Sleep shorts for women: 6 UK options compared

Updated 29 September 2026. We make Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts, and some of our customers sleep in them, so we have an interest: ours is marked as ours in every list and table. Every fact about the other brands comes from their own UK websites, checked on 29 September 2026. We have not wear-tested their shorts for this article, so we compare what you can check for yourself: fabric, leg length, sizes, price, delivery and returns.

Sleep shorts, pyjama shorts for women, PJ shorts or bed shorts: whatever you call them, the right pair is soft, does not dig in when you lie down, and does not leave you hot and sticky at 3am. We compared six sleep shorts and PJ shorts women can buy in the UK, from £10 a pair to £95, on the details that decide that: fabric, leg length, UK sizes and price.

The best sleep shorts for women: the quick answer

Quick answer: our pick is Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them), with the 6 inch leg. They are 95% bamboo viscose, which is breathable and moisture-wicking. The 6 inch leg sits mid-thigh, so if your thighs touch in bed, it puts fabric between them. The waistband is wide, flat and mid-high rather than a narrow band of elastic. And they come in UK 8 to 30 at £20 a pair, or £13 a pair in a 7 pack, with a 60 day guarantee from purchase: full refund, worn or not (return postage at your cost).

The best of the rest, by what you need:

• The lowest price per pair of the six: Next Spot Ribbed Pyjama Shorts 2 Pack, £20 for two, in UK 6 to 24.
• A classic PJ short with a drawstring and pockets: Cyberjammies, £20, cotton and modal, in UK 6 to 28.
• A relaxed-fit bamboo viscose short: Boody Goodnight Sleep Shorts, £26, in UK 6 to 22.
• A matching bamboo viscose set: Pretty You London Bamboo Shirt Short Set, £50, in UK 8 to 20.
• A premium lyocell short with a sleep trial: Dagsmejan Stay Cool shorts, £95, in UK 8 to 22.

Women's sleep shorts compared

Six sleep shorts women can buy in the UK, checked on each brand's own website on 29 September 2026. Ours is first because it is our pick; the rest run from the lowest price per pair to the highest.

Leg lengths are as each brand gives them on the product pages and size guides we could read on 29 September 2026; Cyberjammies' size guide did not load for us. Prices change often, so check before you buy.

What are sleep shorts?

Sleep shorts are soft shorts made to sleep in, with an elasticated or drawstring waist and nothing hard to press into you at night. Shops also sell them as pyjama shorts, PJ shorts, bed shorts or night shorts, or as half of a short pyjama set, sometimes called a shortie. A pyjama short tends to be cut loose. A boxer short fits closer and doubles as underwear, which is why some women sleep in one instead: see our guide to what to wear to bed.

Leg length: the detail that is hardest to find

On the pages we could read on 29 September 2026, only two of the six gave a leg length you can measure: Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them), at 6 inches, and Dagsmejan's shorts, at 8cm, about 3 inches, on a size S. Boody says its Goodnight shorts sit at the “upper mid thigh”. Cyberjammies, Next and Pretty You London did not give a leg length on their product pages, and Cyberjammies' size guide did not load for us.

The shorts that do give a length are mostly short. As well as Dagsmejan's 8cm, Lands' End gives 10cm, or 4 inches, for the shorts in its cooling pyjama set, which is sold as a set, and 14cm, or 5 and a half inches, in its plus sizes. The Oodie gives 11.5cm, or 4 and a half inches, for its cooling PJ short. A short leg feels light and free. The trade-off: if your thighs touch, it leaves them skin to skin.

If you want long pyjama shorts, a 6 inch leg sits mid-thigh. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts are cut as a fitted boxer short, so they put fabric between your thighs, and the leg opening is graded separately from the waist, so a UK 24 gets a leg cut for a 24. If your thighs rub on hot nights, our chub rub shorts page goes into leg length in detail. Our 9 inch, in black and pine green only, sits just above the knee.

Fabric: what to sleep in if you run hot

If you run hot, choose a fabric that breathes and moves moisture away from your skin. Here is how the fabrics in this roundup compare.

