We spend around a third of our entire life sleeping or at least attempting to do so [1]. And for most of us, curling up in our favorite pair of flannel pajama pants is a great way to cap the night and get some rest.
What better way to do that than by ensuring your cotton pajamas are made under sustainable and ethical conditions?
This list of six clothing companies will give you some of the best organic cotton pajamas money can buy. Not only do these brands produce high-quality, luxurious separates, they’re also some of the most socially responsible and ethical brands in the industry.
Let’s dive right in!
Mate - US
Mate takes the concept of dressing clean to a whole new level by using natural fibers and organic materials—truly embodying their motto of providing essentials that are clean from seed to skin.
This Los Angeles brand is fighting an uphill battle by attempting to clean up the fashion industry one piece of clothing at a time.
The Pajama Collection
Mate’s sleep collection primarily consists of comfy tank tops and sleep shorts. These matching sets are the best for wearing during warmer months when you need something light and airy to give you a fantastic night of sleep.
Their sleep shorts are intended to provide optimum comfort thanks to their butterfly-shaped hem and soft elastic waistband. When paired with the sleep tank, you have an amazing set of ultra-comfortable PJs that you won’t want to take off.
Mate’s sleepwear is available in several colors, most of which are muted earth tones and neutrals. The brand is also size-inclusive and stocks eight sizes for their sleep collection. They go from XS to a 3XL, which should give you a lot of room to choose from.
Another fun feature that we like about Mate’s products is that they always include a CPW or Cost Per Wear. This is the dollar equivalent of the cost you would incur every time you wear a particular piece of clothing. Of course, the more times you wear it, the lesser the cost will be.
To illustrate, wearing their sleep tank would cost you less than $1 to wear if you wore it 50 times; the sleep shorts are just a little more than that.
CPW information is typically a good indication that a brand can follow through on its promise of quality and long-lasting make—things vital in sustainable and eco friendly products.
Materials & Sustainability
Mate does not use 100% organic cotton in their pajamas. Instead, they blend the cotton with Tencel Lyocell, another sustainable fabric often used for clothes that need a high comfort factor.
Although Mate doesn’t produce 100% organic cotton pajamas, we thought they should still make it to the list since Tencel lyocell is also a plant-based fabric you can trust. Plus, we know they source from Tencel, which is currently the best manufacturer for lyocell.
Compared to products that do not use organic materials, Mate pieces use 84.4% less water and 37.6% less carbon. Their use of low-impact fabrics helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is instrumental in achieving and maintaining their Climate Neutral designation.
But their commitment doesn’t stop at materials alone. Mate has detailed accounts of where they generate the most emissions in their operations, which they try to decrease each year.
Apart from sourcing the cotton from India, Mate’s entire supply chain can be localized within a 17-mile radius of their headquarters in Los Angeles, yet another factor that helps reduce impact.
You will find this information, and more, in their annual Impact Report.
Ethics & Community
All stages of the production process, from knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, and finishing, are done locally in Los Angeles. All factories must comply with their code of providing fair and safe working conditions in compliance with California labor laws.
California labor laws include banning piece-based daily payment, so you can ensure organic cotton PJs that were made under ethical and fair terms. You will also find more about their labor practices in their Impact Report.
Mate also gives back to the community through various means. The brand is a member of 1% for the Planet, which means they donate at least 1% of their sales to charitable purposes. In 2021, they contributed to organizations like the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust and Women’s Voices for the Earth.
Mate’s commitment to continuously improve is their defining trait as a brand. Despite the fact that they are already going leaps beyond conventional production methods, they are making constant steps to better themselves even more.
Pact - US
Pact Clothing is proud to use Earth-friendly materials and ethical methods across its products. Their ultimate mission? Build the Earth’s favorite clothing company.
Fair Trade, organic, and ethical, Pact is a brand you can trust for any of your ethical fashion needs.
The Pajama Collection
Pact has an excellent collection of organic cotton pajamas for all members of the family, even kids, and babies! Their pajama sets are made from natural fibers and do not contain any toxic chemicals.
Many of Pact’s organic pajamas can also be used for loungewear. They offer basic, versatile designs that you can wear in your sleep or whenever you feel like having a quiet day in. Some of their pieces can even be used for casual layering.
Pact offers earthy, soft colors that exude comfort and softness—perfect for staying relaxed in the comfort of your bed.
