Because cotton is so bad for holding odor and moisture (which causes chaffing), I had switched to UnderArmor. Wow, that didn't help the odor. Don't believe their no odor claim! UA holds odor that you can't even wash out. When I found out about merino wool, I thought, "that's too good to be true". I looked at the reviews on Amazon and it seemed that everyone agreed.
ODOR CONTROL::
I decided to do a "ugly" test on these merino wool underwear; I wore them for several days. I was amazed when (on the last day) I went to use the restroom and I did not even have an odor on my skin; and no, I would not be use to it. The UA underwear would just about knock me out when I used the restroom. Then recently, I wore them in mid 90's temperature's, making new steps for my walkway. It was an all day job and when I completed, my clothes were soaked. I was wearing my merino wool underwear and a merino wool short sleeve base layer top (and jeans of course or I'd be arrested) and none of my clothes had an odor... NONE. It is obvious that the odor from the underwear is the majority of the odor that transfers to the outer layer worn (jeans, etc). This product is well worth the cost for everyone.
SIZING:
I read the reviews on the sizing and made my choice from there. I'm 6'4" at about 190 pounds. I hike regularly and lift weights occasionally. At 190, I'm not a particularly large man but rather have an athletic build. This is important for your info trust me. One concern I had was constricting around the legs as many people complained about, and too tight elsewhere. One thing we must understand, people like to wear different types of underwear so this is important. I prefer the snug, athletic support, fit. I wear a 30 31 waist and ordered a medium because people said they were sized small. I messed up and threw the boxes away. While the fit was ok for some people, I like mine a bit snugger; thus I had to take up the waist and tighten the legs just a tad to get the fit I like.
I also ordered a small to see how that size fit. The small fit just like I like, except they were a bit tight on the legs. The problems comes in the design. The waist has elastic but the legs do not; therefore while the waist will stretch out for that nice snug fit that some like, the legs do not. I've yet to wear them for any length of time to see if the material itself will stretch; but will update when I do.
UPDATE: It's now Feb 7,13, and the undies are going strong. The legs on the smalls stretched a bit and I can not tell when I put on the small vs the mediums that I ended up tailoring. As far as durability, I've owned these shorts for just over 6 months now. I've got quite a few of these shorts. Depending on rotation (which I don't keep track of) a pair may get warn a couple days a week. I've seen no signs of wear on any of the shorts, even my tailored ones.
TEMPERATURE:
While I have not notices a "cooling" feel in this heat, I have also not noticed any warmer a sensation with this heat either. They seem to make no difference (in hot temperatures) from my cotton or UA synthetic underwear; which is still a plus.
WASHING:
I have a number of wool clothing and know a shop owner who specializes in wool. Typically wool has to be cared for in a more delicate manner when washing. Reviewing claims made by merino wool manufacturers I see the most realistic claim is you can machine wash and dry on low with LITTLE concern or issue. So, here's a piece of advice for wool owner no matter the type of wool you have. DO NOT dry clean your wool. Dry cleaning shortens the life of the wool. NO NOT use woolite detergent; which shortens the life more than dry cleaning. Wash all your wool on the gentile cycle using shampoo. Wool is hair and shampoo is a gentile soap designed for hair. Don't dry the wool. As a hair dryer damages the hair on your head, the dryer will damage the hair of your garment. The light weight wool garments will dry in a couple hours of hanging, and a little longer laying them on a towel. My friend has been doing this and has some old style wool shirts that are more than 20 years old; though I don't expect these light weight fabrics to last nearly that long.
CONCLUSION:
I've discarded my UA undies and wear my merino full time; and now my wife is making the switch also. I'm currently buying more merino wool shirts. The odor control far outweighs the price.
God bless
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I know what you're thinkingwool for men's briefs? "Gonna be hot and itchy, like the old union suits. "
Not so, Buffalo Bob! Merino wool is soft and itchless. It also breathes so well and wicks so wellit's actually cooler than cotton on hot days. (Of course, it's also warmer than cotton on cold days.) For hiking, merino wool is far superior.
Of course, Merino wool doesn't last as long as synthetics or even cotton. However, its life can be extended by hand washing in Eucalan, even though these are machine washable.
Minus 33 bills the size I got as a "xxxl" but it's more like a "xxl", I suggest you read the sizing guide before buying.
