A Price Comparison Guide
Out of all of the questions we get here at Drawlz, one of the most common is why our boxer briefs are priced within $24 to $29. It’s a fair question, and I want to address this head on.
To be fair and transparent in this pricing comparison, the Drawlz team and I looked at 20 of the top men’s underwear brands priced from $7 to $300 - yes, there are boxers priced at $300 - and reviewed the material, seams, waistbands, flies, and moisture wicking capabilities of these other brands to determine the quality and fit.
We then grouped them into three different price ranges and put our findings together to bring you this comprehensive comparison guide. Finally, we’ll wrap this up by running Drawlz underwear through the same analysis so you can see how we compare against all price ranges.
For the sake of simplicity, we’re only looking at individual boxer briefs and not packs. Let’s start with the cheap underwear options.
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS GUIDE
LOW PRICE RANGE
($7 TO $23)
After reviewing seven of the leading cheap underwear options, most of them huge names that you’re undoubtedly familiar with, we found that they were nearly identical across the board in most aspects.
Material
While most of the underwear we analyzed used cotton as their main fabric, they all were blended with either polyester or spandex at ratios that easily wear out. A blend ratio is key to the quality of underwear seeing as the wrong blends can shorten their lifespan to just a few weeks.
For example, Drawlz Cottonz are made with a blend of 95% cotton and 5% elastane. This specific blend means the underwear holds its shape without being too loose or too tight while also maintaining its natural moisture wicking and absorbing characteristics.
The boxer briefs in this low price range have a blend of 75% cotton and 25% polyester at its lowest and a 94% cotton / 6% polyester at its highest. This means that these cheap boxers will lose their shape, stretch, fray, and look sloppy fast.
Seams
When it comes to men’s underwear seams, there are generally two options: overlocked seams and flatlock seams.
Overlocked seams are the most common seams made by overlapping two pieces of fabric on top of each other and sewing along the edge. This creates an inside flap that begins to split and fray after only a few washes, which leads to skin irritation, chafing, bleeding, and a very short life span of the underwear themselves.
Flatlock seams are the modern and optimal seams made by butting the edges of the fabric together and sewing where the edges meet. This does not create a flap but instead create a thin, soft, secure, and flat seam that lasts much longer when compared to overlocked seams. All Drawlz boxer briefs feature flatlock seams.
When we analyzed the seams of the cheaper options, we found them all to have the sub-par overlocked seams.
WAISTBAND
All of the waistbands in this price range were narrow. At first glance, this may not seem like much of a big deal, but the width of the waistband is a huge factor when determining the comfort and longevity of a pair of underwear.
Just like overlocked seams, the narrow waistbands used in these cheaper options begin to split and fray after only a few wears and washes. This ultimately leads to skin irritation and rashes along with a very short lifespan of the underwear. In addition to premature wear and tear, narrow waistbands easily bunch up and dig into the skin, leading to constant uncomfortable readjustments and potential rashes.
Fly
Yes, the flap in the front of your boxers serves a purpose; it’s there to easily access your Tom Johnson when nature calls, and there are generally three types of flies; side, horizontal, and no fly underwear.
Side flies get messy and aren’t exactly easy to wrangle your member out of, while no fly underwear stretches out the waistband more than necessary. Horizontal flies are the best option as they allow for easy access without stretching out the waistband.
All of the underwear flies in the low price range featured side flies.
MOISTURE WICKING
For those unfamiliar, moisture wicking capabilities refer to a fabric’s capacity to pull moisture (sweat) away from the body, absorb it, and quickly push it out to the other side to be quickly evaporated. This leads to less chafing, odor, skin irritation, and rashes, a vital aspect of quality men’s underwear.
In this department, four out of seven options we analyzed had moisture wicking capabilities - not bad. The other three options were unclear as to whether or not the fabrics used wicked moisture away.
Fit
The materials, seams, waistbands, and flies used on these major leading underwear brands are the reason why they’re priced so cheap; they’re all low quality and result in an uncomfortable fit.
While on the surface it may seem like cheap underwear is a bargain, you’ll wind up paying more seeing as you’ll have to replace them much more frequently than a pair of Drawlz. You can learn more about the embarrassing problems with cheap underwear in this Drawlz guide.
Mid PRICE RANGE
($24 TO $39)
Next, we took a look at seven of the most popular boxer briefs priced from $24 to $40. Drawlz boxer briefs fall into this price range, but we’ll review Drawlz separately at the end.
While there was more variety of quality and fabrics in this price range, there were some surprising similarities between top cheap and mid range men’s underwear.
Material
We found a variety of cotton, wool, micro modal, and nylon blends in this price range, but just like cheaper underwear, the ratios were out of whack. All of them were designed with higher amounts of elastane when compared to Drawlz, which again leads to an initial snug and secure fit that quickly leads to premature stretching after a few wears and washes.
Seams
Six out of the seven brands featured the superior flatlock seams, which is good to see. These will last much longer than the cheaper options and won’t fray as easily.
Waistband
Conversely, six out of the seven brands went for the sub-optimal narrow waistbands. As we mentioned with the low price range review, narrow waistbands easily split and fray and require constant readjustment as they constantly roll up as you go from sitting to standing.
Fly
When it comes to flies, only one option featured the coveted horizontal fly. Three options featured the side fly and the rest had no fly at all.
MOISTURE WICKING
Four out of the seven mid range boxer briefs we analyzed claimed to have moisture wicking capabilities while the rest did not. More moisture = more discomfort = less confidence.
