• Underwear is one of those things that many of us guys don’t pay much attention to. You might not see it all that much, but you feel every bit of it all day long, every day.
  • Our favorite underwear comes from Tommy John because it has a great fit, it doesn’t ride up or chafe, and there are a variety of materials to choose from.

Gentlemen, if you’ve had trouble finding and wearing underwear you can bear, know this: You’re not alone. Some underwear, such as certain briefs, can be a horrendous besiege on the groin and everything therein. But then again, more accommodating boxers can result in a bunched-up, tangled, and constrictive mess, too. Where, oh where is that enigmatic middle ground?

Men’s underwear isn’t the most exciting thing in the world to shop for, we get it. But what a nightmare it can be when you realize you’ve bought the wrong pair. Boxers? Briefs? Boxer briefs? Which is the right style for whom? The list goes on. Too compressive, too loose and bunchy, poorly sewn seams that chafe and scratch – the horrors can be endless.

Brands like Tommy John and Mack Weldon are trying to change that with inventive new designs and new and improved fabrics.

Cotton, for many of us, will always remain king, but mostly because it’s cheap. It rides up, chafes, and gets wet and stays that way, making the chafing even worse. There’s also Pima cotton (pricier stuff with longer, silkier fibers), bamboo, silk and wool, as well as viscose, lyocell, Tencel, and modal (all natural-based fiber made from wood pulp), and so on.

Figuring out which fabric best suits you and your activities can be time-consuming – and expensive. We’re here to help you cut through all, or at the very least some of that.

You won't find designer brands like Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren on this list because they're usually comparable to cheap store-bought brands, just with a logo waistband.

Here are our favorite men's underwear brands:

Updated on 2/29/20 by Amir Ismael: Updated prices, links, images, and formatting. Added Tommy John as the best overall and Mack Weldon as the best odor-resistant pick.

The best underwear overall

Tommy John has a great selection of fits, sizes, and materials, to appeal to most all body types and comfort preferences.

You know that one pair of boxers you get a little bit excited to put on when it makes its way to the top of the pile in your underwear drawer? Well, for me it's Tommy John.

The brand was founded in 2008 with the goal of completely updating undergarments for modern comfort and they've absolutely done that. I've tried just about every noteworthy underwear brand you'd find in a Google search, and Tommy John surpasses them.

The primary reason I like Tommy John so much is the amazing fit. Boxer briefs are my go-to underwear style, and Tommy John's have a slightly longer than average inseam length. This totally eliminates that awful feeling of riding up or chafing. There's plenty of room and support in all the right places.

If you like trunks, briefs, or relaxed fit boxers, Tommy John has all of those too. You'll also find sport leggings, which are essentially full-length underwear.

In terms of materials, Tommy John has several types to offer. They include Cool Cotton, Air, Second Skin, and a newly-introduced Second Skin Micro Rib. Each material is designed for specific needs like cool comfort, softness, and breathability.

I've worn them all (with the exception of the Second Skin Micro Rib, which was released the same day this article was updated), and they're all exceptionally comfortable. Tommy John underwear is expensive, but they outlast cheaper pairs that go bad after a few wash and dry cycles. - Amir Ismael

Pros: Great fit, comfortable, lots of material choices

Cons: Expensive, not many crazy patterns and colors if that's what you're looking for

The best affordable underwear for men

Foto: Source: Hanes

Where would we all be without Hanes, really?

Founded in 1900, Hanes, for all intents and purposes, pretty much invented modern underwear. Love or hate underwear, we'd have our work cut out for ourselves if we were to claim not to have some deep appreciation for this brand.

These days, Hanes offers every kind of boxer, brief, and boxer brief you could imagine with dozens of styles. Whatever it is you're after, the catalog offers everything from high-tech synthetic athletic to the good old-fashioned cotton the brand was built on.

The FreshIQ Boxer Briefs are the sort of timeless, tales, itch-free 100% cotton we all remember but updated with a little odor protection finish. Keep in mind that the solids are 100% cotton while the Heathers are a 75%/25% cotton and polyester blend.

