It’s time to talk about ethical men’s underwear.
From boxers to briefs to…well um I guess boxer-briefs, we trust our underpants with some of our most precious goods to provide daily comfort and protection against chafing.
As you can imagine, there is no article of clothing more important to men than our underwear. Why settle for the cheap stuff, when you can class up your undergarments and protect the environment at the same time?
Right now, the average American throws away 80 pounds of clothing per year, while the fashion industry is responsible for 8 to 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater.
Despite that, underwear companies are doing their part to help lower greenhouse gas emissions by producing environmentally friendly and sustainable boxers and briefs. And for all you Phish fans, there are boxers made from 100% hemp.
What Does Ethical Mean?
What is ethical men’s underwear?
Ethical men’s underwear is an undergarment made from organic or recycled materials designed and produced with the environment in mind.
Is sustainable men’s underwear the same as ethically made underwear?
Yes, generally speaking, they can be used interchangeably. However, if a brand focuses on “sustainable” messaging, it’s more likely they are focused on using fabrics made from recycled components or raw materials that are pollutant-free and produce very little waste during production.
If the brand focuses on the “ethically made” messaging, they are likely more focused on ensuring that their entire supply chain is as holistic as possible (fair wages, safe working conditions, organic/recycled materials, clean production, etc.).
7 Brands Selling Men’s Eco Underwear
Here’s a list of the best ethical & sustainable men’s underwear options out there today.
1. iLoveBad Organics
All fabrics used by iLoveBad are all ECOCERT Certified by their Organic Content Standard. Additionally, hemp is inherently organic because it doesn’t require any special nutrients to grow. The soil it’s grown in is already fertile.
As an added bonus, iLoveBad manufactures all of their items in Southern California, so you know they provide their partners a living wage. For a list of other underwear brands made in America, please check out my Made in USA Underwear brands article.
Details
- Material: 64% Organic Cotton, 28% Hemp, 8% Lycra
- Price: $27
Where to buy: ilovebad.com
2. Organic Basics
Organic Basics is a company that works only with factories that are dedicated to lowering their carbon footprint, are child and forced-labor free, and maintain a safe work environment for all of their employees.
As part of the design process, the company handpicks every fabric to evaluate its durability, sustainability, and carbon footprint.
Every pair of underwear from Organic Basics represents their company motto:
Eco-Friendly. Ethically made.
As Organic Basic says,
That means natural, renewable, recycled, biodegradable and or low-impact textiles only.
Utilizing organic cotton from the coast of the Aegean Sea, Organic Basics boasts that it’s one of the softest pieces of cotton available.
Details:
- Material: 95% GOTS organic cotton, 5% elastane
- Price: Between $25 and $60
Organic Basics offers baggy boxers, boxer briefs, and even long-johns in various colors that have been certified PETA Vegan Approved.
Where to buy: organicbasics.com
3. Vatter
If you’re looking for ethical men’s underwear with a little spice, then take a look at Vatter.
Aiming to make sure the words “sexy” and “organic” aren’t mutually exclusive, Vatter designs their underwear so you’ll feel good while looking good.
Plus, portions of their revenue go towards supporting environmental projects worldwide.
Ever wear a super-soft dress shirt and imagine, “Man, this shirt is so comfortable. I wish I could wear it as underwear.”
Well, Vatter heard you because all of their underwear is built from 100% organic cotton and high-quality fabrics.
Every product from Vatter must go through the rigorous GOTS (Global Organic Texture Standard) before making its way onto your body, which means if you’re buying from Vatter, you’re buying from a company that believes in ethical manufacturing and sustainable production.
Available in the boxer brief and “Loose Larry” baggy boxer styles, Vatter offers a variety of designs and colors for their underwear.
Unfortunately, you won’t find any of their undergarments available on the shelves as Vatter is based out of Europe.
That means some hefty shipping fees if you’re planning on buying them in America.
Details:
- Material: 95% GOTS organic cotton, 5% elastane
- Price: Between €25.00 and €35.00 (shipping is nearly €35.00 to the United States)
Where to buy: vatter-fashion.com
4. Bluebuck
Sometimes you hop out of the shower, put on a freshly laundered pair of boxers, and feel like a man. Well, what if I told you that with Bluebuck underwear, you could feel that way all the time?
Bluebuck is dedicated to producing a completely green product, with their cotton organically grown and picked by hand. That means no hazardous biochemicals or fertilizers went into the production of your underwear.
Over half of the electricity used in the company’s Austrian and Portuguese offices comes from renewable energy, and 100% of the energy used in their London office is from renewable energy.
