Faraday's Prototype

An up-and-coming underwear company called Faraday’s decided to send me some samples from their upcoming line to write a review on. (Since they didn’t give me a proper style name, I will just refer to it as “the prototype.”)  The prototype’s design is an interesting one, mixing some features that are common on high-end men’s underwear with one that is quite new and original: A special material in the pouch that purports to shield the user’s genitals from EMR (electromagnetic radiation). While I can’t attest to the success it has in that endeavor, I can attest that, for a new underwear company’s first attempt at a product, this is a very respectable effort, and I’ll be interested in seeing their further developments. 

Materials and construction: The prototype is a boxer brief design that’s fairly short on the legs. While not obvious from the external appearance, there is an internal pouch with some small sheets of fabric to separate the scrotum from the legs. There are two types of fabric here: A bamboo fabric surrounds the entire garment, which is reinforced by a “silver metallic” fabric lining the inside of the pouch. The thin, stretchy bamboo material around the hips and legs made the sizing flexible: The company sent me two adjacent sizes, both of which fit me comfortably. The waistband is very limp, and there is little extra elastic around the legholes, two features which, together, do significant damage to the functionality of this underwear, despite its overall practicality. 7/10  

Comfort and usability: Slipping these on, the first thing that struck me was the lower-temperature feel, not only due to the thin material outside the pouch, but also the cool first touch of the metallic pouch material. The pouch is more accommodating than it looks, although it will never compete with something like Obviously or Sukrew for space. The position of the pouch also makes it significantly more comfortable standing up with than sitting down. This prototype should be considered a low-activity underwear, because the thin fabric is unsupportive and unsuited for anything athletic. Finally, it’s held up well after a number of washings, with no obvious signs of wear. 7/10  

Aesthetics: The focus of this pair of underwear was not on appearance, but it doesn’t look bad. The grey accent on the waistband and lack of branding (or any other form of text) on the outside give this a sleek, space-age look. 6/10

Overall score: 7/10

Big enough? Not quite, but it is better than most underwear and not bad in a standing position.

MyPakage Weekday Boxer Brief

MyPakage is an underwear company that uses “Keyhole Comfort Technology.” These are internal pouches, akin to Saxx and 2undr, and offer an handful of other features as selling points. While the features MyPakage offers aren’t awful, I was disappointed by my experiences with this item. There are much better alternatives on the market.

 
Materials and construction: The material is 95% modal and 5% spandex, which is a common blend among higher-end men’s underwear. The Weekday Boxer Brief’s thin, stretchy material is fitted around the legs and back, and a little looser on the outside of the pouch. The “Keyhole Comfort Technology” of  the pouch itself is a horseshoe-shaped layer of fabric that supports the genitals, very similar to what was found on the 2undr Swingshift Boxers, but without the extra space between the pouch and waistband. It’s also significantly smaller, in comparison, and substantially less accommodating than the internal pouches used in Saxx underwear. The “No-Rub Tag” on the side of the waistband, is a feature touted on the company’s website, is an unimpressive feature.  The waistband itself is comfortable but loose, and has a cheap feel to it. The Weekday Boxer Brief has held up well after getting washed a number of times. 5/10

Comfort and usability: Like the 2undr Swingshift Boxers, This takes a lot of adjustment to fit into place properly, but unlike that pair, once you’re in place, you can move around a fair amount without falling out of the pouch, although the pouch can’t accommodate certain movements like deep squats. The “No-Rub Tag” the website boasts of is indeed more comfortable than a traditional tag sewn below waistband in the back, although it’s no better than many of the other alternatives that are found in high-quality men’s underwear. The best thing I can really say about this is that the thin material is fairly comfortable in warmer weather. Most of the features here aren’t bad, they’re just superfluous in a market that offers comparable features with better execution. 4/10

Aesthetics: These look like diapers. Not a good look at all. 2/10

Overall rating: 4/10

Big enough? Not really, but it’s not too bad.

2undr Swingshift Boxers

 
2undr is a Canadian underwear company that aims to “create a high-performance men’s athletic underwear.” Like companies such as Saxx and MyPakage, they use an internal pouch. While the Swingshift Boxers are an admirable attempt in certain ways, the final product is a deeply flawed one. For anyone thinking about purchasing these boxers, I’d recommend the far superior Saxx items. 

