The 13 Best Men's Underwear, Tested by Menswear Experts

Oct 20, 2024

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Boxer briefs from Mack Weldon and Calvin Klein came out on top in our testing.

THE FOUNDATION OF menswear begins with underwear. In fact, many stylists with male clientele recommend choosing the best men's underwear as the bedrock of their wardrobe. But not every man knows how to choose. According to Tomima Edmark, founder of HisRoom, most men pick their underwear type during their youth and just stay with it. "Ask a man 'why?' and the simple answer is: it’s the same style his Dad wore," she says. "But, give a man an upgraded piece of underwear and a new world opens for him.”

From boxers to boxer briefs, the best underwear for men should be made with breathable, moisture-wicking, and soft fabric to ensure you feel at ease throughout the day. Additionally, the best underwear for men needs to have a snug fit that’ll prevent discomfort or chafing, which is to say the best underwear for men will also provide adequate support down there. "Fabric, fit, and function should be the main consideration when purchasing men's underwear," says Tom Patterson, the CEO & Co-Founder of Tommy John. "The best underwear is underwear that feels like you're not wearing anything at all."

Some of the best underwear we've tried for everyday wear or loungewear are made from cotton since it provides the most comfort. If you're looking for those purpose-made for workouts or outdoor adventures, then your best bet is to turn to synthetic materials (think: polyester) that are more breathable and moisture-wicking, so you don't have to deal with dreaded swamp crotch. Gihan Amarasiriwardena, co-founder of apparel brand Ministry of Supply, believes that optimizing for comfort begins with materials. "Moisture, softness, temperature all depend on finding the right fabric," he says.

"100% cotton has been the default for years. While cotton is known for its breathability, it isn't great for moisture management, and there are a ton of other options on the market today," says Amarasiriwardena. Not to mention a pair of undies that's 100% cotton tends to lose shape over time and can give you that swamp-ass feeling.

This is why menswear stylist Patrick Kenger recommends against full cotton underwear. "In general, I try to stay away from 100% cotton and opt for blended fabrics that are more moisture-wicking and comfortable," he says. For briefs, Amarasiriwardena also recommends looking beyond to "materials like Tencel and Merino, both known for breathability, moisture management, and odor control."

If you’re looking for something a little more modern, go for a blend with nylon and some spandex. Nylon is moisture-wicking and the fabric won’t pill or stretch out. However, a little spandex in the fabric helps for movement with ease and extra comfort. And if blends aren't your thing, Kenger recommends 100% Merino wool as an alternative since it's naturally moisture-wicking and more breathable.

"Fabrics like micro modal also wick moisture away but don’t lock in the bacteria like polyester does," says Barba. Made from beech trees, this incredibly soft fabric feels like nothing you've ever felt before. It’s lightweight, has a silky feel to it, and is shrink-resistant and moisture-wicking. Most of the best men’s underwear on the market that you’ll hear guys rave about will have modal in its fabrication.

The go-to fabric of Justin J. Houman, MD, a Los Angeles-based urologist, "Bamboo is a natural fiber that is known for its softness and antibacterial properties," he says. "Bamboo underwear is often marketed as eco-friendly and sustainable, and it is a good choice for men who prefer natural materials.

If you're looking to keep your precious cargo secure, then briefs provide the most security. However, if you want to let the package breathe, then boxers are your best bet. Though do be warned: boxers tend to ride up when you're wearing slim pants but should give you less trouble if you're wearing them under looser, more relaxed silhouettes.

If you need extra support, Dr. Susie Gronski, a specialist in men's pelvic health and sexual health, recommends underwear with a pouch or a snugger fit around the waistband and a high-leg opening. "For some men with testicular pain or discomfort, they may want to find a style that fits well and doesn't ride up or bunch as this could aggravate their symptoms," she says.

"Consider any special features you may need, such as moisture-wicking properties for sports, added groin protection for high-impact sports or combat, or extra comfort during long periods of sitting," says Dr. Gronski.

You'll also want to consider factors like activities. "Choosing the right pair of underwear surrounds what adventures or activities the day will consist of," says Ford. "For example, jocks are great for fitness activities. Boxers are perfect for lounging at home."

"Ultimately, the best underwear for you will depend on your personal preferences and needs," Susie Gronski, a specialist in men's pelvic health and sexual health. "Sometimes it will take a little trial and error to find your favorite pair to fit the activities and needs of your individual lifestyle."

