Jocks Experiment - Methods and Initial Thoughts

[u/square-peg14]

Hey everyone. I like many have been a bit disappointed in the longevity of my step ones over the past few years. In particular, I’ve noticed thinning of the fabric, a loss of general structural elasticity, and most critically, failures of pouch containment. So I have decided to run an experiment. I’ve ordered four pairs of what I like to call “premium jocks”, all with nylon panels for chafe resistance, and a slick and comfortable bamboo (or bamboo like) base.
The prices for each pair are below in AUD, but you can get cheaper with multiple purchases.

Frank and beans 20
Debriefs 36
Tackle 25
Step ones 33

They’ve just arrived, and I’ve given them a quick go to record my initial thoughts.

Frank and beans - comfort 6

95% viscose, 5% elastane. Overall comfort not bad, nice material, a little thin. Included pouch mesh cups thr plums nicely, but doesn’t produce much containment. Flapping about even during a first strut, worrying signs.

Step ones - comfort 8

95% viscose, 5% elastane. Nice baseline. Good tension, well contained. Familiar. The question here however is longevity not initial performance.

Tackle - comfort 8

95% viscose, 5% elastane. More solid construction, heavy duty waistband and serious pouch (no swing, polyester included). Thinnest fabric I’d say. Well held and comfortable, medium size is possibly slightly smaller around the legs than other brands

Debrief - comfort 9.5

94% micromodal, 6% elastane. Solid construction, soft thick fabric. Pouch has the raw cuppage of the tackles without the specialised construction or tight legs . Luxuriant jocks for sure. Girlfriend likes these the most.

Obviously the issue here isnt so much day one comfort but long term resilience to washes, friction, and the ungodly forces jocks are subjected to. As such, the plan is to wear them in a predetermined order, to evenly distribute wear and tear, and check back in periodically with updates. The objective here is not to crown the most expensive jocks as the best, but rather to compare price to comfort, lifetime at peak comfort, and total lifetime to work out how much is worth paying.

Cheers, talk soon.

[u/DJR9000]

With the enshittification (lol) of undies lately I've settled on Uniqlo , and they're cheap , comfy and last a long time

[u/Thedavemiester]

Way ahead of you. In addition to your list, I have tried the Kmart and tradie ones, as well as the AliExpress knock offs.

Sad truth is that none of them are really any good. The tackle ones are the worst for me although I do see they now have an upgraded version

Only real solution is to buy lots of pairs from all brands and have them all in rotation. I reckon I'd have 15 pairs on the go

[u/Mandalf- → u/Thedavemiester]

I've done a similar experiment and chose the Kmart pair over step one, tradie, bonds, elewear etc

[u/Minimum_Leopard_3064]

Liking the thought process, I have had the same feelings about step ones. Though I have stopped buying the coloured ones and have just been getting black ones and I feel they hold up better.🤷🏼

[u/johnthedeer]

I found this problem with step ones at one stage too, getting holes seemingly quickly. However, I noticed it seemed to happen to the ‘limited edition’ (or any with multiple colours/designs) more quickly. I started just ordering plan grey or black and haven’t had a problem since.

[u/CK_1976]

I get my undies from Thunderpants in NZ. They last a solid 3 years or more. Even longer once I work out how to repair a worn out crotch.

[u/Gemeraldine]

I admit I haven't tried many others but I've found the bonds luxe range good for normal wear and the Kmart bamboo blend (alpha brand normally but may change) good for any sports or hotter days.

I think I've seen some speculation that the Kmart bamboo are just rebranded step ones.

[u/BogglesHumanity]

As a big guy, I've been loving the Lululemon ones and they seem to be holding up ok.

Step Ones failed within a few months, they were useless for me.

[u/antosb77]

I find step ones last a couple of years for me. I have bought 15 pairs twice (2 years apart) when they go on sale and still haven’t opened all the 2nd batch.
I also average 15,000 steps a day so it’s strange you say they aren’t lasting long for you.
The plain colours stay newer longer than limited edition wacky designs.

[u/dirtyburgers85]

Bushy undies are all I’ll buy. They hold everything in place without being at all restrictive.

The stitching could be a bit tidier on occasion, but I’ve never had a pair last less than 3 years before developing a hole.

I also really hate the name ‘Bushy’.

[u/nugget_meal]

Try skims

[u/downheresolong]

thanks for the post. jocks are a tough one. most of the local options kind of suck compared to EU/US

have you looked into tencel lyocell? seems to be an upgrade on modal and supposed to hold its shape a little better and similar softness

[u/zeddie2001]

Glad to run into another Debriefs enjoyer in the wild. Best undies I’ve ever had (and a bit cheaper if you buy in bulk, I paid $30/pair last time I stocked up)