Ibex Balance Briefs

When I first tried on a pair of wool underwear, my feelings resembled those after my first experience with Smartwool socks: I never want to wear cotton again. Wool does the same thing for my bottom that it does for my feet: it breathes, never rubs or irritates and stays comfy even when wet.

Ibex briefs and thongs have a comfortably snug waistband of superfine merino wool. Shaping and stretch is provided by specially designed knit patterns so that only a single flat-stitched seam is found toward the back of the crotch. There are no tags to irritate the skin. These features combine to make a pair of underwear that doesn’t bunch or sag, staying put exactly where you want them. The measurements in the Ibex size chart are true to fit.

The material is an exclusive 17.5 Merino Wool blend of 85% Wool/10%Nylon/5% Spandex. The predominating wool draws moisture away from the skin so that even during vigorous hiking there’s no buildup of sweat. On a recent trip to the New England coast, I hand washed my briefs and hung them to dry. In less than two hours they were ready to wear again. Even if you don’t have time to wash, merino wool has antibacterial properties that will keep body odor at bay.

Most people are attracted to wool underwear for the performance specifications. Ibex goes the next step further by ensuring the design is eye catching as well. The inside hem of the women’s styles reads: "I am sick of four walls and a ceiling, I have a need for the sky and business with the grass". Both men’s and women’s are cut to be flattering in appearance and feature the Ibex logo on the outside hem.

Women's come in burnt red, black, and warm green; Men’s briefs are available in black and kelp brown.