The Artilect Boulder 125 Boxer Brief benefit from out of the box comfort, says Peter Macfarlane.

The Artilect Boulder 125 Boxer shorts are very comfortable straight from the box, with the merino fabric very soft against the skin.

Peter Macfarlane recommends

These are good shorts across warm to cool temperatures, but they are a little expensive.
Pros
  • light
  • comfy
  • fast drying for merino
Cons
  • fabric stretches
  • price
  • no fly
Quick specs
Price: $50 / £45 (available from Tiso)
Weight: 56g, size medium
Pros: light and comfortable, fast drying for merino Cons: fabric stretches, price, no fly
Materials: 85% Superfine Nuyarn merino wool, 15% Nylon
Features: elastic waistband, zoned fabrics
Sizes: XS-XXL
Women’s version? hot pant equivalent
artilectperformance.com

The elastic waistband has an easy stretch to it and was also comfortable against the skin and I found no irritation under it over long days where I was working hard and sweating. The merino is zoned with plain fabric making up most of the briefs and a perforated variant in the crotch area and at the hips. This is designed to breath better and dry more quickly, and it performs well despite the wool base fabric.

The downside of the lighterweight merino zones is a tendency for the fabric to overstretch and lose some of its shape over extended use. I’ve found this to be fine over a single full day on the hill but on a multi-day trip between washes the Boulders do lose the enjoyable close fit they have after they’ve been washed. However, they do have good odour resistance over extended use.

The seams are all flat and the front has a double thickness panel which insulates a little and also helps this area keep its shape better over extended use. I’ve worn these under a variety of trousers and the performance was good across them all with no catching or snagging. The legs can occasionally ride up a little but I haven’t experienced any annoying bunching or wedgie issues.

There’s no fly but the waist band sits quite low so it hasn’t proved awkward during those alfresco bathroom moments. These are good shorts across warm to cool temperatures, but they are a little expensive.

Testing conditions

Peter has a waist that sits around an average size large and has a fairly regular build. He wore the underwear with a variety of outdoor trousers and fabrics including relaxed fit non-stretch, stretch softshell and closer fit multisport leggings as well as regular casual use with jeans and other trousers. They’ve been tested across the seasons and on tracks, trails and bigger hill days on the Munros.

This review was first published in the June 2025 issue of The Great Outdoors.