The Best Boxer Briefs for Men Are Soft, Slimming, and Super Sexy

Pillage the dressers of most guys and you'll to come to two conclusions: they're full of boxer briefs—and they desperately need a refresh. The best boxer briefs for men not only raise the bar, they transcend the basics genre altogether. Our elders would tell us that it’s worth investing in your bed and your shoes because you’ll be spending most of your time sleeping or walking around. But you’ll spend even more time wearing underwear, so it’s arguably more important to get that right. After all, when you’re entrusting something to take care of your most sensitive of sensitives, willy nilly is not an appropriate course of action.

But we’re not saying you have to subject your bits and bobs to dozens of bad skivvies just to land on something mediocre that drains your bank account dry—because we've done all that for you. We ordered up hundreds of boxer briefs, whittled down that giant list to about a dozen top contenders, and took them to task, all in the name of finding the very best boxer briefs for men. What we got in the end is an unbeatable list of underwear, from perennial faves to genre-disruptors to the cheap and cheerful to the downright aspirational. Trust us: Your nether regions will thank you.

More of a boxer shorts guy? We feel you. Briefs a tad too long for your liking? Sounds like you need a new pair of trunks. Eager to broaden your underwear assortment? These are the names you should know.

The Best Boxer Briefs for Men, According to GQ

• The Best Boxer Briefs Overall: Skims 5” Cotton Boxer Briefs, $18
• The Best Boxer Briefs to Buy In Bulk: Calvin Klein Cotton Stretch Brief 3-Pack, $32
• The Best Value Boxer Briefs: Uniqlo AIRism Boxer Briefs, $15
• The Best Boxers Briefs for the Gym: Lululemon Built to Move Boxers, $38
• The Best Upgrade Boxer Briefs: CDLP Boxer Briefs, $38
• The Best Breathable Boxer Briefs: Mack Weldon AIRknit Boxer Briefs, $34

Best Boxer Briefs Overall: Skims 5” Cotton Boxer Briefs

Material: 43% cotton, 43% modal, 14% spandex | Sizes: XS-5X | Inseam: 5" | Fly: Non-functional | Colors and Patterns: Available in 8 colorways

As soon as we’d heard that Kim Kardashian was adding men’s underwear to her uber successful Skims line, we knew we had to see it first-hand. What we didn’t know is that not only would it be good, but that it would be our favorite. When you’re up against a blazing hot Jeremy Allen White campaign, the odds aren’t good. But calling upon an Avenger’s-level roundtable of A-List celebs gave Skims the edge it needed.

For our testers, the Skims Cotton Boxer Briefs are the clear winner. Almost unanimously, Ms. Kardashian’s entryway into the men’s underwear market were the best when it came to fit, support, and design, and got some stellar scores for quality, too. GQ Sports Writer Matthew Roberson raved about its support, exclaiming that they were “F***ING PERFECT”. (Caps his own!) Alex Wedel, Senior Manager of Global Audience Development agreed—the Skims boxer briefs even gave his tush a little lift. While these extremely flattering undies aren’t “secretly shapewear”, as Wedel hypothesized, those of us lacking in the rear will be happy.

That said, the one overarching room for improvement came down to breathability. The Skims boxer briefs weren’t exactly a hot box, but the competing options scored higher marks in this area. Still, not bad for a first at-bat, right?

Best Boxer Briefs to Buy In Bulk: Calvin Klein Cotton Stretch Briefs

Material: 95% cotton, 5% spandex | Sizes: S-XL | Inseam: 4" | Fly: Functional; side | Colors and Patterns: Varies

It should be no surprise that Calvin Klein’s boxer briefs are on this list. They did, after all, pave the way for the designer underwear category. With nearly half a century of steamy hot celeb-fronted underwear campaigns under their belt, Calvin Klein’s got most dudes believing that they could look just like the million-dollar billboards. And they’re not wrong. CK’s legendary boxer briefs look great on almost everyone, celeb status notwithstanding. From the cut to the fabric, CK boxer briefs have almost perfected what boxer briefs should be and they’d probably still be on this list if they never enlisted the help of the megawatt celebrities.

Our testers found the CK’s cotton-stretch boxer briefs to be both comfortable and good-looking. The jersey knit has the Goldilocks amount of stretch, the pouch has spot-on support, and is overall more breathable than Skims. And the low-rise apologists among us love that these boxer briefs don’t bunch or ride up.

And what puts these boxer briefs to legendary status is the price, which gets even better when you buy them in bulk. They’re around $12 per pair, but you can often catch them on sale and really get your money’s worth. There are cheaper options, certainly (just keep scrolling). But if we’re talking about designer underwear on a layperson’s budget, there is no contest.