Fit
When it comes to the leading mid-range boxer brief options, there isn’t one single option that has all of the features that would constitute a breathable, comfortable and secure fit.
While all featured flatlock seams, many did not have an adequate blend of fabric and elastane, wide waistband, a horizontal fly, or moisture wicking capabilities. Each option had one or two of these features, but not one had all of them.
Drawlz boxer briefs do have all of these features, which we’ll get to in detail after we review some of the higher end options.
HIGH PRICE RANGE
($40 TO $300)
There were some interesting features in the higher end options, some good and some not so good. You’d be surprised at what we found reviewing five of the uber-luxury men’s underwear brands.
Material
Naturally, the material was impressive for the most part and featured some interesting fabrics like wool and silk. One option had a blend of cotton, modal, and elastane, incredibly comfortable no doubt, but had a hefty price tag of $120.
On the other hand, a brand priced at the $40 mark had a blend of polyester and spandex. This was surprising to us seeing as polyester easily holds odor and isn’t as breathable as cotton, micro modal, or nylon; to be frank, it isn’t the fabric to use on a $40 pair of underwear.
Seams
Four out of the five high end underwear brands utilized flatlock seams while one featured overlocked. The same brand that opted for the cheap and lazy overlocked seam option was also the brand that was charging $40 for a pair of polyester underwear. Always do your research, regardless of how big the company is. You’d be shocked.
Waistband
Now this really took me aback - all of the expensive boxer briefs we looked at had narrow waistbands, with the $300 option having the narrowest waistband of them all. I have no idea why they did this, but it goes to show that just because something looks bougie doesn’t mean it is.
Fly
This blew me away too - three out of the five options had no fly at all while the rest had a side fly. Couple the unnecessary stretching of no horizontal fly with a narrow waistband and you have the recipe for intense buyer’s regret after about three weeks.
MOISTURE WICKING
I’m not sure if these supposedly luxury brands don’t feel the need to be clear that their underwear can wick moisture away or not, but we found that only one option clearly stated the underwear had moisture wicking capabilities.
To be fair, the other fabric options were cotton, modal, and other fabrics that are known to wick moisture away, but I can’t tell you for sure whether they can or not because it’s not stated anywhere on their site.
Fit
I’m not gonna lie, I’m sure that the $120 cotton / modal blend option feels incredible when you’re lounging around and the $300 silk undies feel great when you’re about to get down and dirty - but none of these options are practical for everyday wear. Opting for these higher priced brands is cool for the clout maybe, but how good is impressing somebody else when you’re silently screaming inside because your bawlz are tied in a knot?
These boxer briefs have their place, but not if you’re looking for breathable, comfortable, and secure boxer briefs for everyday wear - that’s where Drawlz comes in to marry luxury with practicality.
Featured: Originalz Pacific Blue
Drawlz PRICE RANGE
($24 TO $29)
Let’s wrap this thing up by taking a look at Drawlz.
Material
As I’m sure you know by now, there are three types of Drawlz: Cottonz, Originalz, and Expressionz. Each one is made with different fabrics, but all of the fabrics are from the highest quality sources and have a carefully perfected blend of elastane to prevent premature fraying, splitting, and stretching to prolong the life of the underwear longer than any price range mentioned above.
COTTONZ
95% cotton / 5% elastane
ORIGINALZ
95% micro modal / 5% elastane
EXPRESSIONZ
85% nylon mesh / 15% elastane
Seams
Every single pair of Drawlz boxer briefs is constructed with flex fit flatlock seams to bring you a secure, breathable fit with seams that can withstand many more wears and washes than any brand that opts for the inferior overlocked seams.
Waistband
The waistband is the crown of a pair of Drawlz and is the defining characteristic that sets us apart. Each pair features a 2” wide waistband that’s soft, secure, and most importantly, comfortable and stylish.
Fly
We don’t skimp out on the fly either; just like the flatlock seams and soft wide waistband, all Drawlz feature a horizontal fly. To learn more about why the horizontal fly is truly superior to the other fly options out there, check out this comprehensive Drawlz guide.
MOISTURE WICKING
To ensure that our customers feel confident and comfortable regardless of their body type or how much they sweat, all Drawlz feature supreme moisture wicking capabilities regardless of if they’re Cottonz, Originalz, or Expressionz.
Fit
While all Drawlz feature a supremely comfortable, secure, and stylish fit, each of the three collections shines in certain lifestyles, careers, and climates.
Cottonz are the most versatile option and are best for everyday wear, careers of all activity levels, and those with sensitive skin, and all climates. Cottonz are the safest bet if you’re unsure of which one to go with.
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The micro modal Originalz are by far our softest option, the best choice for those looking for a sophisticated feel, careers with low activity levels, lounging around, cooler climates, and intimate moments.
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For those who lead a more active lifestyle, lead physically demanding careers, or light in hot and humid climates, anything within the lightweight, fast-drying, nylon Expressionz collection is your best bet.
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WHY DRAWLZ IS PRICED AS IT IS
It may seem like my opinion is slanted, but this isn’t the first time I’ve taken a deep dive into the men’s underwear industry. I did this years ago when I first started Drawlz and it’s why Drawlz boxer briefs exceed all the benchmarks of a quality pair of men’s underwear.
I took a look at what made the best underwear great, what made the worst underwear terrible, and created Drawlz around those strengths and shortcomings. The end result was a line of stylish and comfortable men’s underwear with the fit, quality, and feel of a luxury brand without the luxury price tag.
Thanks for stopping by, stay confident and comfortable.
Anthony,
Founder | Drawlz