Active women hold very differing opinions about wearing underwear while exercising, as evidenced by this week’s TMI Tuesday update on our Facebook page. We wrote about this hotly contested topic in one of our books, and it always gets a lot of play on social media for us.
Yet we suspect some gals might change their minds if they tried some high-quality athletic underwear: They move with you, not against you; the fabric is soft and chafe-free; and some even naturally fight odor.
We recruited about a dozen of our brand ambassadors to put a variety of styles—thongs, bikinis, and hipsters—through their paces on runs, hikes, and strength sessions. One somewhat-sheepishly confessed: “Prior to this testing, I either went commando or just wore regular cotton underwear when I worked out. I know, I know, COTTON! <cringe> This pair of underwear I tested was the first actual workout underwear I’ve ever worn.” She, like several other testers, were sold on various styles, purchasing pairs after getting freebie ones to test.
We know we’ll always have some commando holdouts—and we love you all regardless of your underwear-status—but maybe a pair or two of these seven beauties will sway you.
Paradis Sport Seamless Thong
Price: $25
Sizes: S-XL
Okay, we know we shouldn’t be swayed by colors…but all Paradis Sport undies come in such an array of bright shades! They are made of a “lightweight, brushed fabric” that’s 94% nylon 6% Spandex (and made in the USA). One tester, a fitness instructor, described the fabric as “soft to the body and not scratchy.” She also really appreciated how well the fabric absorbed moisture. (She’s already purchased a few more Paradis thongs!)
All the testers loved the fit of these seamless thongs. As one tactfully typed, she “never had to go back and ‘fix’ my situation” (put another way: “no wedgies”). One multi-marathoner agreed: “I forget I have this thong on. No digging or creeping.”
Branwyn Essential Thong
Price: $30
Sizes: XS-XXL
Branwyn underwear features a fun, hidden bit of inspiration: Knit inside the waistband is the phrase “STAY GOLDEN.” It references the GLDNspun knit blend—81% extra-fine Merino wool, 12% nylon, and 7% Spandex—they’re made from, but we read it as a sort of private “giddy-up, Ponyboy!” message. The fabric provides a fabulous four-way stretch that “moved with me across many miles” and “didn’t dig in at all.” One marathoner really appreciates how the fabric “hugged” her hips and, “the back never crept up my crack!”
A major bonus of wool: It’s naturally anti-bacterial so it fights funk, meaning these undies smell better longer. (“Don’t judge: When I was at an away-race, I wore these thongs two days in a row,” confessed one tester.) We love that they are available in six colors.
Quince Second Skin Thong
Price: $29.90 for 6-pack
Sizes: XS-XL
Bargain alert: These thongs come in just under $5/pair! Quince describes these 76% nylon, 24% spandex undies as feeling “like a natural extension of your own skin,” and our testers concurred. One tester, who confessed to having given up on thongs years ago, wrote, “these were so comfortable under my shorts and tights. They honestly felt like next to nothing while wearing them.” The other tester agreed: “These were very soft to the touch, and I felt like I didn’t have anything on.”
A “no-cut finishing” on all the openings means they didn’t shift or chafe while testers wore them running. Wrote one half-marathoner, “The edges of the material didn’t dig into my skin.” One hiking tester never felt the back of the thong riding up. “It stayed put even on a 14-mile hike.” One potential knock against this thong is the colors it’s available in: all very neutral.
SmartWool Intraknit Bikini
Price: $38
Sizes: XS-XL
It took our testers a wee bit of convincing that wool is a smart idea for underwear, but they were quickly converted. “After running inside and outside (in temperatures around 18 degrees), I found the fabric to be perfect actually. It kept me warm but was not heavy, nor did it lead to too much warmth,” wrote one gal training for the Boston Marathon. Another commented the 39% Merino wool “fabric is soft and has a light stretch—not too much, and not too little.”
One tester appreciated that this bikini “got softer with each washing.” The fabric was kind to her skin: “I did not get butt acne after a 10-mile treadmill run like I normally do.” The sweat-wicking fabric performed well for another runner, too, keeping her “skin feeling drier than it typically does on a sweaty long run.”
The undies also stayed put for runs: One tester told us they didn’t move, shift, or “give a wedgie at any point.” Another gal mentioned how comfortable the waistband was, saying it, “didn’t roll, and didn’t dig” into her skin. These bikinis are available in five colors.
Paradis Sport Seamless Bikini
Price: $30
Sizes: S-XL
These undies come with something we’ve never seen before: a stay-in-place promise. Our testers attested the bikini lived up to it, thanks to a 4-way stretch nylon-and-Spandex fabric and the cut of the underwear. “The leg openings were perfect, not too tight or too loose.” One half-marathoner often wore them under jeans, and “they were all-day, forget-you’re-wearing them comfy.” Another tester reported “the waistband was comfortable and not confining.”
The “super-soft” fabric was a champ at wicking: “The sweat absorption was the best!” reported a tester who wore them for numerous runs and strength sessions.
Available in five colors, including a very fun orange and a bright blue.
Runderwear Running Brief
Price: $23
Sizes: S-XXL
Runderwear’s tagline for this brief is: coverage, comfort, confidence. One tester agreed wholeheartedly: “It covered my booty perfectly. It offered lots of coverage, and I didn’t have to worry about it riding up. This underwear stayed put!” Yet a marathoner-in-training who says she has “more junk in the trunk than the average athlete” found the cut better suited for a “mid-range booty or smaller.”
Made of 100% recycled, synthetic material, these briefs prevented chafing, even during an 8-mile run undertaken by a self-professed “heavy sweater.” For increased breathability, there are areas of these undies that have little vents in the fabric—along the waistband in the back, and vertically above both leg holes on the front. Speaking of leg holes: Another runner reported, “The leg openings and waistband did not cut in at all.”
Two testers who otherwise loved these comfortable briefs are bummed that the thicker-than-most fabric created visible pantylines. “But this didn’t bother me enough to stop wearing them on runs, because I honestly don’t care if anyone judges my underwear lines—I’m just trying to get out and enjoy my run!”
Branwyn Essential Hipster
Price: $38
Sizes: XS-XXL
Another entry in the wool-undies category, these hipsters (the only hipster style we tested) are 81% extra-fine Merino wool. An avid racer really liked the “soft, breathable” fabric. These are a seamless design, designed to give “second-skin comfort,” and our testers noticed–and appreciated it. “The undies stretch in every direction, fitting almost like a second skin (but not tight).”
On its site, Branwyn mentions this hipster can be worn two ways: snug around the hips or pulled up just below the belly button for a higher-waisted fit and more tummy coverage.
One tester, who often runs commando, wore the hipster for a half marathon in Florida. She raved, “I didn’t have chafing in any of the areas it covered, even though I didn’t change out of my sweaty clothes for an hour post-race. To me, that’s nothing short of magical!” She likes these undies so well, she’s already bought more!
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