Boxer briefs/trunks that don't bag?

June 12, 2009 6:44 AM

Underwear recommendations (men), please.

I prefer to wear boxer briefs or trunks, but I have yet to find a brand that stays snug fitting and doesn't go all baggy after a few hours of wear. Is there such a thing as a brand that stays snug all day?

I'd prefer not to pay designer prices, if I can, though I'm aware you've got to pay for quality.

Help me properly package my package. Thanks!

posted by middleclasstool to clothing, beauty, & fashion (26 answers total)

Calvin Klein steel... superb.
posted by modernnomad at 6:48 AM on June 12, 2009

I've never had Jockey boxer-briefs go saggy, but they may fit differently if you are particularly large or small, or if you are oddly proportioned.
posted by Forktine at 6:52 AM on June 12, 2009

Avoid 100% cotton anything. Get something that has a synthetic blend of lycra or spandex or what-have-you. Also look into sportswear/compression stuff.
posted by coryinabox at 7:00 AM on June 12, 2009

Maybe my junk works differently than yours, but my Hanes and Jockey boxer-briefs stay snug all day long and into the night.
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:13 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

Under armour boxers are great!
posted by moochoo at 7:16 AM on June 12, 2009

I've been using Calvin Klein Pro Stretch Trunks for years. I don't exactly like paying ~$20 for a pair of underpants, but they do what I need underpants to do, and they seem to last at least a few years. Department stores tend to have them on sale, especially around holidays like Father's Day coming up, for somewhere in the $12-$15 range.
posted by dyobmit at 7:31 AM on June 12, 2009

I like Target's house brand boxer briefs. They're a little more expensive than Hanes, but they feel softer.

Also, I have a pair of Uniqlo boxer briefs (gotta scroll down) that I like.
posted by hpliferaft at 7:34 AM on June 12, 2009

they may fit differently if you are particularly large or small, or if you are oddly proportioned.

I'm neither, fairly average build if a bit on the smallish side. The main thing that happens is the legs ride up on me, and so they stretch out and basically become slightly-form-fitting boxer shorts.

I adore Under Armour's heat gear stuff, but $20 a pair is in no way in the budget. Maybe I'll give the Jockeys a go.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:40 AM on June 12, 2009

If you live near a Filene's Basement, you may be able to find a three-pack of Hugo Boss briefs, which are comfortable and non-bagging.
posted by kittyprecious at 8:13 AM on June 12, 2009

I've got some Jockeys I really like. I got them at Kohl's; don't know how to identify them other than that they are white with a black waistband; they have a red brand tag on the outside front, and were something like $6-7 a pair.

The legs are quite long; they go maybe halfway down my thighs. This helps a lot with the "legs-riding-up" bit, which I don't like either.
posted by chazlarson at 8:18 AM on June 12, 2009

Seriously, you're not going to find what you're looking for in cotton.

Yes, $20 is a lot to pay for a pair of underwear, but Under Armour boxers are what you'll ultimately wind up buying if you're serious about good underwear.

I rationalized it this way: I'm active, I can wear these under clothes all day then throw on gym shorts for a work out. After a shower I'll switch over to cotton boxers for hanging around home.

How many pair do you really need? I get by with five and round out my underwear with cotton boxer briefs (when Ihave too) a few other pair of synthetic briefs.

$100 up front is a lot for undies, but these have been going strong for six months now. I suspect they will last a year, maybe longer. Try getting the same mileage out of Haynes (I mean, I know guys do it, but that doesn't make it right.)

Lastly, if your budget is tight, just buy one or two pair a month... or do what I did and get dear'ole mom to do it. The old axe got quite a kick out of buying undies for her boy after about 15-years of not having done so.
posted by wfrgms at 8:25 AM on June 12, 2009

3rding underarmour
posted by Señor Pantalones at 8:39 AM on June 12, 2009

Nthing Under Armour Boxerjocks.

