Men’s briefs have made quite a return to popularity in recent years. The fashion for skinny-fit trousers has helped, longer pant styles are more prone to bunching under close fitting clothing and can be very uncomfortable. And the growth of gym culture has also played a part: not only do briefs help accentuate a well-defined body, they are the best cut for well-developed thighs.
And there are other benefits to men’s briefs. If you are - ahem - well endowed then briefs will keep everything in place and ensure it doesn’t flap around like a rabbit in a sack. But for many guys, the simplicity of style and the ease of fit make men’s briefs the style of choice.
Yet when shopping for men’s briefs, decisions have to be taken, choices made.
If you’ve been shopping around already, you’ll almost certainly have noticed that there are a lot of men’s briefs to choose from. You’ve got your classic ‘Y-front’ styles offering a little more coverage, there are briefs that have almost no leg coverage at all, and there are even thongs which fall into this category.
Yes, thongs. Men can wear thongs too. Great for summer.
So, to help make choosing a pair of briefs easier for you, our philosopher of fine underwear, the Pantsman, has helped us compile a helpful list of the very best briefs for men in 2022. Let’s get into it.
Our best men’s briefs top picks
- HOM HO1 Mini Brief (Best mini briefs)
- CR7 Cotton Briefs (For ‘sex appeal’)
- Calvin Klein Hip Briefs (Best hip briefs)
- BOSS Stretch Signature (For stretchy comfort)
- Puma Basic Brief (On a budget)
- Polo Ralph Lauren Briefs (For luxury comfort)
- Calvin Klein Thong (For minimalists)
HOM HO1 Mini Brief
Best men’s mini briefs
HOM HO1 Mini Briefs are top quality briefs. As soon as you try them on, you’ll see why they’re our ‘best in class’ for mini briefs. They are exceedingly comfortable and offer amazing freedom of movement and support in all situations.
They feature an innovative horizontal opening, which is suitable for either right or left handed men (a nice touch) and plenty of elastic up front to ensure the most supportive fit possible.
If you’re not a fan of synthetic materials, these are also an excellent option, being crafted from natural modal cotton, which is soft to the touch and highly breathable. The HOM logo is understated for a touch of class and they come in several classic light and dark colours. These are definitely the briefs for you if you like freedom of movement, minimal coverage, and have a bit of cash to splash.
CR7 Cotton Briefs
Best men’s briefs for ‘sex appeal’
Christiano Ronaldo is a fine specimen of a human male. Whilst you might not be able to look like him - or play football like him - you can feel like him in the CR7 Cotton Briefs designed by his underwear company.
His goal when creating these briefs was to provide luxury without compromise or sky-high costs. He believes that an amazing fit and quality fabrics go far in making your underwear timeless and luxurious.
And he’s not wrong. These are some sexy, sophisticated briefs. And you definitely don’t have to break the bank to get them.
Ronaldo believes that there are a few luxuries that every man should treat himself to: a good cologne, a nice timepiece, and some excellent underwear. He has delivered on the latter. And you don’t even have to be a football fan to appreciate them. These are sex appeal made manifest.
Calvin Klein Hip Briefs
Best men’s hip briefs
Part of the CK cotton stretch range, the Calvin Klein Hip Briefs are great little briefs that will more than keep up with your hectic daily life, providing you with a superior fit and comfort while you’re… being hectic.
They’re a cotton-elastane blend, which is what gives them their stretch, and they sit comfortably on the hips, providing minimal leg coverage, maximised range of motion, and enough support to hold up the back wall of a house.
OK, that last point wasn’t true. But they’ll support your package and that’s what counts!
They come in a range of classic colours and a handy 3-pack, so they’re a perfect way to expand your collection of briefs quickly. CK is also a huge name in men’s underwear, so for those of you who are brand conscious, pick some of these up and add them to your collection.
BOSS Stretch Signature
Best men’s briefs for stretchy comfort
Another huge name in men’s underwear, BOSS Stretch Signature provides you with briefs with superior stretch and comfort built in.
You don’t just buy BOSS briefs for the large Hugo BOSS logo emblazoned across the waistband. They’re well-respected, reliable, and will provide you with an extremely comfortable pair of pants.
These sit at a regular rise and also come in a 3-pack, so are yet another great place to start if you’re thinking of making the transition into a brief style of underwear without having to worry about comfort.
Puma Basic Brief
Best briefs for men on a budget
The Puma Basic Briefs are nice and simple. At just £14 for a 2-pack, they’re not only a great starting point on your brief journey, they’re also great for expanding your collection in a hurry or for wearing when you might not want to take some of your fancier, more expensive briefs into the fray.
This makes these Puma briefs great for sportsmen. They’re inexpensive and thus easily replaced if you manage to somehow damage them through any of your sporting endeavours.
Naturally, they’re supportive and provide excellent freedom of movement.
Basic by name, but not so basic by nature that you’ll constantly be needing to replace them. An excellent choice for those on a budget.
Polo Ralph Lauren Briefs
Best men’s briefs for luxurious comfort
Everyone and their mum has heard of Ralph Lauren and its reputation for high quality, designer products. These briefs are no exception to this rule. They are an amazing pair of pants.
Created in a 95/5% cotton to elastane blend, Polo Ralph Lauren Briefs are generously stretchy, fit all shapes and sizes, and are super breathable and soft.
The logo is nice and obvious in contrast on the waistband for you brand-conscious guys, so everyone can know that you don’t compromise on luxury. An excellent pair of pants.
Calvin Klein Thong
Best for minimalists who think briefs have too much fabric
Whilst not strictly briefs, we thought it would be a fine idea to include the Calvin Klein Thong here.
Yes, men wear thongs.
No, they’re not just for women.
Yes, they’re damn comfortable.
Yes, I’m wearing some right now.
TMI..?
Simply put, thongs are an excellent choice for minimalists out there. You want quality support, but you want to entirely minimise your fabric coverage. Well, thongs have you covered (or not). Give them a try and find out for yourself how good they are for summer weather.
We dare you...
So which men’s briefs are best?
There’s a whistle-stop tour through our very best briefs. Whilst there is no ‘best of the best’ (as the Pantsman says, we love all our children equally), there’s definitely a pair on this list that is right for you.
If you’re on a budget, it’s Puma all the way.
Calvin Klein, BOSS, and Ralph Lauren are excellent choices for big brand luxury and comfort.
C7 carries Ronaldo’s own sex appeal with them to boost your confidence.
Jockey caters for the traditionalists, the lovers of classic style, with its Y-front designs.
And there’s the thong. Whilst not technically a brief, like we said… we dare you. You won’t regret it.
Don’t forget to check out our underwear size guide to make sure you walk away with the best-fitting pants that you possibly can. And if you’re on the fence about briefs, then make sure to take a look at our underwear style guide to find the right style for you.
If you’d prefer to browse our full range yourself and explore at your leisure, view all our men's underwear and immerse yourself in the world of pants.
Otherwise, we hope you found this guide to the best men’s briefs useful, and we’ll catch you next time!