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journalism → support → readers
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we → purchase → commission
Let’s face it: most boxers are pants when it comes to stopping chafing, which refers to the skin irritation you experience when fabric repeatedly rubs against your skin, worsened by heat and moisture.
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fabric → face → heat
A bad fit and poor material can both contribute to the problem, leaving you uncomfortable at the end of the day, even if yours is just a commute to the office and back, rather than a climb of Kilimanjaro.
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yours → contribute → Kilimanjaro
Good news, then, that boxers are finally cottoning on – forgive the pun – in how they’re made to offer us, gents, more comfort and support for the long days and nights ahead.
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they → cotton → days
Indeed, there are an increasing number of designers and brands tackling – we couldn’t help ourselves – the problem head-on, and it’s about time.
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it → be → time
“For most of its history, men's underwear wasn't really a product category, but what the fashion industry calls a ‘diffusion line’,” explains Ricky Knight, founder of Randies, the British-designed, Portuguese-made underwear brand for men.
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Knight → call → men
“In short, it was a way for a big design house to license its name to a textile manufacturer that makes the product as cheaply as possible to monetise the brand.
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that → license → brand
Cotton became the default, not because it's the best material for the job, but because it’s the most economical, and men got used to a logo on the waistband being the whole point.
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logo → become → waistband
Underwear is one of the last garment categories where 'technical fabric' still sounds like a novelty rather than the norm.
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fabric → sound → novelty
Running kit, cycling gear and even socks went through this shift years ago – engineered knits, moisture-wicking fibres, fabric that's tested rather than just cut to a pattern.
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that → go → pattern
Underwear is only catching up now, borrowing fibres and construction techniques built for activewear and applying them to the one garment men wear every single day.”
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men → catch → garment
Ricky continues: “That's what a non-chafe boxer is: a garment engineered around movement rather than cut to a static block pattern.
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boxer → continue → pattern
The test isn't how it feels on a hanger, but whether it still fits properly nine hours later.
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it → feel → hanger
Most explanations for chafing stop at ‘bad fit’ and ‘moisture’, both of which matter, but they're not the whole picture.
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they → stop → which
Fit isn’t just whether a garment is the right size when you put it on, but whether it holds that shape after three hours of movement, and that's where most boxers fail.
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boxers → put → movement
Moisture makes it worse because it softens the skin and lets everything slide against everything else; heat does the same thing, keeping skin soft and vulnerable for longer instead of letting it breathe.
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it → make → skin
He explains: “Fixing that properly comes down to three things: the fibre, knit and cut.
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Fixing → explain → things
Natural and technical fibres, the kind developed for activewear rather than spun for cost, are more breathable and better at moving moisture away from the skin than standard cotton.
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fibres → develop → cotton
The knit matters just as much: I worked with a Portuguese mill on the construction of ours, engineering a stretch-recovery rate of around 95 per cent, against roughly 65 per cent for standard cotton.
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I → matter → cotton
That's the difference between a fabric that still holds its shape nine hours in and one that's given up by lunchtime.
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that → hold → lunchtime
Then there's the cut: incorporating an inner pouch that sits between the fabric and the body's most friction-prone point, so there's less direct contact to begin with.”
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that → be → fabric
Ricky concludes: “If you're shopping this category, ignore the logo and read the construction.
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you → conclude → construction
'Soft' and 'breathable' are marketing words that any cotton boxers can claim; stretch-recovery, fibre composition and knit engineering are the things that actually determine whether they still fit properly by the evening.
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they → claim → evening
It's the same shift performance sportswear made decades ago, finally reaching the one item of clothing every man puts on every single day.”
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man → make → clothing
Derek Rose Alex Micro Modal Boxer Briefs
★★★★★
Best: Overall anti-chafing boxers
What we love: Despite being a hipster design – sitting higher on the leg than the usual anti-chafe styles on the market – these boxer briefs by British designer Derek Rose kept me comfortable and supported from morning until night, with nothing riding up to expose my inner thighs to rubbing.
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nothing → love → rubbing
Take note: Because they sit higher up than most underwear that’s billed as anti-chafe, these are probably best for those with slim legs, rather than bigger builds.
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these → take → builds
Beloved by everyone from Hollywood actors to rock ‘n’ rollers and sports stars, Derek Rose is the quietly luxurious British brand for discerning gents.
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Rose → discern → gents
The ultra-fine fabric is crafted from its namesake material and elastane for a lightweight fit that genuinely feels like a second skin and responds to changes in body temperature, keeping you cool when it’s warm and vice versa.
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it → craft → you
Uniqlo AIRism Boxer Briefs
★★★★☆
Best: Budget anti-chafing boxers
What we love:
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we → love → What
Uniqlo’s boxer briefs are exceptionally lightweight and feature clever technology for a stay-fresh feel, with quick-drying fabric that means they don’t stick to and irritate the skin.
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they → feature → skin
Take note: The style is pretty basic, so if you’re on a Tinder date and hoping to get lucky, I’d suggest changing out of these into something a bit more luxe.
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I → take → something
Made with a smooth, silky fabric that creates a low-friction barrier between your pants and thighs, the appropriately named AIRism boxer briefs from Uniqlo are a brilliant high-street buy.
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briefs → make → Uniqlo
They’re also quick-drying and sweat-wicking to reduce skin irritation, while the price tag means they’re a no-brainer for everyday comfort.
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they → ’re → comfort
What we love: The tailored fit of the long boxer trunks by Randies means they sit snugly on your thighs without riding up and leaving exposed skin to rub throughout the day.
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they → love → day
Take note: The brand offers a 100-day trial that means you can wear and wash them to gauge for yourself if they’re the best underwear you’ll ever own, as they claim.
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they → take → yourself
They’ll even refund the full price if you’re not happy, so there’s nothing to lose.
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you → refund → price
Inspired by technical apparel, these long boxer trunks from Randies – the British-designed, Portuguese-made brand that’s all over my social media feed – come with an internal pouch that keeps your bits and pieces supported without being restricted.
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that → inspire → bits
The fabric, which is softer than cotton, wicks moisture well and doesn’t pill or sag, while being knitted to hold its shape and sit exactly where you want it, all of which means there’s no chafing as you go about your everyday business.
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you → wick → business
CDLP Boxer Brief
★★★★★
Best: For cool credentials (quite literally)
What we love: Everything from CDLP just fits like a glove, and their boxer briefs are no different and feel incredibly soft and silky on the skin.
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briefs → love → skin
…and 40 more, not listed.
