We all know the fashion industry does more damage than good to the environment. The use of toxic chemicals, unethically-made fabrics, and plastic packaging in fast fashion create some of the worst pollutants in the world. Among the many ills of fast fashion, you’ll find boxers and briefs produced fast and cheaply, often under unethical working conditions, including child labor and unfair wages.
If you are concerned about the ethics of your clothing and are trying to make sustainable changes to your closet, your boxer shorts and briefs are an excellent place to start.
Ethical boxers come in sustainable materials and fabrics that are both good for your skin and the planet. By switching to ethical and eco-friendly underwear, you can stay comfortable all day, knowing your boxers and briefs were made under fair conditions.
Read through our list of ethical and sustainable boxers and briefs from ethical brands.
Here’s a list of some of the best ethical men’s underwear brands that make the most comfortable and sustainable underwear. These sustainable underwear brands use eco-friendly materials and ethical production methods that are beneficial to you, people, and the planet.
Materials: Hemp, Organic Cotton
Size range: S - XXL
Made with 55% hemp fabric and 45% organic cotton, these sustainable men’s boxer briefs are very lightweight and super comfortable to wear. The hemp fabric is highly absorbent and naturally anti-bacterial, making them safe and healthy for your skin. The fabric is organically grown, and free of pesticides and fertilizers.
AsatreCo’s hemp boxers have an elastic waistband that makes them sit perfectly on your waist without sagging. They are super soft and breathable, making them the perfect nightwear for you.
These boxer briefs come in sizes ranging from small to large. They are machine washable; however, the brand recommends washing them in cold water and tumble low heat.
AsatreCo is a sustainable clothing brand that makes the most affordable and sustainable hemp products, including hemp underwear, clothing, backpacks, wallets, hats, and so on. If you are not satisfied with your product, you can send them back to get them fixed right. The brand works with workers all over the world to create ethically-made products.
Materials: 95% organic cotton, 5% elastane
Size range: S-XXL
Pact makes these boxer briefs from 95% GOTS-certified organic cotton, specifically long-staple cotton. This sustainable men’s underwear pick comes with 5% elastane to give your boxers a good stretch. These boxer briefs are free of pesticides, toxic dyes, and harmful chemicals, making them safe for your skin.
They come with extended legs for more coverage. They also have a tagless back for comfortable everyday wear. They come in sizes ranging from S-XXL and show off their products on models of different shapes and sizes. Pact is an ethical underwear brand that makes a wide range of underwear, including ethical men’s underwear, women’s underwear, and loungewear.
Pact makes underwear using organic materials certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard. This delivers a promise of sustainable farming practices and healthy ecosystems. Pact is also a proud partner with Fair Trade, ensuring safe working conditions and fair wages across its entire supply chain.
Each pair of boxer briefs comes from a fair trade certified factory located in India. The brand also uses energy-efficient production practices. In fact, the brand specifies the water saved for the production of each garment on every product page.
Materials: 53% hemp, 44% GOTS-certified organic cotton, 3% spandex
Size range: S-4XL
These sustainable men’s boxer briefs from WAMA come in 53% organic hemp, 44% GOTS-certified cotton, and 3% spandex. Thanks to the hemp material, which naturally has anti-bacterial and anti-odor properties, you can be sure your privates are well protected. You can say goodbye to wedges or brunching thanks to its fitted form and a flexible waistband that ensures your boxers stay put. You can get various sizes of this sustainable underwear, ranging from S-4XL.
WAMA is not Fairtrade certified, but their Chinese factory comes with BSCI certification, ensuring fair working conditions. They also have family-run hemp farms in China, with a supplier code of conduct. The brand also looks at every detail of production, including stitching, colors, and design. WAMA claims to save 127.5 hours of LED Bulb energy and 121.4 days of drinking water with every purchase.
WAMA uses recycled materials, including 100% recycled and recyclable poly mailers, for shipping its products. The larger pack orders come in recycled cardboard boxes.
Their sustainable boxers come in post-consumer and post-industrial recycled tissue paper, which is compostable.
Their recycled paper logo sticker is not compostable. However, the brand offers a take-back program to recycle the sticker liner.
Materials: 95% GOTS-certified organic cotton, 5% elastane
Size range: S-XXL
Made with 95% GOTS-certified cotton, these boxers are grown and produced sustainably, free of harmful chemicals. They come in a simple design and are comfortable for everyday use. They also come with a tag-free elastic band for comfort and a firm fit.
