If you’re an eco-conscious person, you likely want to make your wardrobe more sustainable by choosing eco-friendly clothing and accessories. But what about your sleepwear?
Pajamas and loungewear are notoriously ‘synthetic’ – from fluffy joggers to furry slippers – so what can you do to avoid sleepwear that’s harmful to the environment?
Luckily, there are alternatives. These brands offer high-quality, comfortable, and sustainable pajamas and loungewear that won’t cost the earth.
What exactly are sustainable pajamas?
Sustainable pajamas and sleepwear are produced in an environmental-responsible way from start to finish, from how the raw materials were grown and sourced, to making and shipping the final product. This sleep wear is made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton, silk, or bamboo, using processes that don’t damage the environment.
To be truly sustainable, the product must also be shipped and packaged in an environmentally-responsible way, such as with packaging that is either recycled, recyclable, or preferably both. Buying locally-made products is also more sustainable, as this greatly reduces the greenhouse emissions it takes to bring your pajamas from the factory to your door.
Sustainable brands may also protect the environment in other ways, such as by offsetting their carbon emissions or supporting eco-conscious non-profits.
Why shop for sustainable pajamas and sleepwear?
Pajamas, like all kinds of apparel, are too often produced by the fast fashion world these days. This industry has all kinds of negative impacts on the environment, not to mention unethical and even abusive treatment of the workers who produce the raw materials and make the final products.
The global fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, relies heavily on fabrics made from fossil fuels, and contributes to water and air pollution through chemical run-offs from growing crops to manufacturing processes.
Not to mention that the high quantity, low quality model of cheap, fast fashion causes an incredible drain on the earth’s resources and produces huge amounts of waste.
When it comes to sleepwear in particular, growing cotton for fast fashion is incredibly damaging to the planet. Conventional cotton farming uses incredible amounts of one of our most precious resources: making just one t-shirt can use 2700L of water.
On the other hand, sustainable pajamas are made from natural, organic materials that have minimal environmental impact.
Sustainable sleepwear is made from eco-friendly materials like organic cotton (which uses nearly 91% less water than conventional cotton), bamboo, or modal and lyocell, both materials made from tree fibers.
Many of these materials are also biodegradable, meaning less waste going to landfill or polluting our waterways. Plus sustainable brands use environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes. This includes a range of practices, from recycling the water used in production to using chemical-free dyes, or no dyes at all!
The brands we list below are not only sustainable, but also ethical, meaning they ensure fair pay and working conditions for workers involved in farming, manufacturing, and all other stages of the supply chain.
What are the best sustainable pajamas and brands to shop for?
With more and more consumers looking for sustainable and ethical apparel, many brands are becoming more conscious about the pieces they produce, and sleep wear is no exception. Here are our favorite brands offering ethical and sustainable pajamas, sleep wear, and lounge wear.
1. Pact
Pact’s products are Fair Trade-certified and made from GOTS-certified organic cotton. They take care to ensure that every stage of production is environmentally-friendly, from using sustainable crops and farming practices to chemical-free dyes.
They also strive to support the people involved at all stages of their supply chain, by partnering with factories certified to provide safe working conditions, as well as empowering their employees and supporting their communities.
If you’re all about sustainable pajamas and enjoy sleeping in basics and your undies, Pact is for you! Their affordable range includes simple but cute tanks, camisoles, tees, and boy shorts.
They also offer camisole and shorts pajama sets, pants, and button-front tops for sleep, all made from organic cotton.
Pact also gives you the option to carbon offset your shipping, and has a take-back program where you can send your old clothes back in their shipping box to be donated to nonprofit organizations.
Top pick: Their Breezy Cotton Sleep Set is a cute short and cami combo in breathable organic cotton that will keep you cool on the warmest nights.
2. Aiayu
This Danish brand makes sustainable pajamas, sleep wear, clothing, bedding, and home décor items in Bolivia, India, and Nepal from responsibly-sourced cotton, cashmere, silk, Mongolian Sartuul and yak wool, and llama wool.
Aiayu aims to make high-quality items which will last, and emphasizes timeless designs that you won’t have to replace for years. They even have a free service where they’ll repair your Aiayu products to further extend their life.
Their sleepwear is made from GOTS-certified organic cotton and many pieces are made from ancient varieties of cotton to provide a range of subtle colors without using dye.
