What Jogger Inseam Do Tall Men Actually Need?

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If your joggers stop somewhere on your shin, the problem is not your height and it is not your budget. It is a measuring convention almost nobody explains.

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The cuff takes back two inches before you ever put them on

Jogger inseam is measured to the bottom of the cuff, laid flat. But the cuff is elastic, and once it gathers around your ankle it pulls the hem upward. That gather eats roughly two inches of the number on the label.

So a 32 inch jogger does not wear like a 32 inch pant. It wears closer to a 30. On a frame that needs 34, that is a four inch shortfall, which is exactly the distance between a clean break at the shoe and a hem sitting mid-shin.

Every jogger measurement here is in The Tall Sizing Database, next to the jeans and chinos.

The rule: add two inches to your normal inseam

Whatever inseam you buy in jeans or chinos, add two when you buy joggers. That single adjustment solves most of it.

• 6 foot 2 – look for a 34 inch inseam
• 6 foot 4 – look for 34 to 35
• 6 foot 6 – look for 36
• 6 foot 8 and above – look for 38 to 40

Leg-to-torso ratio varies, so treat these as a starting point rather than gospel. If you are long in the leg for your height, take the higher number.

How to measure yours in thirty seconds

Take a pair of trousers that already fit you well. Lay them flat. Measure from the crotch seam straight down to the hem. That is your true inseam. Add two, and that is your jogger number.

Do not measure your body for this. Measuring a garment that already works removes the guesswork about where you actually want the hem to land.

Buy by the measurement, not by the word tall

This is the single most useful shopping habit for anyone over 6 foot 2. Searching the word tall returns whatever marketing decided to label that way. Searching a number returns what actually exists.

Try 36 inseam mens joggers or 38 inch inseam sweatpants instead of tall joggers. The results are completely different, and usually cheaper.

Where the real tall construction is

Credit where it is due: American Tall, 2Tall and ForTheFit build for tall frames properly. They adjust rise and proportion rather than just extending the leg, and they publish real numbers instead of S/M/L guesswork. If you want the best-fitting option and price is not the constraint, start there.

And where the affordable ones are

You do not have to spend more to solve this. Several brands on Amazon publish genuine inseam options across the range, which is all this problem actually requires.

• Sevego – joggers in 31, 33, 35 and 37 inch inseams, in French terry, lightweight cotton and fleece-lined. I bought a pair and measured them — full review here.
• Talleaf – inseams up to 40 inches with zip pockets.
• Amazon Essentials Tall – the cheapest way to test a length before committing.

One thing to check before you order

If a size chart shows only one extra inseam number, it is a length-only product, not a tall fit. Proper tall construction adjusts the rise too, which is what stops the crotch pulling when you sit down.

The fix here was a measurement, not a bigger budget.

More fit guides at thetalltake.com

What to actually buy

The pairs I wear, with real inseam numbers.

• joggers I actually wear
• sweats vs shorts

Everything I currently think is worth buying, plus what I bought and sent back, is on Tall Deals.

New: the Tall Family coloring books. Five books for kids whose dad, mom or grandpa is the tallest person in the room — written and drawn by me, the same guy doing the measuring. See the five books →