13 Ethical Boxers & Briefs You Can (Under)Wear With Confidence
We’re baring all the fashion industry’s dirty details.
Why?
To encourage you to cover up with ethical boxers.
And we would totally suggest buying secondhand skivvies which is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment.
Butt (pun intended)…most of us may be (understandably) reluctant to thrift underwear.
When used just won’t do, you can still shop sustainably by choosing sustainable boxers and briefs.
Or boxer-briefs if you want the best of both.
Luckily, they’re a click away with Allbirds‘ sustainable ZQ certified ethical wool.
And we have plenty in common with In Common and their love of eco materials and ethical manufacturing to name a few.
Skip to the bare bottom of the article where we go commando to expose the best ethical boxer brands.
*This post contains affiliate links
QUICKLINKS FOR ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE BOXERS
1. ALLBIRDS
About Allbirds
Based in New Zealand, Allbirds is an all-around sustainable mens fashion resource, they’ll kit you out in everything from recycled shoes to eco friendly t-shirts.
Part of their Trino® line, they carry two styles: a trunk and a longer boxer brief.
Allbirds’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their sustainable mens trunk and boxer brief is made of primarily natural materials, including FSC certified TENCEL™ Lyocell, ZQ certified ethical wool from New Zealand, and minimal spandex.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a Certified B Corp, Allbirds is dedicated to sustainable production, with a strict code of conduct and factory map available online for full transparency.
All underwear is made in Nam Định, Vietnam.
Green business practices:
Allbirds is carbon neutral, which means that the company’s carbon emissions are balanced with its carbon removal, resulting in net-zero carbon emissions.
They choose to partner with LEED-certified organizations and other eco factories that conserve water and energy during manufacturing.
They’ll ship your order in recycled cardboard and while they won’t take back your old underwear, their ReRun™ program will take any of their gently used sustainable running shoes for resale.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sustainable briefs come in sizes S – XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
If you don’t love your Allbirds sustainable sneakers (or any shoe of theirs), return them knowing they won’t become deadstock waste. Instead, they’ll be donated to Soles4Souls.
Available: Allbirds
2. ASKET
About ASKET
Just because you’re taking off one of ASKET’s handcrafted sustainable belts, doesn’t mean you need to bid the brand adieu.
Especially if you’re sporting one of their ethical boxer briefs beneath.
True to ASKET’s seasonless styles, they’re available in a small selection of classic solid colors.
ASKET’s Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Men’s ethical boxer briefs are certified organic cotton with 5% elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a testament to their transparency, you can see every cent and ounce of CO2, and the manufacturing process behind their garments and sustainable accessories.
Each product page also includes a breakdown of material and labor costs.
They manufacture and source via GOTS, WRAP, SA8000, or OEKO-TEX certified entities, like the Portuguese factory behind their ethically made mens boxers.
Green business practices:
ASKET believes in taking responsibility for a product’s end of life, hence their Lifecycle program with a simple philosophy: Care. Repair. Revive.
Online guides show you how to care for and repair your clothing.
The “revive” aspect refers to their buyback program. Send your ASKET garment back, regardless of condition, and it’ll get resold, remanufactured, or recycled—in exchange for up to $25.
They promote slow fashion by not running sales and they ship using ground or sea freight in reusable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes run XS – XL.
Available: ASKET
3. WAMA
About WAMA
When Shakib Nassiri founded WAMA, it was one of the few hemp clothing brands around.
Now, they’re setting a high sustainability bar with their hemp ethical boxers in nearly every basic cut and shape possible.
WAMA‘s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
WAMA’s sustainable boxers contain a blend of hemp, GOTS organic cotton, and only 3% spandex.
Unfortunately, no hemp fabric can be certified by GOTS, but theirs is grown organically.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Hemp is a “niche” crop, mostly cultivated on small family-run farms in China.
WAMA’s Chinese factory is BSCI certified and monitored for fair conditions by a China-based team member.
They’re also a Certified Green America Business and PETA-approved vegan.
WAMA’s supplier code of conduct applies to all entities in their supply chain.
Green business practices:
Your WAMA order will arrive in 100% recycled, recyclable, and reusable poly mailers, or recycled cardboard boxes.
The organic ethical boxers are wrapped in recycled tissue paper.
WAMA offers a take-back program for the hard-to-recycle underwear liner.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes range from S – 3XL.
Available: WAMA
4. MEUNDIES
About MeUndies
MeUndies wants you to feel good, physically and mentally.
Based in Los Angeles, they’ve garnered a reputation for soft ethical mens underwear and boxers for every body type.
You can choose from a seemingly endless selection of goofy patterns—tie-dye to Batman to rainbow unicorns.
