Who sells the Darn Tough equivalent of underwear?
For those who don't know: Dark Tough sells high quality and really tough socks that take forever to wear out or develop holes. They're made in the USA and have a no-bullshit lifetime warranty. I bought my first pair over a year ago. It's actually kind of crazy that I put up with shittier, cheap socks for so long. I'm never going back.
And now, the ol' underwear are starting to get some holes in them. The kind of holes that let the breeze tickle your balls.
Unfortunately, while searching online for the Darn Tough equivalent of underwear, I found a lot of counter-recommendations. Someone would recommend a brand (like Duluth), but then someone else would provide a pretty detailed account of why and how that brand's underwear apparently sucks now, or they don't honor their warranty anymore, etc.
So, I thought I would ask for recommendations on Tildes, since I generally trust the judgement and reviews of you all more than other people on the internet.
Unfortunately, like cologne, this really is highly dependent on the individual. Between physiology and activity, there's no one-brand-survives-all solution. For example, all my Darn Tough socks died within a year. My Tommy Hilfiger ones from Costco survived for 4 years.
I think generally you want a denser fabric for durability. While still being breathable for comfort reasons, of course. I've found Uniqlo's regular cotton stuff to last surprisingly long where other brands would be fraying in the same amount of time and use. I've tried a lot of "activewear" ones, with the high-tech meshes and such, but once those start fraying they fall apart very quickly.
So I use Darn Tough socks and Duluth underwear. I'm generally happy with the comfort of the Duluth underwear, although I have noticed the waistband elastic starting to wear in about a year.
The DT are definitely great though. I just managed to wear my first hole in one after 7 years, although part of that was pandemic "let's not go outside for the next 3 months" time.
I'll second the Darn Tough socks + Duluth underwear combo. Underwear does wear out faster, so I don't think its going to be quite as "BIFL" - but I have yet to find anything that matches quality and fit for me.
I recently purchased 8 pairs of Duluth armachillo underwear, I like them a lot. I will say purchase one pair first to figure out sizing. They feel like they will last a long time.
My last set of underwear was Hanes from Walmart, I had 12 pairs on rotation and they lasted probably 8 years.
A thread for Manties!
I to too am interested in suggestions of junk trunks but fear the relative complexity of production might preclude a Darn Tough-like guarantee.
Personally Calvin Klein cotton trunks are my workhorse nut-huts. They seem to last a reasonable time before the elastic wears out or a put a thumb through the right side.
Perhaps the style of underwear you are looking for would help narrow the search? (Boxers, boxer briefs, trunks, briefs, thong.)
Boxers, briefs, or anything in between (I already have enough thongs)
Probably not what you were expecting, but Linus Tech Tips store (lttstore.com) has probably the most comfortable and durable underwear I've ever worn (have not tried the merino though). I know I know, tech YouTuber "merch" just screams cash grab, but LTT has a whole creater warehouse division dedicated to engineering high quality products, it's not just someone else's cheap brand with their label slapped on, they actually do R&D to get things right.
Might be worth trying out one of their 3-packs. It's a bit expensive but it is high quality. It's basically the only underwear brand I wear anymore. I buy their products not because "oh support YouTube creator", I actually buy them because they are great quality.
Project Farm had both their screwdriver and tshirts tested in some reviews and both products were among the top, if you wanted to get a comparison for their other products and how they fair.
I actually bought their beanie a while ago and really like it. I totally forgot they sold underwear. Thanks for the recommendation!
Just be aware that most of them are only available in size XXXL right now!
I currently use some dirt cheap underwear from Costco, but if I run out and can’t find more, I’ll probably get LTT underwear. I have a few of their water bottles, the backpack (which is the best backpack I have ever used by a huge margin), and their screwdriver. Every item is fantastic, well engineered, and has lasted a long time. I had a water bottle lid break once (apparently a known issue that they just fixed with a new revision). The only info they asked for was order number, a photo of the damage, and a current address to ship a replacement to. Fantastic customer service.
