A trusty year-round essential, a dressing gown is the ultimate loungewear staple. There are few better feelings than getting home after a long day and hunkering down on the sofa in your favourite robe (big bowl of pasta optional).
Whether a mainstay of your beauty regime, tonic for chilly evenings or even a high-glamour staple (à la Holly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s), no wardrobe is complete without a dressing gown.
From slinky silk styles and barely there cover-ups to snuggly fleece designs or super-soft cotton robes, the right robe will see you through the cold winter months and into balmy summer evenings.
Whatever your taste, you needn’t spend a fortune on a good dressing gown. On the high street, M&S; and Next remain fail-safe destinations for robes, while H&M;, New Look, Mango and The White Company are all equally reliable.
At the other end of the spectrum, Tekla (Harry Styles’s go-to robe brand), Honna, Eberjay and Rixo are all proving dressing gowns can be functional and fashionable (if you’re willing to splash the cash).
How we tested
To narrow down the search for the best robes, we looked for budget-friendly and investment designs, considering comfort, style and quality. Whether your robe has seen better days or you want to grow your loungewear collection, we’ve rounded up some of the best dressing gowns to buy right now, from dreamy silky designs to cosy fleece styles.
The best women’s dressing gowns for 2023 are:
- Best dressing gown overall – Desmond & Dempsey towel robe, the jag print, cream: £135, Desmondanddepsey.com
- Best long dressing gown – Asos Design borg maxi robe in neutral: £34 Asos.com
- Best short dressing gown – The White Company snuggle robe: £60, Thewhitecompany.com
- Best luxury dressing gown – Rixo Marta multi carnation midi dressing gown: £175, Rixolondon.com
- Best summer dressing gown – Honna powder blue stripe robe: £150, Honnalondon.com
- Best cotton dressing gown – Rituals cotton bathrobe women: £84, Rituals.com
- Best printed dressing gown – Djerf Avenue fruit robe: £109, Djerfavenue.com
- Best personalised dressing gown – Soho Home house robe: £85, Sohohome.com
- Best fleece dressing gown – M&S fleece hooded long dressing gown: £30, Marksandspencer.com
- Best satin-finish dressing gown – Mango satin-finish robe with belt: £49.99, Mango.com