Gear Review: Boxers or Briefs?

Another Exofficio fan. Good fit, comfortable, and easy to wash out anywhere. Also, they are available at a more reasonable price from Sierra Traders and occasionally Campmor. I've also worn Terramar which are good, but somewhat baggy in the front so support isn't as good.

ditto on the ExOfficio. why didn't they test these? excellent boxer brief, use all the time in the backcountry.

Typo in my review...i meant "so good"

I am glad to see I am not the only person shocked not to see exofficio boxer briefs represented here. They are no good for active wear that I use them for tennis and hiking. They were also so comfortable that I have ditched all of my other underwear and now have ten pair of exofficio boxer briefs. I tried the patagonia's before the eo's and wore a hole in them after wearing them for one tennis match. Need I say more...exofficio rocks.

Been using the UA brief and like them better than the EXO because the did not ride up my legs and give better support.

Yet another Ex-Officio fan here. I've also tried UA, REI and other cheaper "no-name" brands, but always find myself going back to the ExO. They are more expensive than I think underwear should be, but they are fantastic. Light, cool, dry quickly and look damn good too.

I am not familiar with the Ex Officio underwear, but I have used Terramar for the last 7 years and it holds up quite well.

I am not familiar with the Ex Officio underwear, but I have used Terramar for the last 7 years and it holds up quite well.

I haven't tried the Icebreakers yet, but the Smartwool microweight boxers are the best I've ever had.

Jockey makes a "soft + lightweight microfiber" product that should be considered as an active wear in the back country. I have used several of the big name products in the past, but like the Jockey product.

I use both the Ex-os and the Icebreakers. Both are great, I prefer the Icebreakers over all. I have used both on over night trips and I find the ice breakers were more comfortable on the trail and afterward at the camp site.

This evaluation is irrelevant without the inclusion of ExOfficio.

You guys really missed the boat on this one.

I used to swear by Under Armour boxer briefs UNTIL I found the Exofficio boxer briefs at my local outdoor retailer. They are more expensive than the Under Armours but well worth the money. Needless to say I have since replaced all of my Under Armour boxer briefs with the Exofficio. I find that the UA boxer briefs dont hold up that well either. I only get a couple of years out of a pair before they are toast. The material of the Exoffio boxer briefs is much smoother which makes them flawless as a base layer.

I used to swear by Under Armour boxer briefs UNTIL I found the Exofficio boxer briefs at my local outdoor retailer. They are more expensive than the Under Armours but well worth the money. Needless to say I have since replaced all of my Under Armour boxer briefs with the Exofficio. I find that the UA boxer briefs dont hold up that well either. I only get a couple of years out of a pair before they are toast. The material of the Exoffio boxer briefs is much smoother which makes them flawless as a base layer.

Add me to the "what about ExOfficio" crowd. I thru hiked the AT this year with 2 pairs and they were the most comfortable and showed no wear after five months. AND..... stylish? Didn't pack a bathing suit and used them for public swimming without any conservative's complaints. BM missed out not even listing them.

Ex Officio rocks although for the winter I will sometimes switch to Icebreaker.

When I clicked on this review I expected ExOfficio to be at least be part of the 'best list,' if not at the top of it. Their Give-n-Go boxer brief is where it's at. They retain their ideal fit throughout the day and dry quickly, while relegating odor to a minor concern.

I am shocked there was no scientific constant involved in the study. You should start with a base line... aka going commando and see how the results are better or worse.

I have been wearing Marmot briefs for about a decade only underwear I own moisture control is what they said , the comfort is beyond compare. The only problem is they don't sell them any more. Luckily I have reservo. I ski in them, I hike in them , I live everyday in them. I'm thinking the Exofficio is similar since they have the same parent company now. Please Marmot bring back the mid Weight boxers.

Definitely missed out not including the ExOfficio boxer briefs. I did half the AT this year with one pair and still can't tell them apart from the spare pair I left at home. They withstood everything from March snows to summer heat plus very infrequent washings.

Glad to see the Underarmour on the list. I'm not a big fan of Underarmour clothing in general (I think it's for overtestosteroned gym rats) but their baselayers are a different story. I use the boxerjocks hiking, mountaineering, mountainbiking, running, and rock climbing and have never had a chafe or rub and they keep everything cool and where it should be. The Underarmour tights are also great for cold weather pursuits. I have had some pairs for over 3 years and they still fit great and have not torn or frayed.

Why no ExOfficio?

Allen and Mel, I'm totally with you -- I tried going on a 10 mile "easy" hike without my Exofficios and it took a week for the chafing to go away. I can't imagine ever hiking without them again (they're superb for bike riding too!)

I bought a pair of ExOfficio last week. I didn't change them through four days of high octane hiking and they were phenomenal. Still fit like the day I bought them. Upset they didn't make the list.

My comfort and performance on trail was significantly improved when I started wearing UnderArmor's boxer-briefs (just the regular $20 pair) last summer. I now use them for running and gym and even mowing the lawn. Supreme wicking and comfort for multiple days at a time....

I agree, I tried the Exoffico briefs a few years back on a 125 mile hike and since then bit my wife and I only wear them every day.

I'm surprised the Exofficio boxer brief didn't get a mention. I won't hit the trail without them and being a tennis professional I only wear those on days when I know I'm going to be running and sweating all day.