Setting themselves apart, their MatchMe subscription for couples makes it easy to “match your bottom half to your better half” by sending you matching pairs up to once a month.
MeUndies’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices:
Materials:
Most soft sustainable boxers are 92% MicroModal (sourced from beechwood) and 8% elastane.
Select few include textured nylon, recycled nylon, recycled polyamide (plastic), and spandex.
Their pop designs are the product of low-impact dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
MeUndies partners with factories in LA, Turkey, Guatemala, China, and Sri Lanka to support the global economy.
They maintain high standards for employee welfare and audit for fair wages, quality working conditions, and benefits (like free meals and transportation).
Inclusivity:
Inclusivity is the focus of MeUndies’s vision to “create a more thoughtful and accepting world where living your truth is celebrated.”
Men’s sizes range XS – 4XL and they use body inclusive models.
They collaborate with minority artists on limited edition designs for their affordable sustainable boxers.
Community & charitable giving:
Through MeUndies Gives, they partner with organizations that challenge systemic barriers, like The Body Positive, the LA LGBT Center, and the Fashion Scholarship Fund.
Available: MeUndies
5. TENTREE
About tentree
Undies don’t grow on trees, but tentree’s may as well.
This Canadian brand plants ten trees for every product sold, whether it’s a pair of their sustainable sweatpants or an ethical hoodie.
Beyond that, each pair of sustainable boxer briefs you buy will save 60.12 liters of water and 0.43 kg of CO2 compared to traditionally-made ones.
tentree’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These eco-friendly briefs feature TENCEL x REFIBRA lyocell (made using upcycled cotton scarps), organic cotton, and minimal elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
A factory ledger details where garments are produced under what certifications: Fair Wear Foundation, SA8000, WRAP, Fair Trade, and/or BSCI.
tentree itself is a Certified B Corp.
Green business practices:
A factory ledger details where garments are produced under what certifications: Fair Wear Foundation, SA8000, WRAP, Fair Trade, and/or BSCI. tentree itself is a Certified B Corp.
Inclusivity:
Canada’s best ethical boxer briefs come in S to XXL sizes and models are both ethnically and size diverse.
Community & charitable giving:
Their goal of planting 1 billion trees supports communities experiencing biodiversity loss with carbon sequestration, reforestation, and meaningful work.
They partner with the likes of National Geographic and Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax to create awareness-raising lines.
Available: tentree
6. PACT
About Pact
Boulder, Colorado brand Pact calls their collection of whole-family basics “Earth’s Favorite Clothing.”
Some of their sustainable mens clothing include sustainable briefs and boxers.
You can choose between five different cuts and various neutral solid and funky patterns—for a fun surprise when you take off your organic cotton robe.
Pact’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All Pact garments are made from GOTS certified organic long-staple (AKA soft) cotton.
Their eco friendly briefs also contain elastane but don’t contain toxic dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Pact is Fairtrade certified and their fair trade briefs are made in India near their cotton farms.
Green business practices:
Per their impact statement, they employ water and energy-efficient production methods.
Each product page specifies both savings for that garment.
Inclusivity:
Pact’s briefs and boxers are sized S – XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
Reuse the box your Pact order arrived in by filling it with old clothes, shoes, and accessories. PS: They don’t have to be Pact items.
Mail this Give Back Box back with the provided printable label and know it’ll go to charity.
Available: Pact
Pact has featured in an article on sustainable underwear.
7. BOODY
About Boody
Boody creates simple, everyday essentials designed for your actual boody or the rest of your body.
While originally an Australian brand, their US branch makes it easy for those seeking USA ethical boxers.
They’re available in three styles—briefs, boxers, and long boxers—in five cool neutrals.
Boody’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All sustainable boxers are organic bamboo, combined with 5% spandex.
The ethical briefs also contain mostly bamboo, along with some nylon and spandex.
The bamboo is made in a closed-loop process (i.e. no chemicals are released into the environment) and certified by OEKO-TEX, Ecocert, FSC, and PETA.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Boody became the first Certified B Corp underwear company in the US.
They advocate for equal employment opportunity and enforce a code of conduct across their WRAP-certified and ISO-14001-compliant supply chain.
Green business practices:
Their product impact counters give you an indication of how much your underwear will undermine the environment (hint: minimally).
Packaging consists of recycled boxes printed with vegetable ink.
Inclusivity:
“Boody fits who you are, naturally” and the sustainable boxers run S – 4XL.
Community & charitable giving:
As one of their four pillars of business, this 1% for the Planet member donates (time, money, or products) to several charities.
Available: Boody US | Boody Australia
Boody has featured in articles on sustainable loungewear and ethical activewear.
