Ex Officio Give-N-Go Brief

Every underwear I have is either REI brand or ExOfficio. ExOfficio BRIEFS are by far the MOST comfortable undies I’ve own. HOWEVER, something happened, and in the past year or so, they changed the design and I have had to return them every time. Once again, I am returning the recent purchase.The main problem I find is the elastic around the waist. I have 34 to 36 inch waist, and I used to buy LARGE size, but I find the new briefs too SMALL or too TIGHT. While an argument could be made that I don’t want to acknowledge that I have a bigger belly, my response would be that: a) I have gradually LOST weight in the past few years, b) I used to buy 36- and even 38-waist pants, now those are too loose, and c) I keep buying the same size L REI brand, and they fit the same. In conclusion, the EXOFFICIO waist is sized too small, so the elastic is too tight to be comfortable.I hope they redesign them soon. I absolutely love the old ones I have. HOWEVER, if they happen to fit your body type (very small waist and big butt?), then you should consider them. They are NOT pretty, some reviewers have compared them to old Mexican wrestling-style "calzones." If you were looking for something small and se*y, you should probably look at other brands. If you wanted something comfortable, that you can wear every day, and they fit your body type, then these are for you. If you are looking for something that you can wear during a 16-hr transcontinental flight, that you can wear around wet humid climates, even during stressful business meetings, that you could wash at night and wear the next day, and if they fit you well, then this product is for you. ExOfficio, please check the design? You messed up a good thingA suitable replacement are the REI-brand undies, although I find them just a little big around the butt, and I hate the REI advertisement around the waist. The elastic, however, is very comfortable.

What used to be the best pair of Men's underwear are now sub-par.Last year I bought three pair of size M. They fit perfectly and were the most comfortable underwear I had worn. They were put to use in isolated jungles and cloud forest. This year I needed replacements and bought two more pair. Unfortunately they are completely redesigned and for the worse. 1. They removed the elastic that went around the legs. 2. They upsized them significantly. The space around the legs is now so loose that withour the elastic the back sags down. What once provided nice support for strenuous activity now leaves things hanging and prone to chafing! 3. The build quality is not as high. The size of the leg opening was not equal. One side bunched out a good deal more than the other. The fabric remains the same great super wicking material. If they fir well with these you could go for a long time travelling with only two pairI would not buy these again. In fact upon my return I will be returning these two pair. At this price they should be perfect. Thank goodness I checked them before going into the field. [@]

I usually buy the REI MTS underwear as my sporty and day to day underwear. They are great either made in the US or Taiwan.

I saw the ExOfficio on sale and have wanted a pair since they are advertised as a premium high quality brand.

I forgot to check the label in the store, got home and realized they were made in China. That is ok for cheap brands, but these are more expensive than REI, Patagonia and other undies. There is no reason for the premium price if they are manufacturing in China. They should be less than REI's brand.

As soon as the bag was opened, a strong chemical smell came out. The material is extremely chemical, something I notice more often with Chinese made clothing. My wife's pair of ExOfficio undies had the same smell. I worry about wearing them and even soaked them for a long time to neutralize the chemicals.

I will not buy this brand again, and had I not thrown out the packing material, I would return them for another pair of REI MTS undies.

I copied a previous reviewer because his review described my experience exactly. And I couldn't come up with another phrase with words appropriate to this forum to say "neither support nor contain".

I spoke with a REI rep and she told me I could return the not up to quality pairs to the store didn't have to wait and return them to Ex Officio.

If they are going to upgrade in 2009 to their previous quality I would buy again .....but not till I see several good reviews

"Based on my own excellent past experience with this product I bought 4 more pair and was very dissapointed. They're not what they used to be.
The fabric is still soft, comfortable and fast drying, but the cut is different. They are loose around the inner thigh and the fly is set awkwardly off to one side. They neither support nor contain."

UPDATE:I just got off the phone with ExOfficio. The Customer Service representative said they are aware of the 2008 problems with the lack of elastic in the leg openings. You can return yours to them after January 2009 to be exchanged for the updated/ fixed design.Note that these problems are the same in both the 2008 Brief and Sport Brief models. I got each design in order to check them.Good to hear these great underwear will be back up to par in '09! I will get a couple pair more then.I give them a recommend for '09.

I bought 2 pairs a few years ago for travel and loved they fit and how they dried overnight even in a tropical climate. I bought a third pair a few months ago for a trip to Europe and like most recent reviewers, discovered that the new pair had inadequate elastic in the legs and were uncomfortable. They still dry quickly, but the new pair will be returned.

Based on my own excellent past experience with this product I bought 3 more pair and was very dissapointed. They're not what they used to be.
The fabric is still soft, comfortable and fast drying, but the cut is different. They are loose around the inner thigh and the fly is set awkwardly off to one side. They neither support nor contain.

A complete letdown. Expected to be reasonably form fitting, they were completely baggy (and I'm at the high end of medium). These were made for someone whose waist is about 8 inches higher than mine. These fit like granny's underware. My wife laughed when she saw how they (didn't) fit.

Seemed okay at first but they stretched and then the elastic has expanded so much it no longer supports them. They do dry quickly but my old (cheap) cotton briefs outlast them easily !!

It kept bunching up IN my rear which caused extra sweat & finally a rash (it was only about 75 degrees). Very uncomfortable & had to frequently "adjust" it - quite awkward.

Like everybody else says, they look good, the fabric is comfy and breathes, and they dry in a jiffy.

I've had several pair for probably 3 years or so that I only used for travel, but recently I decided to get a few more so I could wear them every day (yes, I like them that much).

The few pair I already had were size L, but I had lost some weight and had switched to size M for my cotton briefs, so I figured I could get these in M as well.

It turns out that was a mistake. Although the size is OK for the waist and legs, they're much too snug in the crotch area. So I'll probably exchange these for one size up.

Very comfortable. Wear them every day. My one and only problems with these (and other brands like REI and Patagonia) is that before long the waistband just stretches itself out so that they no longer hold up the briefs. This seems to happen over about a three to four month period, even though the rest of the material is holding up fine. Seems to me Ex-Offici tends to last least long, then REI, then Patagonia. Why can't they improve on the quality of the waistband? I'd rather pay a few dollars more for something long lasting that stays put than having loose underwear slide around under my pants, or having to keep buying new ones, especially when there's no REI store for at least a 1,000 miles.

I totally agree with BP3000: these are a great product if you normally wear your briefs at your navel like superman. I tried these with the idea of comparing them to the sport briefs and I like the sport cut much better. The regular cut of these results in too much fabric bunching up if you don't wear them up high. However, if you like to wear your briefs high on your waist you will love these. If not, go for the sport brief cut. Overall, I love ex-officio products and recommend them highly.

Also have a pair of boxers and they are much more comfy