5 Men’s Underwear To Avoid – Don’t Make These Mistakes!

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I talk a lot about what kind of men’s underwear to buy and wear as part of men’s fashion, but can you achieve comfortable underwear by simply avoiding certain underwear? Today, I point out five kinds of men’s underwear that you should avoid.

Avoid Expensive Men’s Underwear

Don’t feel you must spend hundreds – thousands? – of dollars to get a new underwear drawer! I’ve seen men’s underwear for $50, $100, and $150+ per pair! I have no idea who is buying this underwear, but more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. Tom Ford’s cotton boxer briefs for $65/pair aren’t necessarily better than these Pair of Thieves cotton boxer briefs for $5/pair. You don’t have to pay a fortune to get comfortable underwear.

The sweet spot for men’s underwear is $10-20/pair. Some great underwear is in the $7-10/pair range – especially when on sale! The key is to get high-quality underwear for a great price. And then, make sure you take care of your underwear by properly washing and drying it (high temperatures degrade underwear quicker). That way, you can spend your money wisely by buying a high-quality underwear collection without spending more money to replace it sooner.

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Avoid Tight Men’s Underwear

Men are into tighter underwear styles now, especially as men’s briefs become popular again. But tight doesn’t mean uncomfortable! Why bother wearing tight underwear for the looks if you are uncomfortable? You can get some sweet, sexy body-hugging underwear that is very comfortable.

First, pay attention to the size chart for each brand, as each brand may have slightly different sizes. This is especially true if you are in between two sizes. Below you’ll find four popular men’s underwear brands and what waist size they consider to be a “medium.” As you can see, the sizes can vary widely. Always double-check the size chart when buying a new brand.

Brand	Waist Size for Medium
Saxx	32-35 inches / 82-89 cm
Jockey	32-34 inches / 81-86 cm
Hanes	30-34 inches / 78-86 cm
Intimissimi	29-30 inches / 74-78 cm

Another example is that even underwear sizes across the same brand can vary. For example, I love Mack Weldon’s AIRKNITx underwear, and so do a lot of other guys. But several guys have told me they need to order one size larger of AIRKNITx briefs than AIRKNITx trunks and boxer briefs. Why? The briefs are cut tighter in the pouch area, so they need one size larger for the extra space.

Second, ensure you buy men’s underwear with Spandex or Elastane. Spandex – also known as Elastane – allows the main fabric to stretch more than it otherwise would. More Spandex content provides greater stretch, making your underwear feel more comfortable. For softer materials like modal and bamboo, you need at least 5% Spandex/elastane content, with 8-10% being more luxurious. However, synthetic materials like polyester or nylon need at least 10% Spandex content, preferably 15-20%.

Avoid Men’s Underwear without a Pouch

Besides wearing too tight underwear, men’s underwear without a pouch doesn’t make sense. Pouch underwear creates additional room for your package and, depending on the style, can also help with support and prevent skin irritation (“chafing”). And there are so many styles and options today for men’s pouch underwear that you can get something you like.

For example, I really like Saxx’s I-Shaped pouch and Separatec’s Dual Pouch, but I don’t get much benefit from Shinesty’s U-shaped pouch, even though Shinesty makes really comfortable underwear. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Men’s Pouch Underwear to learn about the various pouch designs, brands, and styles. You may need to experiment to find the ideal pouch for you.

Avoid 100% Cotton Underwear

I know many, many people love cotton underwear. Men cite that cotton underwear is soft, breathable, widely available, and cheap. Yet today, there are better options than 100% cotton underwear.

Readers and subscribers know I am a huge modal and bamboo men’s underwear fan. Modal and bamboo are much softer than cotton, breathe well, hold up for years if properly cared for, and are more environmentally friendly. Modal and bamboo aren’t as common in the United States as cotton, so many guys don’t know what they don’t know. But if men tried modal and bamboo underwear, many guys would double down on it!

Experiment with 95% cotton and 5% Spandex/elastane pairs if you want cotton underwear. As mentioned above, the Spandex/elastane allows the fabric to stretch more to fit comfortably. Often, this is referred to as “stretch cotton,” like these Calvin Klein hip briefs. Or, for a much more luxurious fit, you can splurge for high-end cotton underwear like Tommy John Cool Cotton boxer briefs or a cotton-modal blend like Mack Weldon 18-Hour Jersey Trunks.

Avoid Synthetic Underwear without at least 10% Spandex/Elastane

As mentioned above, synthetic underwear – primarily polyester, polyamide, and nylon – needs additional Spandex/elastane content to stretch and feel more comfortable. While 5% Spandex/elastane content is okay for modal and bamboo underwear, you need at least 10% for synthetic underwear, although 15-20% is ideal. You’ll especially appreciate the additional Spandex content if you wear long-leg boxer briefs.

There are very well-priced options in the 10-20% Spandex range. Note that a few pairs have more than 20% Spandex/elastane, but they are rarer, more expensive, and unnecessary. You’ll be fine buying good quality synthetic underwear with 10-20% Spandex content.

Last update on 2025-04-24 at 07:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

These 90% Polyester/10% Spandex New Balance boxer briefs are less than $7/pair.

My Final Thoughts

If you want more comfortable underwear, follow my five tips above on what underwear to avoid. Making these adjustments will lead to a more ideal underwear for you.

To design your underwear collection without spending a fortune, read my Buying Guides, including my picks for the Best Boxer Briefs on Amazon and my guide to the Best Briefs.

And if you want personal help choosing new underwear, email me at hello@mensunderwearguide.com.

Frequently Asked Questions about Men’s Underwear

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