Then you have flashier styles like the X-Temp, which are ultra-lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking all the way up to the waistband. These fare well under anything, but they really shine under gym shorts.

This brand is timeless and it's not going anywhere soon. Plus, as some of the most affordable underwear you can buy, it's a good way to fill out your drawer when a five-pack is still cheaper than single pairs from the popular direct-to-consumer startups on our list.

Pros: Seemingly endless list of styles, affordable

Cons: Won't last as long as higher-end options

The best odor-resistant men's underwear

Foto: Source: Mack Weldon

Similar to garments worn by NASA, Olympic athletes, and US Special Forces, Mack Weldon Silver Underwear adds pure silver to its Supima cotton to provide strong odor protection.

Using a combination of Pima cotton, Silver XT2, and Lycra, the Mack Weldon Silver Boxer Briefs are made with some of the highest quality materials available.

While Supima cotton and lycra are commonly used in all types of clothes intended to be soft and comfortable, the inclusion of pure silver is rather important. Silver is naturally anti-microbial, so it helps rid garments of bacteria, including the types that cause odor. Learn about XT2 technology here.

To put into perspective how useful silver can be, similar technology has been used in clothing for NASA astronauts, Olympic athletes, and US Special Forces.

Although astronauts probably have to wear their gear for much longer than you have to wear your underwear, you'll still get great use out of them in the real world. Whether you work super long days, you live a high-intensity athletic lifestyle, or you're on a camping or hunting trip where showers are few and far between, you'll get through it without stinking.

In addition to odor protection, the Silver Boxer Briefs are very comfortable thanks to a no-roll waistband, which is designed to prevent digging into the skin, and targeted mesh zones to keep high-heat areas nice and cool.

I own far too many pairs of underwear to ever have to wear any pair for more than a day, but I love to grab a pair of my Silver Boxers when I know I'll be active for a long period of time. - Amir Ismael

Pros: Soft material, the no-roll waistband doesn't dig into your skin, no inside tag, breathable

Cons: Legs are somewhat short

The best sustainable men's underwear

Foto: Source: Organic Basics

Danish brand Organic Basics is the Everlane of boxers and briefs (though they make a lot more than that).

Made with 93% recycled nylon and 7% elastane, Organic Basics estimates that compared with traditional methods using virgin materials, production of its "SilverTech" style conserves some 21 gallons of water and prevents 4.2 pounds of CO2 and one ounce of waste from entering the atmosphere and earth. We can't quite confirm this, but take a virtual tour of the brand's factories and learn more about its practices.

As for the product itself, the brand only uses Class A and B fibers, which means that even though this stuff is recycled, it's every bit as soft as brand-spanking-new stuff, and a lot less weight on the world.

SilverTech, which we find to be Organic Basics' most interesting style, is in fact infused with silver, which is supposed to quell odor and bacteria buildup. In our experience, it helps a good bit, but maybe not quite as well as others we've tried. The real win here is the comfort that these skivvies offer, and since I've had them (over a year now), they've easily been my most-worn pairs. A more relaxed boxer brief, they hold everything more or less in place while sitting flush so I can wear them with just about any pair of pants.

Organic Basics offers a couple of fabrics beyond their SilverTech, and unlike that line, they're much more on the organic side: Tencel (a wood-pulp-based cellulose that's more breathable and less shrinkable and wrinkle-inclined than cotton), and organic cotton (spiked with 5% of elastane).

Style-wise, if having a big logo or insignia of a brand front and center on your undies ain't your thing, this might be your go-to. I, frankly, am not a fan of loud logos on anything, and certainly not my underwear.

Around the world wide web, the brand hasn't received all that much recognition yet, but the good folks at the Strategist left the SilverTech line a radiant review.

Pros: More sustainable than your average skivvies, soft as can be

Cons: Some lines are a little on the pricey side

The best silk men's underwear

Foto: Source: Derek Rose

It might not be the most popular - or best - choice for everyday wear, but there's nothing like lounging around the house on Sunday morning in silk shorts.

We know what you're thinking, but hear us out. Silk boxers don't necessarily have to be that leopard print satin man hammock you wouldn't be caught dead in; there are plenty of toned-down options that at first glance, you'd never suspect were made of silk. But man are they comfortable.