8. IN COMMON
About In Common
In Common is all about making basics that “feel good, and you can feel good about.”
Like us, In Common believes small lifestyle changes can collectively make a big difference to our planet—like donning their men’s sustainable boxers and briefs.
In Common’s Sustainability Practices
Materials:
In Common’s sustainable briefs and boxer briefs are made of TENCEL™ Modal and spandex.
The Better Jersey ethical mens boxers feature blended BCI cotton and modal.
Both feature OEKO-TEX 100 recycled polyester EcoVerde thread.
Supply chain & labor practices:
We’ll be reaching out to learn more about In Common’s manufacturing supply chain.
Green business practices:
They ship in compostable mailers and cornstarch polybags.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run XS – XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
In Common partners with One Tree Planted. Join their email list to plant one tree and receive a discount on your first order.
Available: In Common
9. PATAGONIA
About Patagonia
Patagonia had a unique start—founded by a professional rock climbing legend.
As one of the best known sustainable outdoor clothing brands they create a range of clothing for literally all your active needs: tees, hoodies, leggings, jackets, swimwear, and more.
But underneath all that, their colorful range of men’s sustainable boxers and boxer briefs will keep you dry and moving comfortably.
Patagonia’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The fair trade mens boxers and Essential boxer briefs are TENCEL™ lyocell with 5% spandex.
The more technical Sender briefs contain recycled nylon and 11% spandex micromesh, enhanced with HeiQ® Pure odor control.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Patagonia repeatedly scores high on Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index.
They’re Fair Trade certified (and 87% of their garments are, too), a Certified B Corp, and each product page includes “Footprint Chronicles” detailing where garments are made.
Green business practices:
For those looking to recycle clothes for money, the Worn Wear program accepts unwanted Patagonia items to either recycle or resell. They’ll also repair your garments for life.
They support regenerative agriculture by participating in two Regenerative Organic Certified™ pilots—one in apparel and one in food.
100% of their US energy needs are met with renewable energy.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes run XS – 3XL with extended sizes up to 4XL.
They’re working to become an anti-racism organization by employing more POC and working with Native activists to protect “stolen Native” public land from harmful legislation.
Community & charitable giving:
Founders of 1% for the Planet, involved in climate justice-related political activism, and creators of the Action Works community involvement tool, Patagonia is the patagucci of do-good acts.
Available: Patagonia
10. THOUGHT
About Thought
Thought encourages you to be thoughtful by choosing timeless, well-constructed garments.
And like all the clothing they make, their ethical mens boxers are “gentle on your skin and the planet”.
If you prefer tighter-fit boxers or boxer briefs, they have a variety of designs and lengths that will suit.
thought’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices:
Materials:
Thought’s best sustainable mens boxers are their GOTS organic cotton ones.
The bamboo line features ECOCERT and FSC-certified organic bamboo viscose and organic cotton.
Both contain 5% elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a founding member of Common Objective and Ethical Trading Initiative, Thought is committed to fair working conditions, sustainable production, and animal welfare.
While not made-in-the-UK ethical boxers, they partner exclusively with GOTS, GRS, and/or fair trade certified suppliers and factories (in India, China, and Turkey) that share their ethos.
Green business practices:
Chemicals used in bamboo processing are discharged via minimal impact methods.
In addition to recycling production scraps, garment recycling is available for UK customers and repair guidelines are available if you’re based elsewhere.
Products are shipped in biodegradable garment bags and recyclable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run XS – XL.
Community & charitable giving:
Further preventing waste, sample styles and surplus stock are donated to UK nonprofits Traid, Smart Works, and In Kind Direct.
Available: Thought
Thought has featured in articles on sustainable rain jackets and bamboo pajamas.
11. MIGHTY GOOD BASICS
About Mighty Good Basics
Australian company Mighty Good Basics makes sustainable basics that are, well…, mighty good.
How better to clothe your “down under” areas than with ethical boxers from yours truly Australia?
In addition to women’s tanks, their organic fair trade boxers for men come in boxer briefs, briefs, and trunks.
Mighty Good Basics’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Simplicity makes for the most eco friendly boxers, which is why MGB’s are simply GOTS, Fairtrade organic cotton withand minimal elastane.
Only GOTS-certified AZO-free dyes are used.
Supply chain & labor practices:
MGB provides transparent supply chain info, like factory locations in India and their certifications and employee benefits.
Green business practices:
Wondering what to do with old underwear?
MBG is working on an underwear recycling program as they aim for full circularity.
They recycle water used in dyeing and employ innovative methods to reduce manufacturing energy—like burning rice industry waste, not fossil fuels.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run S – L.
Available: Mighty Good Basics
12. ORGANIC BASICS
About Organic Basics
OB knows a thing or two about sleepwear and basics.
