How They Wear: Tommy John Air Boxer Briefs
A signature featherlight Air Mesh fabric for incredible breathability.
Our Verdict
These boxer briefs by Tommy John are the most breathable underwear option we’ve encountered on the market.
While breathability can be relatively easy to achieve in underwear, what sets these apart is their ability to retain high functionality with a design that’s very well-suited for everyday wear.
Additionally, beyond achieving a high level of airflow, we love that these boxer briefs offer a polished look that’s available in several color options.
Shop at Tommy John: TJ Air Boxer Briefs
These boxer briefs also deserve some serious kudos for how soft and comfortable their mesh stretch fabric feels, delivering a non-restrictive fit that wears like a second skin.
If you’re looking for a highly breathable boxer brief option that holds up great for everyday wear, we would put these at the top of the list in terms of comfort, style, and effectiveness.
Bottom Line: There’s a reason why these are the top pick on our Best Breathable List—an absolute must have for hot climate dwellers, travelers, and anyone that enjoys a cool and airy fit.
Here’s everything included in this guide:
Who Should Buy
We tried the Tommy John Air Boxer Briefs and put them through our daily routine with a mix of work, activity, lounge, and rest scenarios. As a result, we found them to be a great choice for:
Anyone living in a warm climate or currently experiencing hot seasonal weather looking for a highly breathable and lightweight base layer to stay cool.
Heavy sweaters and anyone that suffers from dreaded “swass” (butt sweat) in need of a breathable and quick-drying option for your lower half.
Travelers looking for a lightweight, easy care underwear option that takes up very little space in your bag.
The easily irritated in search of a barely-there feel, these are as soft and lightweight (only 2 oz!) as boxer briefs come while still retaining the classic boxer brief fit and look.
Who Should NOT Buy
After testing the Tommy John Air Boxer Briefs in a variety of everyday situations, we think it’s probably not the best underwear option for certain occasions and uses.
In particular, while these boxer briefs provide perfectly adequate support for everyday wear, they’re definitely not equipped to handle workouts or other high-impact activities.
If you’re looking for some great lightweight boxer briefs for working out, we recommend the 2(X)IST Lightning Boxer Briefs, which are breathable, lightweight, stretchy, and specially designed to handle activity.
Another occasion in which these boxer briefs aren’t the best choice is in cold climates or cold weather conditions.
In other words, these boxer briefs are very effective in promoting breathability and airflow, so in cooler conditions you might find yourself a bit inadequately insulated.
So, in colder weather conditions you’ll likely want to look for a comfortable fit from a more standard boxer brief design, such as a pair from our Most Comfortable List.
Additionally, it’s worth noting, that because of the very soft and lightweight qualities of the fabric, they shouldn’t be considered a highly durable option.
We’ve given these boxer briefs quite a bit of wear and found them to hold up well over the long-term, but if you’re looking for a highly durable option that’s still on the breathable side, we recommend the David Archy Bamboo Boxer Briefs.
Bamboo fabric blends are well-known for being naturally breathable, soft, and durable.
Fabric & Design
The Tommy John Air Boxer Briefs use a soft and lightweight mesh stretch fabric with a blend of 75% polyamide and 25% elastane.
You’ll immediately notice just how light this fabric feels (weighing a mere 2 ounces!), even in comparison to other mesh fabric boxer briefs.
Additionally, we feel that the mesh fabric is a little bit softer than other mesh fabrics we’ve tested, giving these a very comfortable and relaxed fit that feel almost like you’re wearing nothing at all.
We’re also very impressed by how these boxer briefs are constructed for max breathability from top to bottom of the garment, which allows air to circulate.
This design paired with the moisture-wicking and quick-drying qualities of the fabric results in a very pleasant and fresh-feeling wear even through hot and humid conditions.
The Tommy John Air fabric also sports anti-microbial and anti-odor properties for long-lasting freshness wear after wear.
The care instructions for these boxer briefs are machine wash cold and tumble dry low.
Waistband
These boxer briefs feature a wide elastic waistband with a tagless construction for an extra smooth feel that’s designed provide an ideal blend of comfort and control.
The waistband used for Tommy John Air Boxer Briefs is the same stay-put waistband design used across nearly the entire spectrum of Tommy John product offerings (and for good reason!).
In our opinion, it’s one of the most comfortable and effective stay-put waistbands available that slides up easily, does its job effectively, and doesn’t require a single second thought.
In terms of what’s currently offered by Tommy John for this line, the waistband color either matches with the fabric for a subtle and classic look (like it does here), or in some cases the waistband is a contrasting color for a bolder statement look.
Additionally, you’ll notice that these boxer briefs have the Tommy John logo repeating across the waistband from front to back.
Overall, we can confidently say that this waistband offers a great blend of support, security, and comfort that you can count on to stay put throughout the day without pinching, rolling, or leaving marks.
Pouch
These Tommy John Air Boxer Briefs feature a contour pouch design that provides comfortable everyday wear support.
One of the features that sets Tommy John underwear apart from other brands is their signature “Quick Draw” horizontal fly (compared to a standard vertical fly).
This design modification is intended to provide quick and easy access for when nature calls, and we’d agree that it succeeds at this.
From our experience, the standard Tommy John contour pouch provides plenty of room for a pleasant and comfortable fit, though not quite as much room as pouch-specific boxer brief designs.
You should also keep in mind that because of the extra lightweight properties of these boxer briefs the pouch provides a lower level of support to the groin.
While we feel this pouch provides adequate support for everyday wear, you should definitely opt for a more supportive option when working out.
Legs
The comfortable non-restrictive leg design of these boxer briefs aligns perfectly with its light and airy fit.
The inseam length of these boxer briefs is 6 inches, which is a standard boxer brief length.
Because of its featherlight mesh fabric you’ll likely experience some leg rolling throughout the day if you’re active.
On a positive note, however, we noticed that when this does occur the extra lightweight fabric isn’t as noticeable or unpleasant as it is with thicker fabric blends.
Also, note that the Tommy John Air product line also comes in a 4-inch trunk length and a long 8-inch boxer brief length.
If you’re all about comfort when it comes to your underwear, t-shirts, and more, be sure to check out our Most Comfortable Series.
And if you’re looking to add some great underwear to your wardrobe in quick fashion, you’ll also want to check out our top picks available on Amazon.
