July 29, 2022

What to Look for in Men's Underwear for Hot Weather

Alright, guys: now that summer’s here, it’s time to have a little talk. No, it’s not about Tim Anderson’s batting average, last night’s MBL game, or how much you’re making in cryptocurrency. It’s about your boxer shorts.

The fact is, some of you aren’t wearing the right underwear for summer. You could be hiking all day and not wearing the proper hiking underwear or athletic underwear, and get stuck wearing one that's not breathable. Instead of opting for moisture wicking underwear that helps you stay cool and dry in hot, humid weather, you’re sticking with your regular boxers—and ole reliable is leaving you sweaty, squashed, and constricted.

There's more to mens underwear than just cotton underwear. Fortunately, Tommy John is here with the assist you’ve been waiting for. Certain qualities set the best boxers for summer apart from your average briefs or your bunched-up flannel mens boxers; you just have to know what they are.

Thinking of switching out your old undies for something suitable for summer? If you've ever asked: "How to stay cool during summer? or "What's the best fabric for breathable underwear?" Here’s what to look for when shopping for your next pair of undershorts.

What’s The Most Important Thing to Consider When It Comes To Men’s Summer Underwear?

If you’re like a lot of guys, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about fabric. When it comes to most of your clothes, your interest in textiles probably extends to which ones don’t make you itch. But when it comes to your summer underwear, the fabric is perhaps the single biggest factor you should consider.

But how to choose the right underwear?

The fact is, few other aspects of your underwear play as a big a role as fabric in determining their:

Wearability
Durability
Comfort

How practical the fabric is for daily wear, its ability to stand strong against regular wear and tear, and how it feels against your skin are all important factors when choosing underwear fabric.

To that end, here are the top six qualities that the best summer boxer fabrics have to offer. The best underwear should tick all of the boxes below.

For underwear to keep you cool during summer, look for traits like breathability, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying for optimal underwear to be the heat.

#1 Breathability

When it’s hot out, you need a pair of undies that won’t suffocate you down south or leave your nether regions overheated and sweaty. The best way to prevent that is by steering clear of thick, heavy fabrics and opting for styles that prioritize breathability.

And when it comes to breathability, there’s one fabric style that always makes the grade—mesh.

Mesh refers to a fabric style distinguished by a loosely-woven texture that results in gaps or holes throughout the material. It’s a multi-purpose fabric, from clothes to car filters to mosquito netting. It’s usually made from:

A synthetic fabric like nylon and polyester
Metals like stainless steel and copper
Polypropylene, a type of polymer

In some cases, the holes are big enough to put your hand through, like when the mesh is used to make nets and hammocks.

But when it comes to the best boxers for hot weather, the holes are so small that they’re barely visible. They’re tiny perforations that act as thousands of tiny escape valves for air and heat that would otherwise get trapped beneath the fabric.

#2 Lightweight

The best boxers for hot weather are light as a feather. After all, summer is a time of activity. You’re constantly on the go, hopping from this backyard BBQ to that pool party to that baseball game or night out with your pals. The last thing you need is a heavy pair of boxers slowing you down.

The good news? The best up-and-coming lightweight boxers are Tommy John’s Air Hammock Pouch Boxer Briefs. These lightweight boxers’ weight of only two ounces means you’ll barely notice them—all thanks to our perfect Air Mesh fabric, a blend of nylon mesh and spandex that makes for comfortable, weightless wear—and place them among the top lightweight boxers 2022 has to offer.

#3 Moisture-Wicking

If your summer boxers aren’t moisture-wicking, you’re better off going commando. Face it, fellas: the escalating temperatures and rising humidity levels that come with summer bring with them a pungent bodily function known as perspiration. And no matter how much Speed Stick you slather under your arms, if your underwear isn’t doing anything but soaking up your sweat, you’re looking at a very cruel—not to mention damp—summer.

But what does moisture-wicking even mean?

