I've mainly been wearing M&S cotton boxer 'trunks' for...ever, but they bunch up around the legs. Sportspursuit sold me some BjornBorg microfibre boxers and they're good, but the cotton ones were too tight round my legs and rode up.
I made the mistake of clicking on some social media ad and now I'm bombarded with pant brands that claim they're lifechanging (I paraphrase). Most of them seem to be made of 'modal', have some sort of ball sack, claim not to ride up. They all seem to be about £20 a pair before discounts/bulk and quite a few offer your money back on your first pair if you don't like them (but theres normally a high postage charge unless you're ordering a few pairs)
Just looking this morning and I saw -
Randies
Cross fly
Just wears
All citizens
Biofit
Step one
Boxeroo
Vanta
are any of them actually any good? Maybe I'm just triggered the ad targeting but it feels like the new razor/mattress/whatever start up business for young mba grads.
M&S microskin trunks are your friend
John Lewis cotton boxer trunks. Lightweight cotton, good for summer walks kind of thing. Not too long, short or bulky
M&S microskin trunks are your friend
Ooh they look good. I don't think I'll need pants for years though (others in the house may disagree).
I got suckered by biofit multi buy offer, 10 pairs for £40 ish if I remember correctly.
They're comfy, don't bunch or ride up. I'd recommend them if the price is right for you. Only he'd then 6 months so can't really comment on longevity, but they aren't showing any signs of distress yet.
You missed Oddballs.
I have some Step Ones which are comfortable, but I think I prefer the Oddballs.
oddballs+1
they'll probably have some kind of black Friday deals coming up
+1 on Oddballs - buy the discounted ones as only Mrs DB has to deal with the garish colours
TK Maxx - and the Reebok wicking range in various leg lengths. Usually £12-20 for a pack of 4 or more.
I don't understand how/why anyone does cotton or without stretch these days.
I got some Reebok bamboo trunks from TK Maxx and they are my favourite pants by a huge margin. Hard to find though.
https://communityclothing.co.uk/collections/mens-underwear/products/mens-trunks-2-pack-navy
My favs. UK made. 100% cotton.
I've recently bought a pack of danish endurance merino blend. Pretty good so far but sizing up one may be to your advantage.
I had bawbags for a while, but seemed the elastic went on them. Although I don’t know what the life expectancy is?!
I am now wearing oddballs, the bamboo ones. Good fit and quality (thus far). But I don’t quite subscribe to the claim that they don’t rise up, as mine seem to from time to time. Easy enough to readjust them tho!
all that cotton and bamboo just clings to moisture, whereas those MS microskin trunks are wicking and keep you less clammy
Just wears are my current ride. Previously was a Bjorn Borg wearer, these don't seem to ride up. I am a bean pole though
Step One are great. They don't ride up & bunch.
Keep meaning to try other brands but never get round to it.
Oddballs.
Why are you all wearing shorts rather than the simple underpants that I don't even know the name for, but are basically just M&S Underpants?
Possibly briefs, or slips?
I have never tried or understood why I would want to wear underpants shorts/boxers instead
Why are you all wearing shorts rather than the simple underpants that I don't even know the name for, but are basically just M&S Underpants?
Possibly briefs, or slips?
I have never tried or understood why I would want to wear underpants shorts/boxers instead
⬆️ This… 100%. I don’t get it either. I have a few pairs of those longer legs shorts things and i find them really annoying.
Why are you all wearing shorts rather than the simple underpants that I don't even know the name for, but are basically just M&S Underpants?
Possibly briefs, or slips?
Because "briefs" look disgusting on men.
And comical :
I had bawbags for a while, but seemed the elastic went on them. Although I don’t know what the life expectancy is?!
Show off!
Step one for me. Very comfy. Long lasting. No chub rub in hot weather. Buy them when a deal comes up. Much better than others I've tried (e.g. M&S, Jinshi, Bonds), which all tend to go baggy pretty quickly.
Previously Under Armour cotton boxer jock for me, but been wearing Lazy Panda bamboo boxers for years now and little a11y seems happy enough: https://www.lazypanda.co.uk/products/mens-3-pack-sockshop-lazy-panda-bamboo-boxer-shorts
Under Armour Cotton ones are perfect for everyday. The technical fabric ones are better for gym/hiking/under boardshorts at waterparks.