• Bamboo viscose (Flissie, which is ours, plus Boody and Pretty You London): soft from the first wear, breathable and moisture-wicking. We wash ours cool, with no fabric softener, and dry them in the air.
• Cotton and modal (Cyberjammies): modal is a viscose-type fibre, usually made from beech, and the blend is soft and breathable.
• Cotton and viscose (Next): a cotton-rich blend with viscose and a little stretch.
• Lyocell (Dagsmejan): made from eucalyptus, smooth and moisture-wicking. Dagsmejan is the only one of the six to publish figures comparing its fabric with cotton; we have not tested them.
• Pure cotton sleep shorts and pyjama shorts: breathable and easy to wash, but cotton absorbs moisture and holds it, so it can feel clammy if you sweat.
• Polyester satin: smooth, but it does not breathe as well as the fibres above.

Our two-year bamboo viscose vs cotton underwear review has more on how the two compare.

The six, one by one

1. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (ours, our pick)

Best for: hot sleepers whose thighs touch, and anyone in UK 8 to 30 who wants shorts and knickers in one.

We are Phillippa and Matthew, and we run Flissie from Derbyshire. These are our boxer shorts, sold as underwear, so read this section with that in mind. Of our 336 reviews, 14 mention sleeping in them or wearing them to bed.

“I wear them as pajamas and they keep you cool at night”

Jade, United Kingdom

“I was always borrowing my boyfriend's boxers to sleep in but they of course don't fit quite right”

Sacha, United Kingdom

• Fabric: 95% bamboo viscose, 5% elastane, dyed to OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
• Leg: 6 inch, sitting mid-thigh, in all eight colours and every size; a 9 inch, sitting just above the knee, in black and pine green.
• Waistband and seams: a wide, flat, mid-high waistband, no tag, and seamless at the back and sides with a flat front seam.
• Sizes: S to 3XL, UK 8 to 30, at the same price in every size.
• Price: £20 a pair, or £13 a pair in a 7 pack.
• Delivery and returns: free UK delivery on every order; a 60 day guarantee from purchase with a full refund, worn or not (return postage at your cost); and a free size swap on your whole first order (try one pair, send the rest back unopened).
• Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 from 336 reviews.

Why it is our pick: it goes to UK 30, the largest sizes of the six. On the pages we could read, it is one of only two that give a leg length. It doubles as knickers, so you wear one layer, not two. And its 60 day guarantee covers pairs you have worn (return postage at your cost), where the only other trial here, Dagsmejan's, is 14 days.

Where it is not the best choice: it is a fitted boxer short, not a loose pyjama short, so if you like air around your legs, a looser short suits you better. There is no drawstring and no matching top. The waistband is mid-high rather than high, so if you like a high waist, it may feel low. And it starts at UK 8, where Boody, Cyberjammies and Next start at UK 6.

Shop Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts

2. Next Spot Ribbed Pyjama Shorts 2 Pack

Best for: the lowest price per pair of the six, in UK 6 to 24.

Next sells these ribbed shorts in a burgundy and ecru spot print at £20 for two, so £10 a pair, in 48% cotton, 47% viscose and 5% elastane, in sizes 6 to 24. It was the only shorts-only style we found on Next's pyjama bottoms page, and Next did not give a leg length on the product page. Next-day collection from a Next store is free when you order by 11pm, apart from a possible 25p charge at peak times, and next-day home delivery is £4.95.

Trade-offs: a print rather than a plain colour, and a blend rather than pure cotton, if that is what you want.

3. Cyberjammies Womens Blue Printed Stripe Shorts

Best for: a classic pyjama short with a drawstring and pockets, in UK 6 to 28.

Cyberjammies sells these blue and white striped shorts at £20, in 60% cotton and 40% modal, in sizes 6 to 28, with “an adjustable drawstring and functional side pockets”, and calls them PJ shorts. It describes the fabric as midweight, and it did not give a leg length on the product page. UK delivery is £3.95, free over £40, and returns are free within 28 days of ordering, as long as the shorts are unworn with the labels on.

Trade-offs: a print only in this style, and no returns once you have slept in them.

4. Boody Goodnight Sleep Shorts

Best for: a relaxed, drapey bamboo viscose short with a drawstring, in UK 6 to 22.

Boody sells these at £26, in 95% viscose made from bamboo and 5% elastane, with a “relaxed, draped fit”, an elastic waistband and a drawstring. Boody says they sit at the upper mid-thigh, shorter than its Long Sleep Short, and lists sizes XS to 4XL, which its size guide maps to UK 6 to 22. When we checked, 2XL to 4XL were out of stock in black. They average 4.9 out of 5 from 1,636 reviews on Boody's website. UK delivery is £4.50, free over £45.

