Travel Pajamas: How to Pack Sleepwear That Works on the Road

When you’re picking out pajamas, you’re thinking about which ones will be the coziest for lounging and sleeping, but what about when you need to travel? Well…don’t stress yet, as you can use some of the same pajamas, but they need to work for your specific travel plans. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you pack the right travel pajamas. 

After all, you don't want to pack a set that's not going to survive your travels. And believe us when we say we know all about ‘travel sleepwear’ that doesn’t do its job. We know about the fleece bottoms that are warm and cozy until the hotel thermostat decides your room should feel like July in Miami. We also know about how the cute pair of matching shorts and tee is wrinkling in your suitcase before you even land. Our team doesn't want you to face these dilemmas. 

So stick around if you want our certifiable expert insights because pajamas and loungewear are what we do at This Is J. 

What Travel Sleepwear Actually Needs to Do

If you want to pack the best pajamas for travel, they need to meet strict criteria. It has to earn its place in your suitcase. So before you put anything in your bag, ask yourself whether the sleepwear passes these three checks. Will it:

1. Pack down small? Unfortunately, we know you may want to pack quite a few sets of sleepwear, but it may not be possible. Bulky sleepwear eats up room in your suitcase fast, especially if you’re traveling with a carry-on. That’s why it needs to fit nicely among all your other essentials. 

2. Survive a suitcase? We know some of you (us included) love luxurious fabrics, but not all pajamas can withstand a journey. So you need to make sure it can handle folding, rolling, and compression without looking ruined or becoming unwearable when you unpack. 

3. Adapt to hotel room temperatures? Not all hotel rooms have perfect temperature conditions. One room could be freezing while the other is stuffy, so good travel pajamas should help you stay comfortable without needing to pack multiple sets. 

The Five-Trip Travel Sleepwear Test 

When you’re packing pajamas for hotel stays, there’s a little sleepwear test you might find to be helpful. We’ve put it together in the table below. It should offer insights into the best sleepwear based on travel situation and give you an indication of its performance and packdown score (more on this later). 

Fabric Performance For Travel

This might sound a little cut-and-dried, but fabric is where travel pajamas either shine or become dead weight. However, not all fabrics suit everyone, so at the end of the day, only you will know which pajama fabric you should pack for your trips. However, to offer you a little guidance, here’s our take: 

• Cotton: This is a familiar fabric. It's one that almost everyone knows. It's breathable in the right thread count, but it can hold onto moisture. It can also take longer to dry, so it could be a little uncomfortable if you’re planning a vacation somewhere hot. Cotton pajamas also tend to wrinkle or lose shape in a packed bag, especially on longer trips.

• Silk: There is something so special about feeling silk against the skin. It feels beautiful, looks stunning, and doesn't cling to the skin in cooler weather. However, it needs careful washing, isn't as durable as other pajama fabrics, and isn’t practical for most trips. 

• Synthetics: Now, synthetics get a bit of a bad rep, and there is a reason for this, but they can dry quickly. However, certain synthetic materials, such as polyester or nylon, can trap heat or feel less comfortable to sleep in. 

• Bamboo Viscose: One of the best fabrics for travel pajamas. Although technically not a natural fabric, it's a good choice because you can fold it small, it's breathable, and super soft. It's also available in different blends like This Is J's bamboo viscose and spandex blend for pajamas and loungewear. This type of pajama looks stunning, feels athletic, and doesn’t wrinkle much in a suitcase. 

The Pack-Down Score

You might not have heard of the pack down score, but it's a real thing…or at least the concept is. This score was developed to help travelers judge whether their pajamas will actually fit and how well. Usually, there are three scores, and they are compact, moderate, and bulky. 

Let’s unpack (see what we did there?):

• Compact: When packable pajamas are compact, it means they fold small, don’t puff up in a packing cube, and can be rolled without looking completely defeated later. A gold example of compact pajamas includes those made from modal, silk, bamboo, and lightweight blends. 

• Moderate: If pajamas are moderately packable, they are somewhat easy to pack but still take up space. For instance, cotton jersey pajamas, thicker lounge pants, and waffle knits often earn this score and can be a hassle to fit in your suitcase. 

• Bulky: When pajamas are bulky, they are luggage hungry. Fleece, heavy flannel, and oversized sweatpants are the usual suspects. They may work for a cabin weekend, but they are not doing you any favours on a carry-on trip. So keep this in mind before you opt for bulky pajamas.

The Hotel Sink Test

You likely already know what we’re talking about when it comes to the hotel sink test. It's a pretty simple concept. If you can rinse the pajama item, gently squeeze it in a towel, hang it overnight, and wear it again without regret, it passes. 

Unfortunately, when traveling, drying time is not a nice extra; it can be the difference between packing one reliable set and packing three ‘just in case’ pairs. 

So if it can dry overnight, it passes, and usually, one fabric that does exceptionally well with hotel sink tests is bamboo blends. They are usually not heavy, nor do they need aggressive drying. Just a little travel food for thought. 

The One-Outfit Trick

Would we really be putting your best interests first if we didn’t tell you about the one-outfit trick? With this trick…you guessed it, you pack (or wear straight out of the gate) sleepwear that can double as airport or lounge clothing. 

Brands like This Is J have perfected versatile bamboo clothing that can handle a long-haul flight, a sleepy hotel night, and a quiet morning spent grabbing a cup of hot cocoa. 

If you buy right, you’ll have good loungewear that allows you to sleep comfortably and move through travel days easily without needing to pack separate ‘hotel clothes.’ 

Common Mistakes with Travel Pajamas

A few packing mistakes can make travel sleepwear more annoying than it needs to be, and we don't want that. So, here’s a look at the mistakes you’ll want to avoid at a glance. We don’t want you to have to even spend too much time thinking about these irksome irritations: 

• Packing pajamas that are the wrong weight, fabric, or comfort level for your trip. 

• Overpacking sleepwear that you don’t actually need because you want to be ‘overprepared’ instead of stressed out. 

• Ignoring laundering needs, even though you know full well that some fabrics take too long to dry or need careful handling. 

• Packing sleepwear that is for sleeping only and cannot be used in different outfit variations for other travel day needs. 

• Choosing cute over useful and then dealing with fabric that wrinkles badly, rides up, traps heat, or fills half your packing cube. 

Use Versatile Travel Pajamas to be Comfortable and Sleep Better

Picking out travel pajamas can be a little…dare we say it…challenging. We know it seems like a simple task, and of course, it can be uncomplicated, but that doesn’t mean it can't cause a little contention between you and your suitcase. 

Fortunately, you now have a better idea of how to pack sleepwear that works on the road. But if you’re unsure where to begin looking for sleepwear that can multitask as well as you, might we cheekily recommend This Is J? 

We’re a Canadian-made loungewear and pajama brand that offers bamboo-and-spandex-blend clothing. They are luxurious, feel-good, and perfect for most trips. You can check out our collection here to get a better feel for the clothing we offer.