I have now tried all three merino wool men's briefs out thereSmartwool, Icebreaker and now Minus 33. Icebreaker had deceptive sizing, scads of tags, a high price and wore out very quickly. Smartwool has the least tags, fairly good sizing, decent wear and a middling price. Minus 33 has a minor sizing issue (check out the size guide), a couple of tags (why?), and is the least expensive if bought here. I have not owned mine long enough to be able to comment on the wear issue.
So, I'd say give them a try. Trust me guys, merino wool is *THE* way to go for hiking, or any extended outdoor use. No more chafing, etc.
Best Deals for Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Acadian Lightweight Boxer Brief
After being recently put on the deployment list at my company, I was advised that we shouldn't wear UnderArmour or other poly-based microfiber clothing over to Iraq or Afghanistan due the risk of being shrink-wrapped in case of an IED or other combustion situation.
Following some research and trepidation about wool underwear (I've been wearing UnderArmour for the last several years; UA's wicking is nice on the humid East Coast) I decided to try -33 as more price competitive compared to the Smartwool options. Warning: -33 are at least 50% more expensive than UA and double the price of a fruit of the loom 4-pack. Smartwool is even more expensive. Unfortunately I ended up wasting $32 buying what should have been my size (xxl) Umm...wow they were tight.
They did however show promise. I then bought several sets in xxxl. After several days wearing them around town (plus the -33 T-shirts too) I can report that they are remarkably comfortable. The fabric is smooth, almost like a very high quality jersey sheet. No itching at all.
Compared to UA, they do retain heat at the early stages of exertion, but the wicking effect kicks in and equalizes the heat. On the other hand, my office is pretty cold and the -33's do feel warmer compared to the UA, even after hiking from one end of the building to the other and back. I have not tried them during gym workouts or bike rides so that will have to wait for later experimentation. Washing them is easy in cold water, and they dry quickly on the rack. The instructions say they can be tossed in the dryer on low however I am dreading what happens when the KBR laundry in the sandbox gets hold of them.
Four things that I would improve, were I in charge of -33 for a day: 1. get rid of or minimize the tags; 2. make the waistband wider, perhaps up to 1"; 3. put a better and wider elastic in the leg occasionally feels like a tourniquet around my mid-thigh; and 4. make them so they can stand at least medium dryer heat without shrinking.
Overall a decent foray into wool skivvies. Your results may vary
Honest reviews on Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Acadian Lightweight Boxer Brief
i use these while hiking and such in hot and humid FL. i prefer these over many of the other wool briefs i have tried, good fit, wicks moisture away well, no chafing. i do wish the fit would be a bit tighter and shorter, these are pretty long and don't fit too close to the body (which some people might like). i would prefer this short to be closer to a compression short, however i have yet to find a manufacture that produces a short like that.
in short, this short is the best of it's kind i have found.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Acadian Lightweight Boxer Brief
I've owned the uber-expensive Arc'Teryx Eon SLW merino boxer briefs and the Smartwool Lightweight merino boxer briefs. When the dirty bird ones wore out I needed a replacement and these were the right price. So far, of the three, these are the most comfortable.
The Arc'Teryx have the best fit and finish of the three. The Smartwool seem to have been the most durable. The Minus 33 brand are the most comfortable, so far. But, of the three, these are the only ones I haven't yet taken out on the trail for days. I'm a bit concerned about the center seam in the back. Could be a chafing point. Will report back soon.
But the hand of the fabric on these is the softest of any merino boxers I've tried. Almost has a brushed texture to it. Makes me wish I telecommuted for my job; I'd just sit around in these.
Best feature of the Minus 33 shorts is that the waist band is covered in the soft merino cloth, unlike the exposed elastic band on the Arc'Teryx and Smartwool models (old Smartwool versions were like this but 2012 changed to exposed elastic). The covered band is much more comfortable and doesn't flip over on itself. Also on these, the leg opening is more comfortable with an actual stretch-fabric band rather than just hemmed material. Keeps them from riding up/bunching up. May be a bit snug on larger guys, but for the slimmer athletic guys this fit is good.
Overall, completely satisfied with the purchase. Will update as to durability and any problems with chafing points.
THESE RUN SMALL. ORDER ONE SIZE UP FROM YOUR NORMAL SIZE! (e.g. If you normally wear small, order medium.)
Side note: If you're worried about the blue "Minus 33" logo on the leg in the picture, they may or may not all have this. Mine did not.