Trade-offs: sizes stop at UK 22. Returns are within 30 days, but Boody's returns page does not take back opened underwear unless it is faulty, and the sleep shorts page says “Only unopened Intimates can be returned.” It does not say whether sleep shorts count as intimates, so check before you buy.

5. Pretty You London Bamboo Shirt Short Set

Best for: a matching bamboo viscose shirt and shorts, in UK 8 to 20.

Pretty You London sells this set at £50, in 95% bamboo viscose and 5% elastane, in sizes 8 to 20: a shirt with a revere collar and contrast piping, and shorts. We found no bamboo viscose shorts sold on their own in its bamboo viscose nightwear collection, and it does not give a leg length. UK delivery is £3.95, free over £60, and returns are within 30 days, but not for items that have been worn and are not faulty.

Trade-offs: you buy the set to get the shorts, and sizes stop at UK 20.

6. Dagsmejan Stay Cool Shorts shortie

Best for: a premium lyocell short, if you like a short leg and want a sleep trial.

Dagsmejan sells these at £95, in 92% Microlyocell from eucalyptus and 8% elastane, in sizes XS to 2XL, which it maps to UK 8 to 22. It is the other brand of the six to give a leg length on the pages we read: 8cm, about 3 inches, on a size S. The fit is “semi-fitted”, with flat seams. The shorts average 4.8 out of 5 from 904 reviews on Dagsmejan's women's collection page. You can sleep in them for up to 14 days and return them for a full refund. UK delivery is £15.90 on orders under £150.

Trade-offs: the price, the delivery charge on a single pair, and a short 8cm leg if your thighs touch.

Also on the high street: M&S, Primark and H&M

These websites did not show us full details on 29 September 2026, so they are not in the table. Check in store or on their websites before you buy.

• M&S pyjama shorts: M&S describes its Pure Cotton Pyjama Shorts as “crisp pure cotton” in “an oversized fit”, with an elasticated waistband and side pockets. We could not see the price or sizes.
• Primark pyjama shorts: women's pyjama shorts were £8 to £9 on Primark's pyjama bottoms page, with one embroidered cotton pair reduced from £10 to £5. We could not see fabric percentages or sizes online; you can check stock in store or order for click and collect.
• H&M: 2-pack pyjama shorts were £12.99 for two on H&M's pyjama bottoms page. We could not see the fabric or sizes.

Where we are not the answer

• You want loose shorts with air around your legs. Ours are a fitted boxer short. Boody's Goodnight shorts have a relaxed fit, and M&S describes its pure cotton pair as oversized.
• You want a matching set. We make no tops. Pretty You London's bamboo viscose set is the closest to ours in fabric.
• You want period protection at night. Our boxer shorts are not absorbent, so for period sleep shorts, choose a period pants brand.
• You are a UK 6. Boody, Cyberjammies and Next start at UK 6; ours start at UK 8.
• You like a high waist. Our waistband is mid-high.

What we will not tell you

We will not tell you any pair of shorts stops night sweats or cools you by a set number of degrees. A breathable fabric lets heat and moisture out, but the room, the duvet and the bedding matter more. We will not tell you bamboo viscose is antibacterial or hypoallergenic, although you will see it sold that way: the antimicrobial compound sometimes cited for raw bamboo does not survive the viscose manufacturing process, and hypoallergenic is not a claim we can support for a finished fabric. And we will not repeat laboratory figures we cannot check, including the ones on product pages in this roundup.

Sleep shorts: common questions

What are sleep shorts called?

Sleep shorts are also sold as pyjama shorts, PJ shorts, bed shorts, night shorts, sleeping shorts, ladies' pyjama shorts and ladies' sleep shorts, or as half of a short pyjama set, sometimes called a shortie. Women's boxer shorts worn to bed are sometimes called sleep boxers.

What are the best shorts for sleeping?

Soft, breathable shorts with a waistband that does not dig in when you lie down. Our pick is Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them): 95% bamboo viscose, a wide flat waistband and a 6 inch leg that sits mid-thigh, in UK 8 to 30 at £20 a pair. For a classic pyjama short with a drawstring and pockets, Cyberjammies' cotton and modal shorts are £20 in UK 6 to 28.

