Got a couple pairs of underwear by MaleBasics that are having a go on the Range. First up is a Pima Cotton style of a boxer brief in a navy blue and sized as an X-Large. According to their size chart, is for a 39–42-inch waist. This underwear is made from a material that combines Pima cotton (96%) with spandex (4%). This blend gives the material a 2-way stretch property.
The underwear is constructed from multiple sections of this material, consisting of
- 2- sections cut to cover most of each leg and rear seat. Each of these sections cover each leg from the front pouch, around the hip, to the rear where they meet with a seam that runs down the center of the buttocks from the waistband down to gusset section. (Fig 3,4)
- 1-section used as a gusset that runs between the two legs with the front attaching to the pouch at the bottom and running to about mid-way up the front sides of the pouch. The rear seam attaches to the rear seat sections just under butt cheeks and runs around and downwards to each rear-inside leg. So, the gusset is also used to form a small inside portion of each leg.
- 2-sections of the material used to form the pouch.
Most of the stitching is a flat-lock seam with a little over edge stitching around the pouch.
The waist is a “low-rise” cut and fit. The elastic waistband is made of a nylon microfiber material and is about 1.33-inches wide. It’s attached to the top of the underwear with multiple lines of stitching. The “MALEBASICS” Logo is on a small tag that is attached to the bottom edge of the waistband in the front, off centered above the left leg. The legs are about 5-inches in length and are hemmed around the bottom with a stitched folded inseam that is about ½-inch wide. There are also two small seams on the front-inside and rear-inside of the legs where the gusset section is used to form an inside portion of the legs. The pouch is a single-external style pouch that is formed by the contour cut of the two pieces of the fabric sewn together in the middle of the pouch from the top to the bottom. It is attached to the main body of the underwear with a seam that is sewn around the outside perimeter of the pouch. The perimeter seam has a small strip of elastic sewn inside.(Fig 5) The combination of the contour cut of the fabric, middle seam and elastic perimeter seam gives the pouch a contoured 3D “U” shape. (Fig-7) The pouch is not lined and there is no fly access. There is an attached hanging product tag the is attached to the inside-rear of the waistband with a small stitch. It appears that it could be cut off but not pulled off.
Range Test
Started these out on the range in July. They have been through the course at least 5 times now, mostly at work while I was operating heavy equipment. Mostly the weather and temperatures were normal summertime conditions with temperatures reaching in the 80’s on some days.
Reviews
Fabric
The fabric is a very soft and smooth material. The addition of spandex gives is a nice stretch property, scoring 1.5 inches on the stretch test. It’s a thin material that is only a little see-through when stretched. The material is breathable and mostly moisture wicking. The cotton does tend to feel damp when the temperature gets up in the high 70’s. I haven’t encountered any chafing, bunching, or wedges’ with this underwear. The weave of the fabric didn’t pull any hair on the legs or elsewhere. The fabric feels strong with no sign of pilling, fading or degradation in the material at this point.
Waistband
It’s a nice wide and thick waistband. The nylon microfiber material very soft on the skin and has a lot of elasticity that keeps in snug on the hips without cutting in. I haven’t had any problems with rollover or need to adjust or pullup.
Legs
The legs too are very comfortable with a smooth inseam. They hug the legs without any restrictions. The seam work on the legs is nice and smooth and the seam work doesn’t have any bulges or bumps where the seams meet or intersect. The legs on these are at a proper length for a boxer brief, not too long or too short. The bottom of the legs did ride up a little when I was experiencing a lot of shaking and shuffling in my equipment seat on rough terrain, and honestly, I’m not sure how to prevent this while wearing underwear with legs that has any length to them. Most of the time they rode just fine.
Pouch
These guys sport a soft comfortable pouch that keeps the goods centered and separated from the legs while I was sitting or upright. The pouch provides good support and has adequate room with no squashing or pinching. The pouch’s design contributes to its ability to provide lift and support. The design also produces a moderate bulge effect.
Overall
Range Qualification Award
Well let’s start with the Pro’s:
- Nice wide and strong waistband
- A comfortable and functional material
- That is soft on the skin
- Stretchy and moves well with the body
- Is light and thin, not bulky
- Nice and airy (when not sitting)
- A well-designed pouch that has,
- A 3D contour pouch with ample room
- Good lift and support
- Good separation
- No pinching or binding
- Shape/Cut/Fit
- Very Form Fitting, which I believe is enhanced by the pouch design and the use of the rear seam down the middle of the buttocks that provides some additional aid in keeping the underwear in place and maybe, a little more definition to the caboose.
- A shape and fit that moves well with the body
- A great “low-rise” fitting waist that doesn’t rollover or cut in.
- The construction and design
- A seemingly strong material as it’s been through 5 wears and laundries with no signs of loose threads, seams or distortions in the fabric
- Very nice layout of the different sections that combine to give it a great fit
- Some of the highest quality seam work I have seen. Very neat, clean, flat, and soft even at the points they intersect or meet. No little bulges or bump spots that tend to cause the uncomfortable or irritating rub spots.
- A just right length of the legs for a boxer brief
- has retained its shape
- Price and Affordability
- They were listed for $15.40/pair at the time I wrote this review, which is pretty good for the quality and performance I am getting
- Affordable to grab multiple pairs
Now for the Con’s:
- The cotton material tends for feel damp when the temperature is in the high 70’s or above
- (And this is only a minor con) I did have some slight ride up in the legs when sitting
To sum it up, Malebasics Pima Cotton boxer brief has qualified as a “Master” on the Range and defiantly qualifies as an underwear well suited for an active or working man who are looking for a form fitting, supportive, light material underwear that has the medium leg coverage a boxer brief offers. I think they will perform well in the spring, summer and fall with moderate temperature conditions or anytime if you work in a temperature-controlled environment. The price is very affordable for the quality and performance you’re going to get and if they hang in there over the test of time, even more so. Of course, I will keep these in the rotation when weather permits and see how they hold out. Malebasics offers other styles, materials, and even other brands on their site, which I hope to get to, in time. I do have another style of their boxer briefs coming up for review shortly. Malebasics has sales, email subscribers and first-time customer discounts. I don’t have any specific or special discount codes to share that aren’t already available on their site. Go give them a look at Malebasics.com
Now go out there and make a difference but be safe about it and… Always start your day with a fresh clean pair.
Special Thanks out to Raul Valencia, founder and CEO of Malebasics, for your support of this project.
To Karina for your assistance.
Underwear Testing Range 