Climate change and fast fashion aren’t the only sensitive areas we’ll be talking about in this article: it’s time we unpack(age) the world of sustainable men’s underwear. To put it briefly, traditional synthetic underwear—often manufactured using formaldehyde—are pretty junky for your junk, having been linked with low sperm count and cancer.

While secondhand skivvies are undoubtedly the most sustainable option, are you game enough to sport someone’s preloved jock strap? Us neither. So, how do we navigate this delicate issue for our delicate bits?

By choosing men’s underwear that is made by brands who are raising the bar (and your booty), by using safe, responsible materials, fair labor and ethical supply chains. And that’s exactly the kind of underwear we’ve rounded up here for you.

In the coming months when we refresh this list, we’ll also be testing brands against a host of eco-related criteria per our new Brand Rating System—looking at factors like climate impact, green business practices and low-impact packaging. For more on how we’ll start evaluating brands, see our rating approach here.

We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.

Our Favorite Ethical Mens Underwear

Allbirds is a leader in its industry pushing for carbon zero in its production of sustainable mens underwear.

The community-run collective at ASKET works together to create cohesive, classic designs.

We’ve also been sporting Pact’s ethically manufactured knit boxers and can honestly say they’re some of the most comfortable boxers we own, thanks to the flat waistband, tagless back, and ultra-soft organic cotton fabric.

Index: Eco-Friendly Men’s Underwear

Subset

Subset has not been rated.

Price Range: $24

NYC-based Subset is one of our favorite organic underwear brands, offering incredibly comfortable underwear for men as well as lounge basics like tees, robes, and socks.

They source their organic cotton from Gujarat, India (and from Turkey for their socks) and partner with a GOTS and Fair Trade-certified factory in Tamil Nadu, India, for manufacturing. Colors are courtesy of OEKO-TEX certified dyes, ensuring clean underwear free from toxic chemical residues. All orders ship carbon neutral and plastic-free from their Brooklyn, NY Warehouse using FSC-certified, mostly recycled cardboard and paper.

You can refresh your top drawer with two styles of polyester free underwear; boxers and boxer briefs. Both are made from 95% organic cotton with 5% elastane for added stretch.

To dispose of those you’re replacing, send in your old boxers (from any brand) with a pre-paid envelope, and they’ll be recycled via the circularity platform Supercircle. You’ll also get $25 towards your next order for doing so.

My Personal Review of Subset’s Organic Boxer Briefs:

“I’m really impressed with Subset’s undies and the boxer briefs. Such comfortable underwear too. The organic cotton is super soft, and their ultra-comfortable waistband doesn’t rub or dig in, even if I’m doing something active like climbing or bouldering. I found the slim-fit sizing and 4” inseam perfect for all-around function, too.”

Review by Christopher Ryan, SJ’s Menswear Tewester

Allbirds

Allbirds has not been rated.

Price Range: $24–$26

From kickstarter to global kicks company, Carbon Neutral-certified Allbirds is one of our favorite brands for sustainable sneakers, slippers, socks, and tees. Add on their environmentally friendly men’s underwear, and they’ve got you covered from the bottom of your feet to your actual bottom.

Co-founded by a renewable materials expert, their clothing and footwear collections feature materials such as TENCEL lyocell, wool, and carbon-negative SweetFoam™ ( a sugarcane-based EVA). The Certified B Corp shares its factory list, which includes a LEED-certified factory in Vietnam and a WRAP-certified factory in China. They use 90% post-consumer recycled packaging and partner with Soles4Souls to donate gently used items to those in need.

You’ll find two styles of underwear: trunks and boxer briefs. Both feature 56% organic cotton, 38% TENCEL™ lyocell, and 6% spandex and are available in sizes S-XXL. Choose between black, grey, and a couple of limited edition colors.

Pact

Pact has not been rated.

Price Range: $20–$63

Another of our favorite sustainable underwear brands, Colorado-based Pact offers better-for-the-planet basics. From hoodies, tops, and tees to pants and socks, all are made from organic cotton, and sometimes blended with a small amount of elastane for added stretch.

All of their garments are made by Fair Trade-certified factories in India, where they source their organic cotton. They share the amount of water saved through organic farming and the amount of CO2 offset per garment in each product description. Orders ship plastic-free in FSC-certified Vela™ paper mailers.

Their men’s underwear is available in five styles: boxer briefs, extended boxer briefs (with longer legs), knit boxers, trunks, and briefs. They also offer layering long johns for chilly winter days. All styles are made from 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane in various colors and prints.

My Personal Review of Pact’s Knit Boxers:

“I tested Pact’s knit boxers and can safely say they are some of my faves. The dreamily soft organic cotton fabric combined with the smooth flat waistband and tagless back (I find tags can be annoying in underwear so this is a big one for me) make these some of the most comfortable boxers I own. Because they’re a little thicker (but not too bunchy!), they also make an excellent sleep short.”

Review by Christopher Ryan, SJ’s Menswear Tester

ASKET

ASKET has not been rated.

Price Range: $30 ($75 for a pack of three)

You won’t find any collections from Swedish company ASKET. Instead, the slow fashion brand offers timeless, durable essentials shipped worldwide from its warehouse in Poland. Garments are made with GOTS-certified organic cotton, TENCEL lyocell, linen, wool, and recycled synthetics.

