Ex Officio Boxer Brief

I bought my first pair of these about a year ago. I now own four pair, which should give you a good idea of how much I like them. And if that isn't enough, consider the fact that I'm writing a review -- about underwear.

I am about 5' 10" and usually weigh around 160. The mediums fit me well. Other reviewers have mentioned some extra room up front. If you are coming to these from compression underwear or regular briefs, then I can see how there may be a tendency to view the ExOfficio boxer briefs as roomier than those. These are not skin tight up front in my experience, so if that is what you want then I would look elsewhere.

The material is quite soft and comfortable. These things also dry very fast. I generally throw them in the shower and hand wash them there and then hang them over the rod to dry. They always dry overnight and I could wear them the next morning if I didn't want to put them back in the rotation. Outside in the summer I've had them dry in about 30 minutes, if not less. I also wear them under board shorts in the summer because they dry so quickly.

I've worn them hiking many times in the summer and winter. They wick moisture well. I also put them through a funk test last summer, much to my wife's horror, and after 3 days that included a hike and mow of the lawn they still didn't reek with a simple airing out overnight.

They have also held up quite well. They are still true to size. The oldest two pair have had some of the ExOfficio label on the front leg start to come off, but that's it. No pilling, fraying or fading.

In all, I've been very happy with these underwear and the only time I don't wear them is when I go to the gym because I simply prefer briefs for that.

My son and I are planning on Philmont next year and I wanted to get into shape. I'm running more and farther. I went for a 12 mile hike in Salt Lake City and was not prepared. Painful! Okay, so I go on line and found the Exofficio Grab-and-Go boxers on sale. I bought two pair and wanted to really give them a go, so I took them on trips were I would run upto six miles and walks of upto six miles in Florida summertime heat and humidity! Okay, I don't perspire, I sweat – buckets! I was so impressed with them that I bought two more pair at full price. Suffice to say that I am more than confident that these Exofficio Grab-and-Go briefs can stand up to anything I can throw at them. If you do not own a pair buy them even at full price! If you find them on sale, buy more! Give them your ultimate challenge and see if you are as impressed as I am. Wash them over and over again like I have and see if they hold up for you. Confident that I have the right equipment, I have used them on several Boy Scout hikes of various lengths. They are now an essential part of my scouting gear and running gear.

The fit was true to size. I have a 42" waist and bought the XL. They do not ride up at all! I've washed them multiple times and the color (Bought charcoal) has never faded. The fabric has not piled up and has not lost any of its moisture-wicking properties. They look like new still. Suffice to say that the quality is all there. Just to test them out I have washed them in a hotel sink and hung them out to dry overnight and found them ready to go. I've also worn them for scout events. I highly recommend them for running for us "big" guys and hiking.

I have owned two pairs of these briefs for six months as of this writing. They have been used for day hiking, running (including a marathon and half-marathon), backpacking and float trips. These boxers offered everything I have been looking for in hiking underwear and I purchased them based on many of the reviews on this site. As promised, they do not retain odors and they dry very quickly. One of the pros I found is that in the morning, if my pants were damp from being outside, they do not feel gross to put on when wearing these. They fit very comfortably and do not ride up on the leg causing discomfort under heavy walking as cheap cotton boxers would.

My chief compliant is based on durability. I recently hiked 36 miles on the Buffalo River Trail and brought both pairs. After returning from the trip I noticed a considerable amount of fray on the boxers where the backpack's (Osprey Aether) waistband sat. This was the first time these had been exposed to a waistband pulled that tight as I had not worn them on a backpacking trip before. I have to say I am unimpressed with this as I bought these specifically to use when backpacking and expected to get several uses out of them. I am unsure how many backpacking trips they would last before the fray created tears. This happened to both pairs. However, this does not affect my opinion of them for the other uses listed above. I would prefer these above all others for marathons and day hiking with a pack that didn't have a wide waistband. If they fray within a year of use, I will probably replace them with another type, but if they last past that, I will replace them for the same brand and type.

Can't get any better than this. At first, like many others, I questioned myself, "Hmmm [$] pair of underwear, is it worth it?" I did my research and nothing but praise. Here's my experience. Hiking 9K FT. in 4-5 miles with a 50lb pack gets strenuous and these briefs performed a lot better than I expected. They only feek warm since they are very breathable and I feel my body heat wicking out, but they did NOT get wet from sweat. Normally using my regular boxers they would get soaked. These fit very well and the tag on the back does not bother me at all. It's the perfect feel and fit. These did not bunch up or ride up on my whole trip. Now for the next test... "odor resistant". After all that sweating through out the hike, I'm sure the brief gone through a lot of wicking work. So I just wanted to see how it would smell, but I couldn't smell anything foul like wet socks etc.. So what I did was the "ant's" test. Ant's would target my stinky socks. Along with my socks, I took my thermos which had hot chocolate in it from the trip and knowing ants having very sensitive taste glands I rinsed the thermos lightly. Now that I have something sweet ants go for, I used the 3 test subjects and set them down near the ant trail. Came back 6 hours later. I did not see one ant on the Exofficio Brief, majority of the ants attacked the thermos!!I hope those of you that are reading will find this review was helpful and don't be afraid to try on a pair of these boxer briefs.