The brand is also a proud partner of the #whomadeyourclothes campaign and works with long-term production partners to ensure fair wages, good working conditions, and stable employment for everyone involved in their supply chain.
Top pick: The Casual Pant, made from thick, soft, and organic cotton, make fantastic pajama pants that are also perfect for lounging on lazy days.
3. Brook There
Brook There is all about minimalist lingerie and loungewear that is not only comfortable but also ethical and sustainable, which includes sustainable pajamas. Their range is based around GOTS-certified organic cotton which is milled and dyed in California, supplemented with other sustainable materials like pure silk.
You’ll enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep in their breathable jersey slips, shorts, and tanks. You can choose between pieces in natural tones and undyed items if you want to keep it as simple as possible.
All of their pieces are made by hand in Massachusetts, which not only allows them to ensure that everything is made to the highest ethical and quality standards, but it also means less carbon miles before the final product reaches your door. The brand also uses recycled packaging and avoids single use plastics.
Top pick: Brook There’s undyed jersey slip is simple and soft, made from weightless organic cotton.
4. Boody
Boody makes sleepwear, underwear, active wear, and PJs for women, men, and babies. Their clothing is made from organic bamboo-derived viscose, a highly sustainable fiber. Their products are ideal for sensitive skin, thanks to the naturally hypoallergenic and antimicrobial properties of bamboo.
Their extensive range includes simple tees, camis, slips, pants, and shorts, all made from soft, comfortable, and breathable bamboo viscose. The brand embraces low-waste production practices, uses only recycled packaging and eco-friendly materials to make their products.
The bamboo is grown using rainwater rather than water-intensive irrigation, and all water used during production is recycled. Boody also gives back through supporting a range of charitable project, from nonprofits fighting malaria to assisting victims of domestic violence.
Top pick: For the ultimate in minimalist comfort, look no further than Boody’s cozy bamboo Goodnight Night Dress.
5. Coyuchi
This brand offers sustainable and ethical sleepwear, clothing, bedding, and towels with a minimalist aesthetic and in subtle tones. Their sleepwear range includes pants, shorts, tees, tanks, rompers, and chemises for men and women.
Coyuchi’s products are Fair Trade, GOTS, and MADE SAFE-certified, and their manufacturing facility recycles 98% of their wastewater.
The brand encourages circular fashion through their second hand shop and they support a range of causes, including sustainable farming and climate justice projects. You can also pair their super-comfy sustainable sleepwear with the brand’s organic cotton bedding.
Top pick: We simply love this versatile Men’s Dillon Organic French Terry Jogger that can be worn day or night.
6. Hass
Hass is a subsidiary of Avocado Green Brands, which is well-known for their natural and eco-friendly bedding.
They make simple and comfortable sustainable pajamas, robes, and other sleepwear in the USA from natural, organic, and recycled materials colored with low-impact dyes. Their fabrics are biodegradable and compostable, helping to reduce waste.
Not only this, but they’re also incredibly soft, breathable, and moisture-wicking for a comfortable night’s sleep. They offer minimalist pajama tees, pants, shorts, and dresses in neutral tones.
The brand is a Certified B Corporation and Climate Neutral Certified, meaning the company produces net-negative emissions. The company also donates 1% of their sales to nonprofits that are working to combat food insecurity.
Top pick: We love Hass’ Modal Long Robe, for a cozy, sustainable cover up.
7. The Ethical Silk Co
As the name suggests, this brand makes its products from 100% ethically-made mulberry silk. Along with scarves, wraps, and lounge wear, they also offer luxurious sustainable pajamas and night dresses made from silk .
Their sleepwear features patterns that are printed by hand using traditional block printing. These subtle, elegant prints may have slight imperfections, but that’s what makes these pieces unique!
All of their pieces are made from ethical mulberry silk, in a process that extracts the silk from the cocoon after the moth has left. This kind of silk is not only kind to the silk moth, but it also has a fine, matte finish rather than the shiny appearance of traditional silk.
The silk is then printed using AZO-free dyes designed for minimal environmental impact, and all water used in the dyeing process is treated and recycled to minimize water usage. The silk fabric is non-stretch, because they’re designed with a relaxed fit, and this avoids the use of non-sustainable synthetic materials like polyurethane elastane.
Top pick: For ethical luxury, take a look at their Leh Scarlet Mulberry Silk Sustainable Pajamas in a stunning geometric print in scarlet and white.
8. Cosabella
Cosabella is a family-owned Italian brand that makes timeless, elegant lingerie and sleepwear from premium fabrics. You may pay a little more, but you’ll enjoy high-quality items handmade by artisans, many produced in the brand’s home country, Italian.
Along with a wide range of lingerie, they also offer high-end pajama sets, chemises, and lounge wear made from natural fabrics like cotton and modal with luxurious accents like satin binding and lace.
Some of their pajama sets are handmade ethically in Peru from Pima cotton, while others are made from 100% silk in Italy.
Top pick: Cosabella’s Peruvian cotton Top & Boxer Set comes in a choice of bright colors and cute prints and is perfect for throwing in your suitcase for your next vacation.
9. Underprotection
Danish brand Underprotection uses only sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton to make their underwear, swimwear, and loungewear. Their pieces are not only sustainable, but also ethical, as they only work with certified manufacturers that guarantee fair wages and safe working conditions.
Their sleepwear range includes sustainable pajamas and slip dresses in lovely vintage-inspired prints on silky lyocell, a sustainable fabric made from wood cellulose. They also offer 100% organic cotton short sets and organic cotton knit separates like pants, tops, and shorts.
Underprotection only uses recycled or biodegradable packaging.
Top pick: Underprotection’s Fie Pajama Pants in Ginger are made in a loose fit from soft lyocell satin, in a gorgeous floral print.
10. Kotn
Community is one of Kotn’s core values, and they believe in investing in building lasting communities at every stage of their supply chain. The Certified B Corp offers ethical and sustainable clothing, loungewear and sleepwear like from terry sweatpants to jersey shorts for women and men.
Their pieces are made under safe and fair labor standards from BCI certified cotton ethically sourced from Egyptian farmers. Along with Egyptian cotton and linen, their knits are made from ECOTEC Cotton yarn, which is a mix of certified organic cotton and pre-consumer recycled waste from other manufacturers.
Kotn gives back to the communities they work with through programs like school and literacy projects in the Nile Delta.
Top pick: Their versatile Terry Wide Leg Sweatpant made from organic cotton works equally well as pajama bottoms, work-from-home gear, or weekend wear.
11. Boden
Boden was one of the trailblazers in fair trade fashion industry: they’ve been producing ethically-made pieces made from responsible materials for more than 30 years.
Their men’s, women’s and kids’ clothing, and sleepwear are made from natural materials like modal, silk, or cotton. They use a mix of organic, Better Cotton Initiative-certified, and recycled cotton. Not all of the materials the brand uses currently are sustainable, but they’re working hard to change that, with a goal of 100% sustainable materials by 2025.
Along with men’s and women’s sleepwear, they also make sustainable clothes for babies and pajamas for children in bright colors and adorable prints.
They use recyclable packaging, and their UK facilities use renewable energy and have a zero-to-landfill policy. Boden works hard to make sure every stage of their supply chain is ethical, paying fair wages and supporting charities all over the world.
Top pick: Give your little one a great night’s sleep with these cute glow in the dark pajamas.
12. Summersalt
Summersalt aims to empower women by celebrating their diversity. The brand offers sustainable swimwear, sleepwear, and clothing that is excellent value thanks to their designer direct prices, and precision-designed to fit well using literally millions of measurements from 10,000 women.
Summersalt relies on recycled materials, from the raw materials they use to make their fabrics to their packaging. They offer a range of sleepwear and loungewear, including shorts and pants sets made from BCI Certified sustainable cotton and PJs as well as robes made from recycled polyester in fun, colorful prints.
The brand also works closely with their long-term manufacturing partners to make sure all processes are ethical and sustainable.
Top pick: We love their lightweight, breezy The Cloud 9 Pajama Set made from silky smooth recycled polyester charmeuse.
Buy sustainable pajamas where you can
If you want to sleep well knowing that what you’re wearing is eco-friendly and ethical, then sustainable pajamas are the answer. These brands offer a wide range of sleepwear and loungewear made from sustainable materials and using eco-friendly and ethical practices.
You can choose between comfortable and breathable cotton, bamboo, modal, lyocell, and silk, in a range of styles, from luxurious camis to effortless tees. Many of their pieces are not only designed for sweet dreams, but they’re also perfect for working from home, or lazy days.
If you’ve found this roundup of the best sustainable sleepwear brands helpful, check out our other sustainable favorites, including slippers, handbags and organic face masks.