Best Value Boxer Briefs: Uniqlo AIRism Boxer Briefs

Material: 89% polyester, 11% spandex | Sizes: S-3XL | Fly: Functional; side | Colors and Patterns: Gray

We need to reiterate this: there’s no such thing as a perfect pair of underwear. But there are boxer briefs that deserved daps across a range of categories. A good amount of those daps have to be given to Uniqlo’s AIRism boxer briefs. We liked their support which wasn’t too tight nor too hands-off. We also gave them high marks for breathability, and moisture-wicking. Those qualities alone make these skivvies perfect for the gym. But the value you’re getting is the real star.

Our testers didn’t award the Uniqlo AIRism boxer briefs with gold medals in any single category, but at $15 per pair, the talents they displayed taken as a whole were what impressed us most. We found the fabric to be smooth, lightweight, and cooling, which other options struggled to balance. They’re pricier than Calvin Klein, but when you take into account the added versatility of being able to wear these to the gym, the extra $3 is worth it.

Best Boxer Briefs for the Gym: Lululemon Built to Move Boxers

Material: 76% nylon, 24% elastane | Sizes: S-XXL | Inseam: 5" or 7" | Fly: Non-functional | Colors and Patterns: Available in 4 colorways

Speaking of the gym, we had a sneaking suspicion that Lululemon would fair pretty well in the realm of exercise. And we were right. Our fitness buffs gave the Lululemon Built to Move boxers top scores and proclaimed them the best boxer briefs for the gym. They excelled in just about every category, putting even our most trusted spotter on notice. They wicked away sweat and remained breezy through the grossest workouts. And they even blocked the dank odors that we normally associate with the sound of clanking iron. And crucially, they remained indetectable, never chafing, pinching, or riding up during any of our tester’s workouts.

The Built to Move boxers were among the most breathable pairs of underwear we tried, which is the work of Lululemon’s proprietary Luxtreme fabric, a magical blend that feels silky but dry and molds to the body without constricting your range of motion. We do have two tiny critiques, however. We would love them even more if they had a functional fly and if they were a smidge cheaper.

Best Upgrade Boxer Briefs: CDLP Boxer Briefs

Material: 95% Tencel lyocell, 5% elastane | Sizes: XS-3XL | Fly: Non-functional | Colors and Patterns: Available in 6 colorways

When you’re ready to graduate from the flimsy jumbo packs of underwear to something more respectful of your body, CDLP is what you should aspire to. The burgeoning Swedish label focuses on fit and fabric over everything and commands an appropriate price for the next-level expertise. While other brands distract with garish colorways and loud logos, CDLP takes a more subtle and more effective approach.

Alex Wedel found that the CDLP boxer briefs were “super successful at keeping sweat at bay” even during his routine morning runs. And when he wasn’t pounding the pavement, he found that they had plenty of sex appeal thanks to their sleek design and flattering cut. That said, CDLP uses a silk-like lyocell jersey for its undies, which is both luxurious and long-lasting, but tends to run a touch small.

Best Breathable Boxer Briefs: Mack Weldon AIRknit Boxer Briefs

Materials: 50% polyamide, 33% polyester, 17% elastane | Sizes: S-XXL | Inseam: 5" and 8" | Fly: Non-functional | Colors and Patterns: Varies

GQ’s resident gym rats loved Lululemon’s underwear, but if even those aren’t breathable enough, we recommend Mack Weldon’s AIRknitx boxer briefs. The cure for swamp ass can lead to you stashing an extra pair in your tote bag for a sneaky swap mid-day, but the better solutions simply cop with these. Our testers found the breathable mesh-like fabric to be great at wicking away moisture, drying quickly, and providing ample airflow. That’s all thanks to the mesh-like fabric and the strategically-placed pique “cool zones”.

Some of our testers appreciated the slightly bulkier waistbands of Mack Weldon’s underwear, but others found it a tad cumbersome. The waistband is premium quality, to be sure—it comes at significantly lower threat of fraying or giving out as most of the brand's competitors'—but whether you like the fit and feel is somewhat personal. And while there are plenty of colorways to choose from, we would have liked a simple, all-black option.

More Boxer Briefs We Love

Under Armour’s entry into the grueling arena of gym underwear may not have come home with a belt, but they were still among our favorites. With solid support, a 4-way stretch, and ultra breathability, they felt almost like not wearing any underwear at all.

We previously awarded Falke’s Climate Control Boxer Briefs our favorite undies for the gym thanks to a confluence of supreme breathability, luxe softness, and moisture-wicking properties. Though they were edged out by Lululemon, we would still be ecstatic to have these in our arsenal.

Tommy John’s Second Skin boxer briefs practically melted away thanks to the impossibly silky modal fabric which caresses the body to womb-like levels of comfort. Add to that a supportive pouch with a near-seamless functional fly and you’ve got something worth making space for.