Our fashion director Ted Stafford has over 20 years in the fashion industry and has an expert's eye for form and function in menswear. Stafford led our style team to test more than 30 pairs of underwear across a variety of styles, brands, and fabrics. We looked for underwear made from high quality materials that held up after multiple wears, and provided the right amount of comfort and support. Our testing assessed each pair on their materials, support, function, price, longevity, and overall comfort. Additionally, we interviewed a panel of over 12 experts about what a man should pay attention to when shopping for a pair of underwear.

The following list of the 13 best men's underwear represents the whittled down, best of the best from what we compiled over the past year of testing and research.

When developing underwear, Mack Weldon claims to have spent over 10,000 hours in design and testing to perfect the best pair of underwear money can buy. The Airknitx Boxer Brief checks all the boxes you should look for when purchasing underwear. The killer combination of a supportive pouch for the boys, plus an anti-odor, anti-moisture fabric make these boxer briefs comfortable and breathable, while the no-roll waistband and secure grip at the bottom legs keep these bad boys in place.

Moreover, Airknitx is tried and true and has thus even earned an endorsement from former NFL football wide receiver Desmond Howard. "I travel a lot during college football season and I am never without my Mack Weldon Airknitx boxer briefs," he says. "These are my absolute go-to’s for their light, breathable construction that always keeps me feeling just right." To really hit a home run, Mack Weldon even incorporated mesh cool zones in the back to keep you feeling cool when temperatures heat up.

Read more: Best Boxer Briefs

Some guys just prefer the classics—and sometimes, the classics are where it's at. Portland-based personal stylist Grace Thomas says that for "a top-of-the-line option, you can't go wrong with a classic like Calvin Klein." And while we all know Calvin Klein knows how to make a great pair of underwear, the top pick would be the Steel Micro Low Rise Trunks with a seriously smooth and attractive-looking nylon microfiber. "The cut and breathable fabric on these make them so comfortable to wear all day long," says Thomas. And even after dozens of washes, these trunks keep their shape and color.

Moreover, what makes CK's classic so popular is that it doesn't increase the bulk of your thighs in slim pants. The contoured pouch and mid-thigh length are perfect for everyday comfort with great support. "These boxer briefs also help with flexibility and are excellent for working out and playing sports," says Thomas.

The 4D Flex Microfiber mesh boxer briefs from Polo Ralph Lauren are recommended by personal stylist Stephanie Gisondi-Little. "It is a great cotton weight and quality, and stands up to many washings and dryings which not all elastic waistbands can do," she says. They're incredibly versatile, with a soft cotton-modal blend that's moisture-wicking to fend off swamp crotch and swamp ass, while still maintaining a high level of everyday comfort with four-way stretch and breathability thanks to the side mesh panels. Plus, their slim silhouette feels like a second skin, and won't ride up or bunch up under your dress pants. That means you can wear them to work, the gym, or even around the house. In our testing, we also found the pouch and gusset to be supportive and comfortable.

One note, these are a bit high-maintenance and can warp in the dryer. So make sure you either hang dry them or put on a low-tumble dryer setting to keep their shape.

Hanes is the definition of a household name, which you’ve more than likely had experience with in the past. This OG brand is still a competitor in the best underwear field, offering some innovative new features with the Sport X-Temp Boxer Brief. According to Men’s Health style director Ted Stafford, breathability is the stand out feature of this 100% cotton pair, which feel lighter in action than the natural fiber typically does. The special X-Temp weave enhances airflow without using any synthetic fabrics.

This is one the very few pairs of cotton underwear we’ve tested that can handle a workout without issue. We wore it to the gym on the way home from a long day at the office, and put it through the paces. No riding up occurred and the mesh fly patch boosted ventilation where it was most needed. The only stipulation is that we wouldn’t recommend any endurance activities that create a heavy buildup of sweat, like a treadmill or stationary bike, because pure cotton will get saturated and cause chaffing.

Your go-to athleisure brand launched a pack of oh-so-soft underwear that has the innovative fabric for maximum comfort you’d expect from Lululemon. And when this fabric meets boxer style, you get a pair of underwear that actually delivers. While Always in Motion might look at first like boxer briefs, these made-for-movement skivvies are actually boxers made with performance fabric. As such, they feel as freeing as boxers but deliver on performance of boxer briefs.

