Because most places are squeamish about returning underwear, how have you guys found them? Do they itch, do they work just as well as a merino wool shirt? What is your opinion of them? Or do you think polyester/nylon/something else underwear is better? This is about normal underwear, not long johns.

Like wool shirts, the underwear isn't itchy. The comfort depends on the specific underwear.

My recommendation is Ibex's Seamless Boxers. They are the most comfortable ones I've worn. They stay comfortably snug for days at a time. I'm not sure about the durability yet.

Icebreaker's stuff is OK, but the legs on the boxers stretch out while you wear them, so they are nice when I first put them on, but a bit loose by the end of the day. That's the 200 g/m2 ones, I didn't like the fit on the 150 g/m2 ones. Ibex's Roasters are good for cool weather, but are far too warm for summer.

"Icebreaker's stuff is OK, but the legs on the boxers stretch out while you wear them, so they are nice when I first put them on, but a bit loose by the end of the day. "

I would describe the Smartwool Microweight Boxer Briefs (the only merino underwear I've tried) in exactly the same words.

The best boxer briefs I've ever worn, and best by a long shot, are made by ExOfficio. They're not merino, but they're great.

http://www.rei.com/product/694431

Of course, YMMV.

I would agree with Robert. The Ibex underwear is great! I wear the briefs as opposed to the boxers. They hold their shape, don't itch and manage moisture and odors well. I've been wearing the Breezer briefs for years with no durability issues. The Balance briefs are new and lighter weight so I don't yet know how they will hold up. The way they stretch and the almost total lack of seams is amazing. There is one very small seam. They weight 1.7oz (50g) in size large.

Edited by ericnoble on 06/24/2008 15:57:56 MDT.

My comments are identical to Eric Noble's last paragraph, I have both types of Ibex briefs. By end of summer, I should have better assessment of durability of the lighter Ibex Balance Briefs.