Chances are you already know that men’s underwear has a hole in the front that is sometimes designed to look like a pouch.
However, the placement of the hole and its purpose in the men’s underwear has always perplexed many, and its use is mostly not clear. Surprisingly, even for men whose health depends on the type of underwear they use, according to research by Harvard which shows that boxers, which mostly have holes, have a higher sperm count than those who wear briefs.
So why do we have a hole in men’s underwear? The hole in men’s underwear serves the special purpose of creating an opening during bathroom visits, where one can easily pee without lowering their pants. They are also useful when placed in the front of the underwear pouch by making them roomier and more comfortable.
Do People Actually Use the Hole in the Front of the Underwear?
The short answer to whether people use the hole in underwear is yes and based on statistics that show that almost 20 percent of men use the hole when peeing, it is evident that men do use the hole as intended.
However, the wider acceptance of how the hole is used and how people use the hole is more complicated. For instance, there is no consensus on why the hole exists or how it is supposed to be used. Underwear designs have also changed drastically in the last few decades, with modern designs having a pouch-like area that makes them roomier and comfortable to wear.
The placement of the hole on the pouch in modern designs also makes it easy to adjust the size of the pouch, meaning more men use the hole indirectly for comfort and freedom.
While it remains true that most men don’t use the hole in the front of their underwear for anything, there are some situations where many have confessed the hole came in handy.
This includes scenarios such as visiting restrooms in a haste, and you need every minute you can spare to be somewhere else. In such instances, the idea of pulling your pants down, untacking, or pulling your underwear down when peeing. The best solution would be to make use of the hole, which doesn’t necessarily require untucking and is much more convenient in such instances.
In such a scenario, the hole will allow you to pass your package through it to your trousers zippers without unbuttoning.
Using the hole on urinals is also much easier for many because it does not require pulling down the underwear, which, in some instances, may be uncomfortable and much more tedious than using the hole. Which is why there has been a resurgence in the usage of no-hole underwear, such as the company Paul Smith. Take a look at their selection here, on Amazon, to learn more.
In scientific research, holes in the front of underwear, mostly boxers, have also been used as a form of contraceptives. The research involved passing the penis and the empty scrotum through the hole and adding a ring of soft material to increase temperature. The research found that, when used in this way, underwear holes can act as a form of reversible contraceptive for men.
Take a look below for a body builder’s perspective on the importance and usage of underwear with the pouch and why it matters so much.
The Table Below Analyzes Whether or Not Men Use the Hole in Underwear:
| Do you use the hole in your underwear? | Percentage of total results |
| Yes, it’s very convenient. | 62.96% |
| No, not typically. | 37.04% |
Why Do Men’s Pajamas Have a Hole?
Men’s Pajamas also have a hole in the front, and just like men’s underwear, not many people know why the pajamas have holes, how they are used and when to use them.
- Although pajamas are mostly nightwear worn for comfort around the house and during sleep with no underwear, bodily functions such as the need for bathrooms and peeing cannot be ignored. The unisex dressing is thus designed differently for men and women and men’s pajamas have a hole in the front.
- The holes in the pajamas, unlike underwear, are easy to use and most men use them, especially if they are full-body pajamas and blanket sleepers, where the holes are the only outlet, you can get the penis out to pee.
- Detached men’s pajama pants also come with holes, which men can use during their visit to the restrooms. However, these types of pajamas are also more convenient, and you can pull the pajama trousers down easily when peeing.
What Is the Hole in Boxers Called?
Yes, boxers, undergarments specifically made for men, also have holes, and if you have ever paid attention to their design, you might have noticed that the holes are placed on the pouch.
Unlike other types of underwear worn by men, most boxers are more flexible, with freedom allowance and more spacious. They are also among the most popular type of underwear worn by men.
However, few people know that the holes found on their boxers have a name. These holes are referred to as fly, like what we call the holes on our pants. Other terms such as penis holes, air holes and pee holes are also used to refer to boxer holes.
What’s the Purpose of the Small Opening in the Front of Men’s Underwear?
The debate about the small opening in the front of the men’s underwear has been an ongoing issue for a long time, with many men failing to nail down the main purpose of the opening and why it is located in the front of their underwear.
One argument that many people propose is that the sole purpose of the hole is to pee, indicating that its placement in the front of the underwear makes it easier to use than pulling pants down. However, the argument is easily shot down by people who argue that it takes less time to pull underwear down while peeing than to pass the penis through the hole.
In a way, this is true, and Dr. Brucker, in an interview with Thrillist, agrees with such a consensus, adding that pulling underwear down instead of getting them through your penis prevents adding more resistance once you are done peeing and hence last drops do not drip in your trousers or underwear.