Surprised you don't all wear long John's in the winter.Keep those leg muscles nice and warm.
Step Ones for me. Don't ride up, just comfortable to the point where I don't even think about them anymore.
Best value I found for them was via tiktok shop of all places. With various discounts and not being fussy about colour I ended up getting 6 pairs for about £27 total. Absolute bargain compared to the £18/pair at full price.
Because "briefs" look disgusting on men.
That’s a luxury problem which assumes that someone is going to see you and give a damn what you look like in your underwear.
I fell for the Biofit marketing hype via an Instagram advert. But they're good pants, they were decent value, they're comfy and fit well. And they've washed well, although I'd say go for the black ones because some of the coloured ones fade slightly and look a bit pastel.
Oh, and I prefer trunk style briefs a) because the tops of my inner thighs rub together when I walk and they help prevent "chub rub" and b) because they look better. And, for some people, if you know you've got decent pants on and you look better underneath your clothes, you may feel more confident and comfortable.
Possibly also because my parents used to buy me little brief-style pants when I was in primary school, and wearing them now still makes me feel a bit like a kid. So, in _my_ head, trunks better suit a man.
My son told me last week that many studies show that pants made from man-made fibres are not "good for your reproductive health". I was a little surprised but at least it seems I might be a granddad one day.
BAM bamboo "boxers" get the win for me, my earlier models have lasted years. https://bambooclothing.co.uk/shop/regular-air-boxer-5-pack-black/
ICA Eco cotton boxers. Cheap, cotton, comfortable, long lived, functional. What is not to like?
Step Ones for me. Don't ride up, just comfortable to the point where I don't even think about them anymore.
And free postage, even on just one pair (which are cheaper than the others at c£15 anyway). I got £4 off for joining their mailing list but here’s 50% off (which gets me a free pair) for anyone else who wants to try them. (It says 50% but actually seemed to reduce a pair down to £5.50 when I clicked it to test)
FRIEND-QX5Z473
https://go.referralcandy.com/share/QX5Z473?s=klf&t=kl
I wear M&S slips, I also wear Speedos under my wetsuit or under board shorts. I just feel better with everything held in place.
But it puzzles me that, in an age when young people are so influenced by the behaviour of those they follow and admire then so few seem to follow the underwear example set by Premier League footballers. I don't think I'm being pervy in noticing that all those guys wear tight fitting briefs under their shorts.
Given the typically greener than average nature of stw forumites, I'm surprised at the amount of love for the rayon/viscose underwear.
I'm normally a 3 pack from M&S for £18 sort but it seems my old faithfuls are no longer available. Hence why I'm looking at these £15 each type brands but for that price, I'd expect them to be greener
bought a pair of the step-ones using the code above and am happy with them. so much so my wife bought me another few pairs for christmas.
Not direct recommendation sorry but I've found - anecdotal of course - that as some above have said, synthetic materials to be a huge upgrade for me, having spent most of my life in cotton underwear
Being a naturally low level sweaty person (despite genuinely v good health / fitness / diet), changing to poly underwear (and also anything else touching my skin - socks, uniqlo airism under vests etc under a shirt) has been a genuinely enormous quality of life upgrade for me - the feeling of wicking has stopped me ever being clammy, even on hot days. I found once I sweated into cotton - game over, wet the whole day. Synthetic/polyester just sheds it instantly and dries out almost immediately
everyday trunks wearer who could be briefs/slip interested for everyday use, as i use the decathlon ones on the bike or in the gym..
no idea why so many of these items have a fly - does anyone every actually use it?
can never remember why im supposed to avoid rayon/bamboo
intrigued by M&S microskin.... but also by the TK Maxx recommendations, so ta.
Not direct recommendation sorry but I've found - anecdotal of course - that as some above have said, synthetic materials to be a huge upgrade for me, having spent most of my life in cotton underwear
Username previously checked out; not so much any more 😄
Went into town yesterday and M&S was closed so couldn't get what I was after. Ended up in TK Maxx - not somewhere I tend to be and I've no idea how it all works.
Anyway, didn't find any pants but bought some Spyder trunk things...nylon-something, Spandex and might be cotton.