The brand offers a decent selection of sleepwear for women and kids, so if you’re within those categories, we’d highly recommend checking them out.
Materials & Sustainability
Pact uses 100% organic cotton for their pajama sets, and you can trust their products are made only with the best dyes and most earth-friendly components.
Pact’s pajamas use significantly fewer resources than conventional cotton pajamas because they use organic cotton. For instance, each of their matching pajamas for women saves more than 58 gallons of water compared to its conventional counterpart.
Pact uses GOTS-certified cotton in all their products, although some items may have some elastane blended in.
The brand’s packaging is made using materials like 100% post-consumer recycled paper board and 98% post-consumer recycled cardboard. Although their packaging is not entirely plastic-free, it’s still a good step above industry standard. They also provide carbon-neutral shipping options.
Sustainability-wise, Pact is doing an excellent job keeping pace with the times. As we enter an era of more eco-conscious individuals, it’s great to see eco friendly brands like Pact commit to better practices and more sustainable living.
Ethics & Community
Most Pact products bear the Fair Trade certification. The ones that don’t bear the symbol are made in areas where there are already existing union and wage protection policies (hence do not qualify for certification).
The Fair Trade certification ensures that your pajamas are not made using unethical production practices like child labor and unsafe working conditions. This also gives the assurance that workers across the supply chain were compensated for their work.
Most of Pact’s products are produced in a Fair Trade factory in India, where most cotton production in the world occurs. Producing in India shortens the supply chain and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by saving on transportation.
The company is also partnered with the Give Back Box program, enabling Pact’s customers to donate gently-used clothing for charitable purposes. You can read more about this program here.
Coyuchi - US
Coyuchi is a home textiles and apparel brand with more than 30 decades of experience in working with organic materials.
Since 1991, they have endeavored to produce using 100% organic cotton. A true trailblazer in the industry, Coyuchi remains one of the most relevant brands in the market for anything that will add comfort, life, and beauty to your home.
The Pajama Collection
Coyuchi is mainly a home textiles brand. They make duvets, bath towels, pillows, robes, bath rugs, etc. But they also have an excellent sleepwear collection that’ll add more solace to your time at home.
Coyuchi has all manners of sleepwear for men and women available in their store. They have organic flannel pajama pants, organic cotton tees, organic nightgowns, jogger pants, among many other comfy pants and tops.
Their sleep collection also has a lot of variation in terms of coverage. If you live in an area where it’s frequently warm, go for their sleeping shorts and sleeveless tops. On the flip side, if you prefer something that’ll keep you warmer, you can opt for the cardigan or long-sleeved nightgown.
Typical colors in Coyuchi’s collection are teal, rose, gray, and of course, classic black and white. Their pajamas are only available in four sizes (XS to L).
If you are buying for family, you may also want to check out some of their baby pajamas! They have organic snuggle sacks that are sure to keep your baby cozy and warm in their crib.
Materials & Sustainability
Coyuchi uses a variety of materials for its products. They use organic cotton, organic linen, organic latex, organic and climate beneficial wool, as well as responsibly sourced down.
Coyuchi predominantly uses Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton for their sleepwear. This means there were no synthetic pesticides and fertilizers used during the cotton crop production.
Organic cotton also equates to sustainable agriculture. It improves land use, has the potential to mitigate climate change, and helps small farming communities scale their operations.
In numbers, that translates to about 91% less water use, 62% lower energy use, and 26% reduced soil erosion. There are a host of other reasons why organic cotton products are so much better than conventionally-produced ones, some of which you can read about here.
Coyuchi also plans to eventually achieve net-zero emissions within the next couple of years, and beyond that, a net positive.
One of the best things about Coyuchi is its commitment to circularity. Their take-back program, 2nd Home Take Back and Renewed, is a way for customers to return their old Coyuchi products and give them a chance at a new life.
Through this program, they have diverted more than 40,000 pounds of textile waste from landfills, saved 5,000 gallons worth of emissions, and more.
Ethics & Community
Coyuchi already has numerous certifications under its belt. One more we can add to it is the Fair Trade certification, issued to protect the physical and financial wellbeing of workers all across the supply chain.
The brand sources its organic cotton (grown and knit) from India. While they did not specify the factory, we know that their PJs are made in a Fair Trade factory that recycles 98% of its wastewater. Each product also has relevant information about where the material was sourced and if it was made under Fair Trade conditions.
