Icebreaker — Men's Merino Blend 125 Cool-Lite™ Anatomica Boxers

Icebreaker

Men's Merino Blend 125 Cool-Lite™ Anatomica Boxers

SKU: IB:0A571V:401:XXL::1:
B

83/100

Strong across the board — well-made, safe to wear, and low planet cost.

Daily wear, no caveats.

Material B · 83Health A · 99Eco · 80Label · high

Why this material grade?

This product scored 83/100 on the 7-axis material rubric, based on its composition of 56% Tencel, 40% Merino Wool, 4% Elastane. Blended from 56% Tencel, 40% Merino Wool, 4% Spandex — the score is a weighted average based on each material's proportion.

B (70-84): Good material composition — above average across most axes.

Good quality, eco-friendly

Solid fabric with strong environmental credentials. Tencel (56%) is doing the heavy lifting. This is a smart buy.

Breakdown

Composition

56% Tencel, 40% Merino Wool, 4% Elastane

Mostly natural with stretch

Fabric details
eVent™
Care (from the label)
Machine wash coldDo not tumble dryDo not ironDo not bleachDo not dry clean
🌍

This fabric will take 200+ years to decompose. That means a shirt you buy today will still exist in the year 2226.

🧺

Dryer heat destroys spandex/elastane over time. Your leggings and stretchy clothes will last 2x longer if you skip the dryer.

⚖️

Merino Wool (score 86) is carrying this blend. Spandex (score 55) is pulling it down.

Network

Cost per wear

rough estimate
55¢/wear · 100 expected wears

Reasonable cost-per-wear

How we got there

Base for this category: 100 expected wears.

× 1.00 for Tencel (mid-durability fiber, durability 69).

= 100 expected wears. $55 ÷ 10055¢/wear.

Missing GSM — this is a category-level estimate, not garment-specific. Expect ±30% variance.

Real life is messier than a formula: how often you wash, how you wash, whether you wear it inside-out, dry on low — all of it shifts the number. This is the ceiling under reasonable care.

30°

Wash

cold (30°C)

Bleach

Do not bleach

Dry

flat dry

Iron

low

P

Dry Clean

recommended

Cycle: delicateDetergent: mildSoftener: No

Best For

🏃Athletic Wear
Excellent

Excellent breathability (82) and moisture wicking (78) for active sports

😴Sleepwear
Excellent

Excellent comfort (88) and breathability (82) for sleeping

🧥Winter Outerwear
Good

Good warmth (61) for cold weather

👕Everyday Casual
Good

Good comfort (88) and care ease (56) for casual wear

👔Formal/Office
Good

Good durability (69) and comfort (88) for office wear

🩲Underwear
Good

Good breathability (82) and comfort (88) for undergarments

🌧️Rain/Weather
Good

Good moisture wicking (78) and durability (69) for weather protection

⛰️Outdoor/Hiking
Good

Good durability (69) and breathability (82) for outdoor activities

🌱Sustainable Fashion
Good

Good sustainability score (80)

Tradeoffs

Health Impact

Microplastic shedding · skin-contact synthetic load · likely chemical treatments

A99/100

Low health impact — predominantly natural fibers with no major treatment flags.

MicroplasticsLOW

Very low

Skin contactLOW

4% synthetic

ChemicalsLOW

No flags

Eco Rating

80/100

Strong environmental credentials

Learn about eco ratings →

Biodegradability

Not Biodegradable

Materials will persist in the environment for decades.

Health & environmental impact →

What this score doesn't measure

  • ×Fiber grade. Staple length, micronaire, strength. "100% cotton" could be short-staple upland or long-staple Pima — same label, very different fabric.
  • ×Yarn processing. Singles count, ply (single vs two-ply), spinning method (open-end vs ring-spun vs compact), mercerization. Invisible from any label.
  • ×Knit / weave structure. Single jersey vs interlock, knit tightness. A loose knit pills; a tight knit lasts.
  • ×Fabric weight (GSM). One construction signal among several — and high GSM can come from loose cheap yarn just as easily as from fine tight yarn. We have it for blank manufacturers, rarely for retail.
  • ×Pre-shrink processing. Sanforized cotton shrinks ~1%; non-sanforized can shrink up to 10%. Not visible from the composition tag.
  • ×Construction quality. Stitch density (SPI), seam types, collar geometry, manufacturing tolerances (AQL). These often matter more than the fiber itself.
  • ×Specific chemical loads. Health Impact flags "likely PFAS / possible formaldehyde" from composition × category — we don't lab-test individual SKUs.

We rate the fabric, not the garment. Composition is the floor of what you're guaranteed to be getting — most shoppers don't have that.

Action

Keep exploring