The Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Summer (Including Hot Flashes)

Let me be real with you. When I originally wrote this post two years ago, I was on a mission to find the best moisture-wicking underwear for summer. That mission has not ended. If anything, perimenopause has upgraded it from a quality-of-life quest to a genuine survival strategy.

I live in the D.C. suburbs. Summer here is not summer; it's a personal threat. The air has the consistency of warm soup from June through September, and if you sweat easily, run hot, or are navigating the hormonal chaos that comes with perimenopause, your underwear situation makes or breaks you.

For those who don't know me, I'm Alison. I am a 51-year-old size 14/16 petite mom with an apron belly, and I've had too many pairs of undies roll down mid-walk, ride up at the worst moment, or leave me feeling like I sat in a puddle. Over the past two years I have tried a lot of underwear, and I'm sharing only the pairs that earned their place in my recommendations.

I updated this post for 2026 not only with my latest recommendations, but the format of this post. This go round, I'm only including picks I trust. I'm not going to waste your time on pairs that are “fine.” Fine is not enough when you are standing in line at a July farmers market sweating through your sundress.

Why Cotton Underwear Isn't Best in Summer

Growing up, we were told that cotton underwear was the only option for your nether regions to “breathe.” Technically yes… but that doesn't mean in 2026 they're the best option. Cotton is absorbent, which means it holds onto moisture rather than pulling it away from your skin. In cool, dry weather that's fine. In a D.C. August, or during a hot flash, it means you're basically wearing a wet sponge.

Modern performance fabrics and natural fibers like merino wool, TENCEL modal, and technical nylons are designed to do something cotton can't: move moisture away from your skin and allow it to evaporate. The result is that you stay drier, cooler, and a lot more comfortable.

Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Under Dresses and Skirts

If you are wearing a dress or skirt in the summer and you have any thigh-to-thigh contact at all, your underwear situation needs to solve two problems at once: chafing and moisture. These two picks are, in my opinion, the absolute best for this combo. I've worn both on days with a lot of walking, a lot of heat, and a lot of humidity, and they have never let me down.

Wool& Roam Bike Short ($64)

Wool& makes some of the best merino basics I've come across, and the Roam Bike Short is specifically designed as an underlayer for dresses and skirts. The rotated grain line on the leg panels keeps them from riding up, and the soft waistband stays put without digging in. Did I mention they have a pocket? It's in the waistband, but big enough for your ID, credit card, a few bucks, your house key.

Merino wool is naturally temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking, which sounds like marketing until you wear a pair on a 90-degree day and realize you're actually comfortable. On top of that, merino is odor-resistant; which if we're being TMI (this is an underwear review, afterall), makes these even more comfortable when wearing a shorter dress or skirt. These lightweight shorts come in sizes XS-3X (if in doubt size down) and a few colors; machine wash cold, line dry.

Note: Wool& has a few different styles of underwear in the same merino fabric. If you want the full brief for everyday wear, the high-waist bikini is a great choice. The Shortie is my current sleep pick (more on that below).

Thigh Society Cooling Slip Short ($44)

One of the biggest questions I get regarding Thigh Society slip shorts is do you wear them with underwear. The answer is either though I wear them as my underwear, especially the Cooling version. These have kept me comfortable for several summers while wearing dresses, are a must for travel, and I haven't found anything else that compares (check out my detailed Thigh Society review).

The cooling is thanks to a hi-tech performance fabric that actually pulls moisture and heat away from your body, is super lightweight, and super quick drying. It prevents chafing completely, has no VPL, and comes in lengths from 5″ to 21″ and sizes XS/S through 5XL/6XL. At 5'3″ I love the 5″ length, but I know many prefer longer for better coverage and longer limbs. Multiple skin-tone-friendly color options as well.

Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for No VPL

Tommy John Air Brief ($22, or 3 for $42)

I have a complicated relationship with this underwear. They are so lightweight they genuinely feel like wearing nothing. No chafing, zero VPL, and they dry incredibly fast. I still have a pair from two years ago; I wash them on gentle in a lingerie bag and line dry, and they've held up.

