Smartwool  Merino Boxer Briefs - Men's

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I decided to buy a couple of pairs of boxer briefs after spending a week backpacking in the Grand Canyon. I own other Smartwool items. My Smartwool t-shirt, which I literally lived in 24/7, never smelled. My baselayers tops and bottoms never smelled. However, my nylon, quick-dry briefs started to develop a funk. I did have some hesitation about buying wool briefs. The last thing I wanted was to be backpacking in itchy wool undies. Nevertheless, I gave it a whirl and was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they felt next to the skin and didn't feel uncomfortably warm. They will be my go-to briefs for my next adventure. #sweepstakes

I have owned 15 pairs of these over the last 5 years. I have hiked in winter, warm/humid and hot/dry environments and traveled extensively with these shorts. They are my go to underwear for all travel, hikes and multi day trips. They never hold odor and can be washed/dried over night if needed. The only negative thing to consider as many other reviewers report is the durability after heavy use. I cycle them over regularly but they all fail in the crotch area after extended use (close to a year). I have not found a better product so they remain my go to base layer.

I think they may have finally settled on the sizing of these. Earlier this year I bought my regular size (M) and could not believe how small they were. Traded in for ""Large"" and they were just OK, but still out of proportion. I like the quality of the product so I tried again just last week. Now the ""Large"" fit very well. They have adjusted the proportion of the shorts and slightly altered the width and size of the waist band. It's much better. OR - I accidentally lucked in to a better production run. It's hard to tell. But the odd sizing issue is a common comment. Still, get one size up unless you want a girdle.

Compared to other briefs I use for hiking, these briefs for me: - Ride up more - Aren’t as chafe-resistant (I have hotspots on my mid thighs, so these may work for you if don’t have this problem) - Aren’t as formfitting - Cost more $$ The briefs I started to use instead (UA Tech Boxerjock): have some anti-microbial properties (likely not as good as the SmartWool, but I’ve never had any “swamp” and stench problems with the UA either; even while hiking for days on end), they also extend further down lengthwise to better cover hotspots on my thighs (again, that is just my personal preference), has 10x better “pouch” support, fits just right in general, and are also much cheaper per pair. All in all, it is just too difficult to justify the price tag for the SmartWool when there are products that fit like a second skin at a much more competitive price. But unless Merino-constructed briefs are specifically a high priority for you, I would not recommend.

If you could only pick one pair of underwear for the rest of your life, my choice would be these. In my opinion, the fit is perfect; not too loose, not too tight. I've been wearing these for years and slowly changing out all other underwear. I've been in temps ranging from -25F to 105F in these and they are always comfortable. They just feel amazing next to skin and even the waistband has merino next to skin. In addition, the waistband is wider than normal and doesn't stretch out much over time. The only Con I can think of is they aren't super durable and will wear out over time. Another review mentioned they wore out in a year but I've gotten much longer out of mine. #SmartwoolLove

At this point its the only boxer brief ill buy. Ive tried a few other merino and alpaca brands but keep coming back. I wish they were more durable between the legs, as thats the first spot to go, but compared to the others ive tried, this still holds up better. While being the lightest and all around best fitting. I wear medium pants but i get these small as I prefer a closer fit. I think most would consider them fairly true tho. All in all, ive had a lot of pairs of them and I think ive been wearing this general style of the brief for what must be close to 9 or 10 years and that will be continuing

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've never had merino underwear, but with an upcoming trek in Nepal (and a Smartwool sale on unpopular patterns), this seemed like the perfect time to try a couple of pairs. I bought this one and a similar REI-branded pair at about the same time, then tried out both when they arrived. So far I've been very impressed: both pairs seem very similar, though the Smartwool set seems a bit softer and thicker. They've washed well, with no visible shrinking or fading. Super comfortable, and temperature regulation seems spot on. I suspect these will be my favorite pair during our 20-day trek. #sweepstakes

I've loved smartwool for so many years I cannot count. Its a key piece of my wardrobe, especially for camping and travel. While much more expensive than other boxer briefs, the benefits of the merino really keep me coming back. Pros: - comfortable - many unique great patterns and colors - the attributes of merino wool are well suited to underwear Cons: - expensive - the newest version of very irritating/scratchy tags that rub on your hip. You will find that you WILL need to remove them - the material in tends to ""run"" like a part of panty-hose might run. So they are not very long lasting. I wish they were a bit more durable. Would I recommend this to others: Yes Would I purchase again: Yes

The large size is not suitable for anyone with a waist size above 30 inches, unless you want to cut off your circulation. Technically I am a medium on the SmartWool size guide, but bought the large size to ensure that the waist wouldn't be too tight. I have 3 pairs of the Smartwool long underwear in size medium and all three fit perfectly in the waist, but the boxer briefs in size large are too uncomfortable on my waist to wear. It's a great product otherwise, and if they'd just use the same elastic on the boxer briefs that they use on their long underwear - I'd be a happy camper.

I loved my Smartwool boxers at first and ended up buying a good 12 pairs. I work an office job and am not extremely active. ALL of my smartwool boxers are getting destroyed in the crotch ares about a year of use. Definitely not worth the asking price.