As a member of 1% for the Planet, Coyuchi contributes at least 1% of their total annual sales to nonprofit initiatives. They give to organizations like Fibershed, White Buffalo Land Trust, Urban Sprouts, and the California Wilderness Coalition.
Leena & Lu - US
Leena & Lu is a brand born out of a shared dream, an aspiration to bring to the table high-quality modern products with a touch of Peruvian influence.
Founded in 2018 by a sister duo, this clothing brand is committed to the community. They root their practices in what is best for local communities, farmers, garment workers, and everyone involved in the process.
The Pajama Collection
Lenna & Lu is one of the smaller brands on this list. Hence, their collection isn’t as extensive as others. However, they still have an excellent collection of multi-purpose lounge and sleepwear for all seasons.
They have cute tank sets, nightgowns, robes, and some versatile tee dresses. If you need a set of PJs for winter, their comfy pants and long-sleeved Pima cotton tops will pair up nicely with their cardigan. If you need something more breathable, their short sets are super cute as well.
Lenna & Lu’s color palette leans heavily towards romantic neutral colors like dusk, black, grey, and caramel brown. They also have lighter colors like shell pink and baby blue.
Materials & Sustainability
Leena & Lu exclusively uses 100% GOTS certified organic cotton. More specifically, their Pima cotton is sourced Fair Trade from Peru, ensuring that their certified cotton helps small communities thrive.
The brand doesn’t use any toxic chemicals during production, and you can trust their breathable organic cotton to be clean, eco friendly, and safe for you, animals, and the planet.
They have also taken measures towards more earth-friendly packaging, and all their shipping bags are 100% plastic-free and compostable. Leena & Lu also choose manufacturers and farmers that are within a close range of each other, thus reducing their emissions and overall impact.
Ethics & Community
Leena & Lu sources their organic Pima cotton from Peru, where they also manufacture their products.
The brand’s central advocacy lies in connecting with communities, and that’s precisely what they do. The bulk of their production is done in Peru, where worker health and safety are their priority.
As part of their program to reduce and eliminate waste during production, Leena & Lu makes children’s undies in-house and donates them to local charities.
Harvest & Mill - US
Founded nearly a decade ago in 2012, Harvest & Mill began as a custom sewn clothing shop and has now grown into a well-loved and trusted brand for organic clothing.
Their goal back then was just the same as it is now: filling a need for locally sewn and US-grown clothing that supports ecological and ethical principles.
The Pajama Collection
Harvest & Mill’s clothing collection is simple and direct to the point. Their selection isn’t designated as sleepwear per se. However, these pieces are comfy and casual enough to lounge or sleep in—whichever one you prefer.
They have sleepwear sets for men and women, although the designs themselves are largely similar. Because most Harvest & Mill clothing is not dyed, they don’t have plenty of color options. However, this is more than made up for by the quality of their design and production.
If you’re gearing up for the colder months, you could also pair their organic socks with their organic jogger pants and tee. The jogger pants have two sizable side pockets, which will be useful whenever you’re cleaning or cooking and you need somewhere to stash your phone(and if you are looking an eco friendly phone case, then take a look here).
Materials & Sustainability
Harvest & Mill organic cotton pajamas are 100% made of US-grown organic cotton, which is actually quite a rarity even in sustainable brands that don’t use traditional cotton.
All their PJs are made of breathable organic cotton knit, perfect as the middle ground between heavy and light fabrics. It goes without saying that none of their clothes are made from synthetic fabric (not even blends).
The brand sources cotton directly from US farms on the cutting edge of regenerative farming practices. These farms use techniques like crop rotations, integrated pest management, and composting to achieve ecological balance and to meet exceptionally high environmental standards.
One of the most striking characteristics of Harvest & Mill is their choice to make clothing from raw cotton. While not all their clothes are undyed, their raw cotton clothes still take up most of their inventory.
Harvest & Mill uses heirloom cotton variations that naturally grow red, brown, and green to add some color variation into their products.
The dyed items are never processed with toxic dyes, and the brand predominantly uses natural dyes like indigo and clay to color their clothing. They have quite an interesting dyeing process that takes inspiration from traditional methods of the past. You can read about it here.
Harvest & Mill is completely carbon-neutral, and its packaging is plastic-free and compostable.
Ethics & Community
Harvest & Mill is unique from all other brands on this list because all its products are made in the US. And it isn’t just the finishing either. From seed to stitch, their entire supply chain is done locally.