Wearing them today and definitely not feeling as warm as I normally do, so I'm hoping this is the way forward.
I used to be into CK trunks/briefs but tend to buy Aussiebum(best not to google)in the sale nowadays.
Nothing beats SpongeBob pants and I hate boring pants 🙂
They do make some super comfortable undercacks that hold everything in but the target audience isn’t exactly MS.
‘If you doubt yourself, wear something else!’ As they say.
Cottons pretty dire for any sports activity TBH.
everyday trunks wearer who could be briefs/slip interested for everyday use, as i use the decathlon ones on the bike or in the gym..
no idea why so many of these items have a fly - does anyone every actually use it?
can never remember why im supposed to avoid rayon/bamboo
intrigued by M&S microskin.... but also by the TK Maxx recommendations, so ta.
I liked the StepOnes enough I bought a load of pairs in their BF sale. I prefer the ones with the fly. Waistband is high so there’s a lot of pant to pull down otherwise.
I thought rayon/bamboo was a sustainable man made fibre compared to petroleum based polyamide in the m&s microskin
Another happy StepOnes wearer here.
Some years ago I found Under Armour to be very comfortable so bought a load. Now some are coming to the end of their life I'm tring VANTA intrigued by the pouch. So far so good
Surprised you don't all wear long John's in the winter.Keep those leg muscles nice and warm.
They look bloody stupid with shorts on over the top! Although temperatures have dropped enough that the shorts have been replaced with my Danish Army combat trousers - 3/4 lined and very comfortable in the colder conditions at the moment.
As for underwear, that’s either M&S cotton trunks, or I recently bought some Lycra shorts, basically cycle shorts without the padding to wear under my actual cycle shorts, and they’re really comfortable worn under regular shorts in hot weather.
Step one users - are the cloud mesh any good? I run a bit on the warm side so looking for something to cool my jewels.
With wicking pants is the moisture just transferred to your outer wear?
Now I’m a little older (40’s) I’ve ditched boxers for daytime wear (do wear them to bed) and just go with CK briefs. I find them much more comfortable under jeans / trousers etc.
If you’re a ripped Adonis the briefs looks just fine 🤔
Different pants for different jobs.
Normal, non-active wear. F&F/Tesco trunks. The cotton ones with a bit of Lycra. Comfy, last well, no issues.
Active wear (running, gym, etc.). Decathlon running boxers. Wick well, no chafing, dirt cheap. Happy days, happy bits.
Cycling. Nowt. But we all knew that didn't we...
Mainly wear Under Armour. But I have some Calvin Klein too, which are super comfy.
Not seen these mentioned in this thread, but Kula
https://www.kulaunderwear.com/collections/kula-products
3 lengths for different chub rub issues, with and w/o a fly, plus a brief and t-shirts, and two lady's shapes as well. Variety of adult colours - who has pictures on their pants, are you 6? What if you fall off your bike and get taken into hospital, who wants to be seen in Daffy Duck boxers!
Some of mine are 3 years old now, weekly wear (ie get worn once a week, not a week at a time!) and have lasted better than Oddballs, and are a better fit for me than Step One that I also have tried - supportive without being quite as tight/restrictive.
Son has them too, but prefers Spyder for active wear - Kula are Tencel which is a semi-synthetic (recycled wood pulp) cellulose and which has a certain silkiness to it (Mrs V comment when she deigns to put her hands on that area) but can also absorb some moisture - but as they are thinner / lighter than Oddballs for example I didn't find them anywhere as clammy.
(for avoidance of doubt, that's not me in the picture above)
Tencel is just another name for Rayon I think. I’ve been wearing Howies Tencel undies for years but the last lot don’t seem as good.
Google AI says
No, Tencel isn't the same as rayon, but it's a type of rayon (specifically, lyocell) made with a much more environmentally friendly, closed-loop process that recycles most of its non-toxic solvents, unlike traditional rayon (viscose) which uses harsher chemicals and creates more pollution. Both come from wood pulp, but Tencel (lyocell) represents a newer, more sustainable generation of regenerated cellulosic fibers.
Now, I'm not specifically buying Tencel in an attempt to save the planet, but I'm happy to learn that Greta wouldn't hate my choice of pants.