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Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > Ex Officio Sol Cool Boxer Briefs > Test Report by Duane LawrenceExOfficio Sol Cool
Men's Boxer Brief
Product Test by Duane Lawrence Initial Report - April 23, 2017 Field Report - June 30, 2017 Long Term Report - September 5, 2017 Tester Information Name: Duane Lawrence Email: duanesgear (at) yahoo (dot) com Location: Sparwood, British Columbia Canada Gender: Male Age: 44 years Height: 5’9” (1.75m) Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg) I have been an avid outdoor enthusiast for over 25 years. I enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including mountaineering, day hikes, multi-day backpacking trips, river and ocean kayaking, back-country skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking and rock climbing. I have climbed throughout British Columbia, the United States and when opportunity presents itself in Europe and India. I carry a wide variety of gear depending on the type and length of trip. I am a search and rescue team member in the Southern Canadian Rockies and am part of the swift water, rope rescue and avalanche technical teams and ground search team. Product Information & Specifications Image courtesy of ExOfficio.com Manufacturer ExOfficio Model Sol Cool Boxer Brief Web Site www.exofficio.com MSRP $38.00 Measured Weight 93 g (3.28 oz) Listed Weight 88.17 g (3.11 oz) Measured Length 37.5 mm (1.48 in) Inseam Length 10.6 cm (4.17 in) Size Tested Medium Waist 81-86 cm (32 – 34 in) Available Sizes Small to 2x extra large 76 – 112 cm (30 – 44 in) Color Tested Navy Available Colors White, Blackberry, Atlantic, Navy, Carbon, Black Material 52% Cotton 42% Nylon 6% Spandex Fit Stretch to fit Manufacturer's Claims Adapts to body heat Controls odor for the lifetime of the product Feels like cotton, performs like high-tech fabric Remains fresh and cool to the touch Design and First Impressions The ExOfficio Sol Cool Boxer Brief is made of a combination of cotton, nylon and spandex to create a very soft to the touch boxer brief. The material is soft and stretchy and made to “stretch to fit”. All of the seams appear to be well stitched and sewn flat. The waist band is 28 mm (1.1 in) wide and the leg hem is 20 mm (0.79 in). There is also a built in 10 cm (3.94 in) front overlap access panel. My first thoughts after taking these out of the box were that they were very soft and very large. I tried them on and they fit although barely which was a little disappointing and surprising as they are specifically listed as made to stretch to fit. If these stretch at all they are going to fall off. I even double checked the label on the box and the sewn in label to make sure I received the right size. They are clearly labeled as a medium made for an 81-86 cm (32 – 34 in) waist although having an 85 cm (33.5 in) waist they are very roomy and there is no need for them to stretch to fit. They actually seem more like a boxer than a boxer brief. I will have to wait and see how they turn out but I was already thinking that I really hope they shrink in the wash. Although I have not been a size small for many years I would never have chosen this size as the size small is clearly listed for a 76 cm (30 in) waist with no size range. I have no experience in the manufacturing of garments but it sure seems like these were designed for the largest size fit not the middle and they were very generous when developing these. If I had an 81 cm (32 in) waist I would have had to send them back as there is no way I would have been able to use them. After trying them on they seemed very comfortable although definitely large and fit more like a boxer. Trying them out over the test period I really hope they do not stretch out. Conditions in the Field Over the last couple of months I have used the Sol Cool Boxer Briefs on a number of occasions including a three-day hike in northern Glacier National Park in Montana, several day hikes in the southern Canadian Rockies and on some search and rescue activities. Temperatures ranged from a low of 4 C (39 F) with highs of 28 C (82 F), weather was mixed with bright hot sunny days to light rain and wind. Each day ranged from 4 hours to 14 hours of hiking over a range of 7 km to 28 km (4 mi to 17 mi) with elevation gains of between 300 m to 700 m (984 ft to 2297 ft) . Performance Generally I have found that the briefs are performing admirably and are living up to the design specifications. I tried to create opportunities to test out how the fabric preformed under adverse conditions, that being, a fast, hard hike with lots of elevation on a hot day. During this hike we 'ran' up 690 m (2264 ft) of elevation over 5 km (3 mi), one way, in 25 C (77 F) temperatures, nice and hot up here in the north. This run up the hill gave me a good indication of how the fabric could handle