Essentially, moisture-wicking refers to the ability of certain fabrics to keep you dry. Some fabrics, like cotton or merino wool, do little more than retain moisture until they’re soggy and waterlogged. So a cotton boxer may not be the best idea on a hot day. On the other hand, moisture-wicking fabrics do two very special things with moisture:

Absorb – The first thing moisture-wicking fabrics do is absorb sweat off your skin.
Redistribute – Once they’ve collected your sweat, it gets transferred to the top layer of the fabric, evaporating before it has a chance to soak your drawers.
Moisture-wicking - This is crucial to keeping you dry down below, no matter where your summer takes you. It’s also why Tommy John’s Air Hammock Pouch boxer briefs are the best boxers for summer. Our Air Mesh fabric is 77% nylon, so you can enjoy wicked-fast moisture-wicking wherever your summer plans take you.

#4 Quick-drying

If you’ve ever sweated through your boxers, you know there’s nothing worse than damp drawers. But because a certain amount of sweat is unavoidable, the best boxers for summer need to be able to dry out as quickly as you can get them wet. That means you should look for boxers that are made from quick-drying materials like:¹

Nylon
Polyester
Bamboo viscose

But what are the benefits of quick-drying fabric when it comes to underwear?

A certain amount of sweat can be a good thing. For example, it does its part to help keep your skin cool and moisturized and, according to some reports, may help reduce the appearance of aging.² But if it hangs around on your skin or in your boxers, it can have some undesirable effects. This is because your sweat picks up an oil known as sebum and dead skin cells, which can clog your pores and irritate your skin if your sweat has no escape.

Additionally, your sweat contains other chemicals, like ammonia and urea, that can also irritate your skin.² A pair of quick-drying boxer shorts solves that problem.

#5 Comfort

If there’s one thing every guy needs from a pair of boxer shorts no matter the season, it’s comfort. You want a pair of underwear that you don’t have to think about—not a pair that’s constantly distracting by bunching, riding up, or sliding down.

Tommy John’s Air Hammock Boxer Briefs feature our Stay-Put Waistband, so you’re guaranteed to get through your day without worrying about annoying rolling, bunching, or pinching. When you put on a pair of Tommy John’s, you know they will stay where they’re meant to.

But we didn’t stop there. We know that the best friend of comfort is support, so we’ve outfitted our Air Hammock Boxer Briefs with their namesake Hammock Pouch, designed to nestle your twig and berries and protect them from getting squashed or banging around inside your shorts. And when nature calls, you can rely on our handy Quick-Draw Horizontal Fly for easy access in a hurry.

Comfortable and functional—what more could a guy ask for?

#6 Germ-Resistance

If you’ve been keeping track by now, you know that the best boxers for hot weather are breathable, lightweight, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and comfortable—all of which probably sounds pretty good, right? So what else could a man possibly want from a pair of boxers?

Well, there’s one final characteristic that we haven’t covered—germ resistance. In addition to all those fantastic features we’ve already discussed, the best boxers for summer shouldn’t just keep you cool, dry, and comfortable—they should also help keep you healthy by offering antimicrobial protection.

Antimicrobial fabrics are treated with a topical chemical that prevents and kills microscopic organisms that can grow where the sun don’t shine. Microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and fungi.³ When it comes to your boxers, stopping these microorganisms in their tracks can reduce your risk of developing medical conditions like:

Thigh chafing
Bacterial infections

Tommy John—The Best Boxers for Summer

If expecting lightweight, breathable comfort, moisture-wicking and quick-drying technology, plus germ-fighting properties from one pair of boxers make you feel too big for your britches; it’s only because you haven’t found the right pair.

And it means it’s time you met Tommy John. When it comes to the best boxers for summer or any other season, just consider us your new best friend.

Tommy John’s Air Hammock Boxer Briefs are the perfect boxers for summer, winter, and every season in between. Made with our special Air Mesh fabric and weighing in at only two ounces, they’re breathable, feather-light, and designed for hot, humid temperatures. Quick-drying, antimicrobial, and custom designed for comfort, they’re the best boxers for summer—and for keeping you cool, clean, and dry.

At Tommy John, we believe in underwear that’s made from the best materials to fit the real human body. For underwear, loungewear, sleepwear, and more for men and women, choose Tommy John.

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