What is the Purpose of a Jockstrap?

The odds are pretty good – really good, in fact – that you don’t have a jockstrap in your dresser drawer these days. 

Believe it or not, though, this wouldn’t have been the case even just 30 or 40 years ago.

In fact, the overwhelming majority of men (and most boys) would have had a jock in their dresser drawer back then, something on hand to guarantee a little more protection down there for the “boys” that traditional underwear just couldn’t offer. 

Today, however, you probably have a tough time finding jockstrap for sale anywhere locally.

This is the kind of thing you’d almost certainly have to grab online outside of a specialty sports equipment store. Here are our picks for the best jockstraps to buy online.

If you were lucky enough to find one in a local store you probably only have a couple of options when it comes to sizing, and almost all of them would probably be from the exact same manufacturer. 

Believe it or not, though, you’re going to want to get your hands on a jockstrap ASAP for a couple of different reasons – especially if you are an active man that wants to add a little bit more protection download when you are active in could use a little more safety, security, and stability down there. 

Body Armor for Your Boys

The main purpose of a jockstrap is and always has been providing a little more protection for everything you’ve got going on below the waist.

When left unprotected, it isn’t hard for this particularly sensitive area to get hit, and to get bumped and bruised when you are active.

Even just running around town can jostle things enough that you start to feel pretty uncomfortable sooner rather than later.

With a jockstrap, though, you’re able to lock things into position, so to speak, so that you aren’t getting any wiggling and jiggling down there. All of a sudden everything is tightly compressed (but not in a way that is necessarily uncomfortable), far more secure, and a lot easier to protect than it would have been traditionally. 

Today’s modern jockstrap options are a lot more advanced than your old school plastic cups and cotton “harnesses”, too. 

A lot of these options take advantage of super lightweight synthetic materials, providing better action but also providing better stability while remaining much more lightweight and whole lot more comfortable.

You aren’t going to feel like you are locking your boys in a plastic prison when you slide a modern jockstrap on, that’s for sure. 

Better Protection Than Boxer Briefs

One of the biggest reasons that we have seen a decline in the use of a jockstrap – aside from the fact that very little about this particular piece of clothing has changed in about 100 years, aside from the materials used – has to be the invention of the boxer brief.

Borrowing a lot from traditional jockstrap pieces (particularly when it comes to creating a bit of a tight fitting harness around your package), boxer briefs eliminate the need for you to wear two different kinds of underwear at once.

Boxer briefs get rid of the need to deal with a traditional jock that might wiggle and ride up, causing wedgies and other headaches depending on fit, finish, and fabric. 

At the same time, though, today’s modern jock options are a far cry from your traditional cup and harness kind of approach that was anything but comfortable for extending amounts of time. 

Stealing a lot of inspiration from boxer briefs (and sometimes using the same kind of cut and fit), you’ll be able to snug into a modern jock with a lot more comfort and a lot less hassle than you ever could have in the past.

Combine that with the extra protection you’re guaranteed from a jock—protection that even the best traditional boxer briefs aren’t going to be able to provide—and you’re off to the races.

Easy to Stay Dry 

Any guy that’s particularly active on a regular basis – somebody that works up a sweat a couple of times a week – knows how easy it is for things to get a little swampy down below. 

Even the best, most technical fabrics and man-made solutions cooked up by modern textile mills today can still get swamped in a hurry.

Cotton usually isn’t going to help, either, but instead is going to absorb as much moisture as possible – and retain that moisture, too – to the point where it becomes a soaking wet mess that you have to fight through.

Because of the way that jockstraps are made, though, you’re going to have a lot more airflow going on at the end you would have with traditional underwear.

Boxers and briefs don’t have the kind of “open layout” that jockstraps do, helping you to avoid trapping any extra heat, any extra sweat, and any extra moisture than absolutely necessary. 

This means you’re going to stay dryer for longer and that’s always going to help you stay a lot more comfortable. Obviously this is going to offer huge performance benefits when you are competing, but it’s also going to be pretty beneficial when you’re just going through your day today as well. 

Throw in the fact that you won’t have to worry about a lot of punching and a lot of chafing because of the tight fit and almost second skin nature of these kinds of clothing accessories and it’s easy to see why so many men are starting to turn to the jockstrap these days when most would’ve thought it was nearly extinct. 

Practically Wedgie-Proof 

One approach to eliminate wedgies from your life as much as possible is to get underwear that fits really close against your skin, eliminating as much of that extra fabric as possible that would have shifted, punched, and rode up.

At the same time, underwear that is too tight is always going to feel restrictive and like you don’t have the freedom of movement and motion you are looking for – especially if you are competing, working out, or training.

With a jockstrap on, you get rid of all those restrictions while enjoying a tight fit that few “off the shelf” underwear options can come close to.

The jock is always going to sit tight up against your body, cradling and protecting your valuables, but it’s not going to constrict. The lack of fabric that a jock has also helps to eliminate wedgies entirely, so that’s a big bonus as well. 

(Jock) Strap Up!

At the end of the day, you might not necessarily need to pull a jock from your dresser drawer every single morning and slide it on just to face the day – but it’s nice to have one on hand for moments that it can become a big.

There are any of great options out there on the market today for you to pick and choose from, more than maybe ever before. Look for the options made using modern technical fabrics, lightweight materials, and that offer strength and durability without any restriction.

With this approach, you won’t have any trouble zeroing in on something that can cradle and protect while still offering you the kind of comfort you’re expecting from high-end underwear.

About the author

Kelsey Summers

Kelsey is the lead editor of Undywear.com. She's a fashionista who's written for Glamour, GQ and others. She enjoys breaking the stigma and taboo around underwear and writing about all things fashion.