We've all got to luxuriate at some point, and that's why, good sirs, we've all got to have a pair or two of silk skivvies in the roster.

When shopping silk boxers, know you're going to splurge a bit, but that's okay. You're not wearing these to work or for a day on the town. These are special occasion shorts, and you'll probably end up wearing (and appreciating) them most from the comfort of your couch.

Don't cheap out here, fellas. I repeat, do NOT cheap out. Poorly spun silk will end up in the graveyard after a few washes, and if you don't believe me, there's a whole slew of sup-par silk boxers with reviews from terribly disappointed customers on Amazon. Don't buy them.

Kick in an extra $30 to $50 for the real stuff (remember, you're not outfitting your whole underwear drawer with this stuff, just one or two pairs tops).

Derek Rose makes some pure, hand-made silk boxers in toned-down styles for which even your cruelest of friends could not immolate you starting at a reasonable $85. (Though, they do offer you the option to go a little wild if you please. We're not telling.)

Just remember: You have to be delicate with silk. Hand-wash only, and hang to dry. Again, you're only buying a pair of two of these, so you're not going to be hunched over the sink or tub for hours each weekend.

For some reason, there aren't a ton of reviews of silk underwear for men out there (maybe we're still not all that comfortable with our sexuality in 2020 after all), but Underwear Expert, the online authority in all things underpants, regularly features Derek Rose in their editorial section.

Pros: There's nothing softer than silk, luxurious

Cons: Not breathable, and yes, the price tag, we know

What else we considered

Foto: Source: SAXX

While updating this guide, we also considered Saxx brand underwear. It was previously our best overall pick, but was ultimately replaced by Tommy John in favor of its extensive selection of materials, fits, and the comparable price range.

We've personally worn a fair amount of the available materials in four different styles - boxer briefs, trunks, and relaxed fit boxers, and the full-length sport leggings - and none have them disappointed us in terms of comfort or durability with regular wear and washing.

However, Saxx does have the upper hand when it comes to fun patterns and colors. People who like their underwear to stand out will find more options here. If you'd like to consider them, read our previous review below:

Saxx, and particularly the brand's Loose Cannon fit, is the underwear for guys who hate underwear.

Saxx, an explicatively named underwear brand, has moved the ball forward ever so slightly for all of mankind with their proprietary "Ballpark Pouch" design, a simple-but-still-somehow-novel innovation that creates a pouch for, well, your pouch.

Designed to keep things in place, but not too firmly, the Ballpark Pouch is designed to reduce chaffing and perspiration while increasing breathability.

I tried a few pairs of Saxx out before I found one that suited me. The first ones all felt like compression shorts, and while maybe breathable, felt uncomfortable and even stifling. Some people, whom I might venture to call masochists, seem to appreciate that. Maybe this is merely a personal preference, but such constriction, or confinement of any sort, just won't do for me. Then again, compared with regular cotton and other synthetic briefs (especially compression shorts), I readily concede that they were still far more comfortable.

The pair I've settled on continuing to wear is the "Quest Loose Cannon," which, as the name suggests, gives one's parts a room of their own, dubbed the "Ballpark Pouch."

Basically a cup with webbing on either side to keep things in place and apart from your thighs, the "Ballpark Pouch" may be a bit silly where branding is concerned. But then so is "Saxx," at least in my book. If you can get past all that, along with the price tag (upwards of $25 a pair), then a whole wide world of breathable, featherlight boxers and briefs awaits.

Saxx is lauded by plenty of other publications, too, including The Wirecutter, The Strategist, Gear Junkie, and Outside. - Owen Burke

Pros: Soft, lightweight, supportive "Ballpark Pouch"

Cons: Branding could be toned down a little, some models don't have a fly

Read our full review of Saxx.

Check out our guide to the best undershirts for men

Foto: Source: Thompson

The best men's undershirts you can buy

If you've been looking for the best undershirt for managing your sweaty pits, then the search is over. We've done the research and smoked out the best undershirts for men that you can buy today.

Here are the best undershirts you can buy: