Running Underwear for Men: 11 Top Picks from a Daily 5K Runner

What about running underwear for men?

That's a question we heard a lot when Brynn Cunningham put 14 pair of running underwear for women to the test.

But instead of getting his undies in a bunch, Jason decided to do something about it.

• He reached out to WeeViews and a long list of brands that make running underwear for men, and started looking for the perfect pair. 
• You know...the kind of running underwear that feel comfy, have just enough support, keep going for miles without chafing, and hold up after going through the wash.

After running hundreds of miles in 49 pair of running underwear for men, here's his top 11 picks...

My name is Jason, known on Instagram as @runa5keveryday. 

• I’m a normal guy. 
• I work 40 hours a week as a creative marketing manager and graphic designer. 
• My wife and I have two daughters. 
• I love running. And my goal is to run a 5K everyday.

Unlike many men, my choice of running underwear is something I think a lot about.

I can say from experience that wearing a bad pair of underwear while running is not a fun discovery to make, especially when you are several miles from home.

😭Grabbing a pair of 100% cotton tighty-whities is quite possibly the worst choice a guy could make before going on a run.

• Whether they are too tight or too loose, they will absorb sweat and become a swampy hot mess in no time. 
• As the cotton fabric absorbs moisture, it heats up from the friction of your running motion.
• Chafing can quickly occur anywhere the fabric and skin touch
• Whether it is the leg holes in briefs, a pouched-support fly, or loose fabric
• Different materials rubbing against the sensitive skin of your junk or legs will cause discomfort, and possible chafing

👉Guys...becoming more aware of your underwear can help you prevent:

• Chafing in sensitive areas
• Aching testicles, due to the lack of support
• Excessive sweating
• Poor-fitting underwear for running can even agitate hemorrhoids 

And these are just a few of the negative side effects that cause pain and suffering, simply from choosing the wrong underwear when you go running.

But it doesn't have to be this way...

Earlier this year, I read the women’s underwear review (Running Underwear: Check Out This Runner's 14 Favorite Undies), and decided to do some field testing to find the perfect running underwear for men.

• I contacted Weeviews, and they agreed with me that a review of running underwear for men was a great idea.
• I already had a few favorite brands and styles, and a few on my need-to-buy list.
• I then reached out to every performance underwear company on Instagram I could find.
• Most ignored me, and some offered to send me a sample for this article.

Overall, I ended up with 49 pairs of running underwear for men to test running a 5K or longer.

Each evening, when I finished my run, I rated the product through a survey I created that would give each pair a score based on my experience that day, using the following rating system:

• Rate the feel of the fabric (1-5)
• Is the fabric breathable? (1-5)
• Rate the waistband (1-5)
• Does the waistband roll? (1-5)
• Did you have to adjust the underwear during the run? (1-5)
• Is the underwear too tight or restricting? (1-5)
• Is the underwear too loose? (1-5)
• How do the legholes feel? (1-5)
• Did you feel comfortable support? (1-5)
• Rate your overall experience of wearing this underwear while running: (1-10)
• In addition, the name, style, color, fabric type, and 2-3 sentences describing the experience was collected. 
• Each product was worn and rated multiple times and when there was extra inventory, a second runner participated in the study.

So after running a 5K every day and logging hundreds of miles in 49 different pair of underwear, I learned a few things.

Sure, there's some subjectiveness to deciding what you like about running underwear and what you don't, but a few categories rose to the top in this, uh "brief" experiement:

• Top choice briefs
• Top choice boxer briefs
• Honorable mentions

✅Rundies Briefs are possibly the most comfortable brief I have ever worn while running.

These Australian-brand running jocks are made for guys...

• Material: Nylon/Elastane blend
• Breathable, quick drying, flexible
• All the things you need for running in comfort

Combine this with the soft and moisture-wicking viscose fabric and you'll be on cloud 9.

I wore these with Bike brand compression shorts. 

• Material:  Viscose 95%, and Elastane 5%
• This classic brief provides a full range of motion. 
• Featuring the Ballpark Pouch and a fly. 
• The fabric is soft, and overall, this is great for running.

At only 2 oz in weight, this airy mesh brief is incredibly light and breathable. 

• Material:  77% Nylon Mesh, 23% Spandex
• It is thin, see-through if you hold it up to a light, but not while wearing it. 
• Features a contour pouch, stayput waistband, and a Quick Draw horizontal fly.

✅These modal briefs are some of the lightest and softest briefs I have ever worn while running. 

• Material: 95% micro modal, 5 % spandex
• No-fly design offers great support
• Fit is true to size

Crossfly is built to work with your every movement.

• It's crafted with 3D-breathable, fast-drying panels that ensures maximum comfort. 
• The Pro also features the Coccoon and X-Fly. 
• ✅This is possibly the softest underwear I have ever worn.

This is a no fly design, 6” boxer brief. It is described as a separation underwear that wraps around and under your anatomy—with no extra walls or chambers. 

• In soft, airy mesh, it’s engineered for frictionless days with next-to-zero adjustments.
• Material:  94% modal/6% spandex; Mesh: 86% polyester/14% spandex
• ✅This is quite possibly the best boxer brief I have worn while running

Rabbit underwear comes as a boxer brief with no fly. 

• Fabric is soft
• Fit is true to size,
• Lightweight breathable fabric
• Material: 94% polyester, 6% spandex

This boxer brief is the first merino wool underwear I have ever worn. 

I wore this on an especially warm evening, and was surprised that despite how much I had been sweating, it was dry when I took it off. 

✅This underwear was supportive, comfortable, and soft. I experienced no itchiness from wearing it.

• Material: 83% Merino wool, 12% Nylon, 5% Spandex

• This Australian brand was soft and supportive. 
• Supportive pouch with no fly
• Allows room to breathe and prevents restriction

I loved the wool brief. It fit great, breathable, and I hardly knew I was wearing them. 

✅The boxer briefs had a silicon strip at the lowest hem, which stops the boxer from riding up. 

Fit is great.

• This version has the ball hammock, but no fly. 
• It is comfortable, breathable, and soft. 
• Fit is true to size.

🩲1. Never wear cotton underwear while running

Unfortunately, many of the samples I received were made of a high-cotton blend fabric. Wearing them for a 5k run was a good

reminder to why I don’t like wearing cotton underwear. They soak up a lot of moisture,

are unbreathable, and start to stretch -all resulting in potential chafing.

🩲2. Name brands aren’t always the best option

Some brands do an incredible job at marketing, but fall short at making quality running underwear for men.

🩲3. Choose your own style. 

From my results, it appears that boxer briefs are heavily marketed in North America. Surprisingly, briefs seem to be more heavily marketed in Australia and Europe.

🩲4. Make sure the product fits properly BEFORE going on a long run.

🩲5. Think outside of the Boxer

Briefs and jockstraps can be comfortable and beneficial in many ways you may have never considered. Give them a fair try too.

Products Tested while running at least 5km: (Listed in alphabetical order; * indicates sample provided by manufacturer)

1. 2UNDR Trunk Brief
2. American Eagle Brief
3. As We Move Brief
4. ALPHX Brief*
5. ALPHX Boxer Brief*
6. Bear Bottom Boxer Brief*
7. Bike Jockstrap*
8. Bike Brief*
9. Bike Jock Brief*
10. Bike Trunk Brief*
11. Chillboys Boxer Brief*
12. Cocksox Brief
13. Crossfly Boxer Brief*
14. Devon and Lang Boxer Brief*
15. David Archy Brief
16. Diane and Geordi Boxer Brief*
17. Grip Brief
18. Jockey Chafe Proof Pouch
19. Boxer Brief
20. JKY Brief
21. Kit Boxer Brief*
22. Krakatao Trunk Brief*
23. Lululemon Brief
24. Lululemon Boxer Brief
25. Mack Weldon BriefAIRKNITx Brief
26. Meundies Brief
27. Rabbit Boxer Brief*
28. Ridge Merino Wool Boxer Brief*
29. Runderwear Merino Wool Brief*
30. Runderwear Boxer Brief*
31. Rundies Brief*
32. Saxx Ultra Brief
33. Saxx Kinetic Boxer Brief
34. Saxx Boxer BriefVolt
35. Separatec Brief*
36. Separatec Boxer Brief*
37. Sukrew Brief*
38. Sukrew Boxer Brief
39. T-Bo Brief
40. Tommy John Brief*
41. Tommy John Trunk Brief*
42. Tommy John Boxer Brief*
43. UFM Brief, UFM Boxer Brief
44. Undergents Brief
45. Wair Boxer Brief
46. Wama Brief
47. Wood Brief*
48. Wood Trunk Brief*
49. Wood Boxer Brief*

Tell us about it in the comments.