Asics ASX Wind Boxer comparison North Face GDT Wind Brief

Gear review and a comparison
Asics ASX Wind Boxer:
www.runningfree.com/products/Asics-ASX-Wind-Boxer-p31356

The North Face GTD Wind Brief:
www.thenorthface.com/catalog/ca_ecom/en/sc-gear/mens-collections-flight-series-0174/men-39-s-gtd-wind-brief.html

This year, I blew the dust off my wallet and decided to buy a better pair of running briefs for the cold winter running season.  With temps well below -15*C I wanted to be as comfortable as I could while braving the elements.  This review is more of a comparison than an all-out gear review.

Both the Asics and North Face running briefs are constructed from high quality materials. Both are reputable brands, offering athletes a whole slew of technological improvements in seamless undergarment design. Comfort, support, mesh padding for breathability, microfiber wind block panels to help shield body extremities, and durability are just a few.

The primary difference between these two boxers is in the leg design. Refer to the links for detailed photo’s, but in short, the Asics offer a lower cut leg design, where as the North Face have a longer leg similar to a cyclist chamois.

I initially felt that the Asics would better suit my needs.  During cold runs I’m either in my running tights or running pants; what I choose to wear is always dependant on  the actual outside temps before wind chill. With the shorter leg design, I felt that the Asics would fit better under my tights, and in general, offer less resistance while running.

I’ll qualify the following statement by stating that the Asics are a great fitting boxer if you’re not running.  While running, these briefs kept me warm, however, even with a strong leg elastic, I was finding that the briefs would “ride-up” the leg and bunch up in the crotch area.  I wasn’t experiencing any chaffing, but the constant “fiddling” and “adjusting was just too much of a distraction – I couldn’t focus on my running, and in general, running in these briefs was not enjoyable.

It was with some reservation that I switched to the North Face briefs. Would the longer leg design be an impediment? In short, these brief work very well while running.  The leg elastic does a great job of keeping the leg material in place, and equally important, they fit well under a  pair of running tights.

In conclusion,  the Asics could be used during other activities, but based on my own personal experience I don’t recommend them for runners. The North Face brief simply does a better job of staying in place eliminating the distraction of constantly “adjusting” while on the run.