Committed to Full Transparency, they can trace 89% of their products from “from farm to finish line” and aim for 100%. Each product page includes the cost breakdown, supply chain details, and the amount of energy, water, and CO2 emissions it took to create. Garments are manufactured in Europe (mainly Portugal and Italy) by ILO-compliant partners that pay a living wage. ASKET provides spare parts, repair guides, and a buyback program to help keep clothing in use for longer.

They offer just one essential style of boxer briefs made from 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane. They’re designed for comfort (with flat inner seams and a double-lined cup) and a flexible fit in sizes XS-XL.

MeUndies

MeUndies has not been rated.

Price Range: $26–$28

LA-based brand MeUndiesexist(s) to make you feel good” with a range of basics for men: tops, tees, hoodies, bottoms, PJs, undies, socks, and more. Their main material combines MicroModal® (from beech trees) with 8% elastane, dyed with low-impact dyes. We’d avoid the MoveMe collection that’s made from 70% nylon, 22% elastane, and 8% recycled nylon. Because these contain mostly virgin synthetics, we suggest avoiding.

MeUndies works with regularly audited factories in Sri Lanka, Turkey, Guatemala, China, and California that pay fair wages and support employees with benefits such as transportation and free meals. Partnering with The Body Positive, the LA LGBT Center, and the Fashion Scholarship Fund, MeUndies Gives helps “fight conformity and promote acceptance”.

No one makes underwear like MeUndies. We’d bet cash-money MeUndies’ patterned skivvies have the quirkiest designs, from ‘smores to balloon animals, as well as more classic choices.

There’s a style and fit for all bodies (boxer briefs, boxers, trunks, briefs, jockstraps, and thongs included. The inclusive sizing runs XS-4XL, and with their MatchMe tool, you can “match your bottom half to your better half” with identical undergarment sets.

B3NTH

B3NTH has not been rated.

Price Range: $26–$85

BN3TH is a Canadian ethical men’s underwear brand prioritizing comfort, athletic performance, and (most importantly) the great outdoors. Their fabric repertoire includes TENCEL™ modal from sustainably sourced beech trees, GRS-certified polyester, and Responsible Wool Standard-certified merino wool (combined with 13% nylon) for their performance base layers.

Working towards carbon neutrality, they offset all TENCEL™ modal products, and for every tree used, one is planted. They partner with a state-of-the-art sustainable factory in China that uses solar energy, minimizes waste, and empowers its employees (we’ll check on ethical manufacturing specifics).

They offer trunks, boxer briefs, bike liners, and full-length underwear. With their MyPakage Pouch Technology™, they guarantee a 3-dimensional chafe-free and ultra-breathable fit, no more shifting or adjusting on your tempo run. The Entourage series, made from a quick-drying, 90% recycled polyester mesh, is ideal for watersports and comes in heaps of funky prints.

TBô

TBô has not been rated.

Price Range: $20–$80 (various size multipacks are available)

Do you want a hand in creating your own jewel-supporting undergarments? Sustainable men’s underwear brand TBô is the em-boody-ment of community-run. Join the 400,000+ “Tribesmen” to co-create products via surveys to design the ultimate fitting underwear made from bamboo viscose. Products ship from the USA and Switzerland.

We don’t know the details of their bamboo fabric manufacturing (we’ve asked and will fill you in as soon as we know), but we do know they’re OEKO-TEX certified, meaning, they’ve been tested for residual chemical content. Partner factories are BSCI-certified, and orders ship in recyclable and biodegradable cardstock without miscellaneous, wasteful garment tags.

They cover all underwear cuts from boxer briefs to jockstraps and thongs in a selection of colors from classic to bright.

Cariloha

Cariloha has not been rated.

Price Range: $22–$28

Say aloha to Caribbean-inspired Cariloha, and don’t be put off by their prickly pineapple logo, as these undergarments are anything but(t).

Boasting CertiPur-US and OEKO-TEX certifications, Cariloha’s bamboo viscose is safely made in a closed loop process with GOTS-approved solvents. The Certified B Corp works with suppliers and factories in Turkey, China, and the US, some of which are Fair Trade-certified. They’re on route to becoming carbon neutral and give back to various non-profits each year.

Name aside, their solid and printed bamboo-tiful boxer briefs have us daydreaming of a hammock-swinging snooze. Made of soft and breezy bamboo viscose blended with 5% spandex, they feature a tagless waistband and are available in S-2XL sizes.

Apparel orders ship in 100% compostable mailer bags, and if you donate $1 at checkout, one bamboo tree will be planted to fight deforestation in Mindanao.

tentree

tentree has not been rated.

Price Range: $35

What brand plants ten trees for every item purchased? That would be Canadian-based tentree. One of our favorite sustainable outdoor clothing brands, they also offer plenty of loungewear and basics like tops, tees, joggers, and pants.

As a Certified B Corp, transparency is key. tentree publishes its factory ledger on its website detailing the standards of garment production and working conditions. Their certifications include Fair Wear Foundation, SA8000, WRAP, Fair Trade, and BSCI. Carbon Neutral Certified, they’re committed to eliminating single-use plastic and ship using recyclable, biodegradable mailers made from post-consumer recycled plastic.

Their slim-fit boxer briefs are made from 57% TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ lyocell, 38% organic cotton, and 5% elastane and come in sizes S-XXL. Each pair saves 60.12 liters of water and 0.43 kg of CO2 compared to the industry standard.