I watch the wan show every week, and every so often they go into the thought process and design for their products. Someone once asked them to make socks. Linus’ response was this (I don’t remember the show, so it’s not an exact quote): We made underwear, shirts, pants, towels, etc because there wasn’t anything on the market that met their standards. Having cool branding was a benefit, but their goal isn’t to have merch, it’s to have quality items that also happen to have their branding (side note, they have an entire line of “stealth” clothing with extremely minimal and subtle branding; they goal is for it to be suitable for more formal offices). They looked into making socks, but Darn Tough is already on the market and meets their quality standard. They even reached out to have Darn Tough make white label products with LTT branding, but Darn Tough didn’t want to do that. So until they can make socks that are the exact same quality as Darn Tough, or they can white label Darn Tough’s socks, they won’t be selling socks.
That anecdote is what sold me on their merch. I still don’t have any of their clothing items, but that’s only because I haven’t needed to buy new clothes in a long time.
For me the direct equivalent is Icebreakers. High quality merino wool in varying lengths and weights. Treat them well (in other words, wash on cold and air dry) and they’ll last a long time. So breathable too.
My wife and I both love ours.
I have a pair of Marino briefs I purchased from REI. They are super comfortable but I find they feel loose around the boys. It's similar to how some sweaters feel after wearing them for half a day.
Considering they are suppose to be active ware, I need them to hold em tight throughout the day. Can you comment on how ice breakers work in this regard?
Edit. the brand I have from REI is icebreakers lol. Supreme comfort but loose during vigorous activity causing the boys to slip out. Probably better in trunks or boxer briefs.
They have a few subtly different styles. The one linked below is what I have specifically, and haven’t had that issue. I have a pair of the shorter ones and those do feel less secure.
https://www.icebreaker.com/en-us/mens-underwear/merino-anatomica-boxers-with-fly-3-pack/0A56PA.html
Uniqlo has been good for me. I generally get 7+ years out of each pair, but frequently buy more as needed on trips where I've not brought enough. I like the cotton ones more than the polyester, as they last longer.
Is longevity an ethical concern (i.e. reducing consumption) or a practical concern for you? I ask because if it's the latter, I'd recommend buying underwear that's decent and then just replacing them when they start to wear out. Merino wool doesn't work nearly as well for underwear as it does for socks (because they'd be too hot if they were thick enough to last).
Mostly a practical concern. A pair of underwear usually lasts me three or four years before it starts to develop holes and wear out. I'd like to find a pair that lasts even longer.
My older ExOfficio pairs were good but the newer ones wore much more quickly. Unfortunately seems like another victim of the quality treadmill.
My new go-to has been Saxx. 3-4 years of wear and no pairs have worn out yet.
+1 on Saxx. Really pricely, but the quality is worth it in my opinion. Helps that it has cool patterns. haha
Saxx is all I've bought for the last ~7 years. The first pair I bought are still going strong. I always wash in cold and air dry. Underwear is almost the only thing I don't throw in the dryer.
I have been using these for the last five or so years. Having enough pairs to wash them every week-and-a-half, I end up replace them about every 18 months. They seem to last longer and wear better than hanes, which was what I used before.
As they wear, I find that they start to lose their elasticity. I have not had a problem with them developing holes.
Given the constraints on thickness, breathability, and elasticity, I don't think anything is going to hold up for too much longer.
My exofficio and under armour underwear have lasted a long time and don't show signs of wear. If you find those brands comfortable, you might give them a shot.
Uniqlo airism is indestructible but I find it somewhat uncomfortable.
Smartwool underwear is comfortable but only lasts a couple years before falling apart. Woolly Clothing Co is almost the same and has lasted a bit longer (no holes yet). I've heard good things about Point6 on the BIFL subreddit but I haven't tried it yet
edited: minus33 -> Point6 because I misremembered
Under Armour boxer briefs are pretty good. They do wear out though.
I've done Meundies, trunks from China, Uniqlo Airism, and more. For now I am totally sold on the wide-band Calvin Klein briefs. Briefs went out of style for most, but I have to say, they're so much better. Everything in its right place... and you can often get them in a three pack for $25 or so.