Kid's Joggers & Sweatpants (Bottoms)

One feature separates joggers from every other soft pant: a band of ribbing or elastic gathered at the ankle. Everything else follows from it. The leg tapers into that cuff, so the hem never drags on wet pavement, never catches under a heel and never feeds into a bike chain.

Choices start at French terry, a light knit with loops on the inside, climb to brushed fleece for winter, and branch sideways into woven nylon for track pants that shed a light shower. All use an elastic waist, usually with a drawcord that is decorative on smaller sizes and functional from around size 8. Because the cuff fixes the hem at the ankle, growth shows early: a jogger that has become a high-water pant is finished even though the waist still fits.

Open-hem sweatpants use the same fabric and waistband and leave the ankle free, which buys a season of extra wear and lets air move. Jeans bring structure, pockets and a fly. Leggings hold the leg tight instead of skimming it. Against all three, joggers are the pair a child can put on backwards and still be comfortable. This is either the point or the problem.

PE days, playgrounds, travel and any morning where speed matters are where joggers belong. Uniform lists almost never allow them, so check the school rules before buying five pairs. A child mid growth spurt is the other case to think twice about, since the cuff will be showing ankle within a couple of months.

Pull the cuff to twice its resting width and release it. Anything that stays loose is already spent and will slide down the calf all day. Pockets deep enough to swallow a hand to the knuckles keep phones and treasures in place, while shallow patch pockets empty on a slide. Cold water and low heat protect terry, which shrinks in length first and turns a good pair into a short one.