The Best Organic Underwear

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Why should you care about organic underwear? Like everything else in the natural/organic realm, it’s gentler on both the environment and your body. In terms of our bodies, natural fibers are breathable, which is an imperative especially for people with vaginas. “Non-cotton fibers, such as synthetic fibers, will trap heat, sweat, and discharge, which can lead to a fungal yeast infection and odor,” according to Insider.com. 

Investing in organic underwear helps at both ends of the product life cycle, too. When raw materials like organic cotton, bamboo and eucalyptus are harvested for manufacturing, they’re coming from clean, GMO-free farming practices that are ecologically sound and sustainable, meaning the soil remains unstripped of nutrients and rich for healthy crop rotation. At the end of a garment’s life, it’s natural composition assists in material breakdown. Ideally, all clothing could be compostable, but underwear is a great place to start. Fortunately for consumers, there are many organic underwear options to choose from. 

Best Organic Underwear Overall

Tired of greenwashing, Knickey’s goal has been process integrity from the beginning. Many brands use environmental buzzwords and phrases purely to serve their bottom line, not the planet. While Knickey addresses common concerns like use of organic crops and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Fair Trade certifications, they also go deeper and examine every other aspect of production, constantly reassessing how to improve in order to best serve both people and the earth. Founders Cayla and Lauren also recognize that idealized production does not necessarily mean a superior product that “deserves a place in your drawer,” so design and comfort are equally important, and they have a First Pair Guarantee to make sure you love what you’ve bought.

A lot of discarded clothes end up in landfills, but Knickey is doing its part to protect against waste by taking back any brand of old underwear, socks and tights to then recycle them into things like insulation and carpet padding. Bonus: when you send old intimates in to be recycled, Knickey gives you a free pair of underwear. Last, 1% of every Knickey order is donated to your nonprofit of choice.

Runner Up for the Best Organic Underwear

ODDOBODY’s purity of material, classic silhouette and silky feel make it stand out. Composed of 100% organic pima cotton, their briefs come in an array of colors. The woman-owned business also uses woman-led factories in Lima, Peru that are Fair Trade certified and family-owned.

In terms of shipping, ODDOBODY uses 100% recyclable packaging and mailers. Most remarkable is their use of 100% omni-degradable underwear packaging, because often even the most well-intentioned organic clothing producers still package their individual garments in plastic pouches. At the underwear’s end of life, the user needs to simply cut off the elastic part and the rest is biodegradable.

More Organic Underwear We Love

Best Affordable Organic Underwear: Pact

Affordable

Pact

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Accommodating both adults and children, Pact is kind of the OG of widely spread organic basics like t-shirts, leggings and of course, underwear. The brand is simple and straightforward. Every product is primarily composed of organic cotton and the partnered factories are exclusively Fair Trade certified. In terms of shipping, they offer the ability to offset your carbon footprint, use recycled packaging materials, and the box can even be shipped back with your old clothes for Pact to donate or recycle.

Pact chooses organic cotton to protect soil and ecosystems, but also to preserve water with “no toxic chemicals and 81% less water than non-organic cotton.” Their products are also Certified Organic by GOTS.

Best Luxury Organic Underwear: Dora Larsen

BESt luxury

Dora Larsen

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Dora Larsen is chic in both cut and color with organic underwear, bras and bodysuits. The underwear is 93% organic cotton and stitched with recycled thread and the fabric is OEKO-TEX, meaning it’s been dyed without any harmful chemicals. Fourteen dollars of every order is donated to the Organic Cotton Accelerator as part of their membership with 1% for the Planet.

Best Organic Maternity Underwear: Olli Ella

Best maternity

Olliella

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Olli Ella makes underwear (and nursing bras) with new parents in mind. Their high waist, full brief is 93% organic cotton and is comfortable both pre- and post-partum without sacrificing style. Described as “a big hug around the waist,” the underwear sits just above the belly button and has a gentle stretch to accommodate baby bumps.

Best Organic Underwear for Menstruation: Nudies Essentials

Best Menstruation

Nudies Essentials

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Anyone who has a period has had a woefully ruined pair of underwear. Nudies Essentials tackles that issue with a disposable, 100% biodegradable solution: compostable cotton underwear in a sleek, discrete box. The brand prioritizes low-impact dyes, recyclable packaging, and fair labor and gives back by partnering with the BuildHer Mission, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women and children affected by domestic violence. A portion of all proceeds go towards packing recycled tote bags with toiletries to distribute to shelters.

While Nudies Essentials are not composed of organic cotton, we’ve determined them to be the best menstruation option among its contenders. Other menstruation underwear solutions are often composed of recycled (or first use) fabrics/materials that don’t break down.

Best Organic Underwear for Prints and Colors: Thunderpants USA

Best Prints

Thunderpants USA

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Composed of 90% organic cotton that is both Fair Trade and GOTS-certified, Thunderpants USA prides itself on a stretchy, strong fabric that covers your bottom and ends at the crease of your leg, minimizing ride-up and maximizing comfort. Basically, they’re designed to be “wedgie-proof.” The brand patronizes the expansive Vardham textiles, a Better Cotton Initiative organization, and the facility in Australia where the fabrics are knitted is equally people and earth-focused. All garments are then cut and sewn at a Stateside, Minority Woman-owned factory in Oregon.

What makes Thunderpants USA special is their roster of illustrators who make limited-run, quirky and beautiful designs for the garments like hot peppers, sea motifs and avocados and chips. The website also features bios, photos and inspirations for each artist. If simplicity is more your vibe, all of the garments are always available in basic black and vanilla colors.

Best Organic Boxers: Industry of all Nations

Best Boxers

Industry of all Nations

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Industry of all Nations boxers are as simple as it gets. The body of the garment is composed of 100% organic cotton, and the elastic waistband is 100% recycled polyester, and they’re made in Tamil Madu, India. Unbleached and undyed, any garment color comes from the fibers of the raw material, so slight variations are natural. Eliminating dyes and bleach creates one less step in production which minimizes use of resources in general. Industry of all Nations prides itself on a process that integrates ancestral techniques with modern garment needs, and all workers receive above average wages.

Best Organic Boxer Briefs: Organic Basics

Best Boxer Briefs

Organic Basics

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Organic Basics provides just that: an organic, basic boxer brief. Made of GOTS-certified cotton, the undergarments are ethically-made with living wages and a focus on the environment. They’re also PETA-approved, adding “vegan” to the list of good qualities. The boxer briefs are available in sleek, solid colorways and are built to last, another tenet of Organic Basics.

The brand features another unexpected effort: a low-impact website. Because data collection requires electricity, which increases carbon emissions, Organic Basics has managed to reduce data transfer by 70%.

Best Organic Children’s Underwear: Mabo

Best Childrens

Mabo

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So much of children’s clothing, including underwear, are itchy and gimmicky, but Mabo’s organic underwear is straightforward. They’re all composed of cotton that is grown, milled and knit in the US and each piece is dyed with low-impact, nontoxic materials. All of the brand’s organic cotton basics are gender neutral and offered in a complementary color scheme meant to be mixed and matched and further potential of wardrobe diversification. While primarily focused on outfitting children, the brand also offers an adult pair to make it a one-stop underwear shop.

Sources

1. https://www.insider.com/vaginal-odor
2. https://global-standard.org/
3. https://greenstory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Green-Story-Impact-Summary-for-Pact.pdf
4. https://farmtosummit.com/omnidegradable/
5. Websites for all listed brands