Reebok Men's Howe Long Sports Trunks: brilliantly supportive bottom-hugging base layers

While these long-length sports trunks from Reebok aren’t specifically designed for one specific activity – you can wear them while working out in the gym or when wandering wild trails – the materials used and well-ventilated design immediately recommended them to me as potential contenders for our guide to the best running underwear, and this is the context in which I have been testing them.

Many of the best trail-running shorts come with an integrated inner these days, but not all. While there are lots of excellent double-layer shorts out there, such as the Inov-8 Trailfly Ultra 7" 2-in-1s, separation of inner and outer can be a good thing – not least because some included inners can be poor quality, and/or might deteriorate much quicker than the outer – and there are plenty of excellent running shorts, such as the Rab Talus and the Adidas Terrex Multi Trail shorts, which are single layer. Also, some people prefer to use running leggings, rather than shorts. There’s a live debate about whether it’s best to wear underwear beneath shorts and leggings or go commando, but for reasons ranging from chafing to chastity I prefer to layer up.

And whether you’re running trails or hiking them, this is the best way to approach this garment: as a base layer for your nether regions, which makes it the all important starting point for every other layer you put on. Just like the performance of your carefully selected trail running shoes will be enhanced by pairing them with good running socks, so you will get the best returns from your shorts and technical running top if you start with the right foundation.

Design and materials

Reebok have spurned the use of natural materials such as Merino wool in the construction of these undies and have instead gone for an entirely synthetic build, and the garment contains just two components: polyester (for the main part) and elastane (to supply support and allow dynamic stretch while maintaining shape). There are pros and cons to this, which I will go into below, but in terms of design these trunks are primarily intended to do a couple of things. The first of these is to allow your body to breathe during high intensity exercise, which is facilitated through the mesh design and moisture-wicking material used in the main panels. The second is to supply some support to your thigh and gluteal muscles, and keep bits of your body in place to minimise movement, which can lead to discomfort – these tasks are achieved by use of elastane throughout the relatively long trunks, which extend to the mid thigh, and the inclusion of a front pouch in the design.

On the trails

I have spent the last couple of months running and hiking in these long-length Reebok sports trunks (don’t worry, they come in a pack of three, and being made of synthetics they’re easy to launder – this is definitely one of their strong points).

As the weather has warmed up, I have found the moisture-wicking properties of the material and the mesh design of the undershorts to be very effective at preventing overheating and excess sweating, which can of course lead to nasty chafing and all sorts of other best-avoided dramas.

I even wore the Howes Long Sports Trunks during a running session in a heat chamber designed to simulate the desert conditions faced by competitors taking part in the Marathon des Sables, and while taking a sweat test, and they performed well in the 38°C conditions I encountered there. Besides wicking moisture away from the body, and allowing plenty of air flow to the places where you need it, the poly material and mesh design used in these undershorts dries out very quickly.

Although lacking the sumptuous nest-to-skin feel of merino undies (like the high-end Artilect M-Boulder 125 Boxer Briefs) these shorts are comfortable to wear, and have not yet felt abrasive (I hope this continues after multiple washes). Although mesh can be prone to perishing, the synthetic fabric employed in the Howes is hard wearing, and these pants come in a pack of three for a much more affordable price than their merino counterparts. My main concern with the materials used is that they don’t have the in-built anti-bacterial superpowers that natural fibers boast, and as far as I can see no treatment has been applied, so over time they might accumulate stubborn sweaty odors. For the same reason, you can’t get really wear them for multiple days on the trail when fastpacking.

The design of the shorts, with the supportive pouch and thigh and glute-gripping legs, does make these very comfortable undies to wear during quick-paced activities such as trail running and bikepacking, and they give you complete confidence while you’re out and about. But the importance of wearing good undergarments while walking is often overlooked, and I have also very much enjoyed wearing these trunks as a base layer beneath hiking pants during the spring months. They’re also good for climbing adventures. The material is stretchy as well as supportive, so your range of movement isn’t impeded at all, and the wide waistband is particularly good at keeping the trunks in place without being too tight or uncomfortable.