But here's where the relationship gets complicated: as your body temperature rises, the fabric stretches. That means over a long warm day, they can shift or roll down a bit, though they do bounce back once cooled or washed. I call the Tommy John Air Brief my white linen undies because they are totally invisible even under thin white linen pants, but I think of them more as a liner than a traditional brief and keep them for my tailored pants or shorts and choose other options for looser fits. Sizes XS-XXL; if in doubt size down.

Lululemon UnderEase High-Rise Bikini ($48 for a 3-pack)

I never want to like Lululemon, but so often I am impressed. My daughter wanted a water bottle and I decided to buy a pack of these and check them out, knowing in a few months I'd be updating this post. And gentle reader, these are pretty great.

They stay in place. They're invisible even under leggings. They're not too high rise but high enough to never roll under my belly. I did go with XL instead of my usual L; I think smaller may have worked but had more visible lines. I wash them gentle, lingerie bag, and line dry and they have held up great for me. Sizes XS-XXL.

Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Everyday Wear

Wool& Roam High-Waist Bikini ($40)

In the 2024 version of this article, I had a different brand of merino brief that I recommended. Great fit, all the benefits of merino… and they did not hold up as well as other undies in my drawer. They got a hole and lost their shape. Falling in love with merino underwear (it's thin and soft and comfy), I went for a replacement brand. The one that stood out for fit, comfort, and durability was Wool&.

For undies you can reach for every day, the Wool& Roam Bikini IMO is pretty fab. Same merino performance as the Bike Short above: temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking, odor-resistant, and quick-drying. The high waist hits at a comfortable place without being so high rise it peeks out of jeans. Sizes XS-3X.

Boody Full Briefs ($16.95)

For a pair of seamless undies that are comfortable everyday, Boody is a sound choice. Bamboo viscose is naturally breathable and moisture-wicking, and with 5% Nylon and 6% Elastane in the mix, you get 4-way stretch and bounceback not found in a lot of bamboo undies.

With all bamboo, you won't find the same durability as with other textiles nor will they be as quick to wick as wool or tech fabrics. That being said, these briefs from Boody have done me better than other bamboo undies and held up twice as long as the pair I recommended back in 2024. Sizes XS-4XL and a range of cuts for your best fit.

Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Travel

ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Bikini Brief ($22)

If you've ever read any packing advice for women, you've seen ExOfficio recommended, and for good reason. These are lightweight, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and they don't hold odors, which means you can wash them in a hotel sink and have them dry and ready the next morning. I put these in travel because they're known for this purpose, but the ExOfficio Give-and-Go is one of my favorites for everyday wear.

This is the 2.0 version, which has a lighter-weight, updated fabric from the original. I find them super durable; throw them in the dryer and you still won't be able to tell the difference between the pair you bought last week and the pair you bought last year. No wedgies, no roll-downs, though a hint of VPL. Do know this fabric doesn't hold the adhesive on the back of disposable pads and liners; you'd do better with a natural fiber. Sizes XS-2XL; if you purchase 2 or more pairs you get 10% off.

Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Hot Flashes & Perimenopause

You know me, I'm not afraid to get a little TMI, so let's talk about how perimenopause changes our underwear needs. Because it's a big reason why I went on this moisture-wicking journey in the first place.

Perimenopause makes some parts of the body unpredictably dry and other parts unpredictably, aggressively not dry. Add summer heat, stress, and the general chaos of midlife, and your underwear has a lot to deal with. I have legit left a damp impression on a plastic chair in August; IYKYK. These picks address that specific reality.

ThirdLove TempSync™ Hipster ($24)

ThirdLove's TempSync line is specifically designed for people navigating perimenopause or any health condition that affects temperature regulation. The fabric uses 37.5® Technology, which is infused with natural minerals that actively work to balance your body temperature before you even start to sweat. It also fights odor. This is not just breathable fabric; it's fabric engineered to respond to your body heat.

