Varicocele: Commando vs. Boxers vs. Briefs

What is the best underwear for varicocele?

What is the best underwear for testicular health and varicocele? You will be surprised by what you learn.

We will be passing the verdict on the benefits of going commando vs. wearing boxers, briefs, or stud briefs for varicocele and fertility. The court is now in session--all rise!

Going Commando (Not Wearing Underwear)

Look--going commando has its perks. It feels comfortable, cool, and free. It does have benefits in some cases. But, the same things that make it beneficial also make it non-ideal for varicocele. Think of it as a double-edged sword!

Going commando is more comfortable for most people because it's free and allows the scrotum and penis to move unrestricted. Freedom is a great feeling; that's why so many guys love it. All is good here--comfort is good.

In every case, going commando is cooler than wearing some fabric, unless I guess if you have some cooling gadget or ice in your underpants! I don't recommend cooling gadgets or ice underwear--because your testicular temperature naturally fluctuates and needs to self-modulate. Anyhow--all is also good here. Going commando keeps your balls cool, which is benefits varicocele.

The real problem arises because you have no scrotal support. The freedom might sound good, but it's detrimental for varicocele. A lack of support means increased swelling. Varicocele also damages the normal cooling mechanism of the testicles and increases scrotal sagging. So, not having support is the main downfall of going commando.

Some of our clients say that going commando helps them, and others say that they can't go without support. Going commando should be recommended on a person-by-person basis. The fine balancing act is cooling vs. support. Some benefit more from cooling than the negative impact of having no support. For others, the cooling benefits are not even close to being enough to balance out the engorged and irritated veins. So, you have to try it for yourself to find out if it will work for you.

Verdict: 6/10. Going commando may be helpful for some and but is detrimental for others. ​

Briefs

Briefs are high-risk, high-reward for varicocele. They provide really great support for the scrotum, but at what cost?

It's important to know that every varicocele case is different requires a different treatment. There are two major challenges with varicocele:

1. Varicocele causes scrotal sagging. Acutely, because varicocele is heavy and over-heats the testicles, it causes temporary sagging. Chronically, varicocele stretches and weakens the cremaster muscle (the muscle responsible for pulling up the scrotum) and causes sagging. It both acutely and long-term excessively stretches the cremaster muscle.
2. Varicocele over-heats the testicles. Varicocele is blood pooling in the pampiniform plexus veins of the testicles. These veins are involved in a counter-current heat exchange mechanism that cools the arterial blood entering the testicles. Simply put, they are the primary cooling mechanism of the testicles. Varicocele completely damages this cooling mechanism and therefore causes testicular over-heating.

Briefs are great for protecting against scrotal support, but they trap a lot of heat. Even so-called "cooling briefs" significantly increase testicular temperature.

So, again, we have a balancing act: Temperature vs. support. Are briefs beneficial for varicocele? Again, it all depends on the individual case. If in your case, support is more important than over-heating, then they'll provide you benefits. However, if overheating is the main issue, you need to stay away from briefs.

From a long-term perspective, briefs tend in almost every case to worsen varicocele and increase testicular sensitivity and the risk for infertility.

Verdict: 4.75/10. Briefs may be useful for temporary relief but will almost always worsen varicocele over time.

Boxers

Now, boxers are unique in that they are only bad for varicocele. They don't provide support. And, the extra fabric is always going to be hotter than going commando. Boxers may generally be a little cooler than briefs, but they still don't provide support. Moreover, boxers are hotter than briefs when sitting down because they contain more fabric to trap heat and reduce ventilation.

In every case, you're better off going commando. 

Verdict: 1/10. Again, boxers have no benefit for varicocele and can only worsen the disease.

Stud Briefs

Stud Briefs have the best of both words:

1. They provide healthy support to protect against scrotal sagging
2. Stud Briefs use a patented design and crotch mesh technology to maximize cooling

You can't get any cooler than Stud Briefs unless you go commando or have an ice pack in your pants or a cooling fan/device in your pants.

Stud Briefs are beneficial for varicocele and testicular health in 4 different ways:

• The patented design pushes the crotch forward and away from the thighs to maximize cooling
• Crotch mesh technology has maximum breathability, higher than any fabric
• Provides support to combat scrotal sagging (which is a real concern)
• Restores the pampiniform plexus cooling mechanism, restoring counter-current-cooling

Verdict: 9.25/10. Stud Briefs are therapeutic for varicocele.

GET STUD BRIEFS!