Is it good to sleep in shorts?

It is a comfort choice rather than a health one. If you run hot, shorts in a breathable fabric are cooler than full-length pyjama bottoms, and a waistband that does not dig in makes it easier to settle.

What is the difference between lounge shorts and sleep shorts?

Mostly weight and detail. Lounge shorts tend to be a heavier jersey with pockets, made to wear around the house, and sleep shorts tend to be lighter and simpler. Plenty of pairs do both: Cyberjammies sells its black jersey shorts as loungewear, and 14 of the 336 reviews of Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) mention sleeping in them.

How long should sleep shorts be?

It depends on what you want them to do. The pairs that give a leg length are mostly short: 8cm, about 3 inches, for Dagsmejan's on a size S, 10cm for the shorts in Lands' End's cooling set (14cm in plus sizes) and 11.5cm for The Oodie's cooling PJ short. If your thighs touch, a 6 inch leg that sits mid-thigh, like Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them), puts fabric between them.

What fabric is best for sleep shorts if you get hot at night?

A breathable fabric that moves moisture away from your skin, such as bamboo viscose, modal, lyocell or a cotton blend. Pure cotton breathes well but absorbs moisture and holds it, so it can feel clammy if you sweat, and polyester satin does not breathe as well.

Do you wear knickers under sleep shorts?

It is up to you. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) are underwear, so you wear them on their own, as knickers and shorts in one. A loose pyjama short can go over knickers or without, whichever you find comfortable.

What sizes do sleep shorts come in?

Of the six we compared on 29 September 2026, Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) go the largest, to UK 30. Cyberjammies goes to UK 28, Next to UK 24, Boody and Dagsmejan to UK 22, and Pretty You London to UK 20. If you are looking for plus size pyjama shorts, check the size chart rather than the letter, because an XL is a UK 16 at Boody and a UK 20 to 22 at Flissie.

How much are sleep shorts and PJ shorts?

Of the six we compared on 29 September 2026, from £10 a pair, in Next's 2 pack at £20, to £95 for Dagsmejan's. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) are £20 a pair, or £13 a pair in a 7 pack. On the high street, Primark's women's pyjama shorts were £8 to £9, with one pair reduced to £5, and H&M's 2-pack pyjama shorts were £12.99 for two.

Can you sleep in boxer shorts?

Yes. A women's boxer short is soft, has no hard trims, and fits close, so there is less loose fabric to twist as you turn over. Choose a breathable fabric and a wide waistband.

Are bamboo viscose sleep shorts worth it?

If you run hot, bamboo viscose is soft, breathable and moisture-wicking. Three of the six options here use it: Boody's Goodnight shorts, the Pretty You London set and Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them). It needs a cool wash, and we will not tell you it is antibacterial.

Where can I buy pyjama shorts in the UK?

From brand websites and on the high street. M&S, Primark and H&M all sell women's pyjama shorts; Primark's online orders are click and collect. Next, Cyberjammies, Boody, Pretty You London and Dagsmejan sell on their own websites, and we sell Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) on ours.

Sources

• Next: Spot Ribbed Pyjama Shorts 2 Pack and delivery options
• Cyberjammies: Womens Blue Printed Stripe Shorts, delivery and returns
• Boody UK: Goodnight Sleep Shorts, women's size guide, shipping policy and returns
• Pretty You London: Bamboo Shirt Short Set and delivery and returns
• Dagsmejan: Stay Cool Shorts shortie, women's collection, delivery and returns
• M&S: Pure Cotton Pyjama Shorts; Primark: pyjama bottoms and click and collect terms; H&M: pyjama bottoms
• Leg lengths: Lands' End Cooling Pyjama Set With Shorts and The Oodie Cooling PJ Short

All checked on 29 September 2026. Prices and stock change often, so check each brand's website before you buy.

Related reading

• Menopause nightwear and cooling pyjamas: 8 UK options compared
• Boody underwear review: is it any good, and who is it for?
• What to wear to bed: sleepwear, underwear and staying cool
• Perimenopause, hot flushes and your underwear
• Best women's boxers: 10 brands compared on fit and fabric
• Bamboo viscose vs cotton underwear: a two-year review
• Flissie boxer shorts in UK sizes to 30