FTM Packing Boxers: A Buyer's Guide

You bought a packer, dropped it into your normal boxers, and spent the whole day fishing it back into place.

By lunch it had drifted halfway down your leg.

That's not you doing it wrong. That's just what regular underwear does with a packer.

I'm Robyn Electra, and through my work with trans and non-binary people I've heard that exact story more times than I can count. This guide covers what packing boxers are, the different styles you'll find, what to look for when you buy and how to get the size right.

If you're earlier in the process, our guides on what a packer is and how to wear one are good company to this. At Bond and Binder we make packing underwear ourselves, so this is the guide I wish more people had before they bought.

Can't I just use normal boxers?

You can pack in regular underwear. Plenty of people start there, often with nothing fancier than a sock packer.

The catch is that ordinary boxers aren't built to hold anything in one spot. A packer needs to sit at the front, slightly to one side, and stay there while you walk, sit and climb stairs. Loose boxers let it wander. Even snug ones let it rotate or slip.

Packing boxers fix that with a pouch sewn into the front. The packer goes in the pouch, the pouch holds it where it should be, and you stop thinking about it. That's the whole point of them. No more readjusting in public, no more checking yourself every time you stand up.

What are the different types of packing boxers?

There's more than one style, and the right one depends on your body, your clothes and what you need the underwear to do.

• Pouch boxer briefs are the all-rounder. A boxer-brief cut with a built-in pocket that cradles the packer. This is what most people buy, and what suits most situations.
• Briefs are a slimmer, shorter cut with the same pouch. Less fabric, so they sit discreetly under slim-fit clothes and stay cooler in summer.
• Trunks are close to boxer briefs but a little longer in the leg. A good middle ground if you find briefs too brief and boxers too loose.
• Jockstraps give minimal coverage and a secure hold, which some people like for sport. They're less suited to all-day wear, so think of them as a gym option rather than a daily one.
• STP-friendly pairs have a front opening or a fabric O-ring so you can use a stand-to-pee packer without taking everything off. Worth it only if you actually use an STP, since the opening adds nothing for plain packing.
• All-in-ones come with a packer already built into the pouch. You slip them on and you're packed, no separate prosthetic to buy. Simple, though you're tied to whatever packer they include.
• Pin-in pouches and harnesses aren't underwear at all. They're pouches or straps you attach inside underwear you already own, which gives you flexibility if you've got boxers you love and don't want to replace them.

What to look for when buying

Once you've picked a style, these are the things that separate a pair you'll wear every day from a pair that ends up at the back of the drawer.

• ✓A pouch that holds the packer securely and stops it rotating, with enough room for a natural hang rather than a flattened lump.
• ✓STP access only if you need it. A front opening is useful for stand-to-pee packers and pointless weight if you just want a bulge.
• ✓A breathable, soft fabric. Bamboo is naturally antibacterial and gentle on skin, which matters for something you wear close all day.
• ✓An anti-chafe panel between the thighs if you walk a lot or run warm.
• ✓A flat, wide waistband that doesn't dig in or fold over when you sit.
• ✓A size based on your actual waist, with room to size up if you're between.
• ✓A cut that looks like ordinary boxers, so you can change at the gym or a friend's place without a second thought.
• ✓Decent value, especially in a two-pack, since you'll want more than one pair in rotation.

Getting the right size

Packing boxers should fit snug but not tight. Too loose and the pouch can't do its job. Too tight and you'll be uncomfortable by mid-afternoon.

Go by your waist measurement rather than guessing at small, medium or large. A quick trick: take a pair of underwear that already fits you well, lay them flat, and measure the waistband. Match that to the size chart.

If you land between two sizes, size up. A fraction more room is always more comfortable than a fraction too little.

Looking after your boxers

Packing boxers last longer with a little care, and so does whatever you pack with.

Wash them cold with a mild soap, skip the bleach, and let them air dry rather than tumbling them. Wash your packer regularly too, with warm water and mild soap. The underwear keeps the packer off your skin, which is kinder on both, so rotate your pairs like any other underwear. That's where a second pair earns its keep, one on, one in the wash.

Introducing Bond and Binder

At Bond and Binder, we make one style, done properly.

Our FTM packing underwear is a soft bamboo boxer brief with a three-layer pouch. The inner layer holds the packer against your body, the middle panel has a circular opening that takes the shaft to stop it rotating, and the outer layer gives a natural hang. It works with a soft packer, a bulge pad or an STP device.

There's a glide panel between the thighs to stop chafing, a wide flat waistband that doesn't dig in, and a rear stitch that keeps everything sitting where it should. Bamboo because it's breathable, soft and naturally antibacterial.

It doesn't come with a packer, so you pair it with one you like, or with our bulge pad if you're keeping things simple. We price it to be reachable, because feeling like yourself shouldn't be a thing you have to save up for.

Find your perfect packing boxers today!

The best packing boxers are the ones you forget you're wearing. A secure pouch, a fabric that's kind to your skin, and a fit that holds without pinching. Get those three right and the rest is just colour and cut.

When you're ready to choose, our packing boxers are made to hold a packer comfortably all day, in soft bamboo and sizes built for real bodies.

Browse the full range, or check our FAQs if you're weighing up which suits you. If you'd rather just ask, get in touch.

And if cost is the thing in your way, Trans Celebration is there for that. Our charity partner gives free gear to people who can't afford it, so money is never the reason someone goes without something that helps them feel like themselves.