 
Materials and Construction: The fabric is a modal blend. It has all the stretchiness and comfort one would expect from modal, but the thinness of the fabric gives it the extra advantage of drying a little faster and having a cooler feel. The internal pouch is a sort of horseshoe-shaped sheet of fabric within the crotch (see the photograph above), and you put your package in front of it. It’s not a very stable or natural fit, which I discuss in the next paragraph. The length is good (this is the 6” variety), a nice midpoint between the shorter and longer varieties of boxer briefs (and 2undr has short and long variations of the Swingshift Boxers). The fly is big enough to be usable. As far as quality goes, one thing I did notice is that the stitching on the outside is visibly uneven, which is not something I’d expect to see on a high-end pair of underwear. This item has, however, held up fairly well after getting washed numerous times. 5/10

Comfort and usability: Putting the Swingshift Boxers on requires much more adjustment than one could expect from most underwear. Since there isn’t much depth to the pouch, it doesn’t hold you in place very well, and the somewhat loose fit exacerbates this problem. Sitting down and standing up pulls you out of place much more than standing and walking. 2undr seems to market their products heavily to golfers, and the combination of breathability and reasonable stability during very light exercise probably makes it a decent item for that, but I cannot say that this is a good item for general use. 3/10

 

Aesthetics: In terms of appearance, there’s nothing particularly offensive or good about this pair of underwear, although the silhouette is a bit shapeless. 4/10  

Overall rating: 4/10

Big enough? It is big enough, but it’s not a particularly good item.

Saxx Ultra Long John Fly Bottom

 
Saxx is a Canadian menswear company that specializes in underwear and stresses innovation and comfort. Like the other varieties of underwear they offer, the Ultra Long John Fly Bottom uses the same internal pouch. This is the first anatomically correct pair of long underwear I’ve tried, and the overall design seems unique on the market. While it won’t replace my warmest thermal layers, the experience I get wearing it is a good one. 

Materials and construction: The Ultra Long John Fly Bottom is made of 95% viscose and 5% spandex. Especially compared to most long underwear, this material is thin and form fitting. It’s a little more forgiving around the hips and tight around the legs, which is a good balance for comfort and warmth, although it can shift a little when sitting down or standing up. The waistband is stable without feeling constricting. The internal pouch, which you could see in the inside-out photograph of the item, makes sure you stay dry even when you’re inside with air conditioning or near the warmth of the fireplace. 7/10 

 

Comfort and usability: The viscose blend is a lot stretchier than the cotton blend I experienced in my first pair of Saxx underwear. It’s less warm than long underwear made from polyester or wool, so I see this item as being more practical for mildly cold weather or days when I’m only planning on being outside only for short periods. Also, since the material is so thin, pants that are more permeable to cold can be felt through the fabric. For instance, I had better experiences with the wool suit pants and worse experiences with jeans. I enjoyed having only a single layer under my pants, and not having the issues with multiple layers bunching up under my pants. Overall, this is the most comfortable pair of long underwear I’ve worn, but not the warmest. 7/10 

 

Aesthetics: It looks like a Christmas sweater, which is appropriate for the season. The pattern looks sharp and detailed. 7/10

Overall rating: 7/10

Big enough? Yes, these are the most comfortable pair of long underwear I’ve tried so far.

Saxx 24-Seven Boxer Brief

 
Saxx is a Canadian men’s clothing company that specializes in underwear. Started in 2006, the company stresses innovation and comfort. Unlike most other varieties of anatomically correct men’s underwear, Saxx’s underwear items contain internal pouches, which have a number of advantages and disadvantages that are discussed below, but the overall package leaves a good impression. 

Materials and construction: The main fabric in the 24-Seven Boxer Brief is cotton (95% cotton and 5% spandex). It has the feature I’ve alluded to earlier, which I’ve deemed an “internal pouch”: Space allotted to the genitals, holding them in place with structures inside the underwear, rather than away from the body like most pouches. In this item, this is accomplished by two long strips of thin mesh-like fabric that separate the genitals from the legs. This works both for comfort and reducing sweat. The design can be said to be form fitting, but doesn’t sit as close to the body as many pairs of men’s underwear. There’s a fly, but it isn’t wide enough to be usable. Overall, the innovation is impressive, even if there are some imperfections that I discuss below. 8/10 

Comfort and usability: The internal pouch stretches from your hips to between your legs, creating a space that is close to your body, rather than letting you hang farther away. This is comfortable most of the time, but I sometimes experienced the discomfort of feeling my testicles squeezed between my legs, and had to rearrange. The overall fit is good, and the boxer briefs felt deceptively loose while still staying in place throughout the day and not bunching up in my pants. There is a slight contradiction between the pouch’s ability to prevent sweating and the warmth of the fabric; for this reason, I’ve found it great for winter days when I’m wearing many layers outside, but might feel sweaty when I come inside. Saxx is also a good choice if you’re worried about your bulge showing through your pants.  7/10 

Aesthetics: Saxx focuses on comfort and practicality, not appearance, and I don’t hold that against them. 5/10

Overall rating: 7/10

Big enough? Yes, but you might have to readjust occasionally.