But if you specifically want ethical white boxers, Organic Basics is the place.
Organic Basic’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The affordable sustainable boxers and briefs are made from either GOTS certified organic cotton (sourced from Europe) or TENCEL™ lyocell.
Both are blended with 5% elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Organic Basics provides a breakdown (working hours, production capacity, employee benefits, and certifications) of their factories.
Employees regularly visit to speak with workers and ensure working conditions are up to standard.
Organic Basics is BSCI-compliant, PETA-approved vegan, and a member of Sedex.
Green business practices:
Organic Basics offers a carbon-neutral website and worldwide shipping thanks to investments in carbon offset programs, including the Koru Wind Farm in Turkey.
For exact numbers, see their Impact Report.
Inclusivity:
Ethnically diverse models are used to display all S-XXL sizes.
This is part of their Body Friendly Manifesto, which also has them increasing the upper limits of their size range and offering in-between sizes.
Community & charitable giving:
The Organic Basics Fund accepts proposals from environmental grassroots activists and organizations to award grants.
Available: Organic Basics
13. PAPER PROJECT
About Paper Project:
And the award for most innovative fabric goes to…Paper Project.
They design “for open-minded people who are willing to try new things and gain new perspectives.”
In the context of ethical briefs, this means being open to Paper Project’s unconventional material of choice: paper yarn.
Paper yarn, or “washi,” has been traditionally used in Japan since the 1600s, but modern technology has allowed Paper Project to push the boundaries of this ancient material.
Based on ISO testing, it wicks 1.5x more moisture than cotton.
Paper Project’s Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Paper yarn is combined with recycled polyester, organic cotton, rayon, and/or polyurethane.
The Mint Tech line of men’s sustainable boxers blends mint extract into the fabric to enhance its antibacterial, deodorizing properties.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Paper yarn starts with Manila hemp, a species of banana tree found primarily in the Philippines that is critical to the Philippine economy and culture.
The hemp is made into paper at a factory in Mino, Japan, then twisted into paper yarn.
Green business practices:
Manila hemp is a fast-growing alternative to wood pulp.
It can be harvested three times per year—much more frequently than trees grown for paper—and it reduces soil erosion and increases biodiversity.
Inclusivity:
Eco friendly mens boxers sizes range from XS to XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
Paper Project donates one tree for every order through the National Forest Foundation. Since their founding only three years ago, they’ve planted over 7000 trees.
Available: Paper Project
HOW WE FOUND THE BEST SUSTAINABLE MENS BOXERS
So you’re looking for sustainable boxers, but how do you really get to the bottom of sustainability?
Using our sustainable and ethical fashion criteria, here’s a brief summary of what we looked for:
Materials:
Sustainable fabrics are the fundamentals of the most eco-friendly boxers, so we choose those with minimal impact in production and end-of-life.
We favor renewable natural materials like hemp and recycled or organic cotton, or semi-synthetic ones like TENCEL lyocell, modal fabric, or closed-loop bamboo fabric.
In some cases recycled synthetics are also a good alternative like those found in men’s sustainable swimwear.
A good pair of underwear has a little give, but that signature stretch often calls for elastane or spandex. As technology advances, we hope recycled elastane becomes a viable option.
- Certifications: OEKO-TEX® 100, PETA, GOTS Certified, Fair Trade, Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Ecocert, Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), and bluesign®
Supply chain & labor practices:
No but(t)s about it, brands must show consideration for human rights at all stages of production—meaning safe, voluntary working conditions and fair wages.
Third-party certifications can verify their commitment so we know there’s no greenwashing staining our ethical white boxers.
- Certifications: B Corp, Fair Trade, BSCI, WRAP, and SA8000
Green business practices:
Beyond making sustainable boxers, brands can do more to reduce their carbon footprint.
Supporting carbon offset programs, using low waste packaging, and implementing energy-saving and water-efficient manufacturing practices are examples.
Since zero waste is the future, we also look for circularity like garment recycling programs.
Inclusivity:
Brands should support all bodies so we seek inclusive sizing and body-positive brand imaging and hiring practices.
Community & charitable giving:
Beyond products, when comparing apples with apples, we choose those that are involved in making the world better—through activism or donations.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL BOXERS
We like big butts (and we cannot lie).
And butts of all sizes deserve comfort just not at the expense of our planet.
Besides, fast fashion’s a bummer, especially since these brands prove ethical and eco friendly briefs are possible.
The bottom line is this: Change often starts with what’s underneath and every effort counts—even one as small as pulling on sustainable boxers (and then your sustainable men’s activewear).
Share with your fellow eco-conscious man (or woman) so together, we can support brands doing better.