Bluebuck offers a diverse selection of ethical men’s underwear: trunks, briefs, long johns, and even organically made jockstraps.
But the best news is that Bluebuck offers free worldwide shipping on all of its orders, which saves you a bit of money while protecting the environment.
Details:
- Material: 95% GOTS organic cotton, 5% elastane
- Price: Between $18 and $35.00 (free worldwide shipping)
Where to buy: bluebuck.net
5. Pact: Ethically Made Men’s Underwear
Change isn’t easy, but Pact wants to make a difference in the way consumers buy their clothing. They believe that they can spark a movement by manufacturing the most ethical fashion products on the market.
Fair Trade Factory USA certified and made from GOTS organic cotton, Pact’s underwear is built not only for comfort but also for sustainability.
They hope that every piece of clothing that touches your skin is manufactured ethically and consciously.
Pact sells boxers, briefs, and of course, boxer briefs in various colors and designs. Where Pact stands out is its low prices.
Each pair of underwear costs around $12. That is cheaper than what you’d pay for at Calvin Klein, plus you have the benefit of knowing that your undies are helping lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Details:
- Material: 95% GOTS organic cotton, 5% elastane
- Price: $12 a pair
From designing affordable organic clothing to caring about the way we treat our bodies, no underwear company dreams bigger than Pact.
Pact is the one-stop-shop where consumers can find organic alternatives that fit their lifestyle because doing good should be easy.
Where to buy: Amazon | wearpact.com
6. Mighty Good Basics
Mighty Good Basics wants you to know who made your underwear.
With transparency in mind, the company illustrates its step-by-step process for how your boxers went from the organic and fairtrade cotton farmers in Mumbai to the Mighty Good Basics warehouses in Australia to finally covering up your most precious privates.
Mighty Good Basics cares about how their products are manufactured, ensuring their factories all carry the “8000 social accountability standard certification…the gold standard in ethical production.”
Every pair of underwear with the Mighty Good Basics tag is produced with high-quality organic cotton from mills with 84 years of experience.
The company also boasts that your pair of Mighty Good Basics underwear uses:
- 46% less CO2 emissions
- 65% less water from irrigated sources
- 70% reduction in pollution that creates acid rain and
- 70% less energy consumption.
With a simple color palette offering of blue, white, black, and grey, Mighty Good Basics sells trunks, boxers, and briefs for men who love the planet.
The company also offers free shipping on orders over $60.
Details:
- Material: 95% GOTS organic cotton, 5% elastane
- Price: Between $18 and $31
Where to buy: mightygoodbasics.com
7. WAMA: Sustainable Underwear
WAMA hopes to become a pioneer in the ethical men’s underwear movement. Like Phish, they too sell hemp underwear.
WAMA is dedicated to partnering with factories that provide quality working environments and fair wages. As such, they make sure to have a team member oversee the entire production for better communication.
WAMA’s hemp underwear is PETA-approved and is “naturally anti-bacterial, super soft and breathable.”
Additionally, every purchase from WAMA saves 121.4 days of drinking water and 127.5 hours of LED bulb energy.
Available in boxers, briefs, and trunks, WAMA guarantees that their underwear will be bunch- and wedgie-free (now that’s a win).
And as an added bonus, the hemp and organic cotton blend make their underwear super-durable and sustainable.
WAMA has a great satisfaction guarantee too. Not happy with your first pair? WAMA will send out a new pair or issue a refund. No returns are needed.
Details:
- Material: 53% hemp / 44% organic cotton / 3% spandex
- Price: $24 a pair
Where to buy: wamaunderwear.com
Conclusion
Each year, ethical men’s underwear brands release more products designed to protect the environment and your privates.
Now, it’s only a matter of time until companies create underwear from entirely recycled materials.
For more underwear-related articles, please be sure to check out the Underwear category.
Author Bio:
Garrett Carlson is the founder of Dudefluencer.com, a men’s magazine that champions introspection and vulnerability in men. Garrett resides in suburban Virginia where he spends his days contemplating comedic timing, collecting refrigerator magnets, and recreating scenes from the Fast and Furious franchise.
Hey tug, i’ve been happy with buck naked briefs for many years now and need to buy more. But all the reviews I see say that they are terrible now compared to how they were. Have you heard this or any of your spies inside the underwear industry can confirm this ;-) Wonder what briefs you recommend nowadays that are good.
So many options! I’m glad that there are so many ethical men’s underwear brands though–I had no idea. I know what will be part of my husband’s birthday present ^^;;!
heya rachel, keep us posted & let us know what you buy for your husband, and what he thinks of them (: