For a long time, underwear was not something I thought much about when getting ready for a walk.

Shoes mattered.

Weather mattered.

How much time I had mattered.

Underwear was just underwear.

Then I went for a normal power walk wearing a different pair from the ones I usually train in.

After only a few kilometres, both inner thighs were burning.

That was a useful reminder:

for heavier men, underwear can be part of your walking equipment too.

If your thighs rub together, the wrong length or fit can turn an otherwise comfortable walk into a very unpleasant one.

For this article, I have also deliberately focused on products that are available in larger sizes. There is not much value in recommending great anti-chafing underwear to bigger men if the size range stops at XL or XXL.

Disclosure: This article contains Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one of these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The pair that caused my problem

The underwear I wore that day was a pair of bamboo boxers from BOXR.

I have owned them for around two years and they are perfectly comfortable for normal everyday use.

But for walking, I discovered a problem.

The legs are relatively short, and they ride up.

Once that happens, the fabric stops separating the inner thighs.

On that particular walk, I started feeling the friction after only around 2–3 km.

By the time I got home, both inner thighs were burning.

The interesting part is that I normally do not have this problem at all.

The difference was what I was wearing underneath my shorts.

What normally works for me

For more than a year, I have mainly been using Built Different Comfort Anti-Chafe Bamboo Boxer Briefs.

I wear 3XL.

They have longer legs than the other boxers I was wearing, and for me the important thing is simple:

they stay in place.

I find them:

• very comfortable
• soft
• long enough to cover the rubbing area
• secure around the thighs
• unlikely to ride up during walking

I normally wear loose training shorts over them.

With that combination, I have not needed anti-chafing cream, Vaseline or anything similar.

For me, good underwear has normally been enough.

I think leg length matters more than I realised

Both pairs I am comparing use bamboo-based fabric.

Yet one works very well for me and the other caused substantial chafing.

That makes me think the biggest difference in my case is not simply the material.

It is the construction.

In particular:

• leg length
• whether the leg stays down
• how securely it fits around the thigh
• whether skin becomes exposed when the underwear rides up

The pair that caused the problem was simply too short for this type of activity.

Once it moved upwards, my thighs were rubbing together directly.

What I would look for in walking underwear

Based on my own experience, these are now the things I would prioritise.

Longer legs

You need enough fabric to cover the area where your thighs actually rub.

For bigger men with larger thighs, very short trunks may simply end too high.

No ride-up

Length is useless if the underwear ends up around your groin after ten minutes.

For me, this may be the single most important feature.

Sizes that actually fit bigger men

This sounds obvious, but it removes a surprising number of otherwise good options.

For this list, I wanted products that are available in at least 3XL rather than recommending underwear that stops at standard sizing.

Stretch without being loose

The underwear needs to move with the legs while still staying against the body.

If it is too loose, it can bunch.

If it is too tight, it creates a different problem.

Moisture management

Power walking means sweating.

Wet skin plus repeated friction is not a combination I want.

Comfortable seams

Anything repeatedly moving against the inner thigh for an hour can become noticeable.

Smooth or flat seams make sense in exactly that area.

1. Built Different Comfort Anti-Chafe Bamboo Boxer Briefs — My personal choice

Personally tested for more than a year

This is the pair I actually use.

I bought mine last summer, so they have now been through well over a year of normal wear, washing and training.

Mine are 3XL.

Why I like them

The biggest advantage is not complicated.

They stay where they are supposed to stay.

When I am power walking, I do not find myself pulling the legs back down or adjusting them.

They are also extremely comfortable.

The bamboo-based fabric feels soft, and I have not had problems with inner-thigh rubbing when wearing them.

The downside

Built Different does not appear to be widely available through Amazon, so this is not an Amazon affiliate recommendation.

I am including it because it is the pair I personally use and know works for me.

Best for

• heavier men
• bigger thighs
• longer walks
• men who struggle with underwear riding up
• people who prefer softer bamboo-based fabric

My take: This is my benchmark. The day I accidentally walked in shorter underwear reminded me why.

[Link directly to Built Different]

2. Hanes Total Support Pouch Boxer Briefs — Best mainstream alternative

The Hanes Total Support Pouch Boxer Briefs are a more mainstream alternative, and importantly, I found them available in 3XL.

The design is specifically aimed at reducing chafing, while the fabric is moisture-wicking and intended to stay comfortable during activity.

That makes them much more relevant to this article than some technically good performance underwear that stops at XXL.

Why I would consider them

The attraction here is the combination of:

• anti-chafing design
• moisture management
• larger sizing
• mainstream availability
• relatively straightforward everyday styling

They look like a practical option for someone who wants underwear that can work both for walking and normal daily use.

Best for

• heavier men needing 3XL
• everyday walking
• general training
• moisture management
• someone wanting a mainstream brand

My take: A practical alternative if you want anti-chafing features and larger sizing without buying from a specialist big-men brand.

[Check price on Amazon]

3. Under Armour Performance Tech 9″ Boxerjock — Best long-leg performance option

The Under Armour Performance Tech 9″ Boxerjock takes a more sports-focused approach.

The main thing that interests me is the 9-inch leg.

That gives substantially more thigh coverage than shorter boxer briefs, which makes sense if the main problem is skin-on-skin friction.

The fabric is also designed for training and sweat management rather than purely everyday use.

Why I would consider them

For walking, the combination makes sense:

• long leg
• performance fabric
• sweat management
• close fit
• substantial thigh coverage

For someone who also uses the same underwear for the gym or other training, this may be a particularly good fit.

Best for

• power walking
• gym and training
• long-leg coverage
• people who sweat heavily
• people who prefer synthetic performance fabric

My take: Probably the most sports-specific alternative on the list.

[Check price on Amazon]

4. Bamboo Cool Long-Leg Boxer Briefs — Best bamboo alternative

The Bamboo Cool Long-Leg Boxer Briefs are interesting because they combine two things that already work well for me:

bamboo-based fabric and long legs.

I found the long-leg version available in 3XL, which makes it relevant for this article.

Why I would consider them

The design addresses the exact issue I had.

The fabric extends much farther down the thigh, which should help keep material between the legs rather than allowing skin-on-skin friction.

And if you already know that you like bamboo-based underwear, the softer feel may be more appealing than synthetic sports fabric.

One limitation

The size range is not as extensive as some specialist big-men brands.

But because the Amazon listing reaches 3XL, it still covers a meaningful part of the audience I am writing for.

Best for

• men needing up to 3XL
• bamboo fans
• long-leg coverage
• walking and light training
• people looking for a softer alternative to synthetic performance underwear

My take: Probably the closest concept here to what already works for me: soft fabric combined with much longer thigh coverage.

[Check price on Amazon]

Why size availability matters

This is something I did not want to ignore.

A lot of highly rated sports underwear looks promising until you open the size selector.

Then the range ends at XL or XXL.

That might be perfectly fine for many people.

But it is a strange recommendation in an article specifically written for heavy men.

So for this guide, I have deliberately prioritised products where I could find 3XL sizing or larger.

That does not mean every heavier man needs 3XL.

Of course not.

But at least the recommendations do not immediately exclude a large part of the audience the article is supposed to help.

Do you need special walking shorts too?

For me, not necessarily.

I normally wear fairly ordinary loose training shorts over my boxer briefs.

They have not been the source of the problem.

The layer touching my skin is what matters most.

That means I would prioritise getting the underwear right before spending a lot of money on specialised walking shorts.

The main things I want from the outer shorts are:

• enough room around the thighs
• no restrictive seams
• lightweight fabric
• freedom of movement
• reasonable sweat handling

If the underwear stays in place, loose training shorts work perfectly well for me.

What about compression shorts or tights?

They could solve the same fundamental problem by putting a continuous layer of fabric between the thighs.

But I personally do not normally need them.

I prefer regular boxer briefs underneath loose training shorts.

That is comfortable, simple and works for the type of walking I do.

Someone who already likes compression gear may prefer that approach.

The important part is not what the garment is called.

It is preventing repeated skin-on-skin friction.

What about anti-chafing cream?

I normally use nothing.

No balm.

No Vaseline.

No powder.

With underwear that fits properly and stays down over my thighs, I have not needed it.

That does not mean anti-chafing products are useless.

They can provide another layer of protection.

But personally, I would first try fixing the clothing problem.

If the underwear rides up after ten minutes, putting cream underneath it feels like treating the symptom rather than solving what caused the friction for me.

Being big and tall creates another clothing problem

My clothing problem is not simply being heavy.

I am also about 1.95 metres tall.

A lot of clothing seems designed around one of two assumptions:

you are tall and relatively slim,

or you are larger around the waist but not particularly tall.

Being both tall and heavy makes fit more difficult.

I can find something with enough width, only for it to be too short.

Or I can find something long enough, but too narrow.

That is also why I have ended up using Built Different training shirts.

For me, the main advantage is the fit.

They have enough length for my height and belly, stay down better during training and remain comfortable even when they get sweaty.

That probably deserves its own article rather than turning this underwear guide into a complete big-and-tall clothing guide.

The lesson from one uncomfortable walk

I have owned my Built Different underwear for more than a year.

Because it normally works, I stopped thinking about it.

Then I wore a shorter pair for one walk.

Within 2–3 km, my inner thighs were rubbing.

That made the difference very obvious.

For me, the lesson is simple:

longer underwear that stays in place matters much more than I previously realised.

The brand matters less than getting those basics right.

Final thoughts

If you are a heavier man and your thighs rub while walking, I would look at the underwear before assuming chafing is simply something you have to tolerate.

My priorities would be:

• enough leg length to cover the rubbing area
• legs that stay in place
• sizing that actually accommodates bigger bodies
• comfortable stretch
• good moisture handling
• smooth seams

My own choice is still the Built Different Comfort Anti-Chafe Bamboo Boxer Briefs because I have used them for more than a year and know they work for me.

But the bigger lesson is not that everybody needs the same brand.

It is that short underwear that rides up can expose exactly the skin you are trying to protect.

I learned that the uncomfortable way.