lots of heat and sweat and I was fairly happy with its performance. While moving I did not notice any discomfort and the material dissipated moisture fairly well. I did notice that once I stopped at the top the fabric was decidedly cold and damp. It reminded me of putting my backpack back on after hiking up a trail and with my shirt being sweat soaked. It was very cold to the touch once I started moving again but only lasted a few moments until body temperatures warmed it back up. As I noted in my initial report the boxer briefs are more boxer than brief. I was really hoping that they might shrink in the wash. Sadly after being washed at least a dozen times now they have not shrunk in the slightest, which would be great if they were sized for me better. When wearing them I have noticed that they start slightly snug against my thighs but by the end of a day of hiking they are loose. What I noticed is that the stretch of the fabric stretches out with use but returns to its normal size after washing. If I was anticipating the product to be more of a boxer than a brief then I do not think I would even think of commenting on this but since I was anticipating more of a brief than boxer the looseness of the boxer briefs is a definite factor. For comfort, regardless of the duration of hike or activity they seemed fairly comfortable. They wick well under normal conditions but under heavy exertion they can only deal with so much. I have noticed that after a couple of months of uses and washes the material is still soft to the touch and shows no sign of wear or pilling. The elastic waist has retained its size and does not appear to be stretching out. They are not exactly tight fitting which should be taken into consideration as I am not putting much strain on the elasticity of the waistband or fabric. Summary All in all the Sol Cool Boxer Briefs seem to be working out fairly well and can stand up under high exertion. The material looks to be holding up well and living up to its design specifications of adapting to body temperatures and remaining fresh and cool to the touch. I'll have to wait and see if they continue to show little to no wear over the remainder of this test period. Conditions in the Field
Performance Although I am still not overly happy with the fit, specifically with respect to the boxer-briefs being a lot more boxer than brief, I am pleased with their overall performance. After four months of use and corresponding washing, the material is still soft to the touch and shows no sign of wear or pilling. The elastic waist band has retained its size and does not appear to be stretching out. They are not exactly tight fitting though which should be taken into consideration as I am not putting much strain on the elasticity of the waistband or fabric. I inspected all of the seams and have found no unraveling or wear of the stitching. The fabric, stitching and construction seem top notch. This summer has been especially warm and hot out with absolutely no sign of rain which meant regardless of the hike, sweating was involved. Regardless of the duration of hike, either a short 4 to 5 km (2.5 to 3 mi) to a 28 km (17.4 mi) hike through the subalpine with over a 1000 m (3280 ft) of elevation gain and loss, the wicking ability of the boxer-briefs kept up fairly well. The fabrics ability to 'cool' was also confirmed throughout these hikes. What appears to be occurring is in the process of wicking away moisture the fabric becomes cool and thereby cooling the wearer. I did find that the cooling effect was a little much at times, especially between stops and starts but overall it did exactly what it was supposed to do. I also noted that the fabric dries very quickly. Even after a long hike and much perspiration the fabric dried out completely within 10 - 20 minutes. When dealing with high levels of exertion I did note that due to the more boxer than brief style of underwear that the fabric was not always in contact with my skin which resulted in some rivulets forming in various places. I have never experienced this before and although a minor annoyance definitely something I noted. As soon as the fabric contacted any moisture though, it seemed to be able to deal with it most effectively. For
odor control I was able to offer up a wonderful eight-day seven-night
mountaineering trip. After
a week of use, and yes mountain washing or rather rinsing, they did not
start
moving on their own nor clear the tent due to excessive odor build up.
The fabric actually handled the excessive use very well.
Even after 'washing' in an alpine lake and drying on the side of
my tent they still retained their softness and comfort throughout the
entire
trip which I was fairly impressed with. Read more gear reviews by Duane Lawrence Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > Ex Officio Sol Cool Boxer Briefs > Test Report by Duane Lawrence |