How to Stop Men's Boxers From Riding Up: A Man’s Guide

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Causes and Solutions to Boxer Briefs Riding Up

Boxer briefs have skyrocketed in popularity since their release, and for good reason. They're comfortable, stylish, and suited for the modern man.


With that said, nothing is perfect; a common problem many men face when wearing boxer briefs is the unfortunate sensation of riding up.


You know, when the legs of the underwear get all bunched up and you have to pull them down.


Luckily, this has some pretty basic causes and is a straightforward fix, and this guide is going to explain those causes and how to stop boxer briefs riding up for good. 


Let's get right to it.

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Boxers vs Boxer Briefs

First, let's clearly differentiate between boxers and boxer briefs.

Boxers are the loose underwear that goes about 1/3 down your thighs. They're not very stylish, aren't moisture wicking, and you can't do anything to prevent them from bunching up.


Boxer briefs are the form fitting, snug fit underwear that goes anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 down your thighs. Unlike boxers, boxer briefs are very stylish, have moisture wicking properties, and there are things you can do to stop them from riding up.

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Why Boxer Briefs Ride Up

Before we go over how to stop boxer briefs from riding up, it's important to understand why boxer briefs ride up in the first place.


It comes down to several factors; sizing, fabrics, activity, quality, and old underwear.

Sizing

Your boxer briefs being too small is usually the culprit behind underwear riding up. Whether you're trying to show off the goodz, put on a little weight, or shrunk them in the dryer, it doesn't matter. Usually, underwear rides up because they're too small.

Fabric

The key here is the quality of the fabric, and how much elastane is blended into the fabrics to maintain their form-fitting properties. The better the boxer briefs fit snugly, the less they will ride up.


The best fabric blends to stop underwear riding up are as follows:


Nylon boxer briefs

• 85% nylon, 15% elastane


Micro modal boxer briefs

• 95% micro modal, 5% elastane


Cotton boxer briefs

• 95% cotton, 5% elastane

Activity

The more active your lifestyle is, the more likely your underwear will ride up. However, if you wear the right sized, quality boxer briefs of the right fabric blends, you'll be fine regardless of how active you are throughout the day.

Where You Wear

This is an often overlooked culprit; if you wear your underwear too low, meaning the waistband is pretty far down your hips, the legs and the crotch area will ride up. Find the position that looks and feels right to you that isn't too low and you'll have a more comfortable fit.

Cheap Underwear

While wearing cheap brand underwear may seem like you're saving money in the short term, it's actually costing you money, and comfort, in the long term.


Underwear from cheap brands don't have the same quality of material and don't last as long as name brands, which not only leads to riding up more than their quality counterparts, but also means you have to constantly buy more just to be comfortable in your underwear. This is one of the many problems with cheap underwear.

You Need New Underwear

Finally, no one, or nothing, escapes time, including your favorite pair of boxer briefs. If your once trusted, perfectly fitting pair of boxers briefs start to ride up, they may have lost their elasticity and you gotta get a new pair of underwear.

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How to Stop Boxer Briefs from Riding Up

Alright - on to the good stuff. Now that we know why boxer briefs ride up, let's review what you can do to stop if from happening in the first place.

Wear the Right Size Boxer Briefs

Since most boxer briefs tend to ride up because the waist size is too small, all you have to do is wear the right size. This may sound tricky, but it's pretty straightforward and only takes a couple of minutes.


It's important for you to know how men's boxer briefs should fit, so here's how to choose correct size:

  • Find the thinnest point of your waist.

  • Grab a soft tape measure and hold it on that spot right above your belly button.

  • Wrap the tape measure around so that it meets the starting point. Record the measurement in centimeters to get the perfect size.

  • Convert centimeters into inches and you're all set. This is your underwear waist size.

Always refer to each brands' underwear size chart using your measurement; a medium for Drawlz boxer briefs may not be a medium for a different brand. Head over to our how to choose mens underwear size guide for a more in-depth explanation.

Pro-tip: When buying boxer briefs, go with the next size up if your underwear size falls between two sizes.

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Wear the Right Fabric for the Occasion

Next, dedicate certain pairs of underwear to be worn for certain activities or occasions for maximum comfort. Certain fabrics ride up more in some situations when compared to others.


For example, boxer briefs fabrics like nylon are great for careers with high activity levels or sports, whereas fabrics like micro modal may not move as well.


On the other hand, while micro modal boxer briefs may not be the best for high levels of activity, it's much better suited for more sedentary careers or intimate moments due to how soft they are. 


If you want to play it safe, wearing cotton underwear is the best choice seeing as it's the most versatile fabric out there. Head to our official what material is best for men’s underwear guide for more information on men's underwear fabric.

Wear Boxer Briefs Correctly

Believe it or not, yes, there's a right and a wrong way to wear your boxer briefs. By wearing men's underwear correctly, you can prevent them from riding up.


To do this, just don't wear boxers too low or too high. If you wear a boxer brief too low, the crotch area and legs will ride up; if you wear briefs too high, the waistband will bunch up.


The "sweet spot" depends on your body shape. If you have a wider, heavier set body type, the waistband should sit around the waist. If you have a lean or athletic body type, you can wear your underwear a bit lower, around the hips.

Shop Quality Underwear

As we mentioned above, wearing cheap brand underwear costs you more money and comfort in the long run. Investing in quality men's underwear will solve a lot of the riding up issues you have if the brand is reputable and has the right blend of fabric and elastane.


You'll also same more money because you won't have to buy as many of them.

Know When to Buy New Underwear

Last but not least, know when to let go of your favorite boxer brief. 


I had a pair of 305'z that I wore at least twice a week for a year. Drawlz are built to last, but I put them through hell from swimming, running, sitting behind the computer, you name it. After about a year, they started to get some holes and began to bunch up.


I didn't want to let this boxer brief go, but I had to swap 'em out. Once I slipped into a fresh pair of 305'z, they didn't ride up anymore. It's important to know when to buy new underwear, but even more important to let go when the time times.

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FAQs

Why do my boxers keep riding up?

Boxer briefs ride up due to excess fabric being pulled up. The extra fabric gets bunched up because the boxer briefs are too tight, worn too low, are made poorly with cheap fabric, or are simply old and lost their elasticity.

How do I stop boxers from riding up?

A simple trick you can follow to stop boxers from riding up is wearing the right fabric for the activity you're performing. Lightweight, fast-drying fabrics like nylon are best for high levels of activity, where more heavy fabrics like micro modal are best for things like lounging or getting down and dirty.

Why do my boxers ride up when I walk?

Your boxer briefs ride up when you walk because the boxer briefs are too tight, the boxers are old, or you're wearing pants that are too tight.

How do you stop boxers from rolling up while wearing skinny jeans?

You can stop boxer briefs from rolling up while wearing skinny jeans, or similar tighter pants, by wearing underwear that's made of thinner, lightweight fabrics that are form-fitting. The best fabric of boxer briefs to wear with tighter pants like skinny jeans is nylon.

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Most men can stop boxer briefs from riding up by simply wearing the right sized underwear in the right position, but there are other things you can do like only purchasing boxers that are quality, not wearing old underwear, and choosing the different fabrics for different occasions.


If you still have questions about our boxer briefs, just shoot us an email at support@drawlz.com. We'll be happy to help.


Until next time,


Anthony
Founder, Drawlz

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