Their crazy-soft modal fabric, for instance, is both naturally breathable and sweat-wicking, with an ergonomically shaped pouch that provides roomy space to keep the boys in position. The four-way stretch makes it perfect for your daily pursuits and your legs' ebbs and flows. And the quick-drying makes it so that you can actually exercise a bit in them without having to change after the session. It’s the underwear you'll want accompanying you whenever you're on the go.

"Uniqlo specifically launched this line of briefs to enhance performance," says fashion blogger and costume designer Susan Gagnon. "These undies have new moisture-wicking technology that helps to keep you fresh, cool, and dry. They are breathable and lightweight, making you feel like you don’t even have anything on. They are also stretchable while still providing enough support."

These briefs are also recommended by menswear stylist Patrick Kenger as "by far the best bang for your buck." For $15 you get a breathable pair of underwear that's bound to last through constant washes. And this one's seamless build and sleek shape can be your underwear's holy grail, providing support where it's needed and a smooth stretch throughout your movements. "The Uniqlo Airisim line is my go-to for breathable, soft underwear, that doesn't break the bank," Kenger adds. The only qualm is that Airisim sells out very fast, so you have to wait for the occasional restock.

If what you do in a pair of undies involves a lot of moving, sweating, and calories-burning, clinical sexologist and certified sex educator of Philadelphia Weekly Sharon Sanders recommends the UA Tech 6-inch Boxerjack Briefs, a pair of running underwear that packs a lot of feats for people of very active lifestyles. "It has an anti-chaffing feature, providing maximum comfort and fit, even if worn during athletic activities," she says. And thanks to the neat polyester-spandex blend, these boxer briefs have "a highly breathable fabric so it allows for maximum airflow and comfort.”

These boxer briefs provide a great fit and comfort even during intense gym sessions, holding things together without feeling noticeable on your thighs. In our testing, we found that the 4-way stretch material moves easily with our legs and is breathable and ultra-soft to boot. But what truly makes it stand out is the extremely supportive design: The combination of a performance waistband and an articulated mesh fly panel and gusset keep your goods in place, no matter how hard the run.

Read more: Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear

The first thing that stood out to us with Abercrombie’s Boxer Brief is the old school look, consisting of a solid color cotton with a white sewn-on waistband, subtly emblazoned with the brand’s logo. The cotton and elastane blend fabric had the kind of soft washed feel that usually takes some time to break into new underwear. While it fit like a boxer brief should, it wasn’t tight like a compression short, providing a little wiggle room.

If you’re a boxer brief guy and you need a quick, easy, and affordable refresh of your collection, this is the way to go. It comes in a five pack, each offering five distinct colors, with the exception of the all black set. At only $60, this it’s also one of the best values we’ve come across in men’s underwear.

This elegantly simple brief was the debut product for Classic Fella. Sticking to classic designs and manufacturing them to the highest quality possible is what the British brand prides themselves on, and it showed up in our testing. When it comes to everyday underwear, especially briefs, a simple design, quality stitching, and a super soft fabric are all we’re looking for. That is exactly what we got here.

As simple as the Classic Brief looks, we did notice some progressive thinking in the waist design. It sits a little lower than most short briefs we’ve tried, hitting around the hip bone. This helped to prevent sagging, especially when sitting down. The waistband is also a little wider and thicker than we’re used to seeing, which created a very sturdy hold and didn’t cut on the top edge at all.

Nice Laundry found a clever way to combat bunching up around the hips, a common problem with wearing boxers. Adding several darts—just like the ones found on the back of your dress shirts—right below the waist, around the hip and backside, slims down the fit enough to eliminate any room for bunching. We found the fit to be more snug than any other boxer we’ve tried before, but loose enough to stay out of brief territory.

All the freedom of movement desired by boxer fans was still present and accounted for in our testing. The pima cotton and nylon blend fabric provided enough stretch to balance out the slimmer fit. If you’re a boxer man who likes a slimmer fit pant, this is the best underwear for you.

Fair Harbor developed a perforated compression liner to replace the traditional, uncomfortable mesh liner on swim trunks. It worked so well that the ocean obsessed brand started selling the liner solo as boxer briefs. Off the bat, the BreezeKnit fabric is extremely comfortable and one of the lightest weight fabrics we’ve tested in underwear. It fit nice and snug like a pair of athletic compression shorts, with a sewn in pouch that really hugged up between our thighs to combat friction.

