Battle of the Briefs: PSD vs Ethika

Let’s be honest, good, reliable underwear doesn’t get the amount of attention it deserves. A comfortable pair can literally make your break not just your outfit, but your day. Stuck in something that rides or doesn’t fit right? That’s all you can think about until you can rip them off. So finding the perfect pair is our mission.

Our first stop on this quest is to compare two leaders in the performance and lifestyle underwear space, PSD and Ethika. While they seemingly have a lot of similarities; a variety of prints, wide branded waistband, and overall similar silhouette, their differences really set them apart. In this article, we’ll be reviewing what makes them stand out from each other, from fabrication to fit and more broken down by category. We’ll be reviewing both brands as a whole while comparing PSD’s Standard Length 7” Brief and Ethika’s Men’s Staple Brief. We compiled this comparison by doing our own wear test and from what verified reviewers had to say.

PSD

• Each pair has cool-keeping mesh panels on the front, back, and down the inner thighs to help with breathability.
• The waistband is seriously unmatched. It’s probably the softest waistband on a pair of underwear we’ve ever worn.
• The fabric has a soft-to-the-touch silky feel that’s fitted and doesn’t ride but isn’t too tight.

Ethika

• We felt the Men’s Staple was a little too long and fit too tightly around the leg openings.
• The fabric has a compressive feel which could be great for working out, but not very breathable so we’d probably overheat.
• The waistband is sturdy but stiff and not as soft as we’d like it to be.

Winner: PSD

We really liked the ease of wear of the PSD briefs and how soft the waistband is.

PSD

• The PSD briefs come in 7” and 5” options, both of which we could find different uses for especially when switching between pants and shorts.
• The PSD briefs are also available in their signature poly blend, a "cool mesh" fabric that’s great for working out, a more standard cotton, and a premium modal so there’s a fabric to fit any preference or lifestyle.

Ethika

• Ethika briefs are available in 9” and 4.75” inseams. As we stated previously, the 9” is a little too long for us, but the 4.75” fits more comfortably.
• The Men’s Staple and Mid are available in their poly blend and a cotton blend. They also have a Men’s Alternative, which is in between a brief and a boxer that comes in the same cotton blend, as well as a full cotton boxer. While we like options, we typically steer clear of loose boxers since they don’t offer much versatility and could cause chafing while working out. Lastly, they offer their Staple and Mid in Subzero, a more performance-facing poly blend.

Winner: PSD

We like how many fabric options they offer and the 7” standard length is a fit we gravitated towards. We could definitely wear it daily, even to work out in.

PSD

• PSD has a ton of prints but offers plenty of solid colors to choose from as well so you can get a good mix of both.
• License preference obviously comes down to personal choice and what you’re into, and for us, PSD hits the mark. We like the nostalgic collections like Looney Tunes and more obvious pop culture ones like Marvel, Playboy, and Rick and Morty.

Ethika

• One thing customers love about Ethika is their prints. They also offer a good selection of solids but they were harder to find on their website.
• Ethika has a decent roster of collections with ambassadors but we were more unfamiliar with a lot of them. The only licensing we saw was with sports teams, which we do like. If you’re into the MLB, NBA, MLS, and NCAA they’ve got something you may be into.

Winner: We’ll call this one a tie

There are plenty of pairs from both brands we’d sport based on print and both offer designs for any style. But if you are a fan of pop culture, movies, Marvel, etc., PSD will probably be the winner for you based on their licenses.

PSD

• With the waistband being so sturdy and soft to the touch, we see being able to wear these on repeat for quite a while.
• Customers noted that they’ve been able to wash and wear them over and over without changes to the shape or the fabric or the band “baconing,” a term that refers to the ripples and waving that can form after wash and wear.
• The poly blend is so soft and silky, our favorite material PSD offers. The premium modal is a close second because of its durability. Their premium modal has that classic cotton feel but a softer touch.

Ethika

• The Staple’s poly blend does have a high-quality feel and a generous amount of spandex which we liked, but it doesn’t breathe very well. Subzero breathes better and is more ideal for strenuous activities.
• Ethika customers have reported their underwear notwithstanding the wear and tear of washing for very long, saying there have been issues with seams and the waistband becoming wavy or losing their form, “baconing” if you will.