I am not a fan of a hipster cut, but I did get a pair of these for research and found it to be a conservative fit and really did keep me cool and dry. These are well made and have held up to multiple washings, though I do recommend using a lingerie bag, gentle cycle, and line drying. Sizes XS-3X.

Knix Light Leakproof No-Show Mesh High-Rise ($29)

The Knix Mesh Leakproof High-Rise isn't exactly moisture-wicking, but it's pretty stellar if you're a woman in midlife and concerned that a hot flash, an anxiety attack, a lack of A/C, an erratic cycle, or a strong sneeze could ruin your day and your outfit.

The body of these are mesh, so they're lightweight and cooling and pretty much disappear under clothing. But there is a lightweight leakproof lining, lighter than other period panties I have tried yet still can hold up to a tampon amount of any kind of moisture. Oh, and they're not ugly. Sizes XS-XXXXL.

Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Sleep and Lounging

Nighttime is a whole separate category when you're in perimenopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, and general temperature chaos mean you need something that will keep you comfortable, cool, chafe-free, and secure. We don't all wear undies to sleep, but if you do, these IMO are the best:

Huha Boxer ($29)

I reviewed the Huha briefs in my original post and described them as “straight up granny panties” and too bulky for everyday wear, but good for sleeping. Once realizing one of the issues is I ordered too large a size I decided to give Huha a second chance with its Boxer and yes, these are good sleeping undies.

While called a boxer, these fit more like boyshorts. A bit cheeky, but plenty of coverage, these will also work well if you use reusable or disposable pads. Made with TENCEL modal (naturally breathable and soft), the gusset is knitted with pharmaceutical-grade zinc oxide, which keeps things fresh without any synthetic fragrance or chemical treatment. Wash on gentle, line dry, treat them well, and they'll hold up. Sizes 2XS-3XL, but look at their size chart and go by your hip size. I'm usually a Large in undies but in these I was comfortable in a Medium.

Wool& Roam Shortie ($40)

The Wool& Shortie is my other sleep pick. Same merino fabric as the Bike Short and Bikini, but in a shortie brief cut with a little more coverage. Merino naturally regulates temperature, wicks moisture, and resists odor, which makes them a great sleep option even if nights run warm. These are hella durable, and have lasted well over a year with weekly washings and even the occasional accidental tumble dry low. They're also very comfortable under a sundress at home if the Boxer cut doesn't appeal to you. Sizes XS-3X.

Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Plus Size

While the majority of the options above are available in plus sizes, I know that those of us with curves have a variety of needs, shapes, and desires in underwear and wanted to provide a few more options I know are favorites within the Wardrobe Oxygen Community:

Fruit of the Loom Fit for Me Breathable Micro-Mesh Brief ($16.98 for a 6-pack)

The Fruit of the Loom Breathable Micro-Mesh brief is a style that was in my original review, but is no longer available in Misses size on the brand website. Fruit of the Loom has a low-rise brief in this fabric, but the original brief is the one that I really liked and so many of you have shared you love too.

The micro-mesh fabric is lightweight and breathable, the elastic doesn't dig or chafe, and they do wick moisture nicely. These are like a budget version of ExOfficio: not quite as durable, but a sound everyday and travel option. Sizes 9-13. Available at big box retailers; the Fruit of the Loom site shares links.

Duluth Trading Armachillo Cooling Brief ($24.50)

This one comes with a strong endorsement from a friend and from multiple folks in the Wardrobe Oxygen community. Duluth Trading's Armachillo line is built around their cooling technology that draws heat away from the body, and it's available in a dedicated plus size cut.

Duluth Trading is known for gear that actually works and holds up, not fashion-forward basics that fall apart. If you run warm and want something sturdy and reliable in an extended size, these are worth checking out. Sizes XSM-3X in solids and some fun prints.

FAQs About Moisture-Wicking Underwear

A few notes on my process: I have personally worn and tested every pick in this post with the exception of the Duluth Trading Armachillo, which comes from a trusted source in the Wardrobe Oxygen community. Sizing notes, care instructions, and affiliate links are current as of publication; I recommend checking the brand's site directly for the latest availability.