ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Hipkini Review

The Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Hipkini met all of our underwear standards, and there's a lot to love about it. Its soft, breathable material let us forget we even had it on, and its snug but stretchy fit prevents any discomfort while moving quickly in the city or the mountains. Great coverage and quick-drying construction has us choosing this pair over and over again.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

If your underwear isn't comfortable, its performance in any other area doesn't matter. The Give-N-Go Sport Mesh is impressive from moment one — made of a stretchy nylon/ Lycra blend, it's incredibly soft on the skin. The waistband and leg openings are made of a different material than the bulk, but this too is impressively soft and smooth.

The seams along the waist and leg openings are a bit bulky on the Sport Mesh, but we never noticed these once we had them on. Breathability is a significant concern while traveling or being active, but this product's thin material kept us feeling fresh and clean for days on end. It isn't the very lightest, though, and other models might be our first choice for super hot, sweaty days.

Fit

While “fit” is closely linked to “comfort,” we created two separate metrics to fully cover the whole spectrum of properties that describe how these products feel. In this category, our testers looked at the cut, waistband, and stretchiness of each item, as well as its ability to stay firmly in place no matter how active you get.

The Give-N-Go Hipkini model provides moderate coverage, which we appreciate while traveling. The waist and rear are quite modest, and the back and crotch cover enough to prevent fidgeting. The high-coverage fit may not be right for everyone, but it's offered in other shapes as well. We love the skinny waistband that never created sore spots on our hips under the weight of a heavy pack or under a climbing harness.

Worried about wedgies? Not with the Give-N-Go! This model is snug enough to stay in place and never disrupt your busy day. Additionally, the seams that run along the back seem like they might be a nuisance, but we never noticed their presence — instead, they contribute to the snug but comfortable fit. This product isn't as stretchy as some of its competitors, but we didn't feel constricted or limited in our range of motion.

Drying Time

On a perfect day in the Eastern Sierra of California, we soaked each pair of undies in a bucket of water, wrung them out by hand, and patiently waited for them to dry. With 9% humidity, a light breeze, and partial sun, the Give-N-Go performed near the front of the pack.

Drying time is vital for a variety of reasons. Whether you're washing your undies in the sink of your hostel or sweating up a storm on your run, one of the significant advantages of synthetic materials over cotton is the ability to dry quickly. While some models in this review dried in less than forty-five minutes, the Sport Mesh took a little over an hour to dry completely. Unless you're traveling in a sweltering climate, our testers found the average drying time to be more than enough.

Packability

As people who are often traveling with limited space, we know that every ounce counts. That being said, the range of weights in this review is less than an ounce from the lightest to heaviest, so take this data lightly unless you're counting every gram.

At 1.1 ounces, the Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Hipkini is right in the middle of the pack. Super light models can bring concerns of durability, though, so we don't mind the tiny bit of extra bulk. The material is still thin enough to allow packing down impressively small, easily fitting into little gaps in backpacks and suitcases.

Value

The Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Hipkini is one of the less expensive products we tested. For this, we believe this model provides excellent value as it is also one of the most comfortable. That being said, it's hard to choose this product over the REI Active Bikini, which is both more affordable and more breathable.

Conclusion

Our testing team really, really likes these undies, and it's easy to see why. The material is luxuriously comfortable, soft, and silky smooth with plenty of stretch. It's affordable and has a great fit, with tons of coverage to make travel easy. The only place this model lags behind — and only slightly — is in drying time and breathability. The Give-N-Go is still above average in these areas, but there are a few models that score a bit higher.