Longevity test 2

I switched from wearing loose boxers to higher quality pouch underwear about a year and a half ago. This has given me enough time to observe the actual longevity of these products. The following is some observations on some items of the first few brands from which I purchased. (You can assume that I’ve washed these on a gentle laundry cycle an average of about twice per month since I purchased them, and have air dried them each time [unless otherwise specified]. Of course, more use means more wear.)

Obviously AnatoMAX Brief, first pair purchased February 2016: In the previous post, I mentioned an Obviously product. This one did even better. The waistband is still in very good condition, and it wears nearly identically to when I first acquired it. There is some minor pilling, but I suspect this item will last a long time to come.

 
Ergowear EW0119 MAX Light Boxer, purchased May 2016: The viscose in this item has the softness and stretchiness of modal fabrics, but has pilled much faster. It’s still highly wearable, but the fit is a little looser.

Cocksox Sports Brief CX76N, purchased September 2016: This is my first Cocksox item, and it has impressed me a great deal with its longevity. It is the only underwear item in regular usage that seems to be indistinguishable from when I first purchased it.

Saxx Ultra Long John Fly Bottom, purchased October 2016: Unlike the Saxx item I mentioned previously, this has very rapidly deteriorated over a single winter of usage. The internal pouch is rapidly coming undone, and the outside surface has more pilling than any other underwear item I own, resulting in an inferior, less even fit. I am quite surprised by how much this has deteriorated in one season. 

Longevity test 1

I switched from wearing loose boxers to higher quality pouch underwear about a year and a half ago. This has given me enough time to observe the actual longevity of these products. The following is some observations on some items of the first few brands from which I purchased. (You can assume that I’ve washed these on a gentle laundry cycle an average of about twice per month since I purchased them, and have air dried them each time [unless otherwise specified]. Of course, more use means more wear.)

Andrew Christian Trophy Boy Boxer, purchased November 2015: Andrew Christian is all over the place in terms of quality. While this was a very comfortable item when I first purchased it, it has deteriorated substantially, losing its color (the lime green is turning into a muddy gray), shape, and ability to stay in place well. The waistband is in particularly bad condition. I haven’t worn it much in the past six months, as it’s not very usable at this point.

 
Andrew Christian Trophy Boy Brief, purchased November 2015: Same as above, but to an even greater extent. The waistband looks shredded, and the color scheme makes the deterioration much more noticeable.

Diesel Kory Boxer Briefs, purchased November 2015: This is a cotton blend which has kept its shape well. There is noticeable shrinking, which I attribute to the times in which I carelessly threw this in the dryer with the rest of my clothes. There is some fading of the color, which is not surprising for a black clothing item. Overall, this has held up pretty well, and I’ll probably eventually purchase a replacement pair and be more careful not to put it in the dryer.

Obviously AnatoFREE Brief, purchased December 2015: This one has held up impressively well. The only obvious changed I’ve noticed are a little bit of deterioration on the waistband, which no longer lies perfectly flat (see photograph below). The AnatoFREE Brief fits the same as when I first purchased it. I expect these to last a very long time.

Saxx 24-Seven Boxer Brief, purchased December 2015: This item has become looser and has lost some of its shape over the time I’ve had it. It doesn’t stay in place while I’m wearing it as well as it originally did, and the comfort level has decreased. Still, there are no loose threads or parts coming off, which makes it much higher quality than most underwear products. 

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.