Feb 2, 2024 8:00 AM

The 10 Best Slippers for Lounging at Home—From $9 to $150

It’s slipper season. Our gear testers have found some soft ways to keep your toesies warm.

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Women's Cozy Fleece Pull On Slipper Socks

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Like most remote workers—and a good percentage of nonremote workers—the WIRED Reviews team spends a lot of time in slippers. Especially this time of year, when plunging outdoor temperatures sneak through every ill-fitting doorjamb and thin window pane, a good pair of slippers makes the difference between lounging comfortably around your home and wanting to crawl back under the covers until the middle of March.

We have not been able to conduct rigorous head-to-head testing between various slippers, but we have all reviewed a lot of slippers. After debating the subject at length we’re confident that we have helpful advice on which slippers you should be wearing while on Zoom meetings or making those chilly trips between the couch and fridge. Here are our picks, which range from $9 Target slipper socks that reviewer Brenda Stolyar wears to a pair of wool clogs that senior editor Adrienne So has had since the second Bush administration. If you're still feeling lost, check out our advice on How to Pick the Perfect Pair of Slippers at the bottom of this article.

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Photograph: UGG
The Best Ugg Slippers
Ugg Neuman
I currently have three pairs of Ugg slippers in rotation at my house. That’s partly because I really like my Ugg slippers, and partly because they’re indestructible and it’s hard to justify pitching them even after five years and a few trips through the washing machine. With apologies to my well-worn Tasmans and Ansleys, these Neumans are the best of the bunch and some of the best slippers you can buy (to me).
Like other Ugg slippers, you get a nice thick lining of sheepskin, which is moisture-wicking and relatively odorless. The slippers have the classic Ugg profile with the same bulbous toe and thick rubber sole as the Australian brand’s boots and clogs, but there’s a small notch that makes them just a little easier to get into and out of without making them any more likely to fall off. —Martin Cizmar
$120 at Amazon
$120 at Zappos
Photograph: Target
Grippy Sock Slippers to Buy in Batches
Target Cozy Fleece Pull On Slipper Socks with Grippers
After discovering these from Target, I refuse to wear any other slippers. They’re lightweight, cover my feet entirely (like socks), and have grips at the bottom to prevent accidental slipping and sliding on hard surfaces. Since they’re also super affordable, I own multiple pairs—I keep a pair at my apartment, my boyfriend’s apartment, and my parent’s house. Depending on how often you wear them, they can get dirty fairly quickly (mainly because everything sticks to the fleece), but all you have to do is throw them in the washing machine and they’ll look as good as new. —Brenda Stolyar
$9 at Target

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Wicked Good Slippers From Maine
L.L. Bean LL Bean Wicked Good slippers
My wife and I decided to buy a nice pair of indoor slippers during the pandemic. Given my profession, I ended up spending many, many hours researching and reading reviews to find the best bang for my buck. That led me to L. L. Bean’s Wicked Good series. I bought my wife the Squam Lakes and she bought me the Moccasins that year for Christmas, both of which have held up exceptionally well to regular use during the cold months over the past three years. The suede upper is tough but still soft, but it’s the shearling lamb fur inner that will win you over. It’s so soft and warm, like a little blanket for your feet. It does a fair job of wicking away moisture too; even if I’m quite toasty, my feet don’t feel like they’re sitting in a pool of liquid.
I’ve accidentally forgotten to take these off before walking my dog (they’re that comfy), and they’ve fared well, offering decent traction thanks to the rubber outsole. My only qualm is with the rawhide laces on the Moccasins—I have a wicked hard time keeping them tied. This seems to be common enough that L. L. Bean has a whole video explaining how to tie them properly. —Julian Chokkattu
$89 at L.L. Bean (Womens)
$89 at L.L. Bean (Mens)
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Xero Hassle Slipping On and Off
Xero Pagosa
I’m not much of a slipper person. I’d like to be. I’d like to come home, sit down, and, like Fred Rogers, patiently take off my shoes and put on house shoes. Slippers. What have you. I might even sing a little tune while I do it. Because if you spend any time thinking about it, walking around your house in the same shoes you walked around the world in is … kinda gross. But I am lazy. Also, I live in an RV and go in and out of the door hundreds of times a day. Even Mr. Rogers would give up in my situation. That’s where these Xeros come in handy. They’re easy to slip on and off—you don’t even need the heel, most of the time I just step on it. Fred might be displeased at this haste, but, well, sorry Fred. The 4-mm rubber sole puts this squarely in the barefoot shoes category (see our guide to barefoot shoes) and the faux wool upper is vegan-friendly, but really feels like wool. —Scott Gilbertson
$75 at Amazon (Mens)
$75 at Amazon (Womens)

