The 7 Best Pairs of Men’s Running Underwear

Runderwear may have put “run” in its name for branding purposes, but the moniker is apt. The brand’s boxer shorts are an outstanding base layer for pretty much any runner. Tagless, seamless, and smooth, they are as anti-chafing as it gets. Their moisture-wicking is reliable, and the material is highly breathable.

Silicone grips keep the legs from riding up, and they’re supportive where it counts. The company even has solid eco-friendly practices, which is always a plus. On the downside, Runderwear’s excellence means they are in high demand, so supply fluctuates.

The Sport Soft Performance Briefs from Reebok are a great budget pick as they are surprisingly good underwear in an affordable four-pack. Supportive yet stretchy, they’re soft and tagless to prevent chafing, and their moisture-wicking and quick-dry abilities are solid.

The trade-off for such a good deal is the relatively limited lifespan of the waistband, which may begin to stretch after just a few months of wear and wash. But for quality undershorts on a budget, these are hard to beat.

The Lynx PD underwear from Path Project provides superior breathability thanks to the brand’s breezy Polartec Power Dry material. This not only lets the air in, it does a great job of wicking the wet away. The light compression is a nice touch, and they’re supportive and durable.

There are some light seams and the waistband is reinforced, which could cause rubbing for particularly chafe-prone runners, but the majority of wearers report no issues.

Duluth designed its Naked Boxer Briefs for active lifestyles in general, and they just happen to be great running underwear too. In addition to their outstanding moisture-wicking—which already goes a long way toward preventing odor—they’re treated with an anti-odor agent to kill off unwanted funk altogether.

They’re also comfortable, supportive, and breathable, and generally a pleasure to wear. What’s more, they’re offered in an array of color and pattern options.

While there are plenty of purported running briefs on the market, the problem with most of them is that they tend to ride up your backside when you’re on the go. You won’t have this issue with the Performance Low Rise Briefs from Reebok, which stay in place, provide great stability, are breathable and anti-chafing, and maintain their shape through numerous run and wash cycles. Some buyers report that the sizes run a bit large, but in terms of comfort, these hit the mark.

For runners looking to trim down their race weight as much as possible—looking at you, marathoners and sprinters—the t8 Commandos are exactly what you need. At under 40 grams, they’re supposedly the lightest full-leg running underwear around. On top of that, they’re breathable, moisture-wicking, anti-chafing, supportive, and all-around comfortable. They’re only available in black, but you’re wearing them for weight, not flash.

If you’re looking for more substantial compression, check out the Pro Training Compression Shorts from Nike. Technically intended to be worn as either shorts or an underlayer, they’re tight and lightweight, so they function great as underwear.

In addition to their outstanding compression, they check all the other boxes: moisture-wicking, breathable, supportive, soft, and anti-wicking. Per the manufacturer they’re hand wash only, which is a bit of a hassle, but beyond that these are an ideal compression base layer.