Where this featherweight boxer brief really stood out in our testing was breathability. The micro-mesh design provided such strong air flow and moisture control, that it is more fair to compare it to athletic base layers than traditional underwear. It did a great job keeping our valuables cool in the sweltering summer heat, and even handled some high intensity workouts and light cardio.

If you’ve ever worn any of Vuori’s clothing, you know that its incredible comfort and impressive functionality comes from the brand’s custom blended fabrics. From t-shirts to joggers, the athletic lifestyle brand has a talent for finding just the right material to fit any garment. After giving the V1 Boxer Brief a try, we can tell you that this holds true for underwear. The three-textile blend has a mesh-like feel, which provided exceptional ventilation, but felt smooth and soft to the touch.

Balancing stretch and support is a challenge for any high performance underwear but Vuori nailed it here. The pouch, waist, and legs felt snug and secure at all times, even during light cardio. At the same time, the fabric had more than enough stretch to move freely and never felt constricting. It has an everyday boxer brief feel, while offering high level athletic performance.

Just like with cooking, a few simple ingredients, put together with an expert touch, makes for an excellent pair of boxers. Classic Fella makes quintessential looking underwear out of an Italian cotton fabric that you would expect to find in a dress shirt. Men’s Health fashion director Ted Stafford was impressed by the “clean lines and straightforward design.”

The fit is a little baggy, as most boxers tend to be, but the inseam is a bit shorter than other pairs we tried out. It offered plenty of room for everything to breathe and move around down there, with a soft texture to match. This is the underwear that you want to wear when lounging around at home on a hot summer day.

"Underwear is the one item most men wear day in/day out for 12-16 hours per day," says Barba. "To have comfort, men must choose a style that feels great for them and there is no right or wrong style."

Every man has worn one at some point; they're light and loose and so freeing! They're the classic underwear style for men that feels very relaxed with short legs. "Boxer shorts provide the freedom and carefree feeling that is almost like going commando but with some protection, but you want to avoid bulky boxer shorts that bunch under clothes," says Barba. Perfect for lounging around the house on the weekend.

Think speedo. Think swimmers. Think upside-down triangle. Briefs provide the required coverage and optimal support while exposing more skin for ease of mobility. They can, however, fit a bit tight around the crouch. "Briefs provide the most support and hold everything in place and offer snugness, but you don’t want them pressing and oversight," Barba adds.

Perhaps the most popular one, it's a hybrid of loose-fit boxers and tight briefs. "Boxer briefs are the blend of both of these styles with more support than boxer shorts but less support and lift than a brief," says Barba. If you’re not a fan of underwear that rides up too high, go for boxer briefs that have a longer leg and a snug fit, like compression underwear that’s perfect for the gym. "With boxer briefs, you want to make sure they skim the leg versus squeezing you too tight," adds Barba.

A trunk is like boxer briefs but with a shorter leg and provides an overall shorter fit that covers less thigh skin. For some visual assistance, think of trunks as the underwear style that most CK models wear on big billboards.

According to Dr. Houman, the tightness or looseness of underwear will have an impact on a man's fertility. "Tight underwear, such as briefs or compression shorts, can increase scrotal temperature, which can affect sperm production and quality," Houman says. "On the other hand, loose-fitting underwear, such as boxers or boxer briefs, can help to regulate scrotal temperature and promote better sperm production."

If you want to protect the structural integrity of your underwear's waistband, the best way to keep them from stretching is to hand wash them and hang them dry. But given how impractical that is, the second best option is to stick in the washing machine on cold water and use a low dryer setting so the elastic doesn't warp. However, our testers say that most of the pairs they've tried have kept their waistbands' shapes even after several trips to the laundromat. If your underwear's waistband has lost its shape, you're probably overdue to replace it.

Best Swim Trunks | Best Underwear Brands | Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear | Best Thermal Underwear | Best Undershirts for Men | Best T-Shirts for Men | Best Compression Shorts | Best Running Underwear

Ted Stafford is the Fashion Director of Men’s Health. He oversees all style and fashion content for the brand, and also styles their fashion stories. His active lifestyle informs his passion for translating great designs into real-life style, a favorite part of his job. Prior to joining Men’s Health he worked at GQ magazine and Calvin Klein

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