Resting heart rate

Runderwear’s Running Briefs offer a perfect wearer experience. They’re seamless and tagless, making them easy to wear underneath tight-fitting clothing and reducing chafing, plus good support for a man’s more bouncy bits. Be warned — Runderwear’s quality makes them so popular that supply doesn’t always meet demand, so our advice is to buy a few pairs at a time.

Innovation and underwear might not be the most obvious of bedfellows, yet Runderwear has managed to marry the two with its “silicone leg grippers” — rubbery strips running down the side of each leg, designed to stop these boxers from riding up while running. Many testers found they worked perfectly, though a few didn’t like how the strips felt and said they made the boxers tricky to slip into. Despite this Marmite-like reaction, most of our panel were in favour, so we’d recommend giving them a go.

Our stance on these impeccable boxers couldn’t be any clearer — we love them. They’re made using a single piece of true rib microfibre, which fitted like a glove and proved incredibly comfortable for a range of activities — both exercise-related and otherwise.

They were tight enough to offer plenty of support and they didn’t bunch or ride up, despite the longer legs, so testers had no trouble with chafing.

These briefs won our coveted Gear of the Year awards – and for good reason. Designed for extra support on the move, there’s a light compression in the fabric and a ‘Pro’ version of Saxx’s signature ‘BallPark Pouch’, which increases snugness and security where it counts. The four-way stretch fabric never feels constrictive, and it’s ideal for longer runs, offering breathability, as well as moisture-wicking and anti-odour properties.

Merino Wool is much finer than the yarn used to make your favourite winter jumper. It also has natural thermo-regulating properties, helping to keep you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s chilly.

Our testers found these boxers incredibly comfortable, with no sign of them being pulled out of place or rubbing at all.

However, they have a baggier fit than others on this list, making them more suitable for low- to medium-impact activities such as strength or recovery work, rather than a track session.

These comfy boxers can just as easily be worn for rest days as they can for a spot of strength training — as you’d expect from Gymshark. The flexible material means your range of motion isn’t hampered in the slightest and the waistband provides a secure fit without being too tight or digging in.We wouldn’t recommend them for race days, however, as the cotton is slightly too heavy for sweatier activities, and a few testers said they bunched at the top of the thighs during some runs.

Having to rearrange your underwear mid-run is enough to knock anyone off their stride. Fortunately, the Boxerjock’s tight fit and soft material allows them to move with the body, while the elasticated waistband meant they stayed in place without digging in at all — ideal for strength sessions and lower body exercises like lunges.

They were comfortable to wear under workout clothes, though a handful of our testers said they were a bit bulky and felt hot during more strenuous sessions.