Boxer shorts are worn by men as their undergarments. They get their name from the fact that they look exactly the same as the shorts worn by professional boxers. The key benefit of wearing these shorts is the comfort and ease associated with their design.

Styles of Boxer Shorts

Boxer shorts have three basic styles; the open fly design, gripper boxer design, and Yoke front boxer design. The open fly design has a ‘fly’ in front of it which can be closed with the help of buttons. Many manufacturers cut the shorts as such that their fabric overlaps each other, thus automatically covering up the open fly.

The gripper boxers have a maximum of 3 snaps on their fly and waist area to easily open the shorts. Similarly, Yoke front boxers have a yoke waistband which wider than the regular elastic waistband and they also have 3 snaps which help close the yoke waistband, though the fly has none. Gripper boxers and Yoke front boxers are less popular than the open fly design.

Some other varieties of boxer shorts are also available. These include tight boxers, loose boxers, long boxers, and short boxers. No matter which variety the customer chooses to buy, all of them are made out of the same material which is either pure cotton or cotton with a bit of elastane added. The elastane material helps in producing the desired flexibility and stretch-ability in the boxers. As mentioned before, the boxer shorts can be of varying lengths, colors, sizes, and designs. What matters is the comfort in the pelvic area and ease of sitting and making any other posture while they are worn since their prime purpose is to provide relaxation as opposed to tightly hugging undergarments.

Benefits of Boxer Shorts

Boxer shorts are known and appreciated for their benefits in terms of men’s health too. They allow men’s body temperature to remain steady and prevent too much heat accumulation in the pelvic area as opposed to the tightly fitting briefs which can cause health and hygiene issues. In addition to it, wearing boxer shorts does not cause any fertility issues in men and is a safe undergarment.

Boxers can also be worn by less fit men to hide their bulging bellies and giving off a more shaped up to look in settings they choose to roam around in their boxers. Men with slimmer waistlines may choose to wear boxer briefs.

Boxer briefs are not boxers. They are their substitute. As opposed to boxers, they are tight-fitting and despite their equal popularity in the men, briefs carry no health benefits. Their only edge lies in their tight-fitting styles which allow men with slimmer waistlines and athletic builds to show off their bodies.

However, many companies have come up with the idea of boxer briefs. Which are a cross over between the two extremes, combining the health benefits and comfort of boxers and sexiness of briefs together. Boxer briefs are shorter in length and fit perfectly well inside a professional business suit and gym gear.

Last but not the least, boxer shorts can be worn anywhere, however, under no circumstances they must be shown off in professional or work-related settings. Every place has its decorum which must be respected. Even while going out to public places, it is advised that men wear pants over them. If they want to show their boxers off, they may slightly pull their pants down which will reveal their boxers’ waistbands, etc.

Disadvantages of Boxer Shorts

The only disadvantage of wearing boxer shorts is that they can clog under tighter garments and suits. Thus, for special occasions and events, you might want to go for a tighter boxer or maybe a brief.

Use of Boxer Shorts

Boxers can be worn with pants and long shorts too. Many men choose to stay in their boxers inside homes as they find them comfortable. A recent trend of showing your boxers off in more casual settings had led many people to buy high-end branded boxers.

Many men prefer wearing sold colored boxers and pick vibrant ones. Others may choose to wear boxers made out of fabric other than cotton which generally is the best option as per health perspective. These may include silk boxers and synthetic blend boxers. Ideally, you may wear boxers made out of different materials depending on the occasion, event or environment you are in. Silk boxers give a wealthy, posh feel making them suitable for special occasions. If you are staying in for the weekend, you may wear cotton ones.