The comfort economy and why men are spending more on staying in

A few years ago, cancelling plans to stay in was something you’d half-apologise for. Now it’s a lifestyle choice people actively invest in. The night-in has gone from guilty pleasure to a consumer category with real money behind it, and men are driving a growing share of that spend.

Below, we’ll look at where the money is going, from bedding and home fragrance through to the loungewear that’s quietly replacing going-out clothes in men’s wardrobes.

How a pandemic habit became a spending category

The pandemic didn’t create the urge to stay in, but it did give people the time and the reason to take their home environment seriously. What started as bulk-buying candles and tracksuit bottoms during lockdown has since evolved into something more deliberate. People aren’t just buying comfort items because they’re stuck indoors. They’re choosing to spend evenings at home and they want those evenings to look and work a certain way.

The numbers reflect this. The global loungewear and sleepwear market was valued at over $63 billion in 2023, according to industry analysts, and it’s projected to keep growing through the end of the decade. That’s not a pandemic blip. That’s a category with staying power.

What men are actually spending on

For a long time, the “homebody economy” conversation was aimed mainly at women. Scented candles, silk pillowcases, matching pyjama sets. Men were largely left out of the picture or, at best, offered a grey hoodie and a pair of joggers as an afterthought.

That’s changed. Men are now spending on premium bedding, quality home fragrance and upgraded at-home wardrobes. The UK bedding market is projected to be valued at several billion pounds by 2026, driven partly by the idea that sleep is a wellness priority, not just something that happens at the end of the day.

Home fragrance is another area where male spending has grown noticeably. Around 70% of UK adults now use home fragrance products, and younger male consumers in particular are building fragrance collections that extend beyond personal cologne and into the home, with candles, diffusers and room sprays chosen by mood and by room.

Loungewear that doesn’t look like an afterthought

The wardrobe side of this trend is possibly the most visible change. For years, men’s options for staying in were limited to old T-shirts, stretched-out joggers or whatever came free with a gym membership. The bar was low, and most brands didn’t bother raising it.

Now there’s a growing demand for men’s loungewear that’s actually been designed with some thought behind it. Brands built around wellbeing, like David Gandy’s Wellwear line with its fabric treatments ranging from anti-bacterial properties to infrared-based muscle recovery, show how the category has moved well beyond plain cotton. Men want pieces they can wear around the house without looking like they’ve given up on the day entirely.

This matters because it signals a broader change in how men think about clothing at home. The old split between “going out” clothes and “everything else” is fading. A decent pair of lounge trousers and a well-cut sweatshirt aren’t just for lazy Sundays anymore. They’re what a growing number of men will reach for on a work-from-home day, a Friday night in or a Saturday morning coffee run.

The “small luxury” effect

Part of what’s fuelling this spend is the small luxury effect, sometimes called the lipstick effect. When budgets are tight, people still want to treat themselves, but they’ll trade a big night out for a smaller, more considered purchase at home. A £30 candle, a £75 lounge set, a good bottle of something to open on the sofa. These are affordable indulgences that make a night in a choice, not a compromise.

For men specifically, this is a relatively new behaviour. Historically, male discretionary spending leaned towards gadgets, eating out or sport. The fact that home comfort now sits alongside those categories is a genuine change in priorities.

A night in is no longer a consolation prize

The comfort economy isn’t a trend that’s going to reverse. With 40% of UK workers now working remotely at least part of the time, people have permanently changed how they use their homes, and that’s changed what they’re willing to spend on them.

For men, the biggest change is also the most obvious one: what you wear and what surrounds you at home actually matters. The brands, retailers and publishers who take that seriously will be the ones who benefit most.

The editorial unit