I like to look at reviews when buying an item. I find them very helpful and informative in my decision making...so here is my experience with these briefs, and I hope it helps you in your decision making.

Hiking is a big part of my life. I have a pair of lightweight shorts that like to ride up in the crotch during my hikes, which gets really annoying. Im planning on a thru-hike next year and needed to find something that will get rid of that "riding up" issue. I bought a pair of these and used them on a 12 mile day hike. My L.W. shorts did not ride up at all. I was very comfortable and didn't sweat the way I normally do in the crotch. They are very breathable and lightweight. I now found my pair of briefs to use on my thru-hike.

They are a quite expensive for a brief, but I got mine (in early summer this year) on sale, so I thought "why not". I wear them on all my hikes now.

**I did wear these in the river, which had a lot of rocks, while floating and swimming down stream. While doing this activity they got a couple small snags. I am puzzled by this because the briefs were under my L.W. shorts. I figured they would have held up stronger than this for being so expensive. This isn't a deal breaker, just a concern for the upcoming thru-hike everyday wear & tear.

Best active undies I've found. The legs stay put for the most part, whether hiking, climbing, running or everyday at work. The reason I got online right now was to order another 3-4 pairs for my rotation.

The fit and material are my favorite things about them. Good fit, the legs are long enough to stay down, but not too long. The material has a soft feel to it, but not like the typical brushed wool or poly fabric. It is more like a shiny nylon or spandex and feels cooler than others.

My only improvement would be to the waistband. It could be a little softer. It's stiffer and more durable than the rest of the construction. If you could take the softness of REI's boxers and sew them on these, then they would be perfect.

I've got larger thighs than most guys my size and I tend to sweat more too. I've tried a number of other brands - REI, North Face, Patagonia, Smartwool - and the legs would always creep up and stay there. The older style REI boxer-briefs were pretty good in fit, but the new ones have legs too short that ride up. These ExOfficio shorts have been my favorite for over a year now. I prefer their boxer briefs and boxers over any other synthetic/wool ones I've tried.

I play ice hockey and I skate in my underwear (beneath all that equipment). I was looking for something that had a good fit and didn't remind me how much I'm sweating. I had previously skated in cotton boxers or boxer briefs, but they tended to bunch and, obviously, soak up the sweat. These have been a blessing, especially for tournaments when I'm playing 4 games in just a couple days. They absorb a little smell, but I honestly think that it's less from the material and more from my hockey equipment. It's overall not a big deal, though.

I also travel quite a bit and in an effort to pack lighter, I started bringing my synthetic underwear along with me. I'll wash them out with some Dr. Bronner's soap, hang them to dry overnight, and they'll be all ready for me in the morning.

I am going to get more of these. They are comfortable, easy to care for (although after about 4 months of moderate-heavy use, I have noticed that the fabric is starting to pill a little bit), and awesome for activities where you don't want to be uncomfortable.

I've put my two pairs through a lot in the short time I've had them (one year). They've stayed true while hiking, swimming, lounging, etc.
The harshest test I put them through was four weeks in Samoa. With only two pairs, I would wear one and wash the other. Friends thought I was crazy (and disgusting) for only bringing two pairs of underwear, but little did they know. The heat and humidity of the Samoan rainforest couldn't slow down these underwear. Non-stop cool and comfort.
Those extreme conditions are far and few between though. What impresses me is how comfortable they are day in and day out.
It may seem strange at first to spend so much for a pair of underwear (it certainly was for me), but why wouldn't you spend more for something that protects and comforts your most important parts? Seriously, spending more for socks and underwear is always a good investment.
One additional and important note. As someone with 33'-34' waist, I thought a large would do. They did not. I returned them for a medium and have been thrilled ever since.

I don't write reviews, but when I recommend these underwear to friends I feel like I'm giving them a gift. They're that good. My first experience with them was getting stuck on a sawtooth ridge above 14,000 feet when a thunderstorm moved in- fast. Without the option of hiking up and out, we had to go down, and we had glaciers on either side of us. We ended up glissading on our backsides all the way down, and spent the next 9 hours hiking around the mountain we just climbed up. My ExOfficio's dried faster than the shorts on top of them- and throughout the day, they were comfortable, never chafed, and didn't smell- whereas my hiking partner experienced all of the above. Needless to say, he bought a pair the next week. That single experience sums up every experience I've had with these underwear- near perfection. Whether it's Summer sports, Winter sports, working, or wearing them under a dreadful wedding rent-a-tux, these bad boys have stood up to the test of time and abuse. Buy several pair right now.