If you like the stability and status that come with a pair of Calvin Kleins, but need more breathability, our testers recommend going with the all-cotton version of their classic skivvies. They’ve got the same look and a similar feel, but without the synthetic stretch factored in.

Sunspel’s multi-generational history in the underwear space is enough to warrant a spot in any underwear drawer and while they excel at boxer shorts, their boxer briefs are almost just as satisfying. From the flattering shape to the luxuriously fine cotton to the low-key design, these are the kind of boxer briefs that exude stealth wealth.

Style is subjective. And when it comes to our wardrobes, that’s perhaps most true with underwear. We’d be the last ones to tell you what underwear you should be wearing because when it comes to it, that’s between you and the universe. There may be a great deal of overlap and plenty of similarities between underwear drawers, but the right underwear for you is whatever you feel most comfortable wearing.

That said, we did our damndest to narrow it down to a handful of options we think most dudes will like. So we took stock of the underwear world, focusing on materials and design, and sifted through hundreds of options. We narrowed them down to over a dozen options to call them into the lab (the GQ headquarters) and then crafted a months-long testing process with testers across a range of preferences, body types, and lifestyles. We tapped a gang of GQ staffers to go in deep on underwear, putting each pair of skivvies to the test, wearing them to work, to chill, to the gym, and everywhere in between. We had them launder each pair as they normally would and repeated the process over and over.

After the grueling—and sometimes gross—testing process, we had them assign each pair of boxer briefs a score based on comfort, breathability, fit, quality, support, value, and, perhaps most importantly, overall style. We tallied up the scores, gathered the anecdotes, and came up with a list of what we believe to be the best boxer briefs for men right now. It’s all here, the household names, the up-and-comers, the commodity multipacks, the “your underwear costs how much?!”, and everything between. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)

1. Alex Wedel, senior global audience development manager
2. Avidan Grossman, GQ senior commerce editor
3. Gabe Conte, GQ senior web producer
4. Gerald Ortiz, GQ commerce writer,
5. Martin Mulkeen, GQ global commerce category director
6. Matthew Roberson, GQ Sports writer
7. Michael Nolledo, GQ associate commerce director
8. Mick Rouse, GQ global research director
9. Tyler Chin, GQ associate commerce editor

You’ve probably heard about the hubbub surrounding male fertility and underwear. So are boxer briefs bad for your precious bits? Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have observed lower sperm counts on average across those who wear tighter underwear (a.k.a. boxer briefs, trunks, briefs, etc.) versus those who wear loose-fitting underwear (boxer shorts). It all has to do with temperature. Naturally, your testicles function better at a lower temperature than the rest of your body which is why they hang away from you. Tighter underwear tends to lift the testicles closer to the body, causing them to be warmer than normal thereby slowing sperm production. But before you ditch your boxer briefs altogether, there’s an upside. Even though sperm counts were lower for boxer brief wearers, researchers noted that those sperm counts were still within the normal range for the average healthy guy and shouldn’t have an impact on fertility. That said, this matters more for those who already have a recorded low sperm count to begin with and want to have children.

Not all boxer briefs are created equal and when you’re dealing with such sensitive matters, what you want is a pair that comes with poise, grace, softness, and zero chafing. The best boxer briefs are silky smooth to the touch and won't pill. They'll also stretch and conform to your body without losing their shape a few hours into the day.

Boxer briefs should fit comfortably snug like a second skin but never cut off your circulation. As for the pouch, it should support you without suffocating you. Whether the fly functions with a side entry or horizontal fly or is a more seamless experience is a matter of personal preference. A solid pair of boxer briefs also shouldn’t bunch or give you a wedgy.

The fabric should be stretchy enough to curve to your body without restricting your range of motion (high kicks all day, baby!) and keep its shape all day long. That fabric should also be breathable and soft and should also last a long time without pilling. To achieve those main objectives, manufacturers use a variety of different fabrics. While materials like lyocell, rayon, and micromodal fabric provide an insanely smooth feel, the supreme all-natural breathability of a pair of Supima cotton boxer briefs also makes for a great pair of undies. More often than not, boxer briefs will use a balanced blend of materials, usually with some amount of elastane for stretch and recovery.

Remember that the best men's underwear is more than just another piece of clothing—these pieces are your closest confidantes, entrusted to handle your more sensitive and, ahem, private matters—so it's worth investing in the absolute best boxer briefs for men. So that’s exactly what we found—the choicest, most worthy boxer briefs around. Though we've narrowed down the underwear categories to boxer briefs, there are a few different kinds to choose from. But before we give you a headache, just know we've already done that hard work for you. From the softest to the sexiest to the stretchiest, the standalone standouts to the reliable multipacks these are the very best men's boxer briefs.