reviewers say
  • Material(s): Merino wool

Made from ultra-warm merino wool, Smartwool’s 250 base layer bottom is the warmest that the brand offers, which means if you’re going to be spending a lot of time outdoors this winter, you should consider reaching for these. The brand certainly has an outdoor slant, but these work just as well on long city commutes.

Ibex Woolies Base Layer

Pros

  • High quality merino wool construction promises durability

Cons

  • Short-legged wearers say these bunch up at their ankles
  • Material(s): Merino wool

Another option made from merino wool, Ibex’s Woolies are skin-tight, which lets you wear them under more top layers. They won’t bunch up or rub, thanks to its covered waistband, and the functional fly helps you use the restroom without stripping down. They’re so, so soft, too.

32Degrees Lightweight Baselayer Legging

  • Material(s): 40% polyeste, 34% acrylic, 22% rayon, 4% spandex

32Degrees’ lightweight Baselayer Leggings are thin enough to be worn under basically anything, and they don’t feel like they’re suffocating your legs, either. Reviews cite reasonable warmth, but they’re not something you could wear in the arctic, for example. They’re incredibly cheap for what they are, though.

Duluth Trading Co. Buck Naked Performance Base Layer Pants

Pros

  • Super soft feel makes it seem like you've got nothing on — hence the name

Cons

  • Not suited for sub-zero weather
  • Material(s): 93% nylon, 7% spandex

Duluth Trading Co.’s Buck Naked Performance Base Layer Pants fit tighter than L.L. Bean’s, but that’s because these are infused with performance fabrics: nylon and spandex. But these fabrics help these long johns protect against odors, wick moisture and dry fast. They’re also one of the most streamlined options on this list, which means they could work even under super-thin dress pants.

Bombas Cotton Modal Long Underwear

Pros

  • Traditional underwear, made longer for a natural feel

Cons

  • Limited to this particular pattern, which isn't very appealing
  • Material(s): 100% cotton

Bombas doesn’t just make socks. The brand also sells T-shirts, boxers and leg-length underwear, too. This Cotton Modal pair mixes natural materials with stretchy spandex, creating a base layer that gives with you and stands up to frequent washes. These won’t give at the knees or slowly lose their shape, and they’re hard to really stink up, even if you’re a serious sweater.

Pact Layering Long John

Pros

  • These are excellent for layering beneath wider pants

Cons

  • Excess fabric bunches up at the ankles if you're average or below average in height
  • No functional fly makes it harder to, well, get out of them
  • Material(s): 100% cotton

Pact’s fair trade long johns are made from soft organic cotton, with a non-functional fly, seamless back and tagless internal waistband. You can pick from a few colors and four sizes, but be warned: shorter folks will find that these bunch up quite a bit at the bottom.

Tommy John SleekHeat Long John Bottom

Pros

  • Extremely warm for their weight

Cons

  • You'll get pretty damn hot once you're inside
  • Material(s): 57% polyester, 37% rayon, 6% spandex

Tommy John’s smart SleekHeat fabric offers expert temperature regulation, keeping your body warm when you’re outside and helping you stay cool when you’re by the fire. It’s a super useful feature for holiday party hopping.

Mack Weldon Warmknit Long Underwear

Pros

  • New knit construction offers improved durability

Cons

  • The knit feel can irritate
  • Material(s): 43% modal, 38% polyester, 15% wool, 4% spandex

Want warmth? Obviously, right? That’s the point of long johns, but these from Mack Weldon are exceptional at insulating, warming you with Thermolite technology. The technology, combined with the waffle knit, offers protection from the cold without excess weight.

Sunspel Active Merino Long Johns

Pros

  • Simple and sometimes that's best

Cons

  • Plenty of functional elements are forgone in favor of fashionability
  • Material(s): 100% Merino wool

Made for active individuals, Sunspel’s antimicrobial merino wool jersey long johns can be worn several times over, stretched out without losing their shape and machine-washed, unlike most fine woolen fabrics.

Fruit of the Loom Recycled Premium Waffle Thermal Long Johns

fruit of the loom recycled premium waffle thermal underwear long johnsAmazon

Fruit of the Loom Recycled Premium Waffle Thermal Underwear Long Johns

Pros

  • These are like the longjohns your dad wore

Cons

  • The inner seams rub
  • Material(s): 52% cotton, 48% polyester

If you want warmth at the bare minimum cost, it’s okay to come back to Fruit of the Loom, a brand generations of men have trusted for undergarments of all shapes and sizes. These are made from recycled materials woven into a waffle knit for added warmth.

Read More

, , ,