Exofficio Underwear Review

Exofficio boxers hanging out to dry

The package says 17 countries. 6 weeks. And one pair of underwear. That’s quite a statement! And for $25 a pair that’s just what you’d come to expect… I first heard about these Exo briefs from a friend who said they were great for flying because they’re cool and light. Like many other synthetic garments such as socks and yoga wear, these underwear are made of mostly Nylon (94%) with the remainder as Lycra and spandex.

So what is this “Nylon” and why is it so great for underpants? Wikipedia describes Nylon as “a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known as polyamides . . . first produced on February 28, 1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont.” Indeed, Nylon is in many things these days and was designed with the intent of replacing silk during WWII as it became scarce. Nylon is in your toothbrush bristles, rope, and even some screws and industrial parts! If that doesn’t sound like it’d be very comfortable surrounding your more sensitive bits don’t worry, these briefs are actually very soft and non-abrasive. They feel a lot like silk and are a bit slippery and hard when compared to cotton but wear very well.

Exofficio underwear are designed to be quick drying, odor resistant, lightweight, breathable and moisture wicking. The package says “Seasoned travelers save room by packing just one or two pairs of underwear” and that goes for hikers too! When you sweat in these things, a special coating helps to pull the moisture away from your skin and ventilate your “area” which is especially useful in humid environments. Furthermore, an Aegis antimicrobial shield helps to keep them smelling good after hours of use (which is important when you’re dealing with synthetic materials). It’s worth noting that Aegis is designed to be environmentally friendly, working its magic without leaching chemicals into the environment.

So to break it down so far, these underwear wick away moisture and stay cool, they are lightweight and comfortable to wear traveling or during physical activity. This is all well and good but the real benefit to me is their capacity for extremely fast drying. Let’s say you’re on that long hike/camping trip and you’ve only got a pair or two to save space and weight. At some point when the underwear do start to get a little foul smelling and overused, you simply wash them off in a stream or with a bit of extra water, ring them out, and hang them up on a tree or in your tent for an hour or two. This short easy process revitalizes the briefs and puts you back in the game. I’ve used this strategy several times on camping trips where in the past I might have just worn cotton boxers, and the results are phenomenal. The wicking properties keep my lower back and buttocks cool when I’m wearing a heavy pack and hiking for hours on end and the quick rinse strategy at basecamp works like a charm! On one occasion, while hiking the Mendocion Waterfall Loop in Northern California, I actually fell into a stream with these on and they dried out completely by the time we reached camp and set up our tents!

The one caveat here is that Nylon can melt very easily. Never ever try to dry them by setting them near the fire or even using a conventional electric tumble dryer set to warm or hot. Here is a quick “how to” guide for caring for synthetic nylon clothing and underwear like these Exofficio briefs and panties:

machine wash on cold using a gentle cycle setting
do not use bleach or fabric softener
tumble dry on low, don’t iron (if you do, be very careful and only use the lowest settings)

In conclusion, I’d say these are a great choice for active wear and traveling underwear. I own a couple of pairs of silk underwear and they tend to be hotter and similarly expensive. The moisture wicking and ventilation properties of the Exo briefs are great and the quick drying feature is well aligned with hikers and backpackers, just take care in washing them.