** The products reviewed were provided as part of an internal team lottery **
This was my first lottery with the team and to be honest, I was excited when I found out that I had won the SAXX products. I’ve known about the company for some time, as a good friend of mine was an early adopter and has been talking about them for years.
I know a little of the story of how the company was founded by a Canadian entrepreneur fresh out of school, street-side hustling to sell product and raise hype and even a Dragon’s Den appearance, so I really don’t have a good reason why I haven’t tried them before. Prior to my return to running, I’d usually wear whatever cheap boxer briefs I’d come across, often from American Eagle, Hanes or Fruit of the Loom.
Once I started running regularly again, I found cotton blends to be simply too hot and uncomfortable for anything other than a short jog. Following some trial and error with bunching, chafing and some pinching of a few brands over the years, the Puma Performance boxer briefs were my regular brief of choice.
With the lottery, I was able to get 4 pairs of SAXX boxer briefs (1x Droptemp, 1x Quest and 2x Multi-Sport Mesh) and after adding them to my rotation, I can honestly say that I’m impressed with how they performed.
Left: Puma – Right: SAXX
How did they do?
I gave these about a month of use, in rotation with the Pumas, so they’ve had their fair share of running and cycling, as well as more leisurely summer activities.
Immediately, I notice that the material is very light and the top band has some rigidity, I assume to keep from folding/rolling. They have a premium feel with a blend of polyester, nylon and elastane, which results in a silky smooth and soft touch.
The fit is nicely snug, without being tight, and there is no bunching or sliding from the top of my thighs. In a Large size, these fit well and the taper of the legs has a nice compression, feeling nice all the way down.
The BallPark Pouch concept, while taking a little time to get used to absolutely works both in active sports, as well as in day-to-day activities (office days, family events, etc.). After the first few wears, I forget it was there until I realised the comfort of not sticking or having to adjust continually on a hot day.
Speaking of heat, these do stay dry and performed on par with the similar Puma boxer briefs in my rotation. The moisture wicks away into whatever short I’m wearing for the activity and even just in regular day to day use, everything stays cool and dry.
So far, they seem resilient, and have not shown any signs of wear, after numerous laundry cycles. No noticeable piling or pulling of the fabric on the inside or outside and they appear to be quite durable (I have had some piling in a few of the Puma briefs early on).
Overall
I took a few of these on some hot trail runs in the July heat throughout Hockley Valley, Mono, Albion Hills and Devil’s Glen, and while I was often absolutely drenched from the humidity and effort, I had zero chafing after the fact with the SAXX (I can’t say the same for a few of my shirts). As such, these definitely performed when I needed them to, and passed my own “stress test”.
Without a doubt, these have been some of the most comfortable boxer briefs I have ever tried. Being a Canadian company as well, I’ll be happy to spend my money on these going forward, as the Pumas are starting to show wear. Much like a favourite pair of shoes, I look forward to wearing my SAXX boxer briefs when I’m getting dressed and find them at the top of the clean laundry pile.
