Best Pajamas for Summer 2023, Tested by Me and My Hot

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The heat is real this summer. Cool down at night with the best pajamas for hot sleepers and warm weather.

Now that summer is here, we could all blast our air conditioners each night, cranking it at 67 degrees Fahrenheit. But money doesn't grow on trees, and energy prices aren't getting any lower. Instead, wearing the right breathable and lightweight pajamas to bed can help keep you cool and comfortable through the night. The best pajamas for hot weather will absorb and wick away moisture, boast quick-drying properties and allow air to easily pass through.

I recruited my partner, who radiates heat like an oven while they sleep, and personally tested 13 different pairs of pajamas to find the ones that kept us comfortable through a summer heat wave. Right as I began my two-and-a-half-week testing process, California saw high temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Below, you'll find a roundup of the best pajamas for women chosen by me, followed by what my partner chose as the best pajamas for men in the summer.

See more: Best cooling mattress

These pajamas from Tommy John are so light and airy, they're perfect for summer.

The Tommy John Second Skin set is the best pajamas for hot sleepers, or women and men looking for cooling pajamas to help bring relief during the summertime. They are primarily made of micro modal and viscose, making them ultra thin, lightweight, flowy and quick-drying. During a heat wave, these pajamas kept my partner and I the coolest.

The Second Skin Luxe Rib tank and boxer shorts are the softest, most lightweight pair of pajamas I have in my drawer. They are made from a thin, soft stretch-material that makes for a creamy, drapey feeling against my skin. The material is ultra absorbent and quick drying at the same time. I wore these during the hottest night of our California heat wave, and with some help from my AC, I slept through the night without sweating or overheating.

Being featured on Oprah's favorite things list multiple years in a row, I had high hopes for these Cozy Earth bamboo pajamas, and they were even comfier than I thought they'd be. The stretch-knit bamboo set is buttery soft -- the material feels rich and creamy against the skin without making you overly warm. I also appreciate the pockets and a drawstring in the shorts..

I like to wear oversize T-shirts to bed, and this Chemise from Fishers Finery recreates that feeling in a much more luxurious, feminine way. The smooth 100% Mulberry silk feels light and gentle against the skin, and it doesn't cling in weird areas.

Made with 100% Mulberry silk, this pajama set is light, airy and a lot more affordable than you'd expect. I've tried other Mulberry silk pajamas, but these feel a little different. The outer shell of the tee and shorts almost feel like a lightweight suede material that's matte, soft and drapey.

With a price of a little over $15 a piece, I didn't have the highest expectations for this pajama set from Amazon, but I was pleasantly surprised. They're everything I want in a comfy pair of cooling pajamas; soft, stretchy, lightweight and quick-drying. I'd compare the feel to the Tommy John set, minus the luxe rib texture.

The Gabriela Nightie from Lusome is hands down the best pajama for moisture control if you experience night sweats. Lusome uses Xirotex technology (exclusive to Lusome) in the fabrics of their pajamas, which absorbs perspiration and bacteria from the body while you sleep. The pajamas are soft, lightweight and breathable. Not to mention that the design is chic, with a flattering scoop neck and a stretchy mesh hem that lets you move comfortably through the night.

Dubbed the most breathable and lightest pair, the Tommy John set takes the crown as the best cooling pajamas for men. Its moisture-wicking abilities combined with lightweight and airy fabric makes the set perfect for hot summer nights.

My boyfriend has never owned a matching pajama set prior to helping me roundup the best pajamas, and now he wants a pair of Cozy Earth's Bamboo pajamas in every color. A versatile pair of pajamas that can easily transition into loungewear, the stretch-knit bamboo tee and pajama shorts have the softness and comfort of your favorite old tee or crewneck.

Unfamiliar with this type of material at first, my significant other was a fan of how airy, luxurious and silky-smooth these shorts felt. He decided to sleep with boxer shorts underneath because he felt the bottoms were more like shorts, but it's pleasantly breezy and airy if you decide to go commando.

These are a great choice for guys who want the best pajamas at the best price point. The MoFiz Men's sleep set from Amazon feels similar to the Tommy John set, but they're more soft than silky smooth. It's a comfortable, breathable fabric that drapes and flows over the body without uncomfortable clinging. They passed my breathability test with flying colors. After holding the PJ's up to the light, I could easily see my hand through the fabric.

The most important metric we considered when testing for the best pajamas for summer was pajama material or fabric. Wearing breathable, lightweight pajamas to sleep makes a big difference in how warm you sleep. They absorb sweat but have a quick dry time, helping to keep you more cool. They also allow for better airflow so you aren't retaining a ton of heat under your clothes, like an insulator. We looked for fabrics that are:

When talking about materials, thermal conductivity is the measure of how breathable a fabric is. Fabrics with low conductivity will make you sleep warmer than those with high conductivity. While I can't measure thermal conductivity myself, I tested breathability by holding fabrics up to the light. The more light that shined through the more breathable the fabric.

Sleeping hot or cold has a lot to do with the temperature of your home and regional climate. To keep temperature from interfering with test performance, I kept my home at 69 degrees Fahrenheit, about four degrees warmer than what experts recommend as the ideal sleep temp.

The goal was to maintain a warmer environment to measure the efficiency of the pajamas, without making it too hot. The nighttime low during the heatwave I experienced during testing was 79 degrees Fahrenheit, so opening a window wasn't an option.

If you don't have an air conditioner at your home, check out these tips for sleeping cooler without AC.

Aside from your environment, the comforter, mattress and bedding you use also contribute to how warm you sleep. To keep controls consistent, I used the same long-staple cotton sheets and 100% Mulberry silk comforter.

Generally speaking, the looser the fit the cooler a material is going to sleep. Loose clothing enables increased airflow and doesn't cling to your body, which can end up making you feel more sweaty. Loose-fit clothing can also make fabrics that aren't well-known for summer more breathable.

Cotton is a reliable go-to for summer clothes and PJs. It's lightweight, breathable and affordable. It absorbs sweat while allowing your body heat to pass through.

Bamboo fabric has "micro gaps" that make it breathable and well-ventilated, more so than cotton. It's also good at wicking away sweat.

Silk is a lightweight and breathable fabric made from natural fibers. It also has moisture-wicking abilities that make it a good fabric for cooling pajamas.

Viscose is like an artificial silk and a type of rayon. It's a smooth, highly absorbent fabric that's good for hot weather.

Linen can often be expensive, but it's a great summer fabric. It has a loose weave making it incredibly breathable. It's also quick-drying, which helps keep you cool as it absorbs sweat.

Hot sleepers or anyone during warm weather months should wear pajamas that are lightweight, thin, absorbent and flowy. Thinner materials tend to be more quick drying, while flowy pajamas will ensure you're getting proper airflow and your clothes don't stick to your warm body.

The best fabric for pajamas include:

Satin has a tight weave making the fabric dense and unbreathable. Silk has a similar smooth-to-the-touch feel, but it allows for more airflow.

According to the American Cleaning Institute, you can get three to four uses out of your PJ's before they need a wash.