They employ a short-distance supply chain model as a way to localize production, reduce environmental impact, and support local, regional farms.
All the brand’s sewing happens within 15 miles of their Berkely studio, and they work with several family-owned factories in Oakland and San Fransisco. Harvest & Mill voluntarily meet high criteria for ethical production since they do all their work within the US.
All workers within their supply chain are paid fair wages, including those in farming communities. These aren’t promises alone either. Since the production happens within the legal jurisdiction of the US, these provisions are legally binding and provide more protection for workers.
Overall, Harvest & Mill has an outstanding commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture, protecting workers’ rights, and environmental conservation, and a great choice for organic cotton pajamas.
Eileen Fisher - US, Canada, UK
Eileen Fisher is a veteran in the clothing industry. Founded in 1984 by interior and graphic designer Eileen Fisher, the brand has grown to be 1100 people and more than 60 stores across the US, UK, and Canada.
Eileen believes that it’s possible to leave the world better than we found it, and this is exactly what they are working towards by letting sustainability become a universal force rather than just a marketing edge.
The Pajama Collection
Eileen Fisher’s line of sleepwear is made for predominantly feminine styles. They favor loose drapes and elegant cuts that truly embody a sense of comfort and warmth.
Although Eileen Fisher pajamas are not specifically geared for conventionally masculine tastes, their simple cuts often end up in gender-neutral designs that are suitable for anybody. Their designs are also meant to be worn in any way you prefer, lounging included.
You can get Eileen Fisher pajamas as luxurious separates or in color-matching sets. They also have available excellent tank dresses and robes perfect for whenever you’re getting for the day.
The best part is that their organic cotton pajamas are available in nine sizes! That’s the most inclusive size range we’ve seen so far and we’re totally here for it. They stock from XXS to 3X so there’s a lot of room to choose from.
Materials & Sustainability
Eileen Fisher’s line of pajamas uses a variety of organic and eco friendly materials. Some of the common ones are organic cotton and Tencel lyocell. These two fabrics are some of the best materials made under exceptionally high environmental standards, so it’s great that we see them so often in their collection.
The company is in the process of creating a fully traceable supply chain where it can map out its fibers from farm to fabric.
As of the moment, 99% of their cotton is organic, but not all of it is traceable yet. Their organic cotton jersey is fully traceable, though, so if you’re buying cotton pajamas, you can ensure organic cotton is there to stay.
Even in their other fibers, Eileen always makes sure that they conserve natural resources and reduce their reliance on finite resources like elastane (a synthetic fabric).
Eileen Fisher also adopts a policy of being circular by design. To them, is it no longer enough to become less damaging to the environment, we actually have to start taking strides towards positive impact.
Ethics & Community
Eileen Fisher has quite a number of suppliers worldwide. They source from countries like Spain, France, China, Italy, among several others. You can actually view their full supplier list right here if you’re interested.
As a B Corp, the brand has to comply with high standards of environmental and social production, giving us assurance that their clothes are made under ethical working conditions.
They also partner with numerous nonprofits and organizations to help them move their initiatives forward. Some of these organizations are the American Sustainable Business Council, BICEP, Textile Exchange, Native Energy, and more.
Throughout their entire supply chain, Eileen always makes sure what they do supports regional farms, uplifts local communities, and reinvigorates small economies.
The Deal With GOTS Certified Organic Cotton
Traditional Cotton production is a resource-intensive process that contributes negatively to soil health due to the sheer amount of pesticides and chemical fertilizers used during cultivation [2].
Meanwhile, growing organic cotton doesn’t involve any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and typically uses carbon farming practices, thus promoting soil health. Organic cotton also produces 94% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventionally produced cotton [3].
But where does certified organic cotton come in?
GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard, which is essentially an organization that helps monitor and certify certified organic cotton production. To be certified, production methods must conserve natural resources, pay fair wages, among a host of other qualifications.
When you buy organic cotton pajamas with a GOTS certification, this helps ensure your pajamas were made under carbon farming practices that preserve the soil, protect the environment, and conserve resources for the generations to come.
Final Thoughts
Sustainable living and ethical fashion go beyond what we wear outside, it also involves comfort items that you may not prefer to wear in public. After all, a commitment to a more sustainable lifestyle is an all-encompassing promise to yourself and to the planet.
The brands we shared with you may not have checked all our boxes, but they’re doing enough that we can confidently recommend them to you.
