Boxer Briefs that Don’t Ride Up: Is it possible?

Written By: Eric @ MensUnderwearGuide.com, Founder and Head Writer of MensUnderwearGuide.com

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Boxer briefs are the most popular men’s underwear. However, boxer briefs have one main drawback: the leg material can “ride up” your leg, making boxer briefs uncomfortable under pants or shorts. Boxer briefs become even more uncomfortable when they ride up under tight pants. Keep reading if you have this problem.

My YouTube video about boxer briefs riding up

Before shopping around – and wasting money – for the “perfect” boxer briefs that don’t ride up, consider making some changes to your underwear collection that could solve this problem.

Five Steps for Boxer Briefs that Don’t Ride Up

What are five steps you can take to ensure your men’s boxer briefs don’t ride up? Keep reading for more details, and then afterward, check out my recommendations for the best boxer briefs on Amazon.

Buying the Right Size of Men’s Boxer Briefs

Make sure you buy the right men’s underwear size for you. Brands often have slightly different size charts, so if you usually wear a medium, one brand may recommend you wear a small or large, especially if you are on the border between two sizes. The table below shows a few common men’s underwear brands, and you can see how a size Medium – which is generally 32-34 inches/81-86 cm – varies between the brands:

BrandWaist Size for Medium
Saxx32-35 inches / 82-89 cm
Jockey32-34 inches / 81-86 cm
Hanes30-34 inches / 78-86 cm
Intimissimi29-30 inches / 74-78 cm

Underwear that is too large will ride up because there is nothing on the leg for the boxer briefs to hold on to. Underwear that is too small will also ride up because your middle thigh – the largest part of your leg – is too big for small underwear, forcing the material up. So make sure you check out the size chart before buying your next pair of underwear.


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Replace Overstretched or Worn Out Boxer Briefs

Replace any underwear that is overstretched or worn out. Over time, the legs of boxer briefs will wear down, and the elastic leg bands won’t be as tight anymore. Or if you have thicker thighs, your boxer briefs may get overstretched trying to fit around your thigh. Either way, if the leg bands aren’t tight anymore, there is nothing to hold the boxer briefs down, so they will ride up during the day.

Replacing loose leg bands is key for boxer briefs that don't ride up
These boxer briefs should be replaced since the leg bands have worn out and no longer hold the skin.

You can keep your boxer briefs from wearing out prematurely by washing and drying them correctly. A lot of non-cotton underwear cannot withstand high heat in the dryer. Lowering the heat – or better yet, air drying – can prolong your underwear. Additionally, it is better to wash and dry with softer materials. For example, washing your jeans and underwear together can be pretty rough on your underwear.

If you treat your underwear well during laundry day, your underwear will treat you better. πŸ™‚

Consider Wearing Long-leg Boxer Briefs

Speaking of thicker thighs, if you have large thighs, consider wearing 8-9″ (20-23 cm) long-leg boxer briefs. Men’s boxer briefs are usually 5-6″ (13-15 cm) inseam, but long-leg boxer briefs are 7″ (18 cm) and greater. 8-9″ (20-23 cm) are the most common inseam for long-leg boxer briefs. By wearing these long-leg boxer briefs, the leg band will sit below the thickest part of your thigh instead of on or above it. Thus, your thigh will naturally prevent the boxer briefs from riding up, as they won’t be able to get around your thigh.

Comparison of men's underwear inseam lengths
Note that the 8″ boxer briefs on the right side go below the thigh, meaning the leg band is below the thigh for extra security. The 3″ trunks and 6″ boxer briefs don’t provide this.
SAXX Quest Long-leg Boxer Briefs
403 Reviews
SAXX Quest Long-leg Boxer Briefs
  • QUEST QUICK DRY MESH LONG LEG FLY BOXER BRIEFS: This low maintenance wash-and-go men’s underwear is ideal for travel. The soft and comfortable long leg boxer briefs are the ultimate no-fuss underwear for men on the go.
  • SLIM FIT: The longer length boxer briefs are made for guys who are taller, have larger thighs, or prefer more coverage. These Quest Boxer briefs feature a fly and 8” inseam.
  • BALLPARK SUPPORT: Our long leg boxer briefs come equipped with the patented BallPark Pouch to reduce friction and keep your man-parts in place with breathable mesh panels for chafe-free comfort.
David Archy Bamboo Long-leg Boxer Briefs (Three-Pack)
11,882 Reviews
David Archy Bamboo Long-leg Boxer Briefs (Three-Pack)
  • Versatile Performance Mens Underwear: Made from Bamboo Rayon-a kind of cellulose fiber extracted from bamboo, the bamboo rayon underwear for men is breathable and moisture wicking
  • Longer Leg Length for No Ridding Up: With 8 inches inseam length, the pouch mens underwear in pack does better than other underwear in regards to the ride up problem
  • 3D Ultra U-Pouch for Extra Roomy: Ultra U-pouch design added onto the sexy under pants to provide more space for men's private parts without extrusion or constraint. It helps make you confident and sexy wearing our big pouch boxer briefs

Or Consider Wearing Men’s Briefs

Instead of fixing your boxer briefs, consider wearing briefs instead. Since briefs don’t have any leg material, there is nothing to ride up! Men’s briefs are coming back into style, and there are so many brands and styles of briefs nowadays. You don’t have to settle for just plain white cotton briefs from previous eras. Plus, you can always wear boxer briefs while lounging at home or when you wear looser shorts – and keep briefs for the office!

Briefs are a solution for boxer briefs that don't ride up.
Men’s briefs don’t have any legs, so there is nothing to ride up. Click here to see what I think are today’s best men’s briefs.
Me wearing Separatec blue briefs
Hip briefs that expose more of your hip are popular and trendy.


Man wearing blue David Archy Briefs

Buy now: More conservative briefs from David Archy



Wear Looser Pants

Finally, if your pants are too tight, you may want to wear a bit looser pants. During the day, your underwear will naturally ride up for the reasons above. But tight pants won’t allow your boxer briefs to come down because the pants constrict the movement naturally. So instead, your boxer briefs will slowly ride up and then further ride up as the pants continue to push up the leg material. And because there is no room around your legs, your boxer briefs won’t be able to slide back down on their own.

Because guys tend to wear tighter pants at work, such as work slacks, I recommend briefs as the best men’s underwear for the office. That way you don’t have to deal with your boxer briefs riding up during the day.
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David Archy Bamboo Briefs (Six-Pack)
8,474 Reviews
David Archy Bamboo Briefs (Six-Pack)
  • Soft Comfy: Bamboo Rayon briefs made for super smooth soft hand feel and skin-friendly
  • 3D Expansion Pouch Design: 3D contour pouch design gives you comfortable support with the greatest freedom of movement
  • Well-Fitted: Both sexy and comfortable will make the men briefs more breathable, refreshing and comfortable by reducing the wrap so that have a better protection on the crotch

Jockey Sport Mesh Cooling Briefs
1,193 Reviews
Jockey Sport Mesh Cooling Briefs
  • Style 8035
  • Low rise and moderate coverage
  • No-fly design

How do I keep my Boxer Briefs from riding up?

Follow my five steps above to keep your boxer briefs from riding up: buy the right size, replace worn out boxer briefs, wear long-leg boxer briefs if you have thick thighs, wear briefs if you wear tight pants, or wear looser pants. Also, make sure you aren’t committing any of these five men’s underwear mistakes. And finally, below are some suggestions for new boxer briefs that I recommend:

Let me know what questions you have in the comments and what your solutions are for boxer briefs that don’t ride up. πŸ™‚


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Last update on 2023-09-23 at 21:16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Eric at MensUnderwearGuide.com

Eric is the creator and writer of MensUnderwearGuide.com. He loves boxer briefs and trunks, exploring the new world of briefs, the soft feeling of modal and the lightness of mesh microfiber, and of course writing and researching the world of men's underwear.

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