Winner: PSD

We liked the feel of the fabric more and felt it’d last longer. And the waistband is so soft, it’s no contest with anyone else we’ve tried so far.

PSD

• A pair of Men’s Standard Length briefs run between $25 and $28 depending on the material and if they’re licensed print.
• 3 packs can range from $45 - $70. Standard Cotton packs are on the lower end and premium modal and license styles are on the higher end of the price range. We did the math and buying their multipacks is a good deal and will save you a few bucks.
• PSD offers some big sales throughout the year and has a pretty sizable marked-down section on its website so if you don’t want to pay full price there are some good options for stocking up at a lower cost.

Ethika

• The Men’s Staple runs between $25 and $32 depending on the material.
• It doesn’t seem as though Ethika offers multi-packs in their men’s underwear.
• They do offer some promotions throughout the year but we could not find a sale section on their website making their underwear less accessible if you don’t want to pay $20+ for a pair of underwear.

Winner: PSD

Their underwear isn’t cheap, but we like that they offer multi-packs and sale items making it easier to stock up. If a low price is your highest priority, Ethika’s prices during one of their big sales can’t be beat. But, they’re only a few times a year and the shipping is extra slow. But if you’re looking for value, PSD offers incentives for newsletter sign-ups, a rewards program, subscription discounts, and an always-present sale section.

PSD

• PSD has a rewards program that allows you to earn points for shopping that you can redeem towards future orders. As you shop with them more, you’ll unlock some extra perks in the program.
• They also offer discounts for active service members, first responders, and students.
• If you’re into keeping your underwear drawer as fresh as possible, you can set up a subscription that’ll ship monthly and get a discount.
• You can shop things they don’t sell in stores, like apparel and most women’s and youth styles.

Ethika

• You’re not likely to find a super wide assortment of Ethika’s plethora of prints or apparel styles in stores so shopping their site offers more variety.
• They do not have a rewards program or any additional discounts or perks.

Winner: PSD

We love a rewards program and think it’s great that they offer discounts for service members, first responders, and students.

PSD

• PSD has branched out to offer a selection of loungewear, apparel, and activewear.
• Their women’s offerings have grown too, especially when it comes to bras.

Ethika

• Ethika has a larger collection of different fits offering more options to choose from, even for the whole family down to toddler sizes.
• They also have a wide range of apparel, activewear, and accessories.

Winner: Ethika

Their underwear and apparel assortment is really impressive.

Winner: We’ll call this one a tie

PSD

• For this, we’re going to start with PSD’s website. For the amount of products they carry, we found their site easy to navigate with tons of information about each of their products. They have an easy-to-use mobile app which is also a plus.
• PSD offers free 30-day returns and exchanges.
• We’ve seen a few customer complaints about shipping time but how customer service was able to jump in and help out. Their standard shipping window is 6 - 10 business days which is no Amazon Prime, but not the worst we’ve seen.

Ethika

• We had a really tough time navigating Ethika’s site. Even with how quickly pages load, it’s unfortunately not very user-friendly and hard to find what you’re looking for.
• Returns can be made for up to 60 days after the ship date and customers will be refunded minus the shipping cost. Exchanges can also be made for up to 60 days.
• We found a lot of complaints from customers about Ethika’s shipping and the unresponsiveness of their customer service team. Their site says standard shipping can take 5-7 days, but the average seems longer than that based on what customers reported, especially during the holidays with some people reporting it taking upwards of 3-4 weeks for an order to ship.
• Ethika doesn’t offer much information about the products on their site. We recommend shopping them in-store instead of on their site to get more product info.

Winner: PSD

Based on the ease of their sites and what customers have reported about shipping and customer service, PSD wins this category.

A bit about these two brands:

Founded by brothers Curt and Ryan Flaitz in 2007 and based in Irvine, CA, PSD is an underwear brand leading the industry through innovative designs that fuse comfort and performance.
Ethika is a leading lifestyle brand owned by Matt Cook. Since its inception, Ethika and its team have been determined to live life, innovate, and work hard, while staying true to their biggest asset – their FAMILIE.
Head to each of their websites to learn more about them and to give them a try for yourself.