They are also PETA-approved vegan, indicating cruelty-free production and no animal testing. They are also very conscious of their carbon footprint.
When it comes to supply chain and work transparency, Organic Basics raises the bar high. The brand has a numerical breakdown of working hours and other metrics for every one of its factories. They visit each of their factories to ensure that all working conditions are up to standard.
Organic Basics is a sustainable fashion brand committed to reducing its carbon footprint to the lowest possible level. They offer a wide range of timeless clothing and no seasonal collections to avoid waste. The brand provides free carbon-neutral worldwide shipping. They also purchase some of the best carbon offset programs.
Organic basics started with making eco-friendly undies and now makes a wide range of clothing, including ethical sleepwear, organic cotton t-shirts, long johns, and other types of apparel using eco-friendly materials.
Materials: 95% Fairtrade-certified organic cotton and 5% elastane
Size range: XS – XXXL
These sustainable men’s boxers combine style, support, and comfort. They make each pair of 95% certified and fairtrade cotton that is soft and breathable. They also have an elastic waistband that gives you proper support and fitting.
They come in various sizes ranging from XS-XXXL and colors including black, charcoal, grey marle, and Bondi blue. You receive your ethical underwear in a reusable organic cotton bag.
Mighty Good Basics claims to place people and the environment at the forefront of its business. They use GOTS-certified organic cotton, ensuring that factory workers are paid above the government minimum wage. The brand also uses renewable energy across its supply chain. Mighty Good Basics aims to become a fully circular business by 2025.
Materials: 90% organic fair trade cotton, 10% Spandex
Size range: S – XXL
Thunderpants is a family-owned New Zealand brand that has been in the business of making eco-friendly undies for around twenty years. These ethical men’s boxers come in fun prints made of organic cotton dyed with non-toxic inks and spandex for elasticity.
The brand says these boxers are comfortable to wear and promises no underwear lines or wedges. They grow their fairtrade cotton in India, knit it in a mill in Australia, and sew them in New Zealand, Portland, or Oregon.
When it comes to Green business practices, Thunderpants does an impressive job. Their factories purchase fabrics in bulk. If possible, they compost or repurpose fabric offcuts. They also use recyclable Eco-enclose mailers. The brand also pledged to the New Zealand government to be carbon neutral by 2050. Currently, they offset their carbon through Ekos.
Thunderpants also give charitably and have created an extension of their company to create community initiatives to support local schools and charities.
Materials: 95% Organic cotton, 5% elastane, organic dyes
Size range: S-XXL
These organic boxers and briefs are the perfect pair to add to your underwear drawer. They are made for working out, staying in, and everything in between.
Made with 95% organic cotton, these boxers are soft, breathable, and comfortable on the skin. They are free of toxins, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. They are fitted, coming in an elastic flatlock waistband that ensures you don’t have to worry about constantly adjusting your boxers. It also prevents irritated skin. Its bonded seams improve your comfort and give you a firm fit. It comes in various sizes ranging from S-XXL.
Opok claims to educate the public and follow strict guidelines for creating comfortable and sustainable clothing. They give a portion of their proceeds to save two ecosystems the fashion industry has negatively affected - coral reefs and bees. The brand claims that its manufacturing system also uses renewable energy and organic farming practices.
Materials: 95% TENCEL, Lyocell, 5% elastane
Size range: S-XXL
These boxers come in soft eucalyptus fabric from FSC managed forests. The Eucalyptus fabric is moisture-wicking, antibacterial, and breathable. They also have a much less environmental impact than cotton. Farmers also grow them free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
These boxers are medium legs and have a good fit, comfortable stitching, and soft waistband for proper fitting and comfort.
The brand offers trunks, boxers, and briefs. They make each of them under fair trade conditions following the GOTS code of conduct, protecting the rights of their workers. These boxers are PETA vegan, meaning they are free of animal cruelty and haven't been tested on animals. You can get this pair of boxers in sizes that go from S-2 XXL.
The future of sustainable fashion consists of a healthy ecosystem and ethical working conditions. With each pair of ethical boxers or briefs you buy, you contribute to creating a better planet.
Ethical boxers and underwear come in various eco-friendly fabrics you can choose from. These fabrics include organic cotton, hemp, organically grown bamboo, merino wool, and even recycled materials.
They'll all last longer than the cheaper synthetic options you'll find online; however, once you are done wearing them, check out our guide on what to do with old underwear for recycling options and tips for reuse.
With our list above for the best ethical boxers, you can shop for those boxer short essentials and do a little bit for the environment and the people producing your clothes simultaneously.
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
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