The best men's underwear

Where would we all be without Hanes, really?

Founded in 1900, Hanes, for all intents and purposes, pretty much invented modern underwear. Love or hate underwear, we'd have our work cut out for ourselves if we were to claim not to have some deep appreciation for this brand.

These days, Hanes offers every kind of boxer, brief, and boxer brief you could imagine with dozens of styles. Whatever it is you're after, the catalog offers everything from high-tech synthetic athletic to the good old-fashioned cotton the brand was built on.

The FreshIQ Boxer Briefs are the sort of timeless, tales, itch-free 100% cotton we all remember but updated with a little odor protection finish. Keep in mind that the solids are 100% cotton while the Heathers are a 75%/25% cotton and polyester blend.

Then you have flashier styles like the X-Temp, which are ultra-lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking all the way up to the waistband. These fare well under anything, but they really shine under gym shorts.

Around the web, you can take your pick of reviews but what we think stands out most is the 4.1-star Amazon rating based on nearly 3,000 reviews. This brand is timeless and it's not going anywhere soon. Plus, as some of the most affordable underwear you can buy, it's a good way to fill out your drawer when a five-pack is still cheaper than single pairs from the popular direct-to-consumer startups on our list.

Pros: Seemingly endless list of styles, affordable

Cons: Probably not the most sustainable underwear on earth

Shop all Hanes underwear at Hanes, starting at $5.99

Icebreaker has been producing some of the finest merino-wool-based layers around, so it's no surprise they're putting their expertise into underwear, too.

I recently wore Icebreaker's Anatomica Boxer Briefs on a two-day hunting and fishing trip with a buddy, and though we spent a good deal of time in close quarters, he didn't say a word. And trust you me, he's the type of guy who most certainly would, given the opportunity.

I suppose we're far enough down in this review that you're probably done reading by now, and so it must be safe now to state that I do not like underwear. But when you need it, you need it. This stuff from Icebreaker, though, really sold me. It's supportive but paper-thin, and somehow still wool-based. The result is a material so soft that you almost don't even remember you're wearing it. And, frankly, even after a couple of days, it doesn't smell like you're wearing it either.

But we shouldn't be the least bit surprised; Icebreaker is tops when it comes to covering up odor — which, by the way, is great when you're stalking big game (and/or trying to keep a safe distance from bigger game). I've also been wearing Icebreaker's thermal top layers, and with no wash at all over the course of a week of fishing, hiking, and hunting, smelled no worse for it. Even as temperatures rose and I began to sweat, moisture wicked and miraculously seemed to vanish, along with any trace of odor. The same went for the boxer briefs.

The only downside with Icebreaker's underwear is, as seems to be the growing trend in the men's underwear industry, a big brand label in large, almost block-lettered caps. Ah well, maybe I'm just too old, and it could be worse.

The brand has a commendable 4.7-star rating based on 160 reviews on REI's site, a place of esteem in its own right. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, camping, or just happen to sweat a lot, do you and yours a favor and try out a pair of these. You, and they, more so, will thank us.

Pros: Thin, supportive, breathable, odor-protecting

Cons: Oversized logo, though it could be worse

Shop men's Icebreaker underwear at REI, starting at $27.73

Danish brand Organic Basics is the Everlane of boxers and briefs (though they make a lot more than that).

Made with 93% recycled nylon and 7% (presumably virgin) elastane, Organic Basics estimates that compared with traditional methods using virgin materials, production of its "SilverTech" style conserves some 21 gallons of water and prevents 4.2 pounds of CO2 and one ounce of waste from entering the atmosphere and earth. We can't quite confirm this, but take a virtual tour of the brand's factories and learn more about its practices.

As for the product itself, the brand only uses Class A and B fibers, which means that even though this stuff is recycled, it's every bit as soft as brand-spanking-new stuff, and a lot less weight on the world.

SilverTech, which we find to be Organic Basics' most interesting style, is in fact infused with silver, which is supposed to quell odor and bacteria buildup. In our experience, it helps a good bit, but maybe not quite as well as others we've tried. The real win here is the comfort that these skivvies offer, and since I've had them (over a year now), they've easily been my most-worn pairs. A more relaxed boxer brief, they hold everything more or less in place while sitting flush so I can wear them with just about any pair of pants.

Organic Basics offers a couple of fabrics beyond their SilverTech, and unlike that line, they're much more on the organic side: Tencel (a wood-pulp-based cellulose that's more breathable and less shrinkable and wrinkle-inclined than cotton), and Organic Cotton (spiked with 5% of elastane).

Style-wise, if having a big logo or insignia of a brand front and center on your undies ain't your thing, this might be your go-to. I, frankly, am not a fan out loud logos on anything, and certainly not my underwear.

Around the world wide web, the brand hasn't received all that much recognition yet, but the good folks at the Strategist left the SilverTech line a radiant review.

Pros: More sustainable than your average skivvies, soft as can be

Cons: Some lines are a little on the pricey side

Shop men's underwear at Organic Basics, starting at $44

It might not be the most popular — or best — choice for everyday wear, but there's nothing like lounging around the house on Sunday morning in silk shorts.

We know what you're thinking, but hear us out. Silk boxers don't necessarily have to be that leopard print satin man hammock you wouldn't be caught dead in; there are plenty of toned-down options that at first glance, you'd never suspect were made of silk. But man are they comfortable.

We've all got to luxuriate at some point, and that's why, good sirs, we've all got to have a pair or two of silk skivvies in the roster.

When shopping silk boxers, know you're going to splurge a bit, but that's okay. You're not wearing these to work or for a day on the town. These are special occasion shorts, and you'll probably end up wearing (and appreciating) them most from the comfort of your couch.

Don't cheap out here, fellas. I repeat, do NOT cheap out. Poorly spun silk will end up in the graveyard after a few washes, and if you don't believe me, there's a whole slew of sup-par silk boxers with reviews from terribly disappointed customers on Amazon. Don't buy them.

Kick in an extra $30 to $50 for the real stuff (remember, you're not outfitting your whole underwear drawer with this stuff, just one or two pairs tops).

Derek Rose makes some pure, hand-made silk boxers in toned-down styles for which even your cruelest of friends could not immolate you starting at a reasonable $85. (Though, they do offer you the option to go a little wild if you please. We're not telling.)

Just remember: You have to be delicate with silk. Hand-wash only, and hang to dry. Again, you're only buying a pair of two of these, so you're not going to be hunched over the sink or tub for hours each weekend.

For some reason, there aren't a ton of reviews of silk underwear for men out there (maybe we're still not all that comfortable with our sexuality in 2019 after all), but Underwear Expert, the online authority in all things underpants, regularly features Derek Rose in their editorial section.

Pros: There's nothing softer than silk, handmade silk at that, whatever you chose, your SO(s) will appreciate it

Cons: Not breathable, and yes, the price tag, we know

Shop Derek Rose silk underwear at Derek Rose, starting at $85

The best men's undershirts you can buy

If you've been looking for the best undershirt for managing your sweaty pits, then the search is over. We've done the research and smoked out the best undershirts for men that you can buy today.

Here are the best undershirts you can buy:

• Best undershirt overall: Thompson Tee
• Best multipack of undershirts: David Archy
• Best quick-dry undershirt: Uniqlo
• Best stretch performance undershirt: Psycho Bunny
• Best undershirt for casual wear: J. Crew