Photograph: Amazon
The Most Durable Slippers
Haflinger Classic Grizzly
When I moved to Portland, Oregon, my mom’s Christmas present to me that first year was a pair of these slippers. That was more than 15 years ago, and I fully expect these to last another 10. I’m wearing them right now, and they’re in great condition—much better than my husband’s L. L. Bean slippers, which kicked the bucket after about five years (sorry, Julian!). This slipper has an unfair advantage because it’s much more of a clog, with a wool felt upper firmly attached to a lightweight, molded cork sole that’s also wool-lined.
I highly recommend these if you have plantar fasciitis or other foot problems that make it hard or painful for you to walk without support. The upper has retained its shape and the cheery embroidered border has not come undone, despite years of being kicked into my shoe rack and left to molder all summer. The traction on the bottom is also good enough for me to skitter outside to take out the garbage. I wear them with socks and haven’t noticed any smell. —Adrienne So
$152 at Amazon (Unisex)
$155 at Zappos (Unisex)
Photograph: Amazon
These Slipper Socks Are Here for a Good Time (For Now)
Mukluks Slipper Socks
These cheap slipper socks aren’t really sturdy enough to wear all day every day, but that’s exactly what I do. Unfortunately, that means I go through about a pair per year. But they’re so warm and comfortable, and the faux fur lining is remarkably soft. It does flatten over time. If you’re particularly hard on your slippers, or you’re like me and you never take them off, you’ll probably need to replace these seasonally. Try as I might, I haven’t found a better slipper sock alternative. —Louryn Strampe
~~$44~~ $33 at Amazon (Womens)

Photograph: Amazon
Pulling the Wool Over My Toes
Glerups Slip-Ons
I was a slipper-hater from birth thanks to the stuffy, synthetic fleece department store slippers of my childhood. They felt like wearing furry bags on my feet. Spending a hundred bucks on slippers was not something I did with enthusiasm, but after a year of hardwood floors freezing my feet off, I caved and bought a pair of Glerups slip-ons. These unlined wool slippers are at once warm enough for blizzard-induced power outages and wonderfully breathable, with zero itching. The leather sole is non-marking and not at all slippery. As far as durability, my first pair of Glerups lasted two years of heavy, all-day use during the colder months.
For $35 more, you can have a rugged rubber sole for brief trips to the mailbox or to let the dog out. I like the backless slip-ons, but you can get them in more of a shoe or a taller boot, too. —Matt Jancer
~~$80~~ $75 at Amazon (Unisex)
Photograph: Zappos
These Slippers Feel Like Home to Me
Manitobah Mukluks
As a kid, I was seldom without a pair of moccasins. My grandma got them for all the grandkids every year at Christmas, and I wore them everywhere. The soft, comfortable indoor-outdoor shoe was just an everyday part of life. As I got to middle school I gave in to social pressure and my desire to be as incognito as possible, and gradually moved away from wearing or doing anything visibly Indigenous, anything visibly Mexican.
After my grandma’s death, I set out to find a new pair of moccasins similar in style to the ones she got us as kids, and I stumbled on to Manitobah. This is an Indigenous-owned brand, staffed with Indigenous designers, and its slippers, clogs, boots, and moccasins are all of impeccable quality. The cabin clogs are a great pick for anyone looking for a soft comfy shoe with a sturdy sole suitable for some indoor and (light) outdoor wear. And the street moccasins are like little clouds you can slip your feet into and wear anywhere, decorated with beaded designs just like the ones my grandma used to get us. Manitobah also has a small market page with unique designs. —Jaina Rodriguez Grey
$100 at REI (Womens)
$46 at Zappos (Womens)

Photograph: Amazon
Smile All Day
Smiley Face Slippers
I saw these slippers all over the internet for months. Eventually I started noticing people wearing them at the store and other random places. After picking up a pair, I can see why. They’re some of the only slippers I can stand wearing all day. Most slippers make my feet hot and claustrophobic, but these are comfortable and cozy.
The first pair I tried cost more than $30 from Altar’d State, but these are exactly the same quality for under $17. They likely won’t last you as long as the higher-quality pairs on this list, but if you take care of them, they should be OK. My first pair didn’t start to show wear until I machine-washed and dried them at least half a dozen times—not recommended. —Medea Giordano
~~$15~~ $14 at Amazon
Photograph: Verloop
Waste-Free Slippers
Verloop Recycled Sock Slippers
I prefer my cheap smiley face slippers for airflow, but Verloop’s sock slippers are also great. True to their name, they mostly feel like thick socks but are fleece-lined with an anti-slip sole. They’re still reasonably priced and are made from deadstock yarn so they reduce textile waste. (All Verloop items are made from deadstock, and we recommend a few of the brand’s bags.) The flowers are cute and quirky, and there are other patterns available like checkerboard and other styles of slippers that we haven’t tried. —Medea Giordano
$55 at Verloop

Photograph: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
How to Pick the Perfect Slippers
Soft or supportive? Do you want slippers that are more like a sock or more like a proper shoe with an insole, arch support, and a well-defined footbed? Our team likes both, but each reviewer seems to prefer one style or the other.
Indoor only? Do you plan to use your slippers only inside your home or to make occasional trips outside to pick up a package or toss a can in the recycling bin? While we are firm believers in keeping the soles of your house slippers clean, a sturdy sole gives you more options. On the other hand, it's less comfortable. If you get high-quality slippers with a proper sole you could also plan to eventually demote them to the mudroom for quick jaunts outside.
Grippy or slippy? Do you want to slide around your floors or have a bottom with some gripping power? Some people really like to slip around after sliding into their slippers.
How warm? This will differ greatly by climate, but if you want to keep your toes toasty, opt for wool (shearling linings with the leather attached are the warmest), and if you're just looking to keep the draft out, go for cotton or polyester.

Martin Cizmar is the tech category director for the WIRED Reviews team. He specializes in testing mattresses, grills, terrestrial TV antennas, and other large, cumbersome items. Previously he was the editor in chief of Kansas City magazine, a senior editor at Raw Story, an editor at alternative weeklies in Portland... Read more

Commerce Category Director, Tech

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