I bought one pair for working out in about a year and half ago, and very quickly I realised that these are, by far, the most comfortable underwear I have ever owned. I now own about 10 pairs of them and it's basically all I wear as I never wanted to go back to wearing anything else. Yes, they are expensive, but they stand up to a lot of wear, look good, and most importantly, because they are not made of cotton they are still just as tight at the end of the day as at the start.
posted by dyslexictraveler at 9:03 AM on June 12, 2009

Hmm. You may be selling me on this.
posted by middleclasstool at 9:16 AM on June 12, 2009

If I have anything other than cotton, my region down there is not happy.
posted by Danf at 9:33 AM on June 12, 2009

I find that boxer briefs that are slightly larger around the legs tend to stay where they should. The slimmer sort feel fine at first, but they tend to crawl up. My only experience is with Fruit of the Loom brand.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:50 AM on June 12, 2009

I love Banana Republic boxers...if you can get to an outlet store, they usually have them on sale for about $5 a pair.
posted by puritycontrol at 10:03 AM on June 12, 2009

Jockey pouch midway briefs. The legs are longer than their boxer briefs and they stay put. You don't want to wear them with shorts, though.
posted by willpie at 10:22 AM on June 12, 2009

Look for underwear with a bit of spandex in it. Hanes has boxer briefs that are 95% cotton and 5% spandex that would fit the bill. I believe they go by the name Hanes Premium Stretch.
posted by fief at 11:27 AM on June 12, 2009

I've *never* had a problem with the Prodige line available at Costco. Cheap and very comfy.
posted by liquado at 11:56 AM on June 12, 2009

Paul Frank boxer briefs. Also, if there's an H&M with a men's department near you, check out their boxer briefs. I've had good luck with both of these. Some of my Calvin Kleins maintain their fit, but others bag out fairly quickly, but I have no idea which styles do which.
posted by univac at 12:09 PM on June 12, 2009

eponysterical!

I was thinking maybe there were some knock-off brands that could give you the under armour results for cheap, but the internet says no.

I'm not an expert on under armour, but it really is quality stuff, right? Don't forget to consider the lifecycle cost -- if they last longer than the cheap stuff, they really do cost less in the long run.
posted by Chris4d at 12:13 PM on June 12, 2009

I'm a fan of H&M's boxer briefs, but they're a bit shorter (more European, perhaps) than some of the options linked here.

If you happen to live near a H&M with a men's section you can pick up a 3-pack for $10-15, I believe.
posted by adamk at 1:08 PM on June 12, 2009

As previously stated, I buy Target's (or even Wal-Mart's if that's your cup of tea) brand of trunk. So far, I haven't had any issues with ride-up stretching them out - and I have decent sized legs.

As an aside: This is my first post after having lurked for years.
posted by damionbroadaway at 2:00 PM on June 12, 2009

damionbroadway, I think it's awesome that underwear is what brought you out in the light of day. Heh.

To follow up, I bit the bullet and bought a pair of Under Armour on my last trip to Academy Sports. Figured what the hell, I'll give 'em a shot, worst problem is I'm out $20.

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, yeah, no lie, they stayed just as snug and in place as they were the moment I put them on. On the other hand, I'm used to having cotton next to my skin when I'm not working out, so it may take some getting used to, wearing synthetics all day. Only other concern is I know that wicking-tech fabrics sometimes stink more than cotton when you sweat, so I'm a touch worried about being, oh, let's just call it less than fresh. But I wore them to an outside birthday part in an Arkansas summer and had no problems. On the whole I think I'm happy with them, but I'll just keep this pair in the rotation for now and see if I'm inclined to add more at a very slow pace.
posted by middleclasstool at 12:36 PM on June 15, 2009

Following up to finalize:

I did the Under Armour boxer briefs for a while but was unhappy with how they felt. As some have mentioned upthread, having pure synthetic wicking fabrics on my boys all day was uncomfortable for me, and a particularly active and warm day meant a bit of odor. Such is the nature of tech fabrics -- the better they are at wicking moisture, the more they stink when you take them off at the end of the day.

So I tried Jockey's Go Stretch Classic and have been very happy. A combo of cotton and lycra, it hits the sweet spot of being comfortable against your junk and not turning into boxer shorts 30 minutes after you put them on. Also, half the price of Under Armour. So there's that.
posted by middleclasstool at 10:17 PM on August 23, 2009