Urinal designs also make it very hard for men to pee through the hole opening in the front of the underwear. In a wired scientific explainer of how to pee properly like a gentleman, a consensus on peeing straight rather than downwards is reached. This means that people intending to use the hole in the front of their underwear for peeing may find themselves not being able to pee straight because of the grip the hole opening applies to the urethra, preventing people from peeing straight and making it harder for people to pee straight.
The other argument put forward by proponents of the hole in the front of the underwear is that it is used to adjust the area around the men’s genitalia.
Although this argument, at face value, makes a lot of sense, it is important to note the types of underwear that men wear and have holes.
Take boxers, for instance, where most are spacious enough to accommodate men’s genitalia while still creating room for comfort around the men’s genitalia area. The boxers also come with an opening in the front of the underwear, therefore the argument that the hole in the front of the underwear is used to create more room is easily challenged. This has been remedied in new designs that are taking a lot of different parts of the world by storm.
The brand Balance has a whole line of underwear dedicated to answering the question on what the best design for underwear users is. You can easily find it on Amazon and take a look here at their surprising collection.
Briefs, however, can be argued to incorporate the hole as a way of creating a roomier and comfortable area around the genitals, and in this argument, the proponents of a hole in the front of the underwear would be right.
Also, it is fair to argue that, even in boxers, the holes may be able to provide a roomier area, because boxers are not an all size fit all clothing, and some people may buy fitting boxers and need the hole to adjust their genitalia area for more comfort.
However, it is the third argument by the proponents of the hole in the underwear that is almost comical, the idea that the hole is placed in the front of the underwear for decorations or to make underwear look better.
The first thing they have to note is that underwear is an inner clothing fabric, and in most cases, nobody except the wearer gets to know how the underwear is designed or which color it is. Therefore, underwear is not a fashion clothing and hence the argument that you need the hole to make them look better makes it comical.
So, what is the actual purpose of the hole in the front of the underwear? There is no agreed consensus on why the hole exists or its purpose. What is known is that people are divided on what its actual purpose is, but men use it for various purposes such as peeing and making their genitalia area roomier and comfortable.
What’s the Purpose of the Small Pouch in the Front of Men’s Underwear?
Many men swear by the pouch in the front of the underwear, and their purchasing decision of underwear is dependent on whether it has a pouch. This is because the pouch is a multipurpose design addition that is particularly useful for most men.
One main reason why underwear with a pouch in the front is popular is that it increases men’s profile in the genitalia area. Yes, many men can’t admit this outrightly, but the truth is, one of the reasons they are popular is they create an illusion of a big package from the outside, something most men would like to project to the outside world.
However, that is not the only reason pouches in the front of underwear are useful, the other reason is they create a much roomier area in the front of the genitalia area. See, underwear comfort has been a motivating factor in making the final decision to purchase them.
In a research conducted by Zhe Cheng of Wuhan Textile University, they found that modern designs incorporating pouch made it more comfortable and more suitable for individual morphological features.
Pouch design, especially the area where the seam is sewn, also supports the genitalia, allowing for comfort for the men wearing the underwear. This is important for many men because it improves the comfortability of underwear. Wearing underwear with no seam means the genitals hang and hence there is a high chance of being pressed within the thighs, creating discomfort to their wearers.
Larger men’s underwear pouches also allow for men to comfortably go to the gym wearing their underwear without worrying about their genitals being pressed against the thighs and resulting in pain and discomfort. This is a real issue that most men have suffered, especially those wearing briefs with no pouches, where they find themselves adjusting their genitalia regularly due to discomfort.
Some underwear designs also allow adjusting the underwear pouches through the opening in the front of the underwear. This makes it easier for men to adjust in case they experience any discomfort while wearing underwear.
Which Type of Underwear Is Best for Men: Briefs or Boxers?
The main difference between a brief and a boxer is that briefs are form-fitting, whereas boxers are more relaxed. This means that boxers are roomier than boxers and are also longer and wider.
But which one should you wear? Well, the debate about the two has never been settled, and it depends on the type of comfort you want.
Men who are looking for something small and much more fitting, mostly with a pouch in the front to create a roomier genitalia environment, prefer to go with a brief. These men consider the tightness of the briefs as an advantage over the boxers and prefer something that can hold their genitalia together, preventing the usual movement experienced by people wearing boxers.
Briefs are also great for men looking to project a bigger package because most of them have a pouch that manifests outwardly as a bigger genitalia area. Therefore, projecting a sizable package as a projection of their masculinity.
However, boxer wearers argue that they are more comfortable and efficient, especially when worn over extended periods. They also find briefs uncomfortable and are more drawn to a more roomer genitalia area.
The truth is, the debate over which one is better cannot be easily settled, hence men just consider the benefits each offers and go with either of them, a boxer or a brief.