Underwear Guy Review: N2N Bodywear Raider Runner
Designer/Manufacturer: N2N Bodywear
Website: www.n2nbodywear.com
Price: $36.00

N2N Bodywear offers a broad range of underwear, athletic gear and some items that are harder to categorize. The Raider Runner item falls into that odd in-between category of men's wear that is not exactly athletic gear and not precisely underwear either. This Raider Runner by name implies running leggings for athletic wear but the large mesh material is obviously not meant to be worn in public (for most communities at any rate) so I am categorizing it as unusual, if not novelty underwear. All of the N2N Raider line is composed of the same 83% Nylon 17% spandex material that is punctured with hundreds of small holes all over the surface that make the material mesh-like although not exactly mesh since the holes are so large that it's more like a net material. The Raider line is available in basic black and white as well as an ice blue which is a bright, light blue-green color as well as a neon pink that is very saturated and "loud". There are several cuts of the Raider line available beyond the runner including a jock, bikini, brief, trunk, and wrestler. Sometimes the specifics of the designs/fit are unique to each item despite being part of a broad line so I would say my review is only relevant to the Runner cut and I'll have to try the other styles before making any global assumptions about the Raider line.

The 1" waistband on the Runner is an interesting combination of a fully-covered elastic band as well as a functional drawstring which ties at the interior front of the runner. I would say the drawstring is mostly a design choice since the elastic waist seems to be where most of the waist fit comes into play. As with most N2N Bodywear items, the sizing of these runners matched up well with the expected 32-33" waist measurement and the length of the legs worked well for taller guys thanks to the stretch of the material. On the back you will find an interesting rubberized version of the N2N logo (1" wide X 3/4" tall) which makes for an interesting design treatment you don't normally see on underwear. The wash/care tag is thankfully very small and occupies just a 1" tall by 3/4" wide space on the interior back of the waist. The back includes a seam running down the middle which inevitably causes the material to follow your curves very closely. In other words, if you don't like the feeling of material going in-between your backside then skip this purchase since that's the intent here. Turning around to the front, the pouch is one of the more oddly designed patterns I've encountered with a curve that actually goes up rather than down. It's a little hard to explain but the detail photo at the end of the review that shows the pouch profile when laid flat should help you understand the pattern cut. I can't say this pouch design really makes the most sense as it tends to create a slightly odd profile not unlike the CockSox underwear and swimwear line. On the plus side this is a fairly large pouch design so if you like more room up front in your gear you might find these useful. There is an 1/4" elastic ring sewn around the edge of the pouch that is also meant to contribute to the "upwards and outwards" lift effect of the pouch which would be like a milder form of the C-In2 sling. I personally wasn't too fond of this pouch design even though it's comfortable, it just doesn't feel completely practical. I think there is a clear intent here (as with many of N2N Bodywear's designs) to be more than a bit over-the-top and perhaps I'm just not quite sold on that look. These runners are extremely low rise and will barely cover the important parts of your anatomy as well as just rise barely over your backside. Again, this look might be fun and "cheeky" but it isn't practical in my tests since once you move around a bit the waist pulls down to the point that the garment almost starts to come off which doesn't feel right-I personally like to control the timing of when my undergear is going to come off. The drawstring and elastic waistband as mentioned earlier still can't keep everything in place given the overall tightness and extreme low-rise of the design, things just seem to want to slip down fairly quickly with this Runner. To wrap things up here we can take a look at the leg cuffs which are finished off simply with a folded-over 1" edge and sewn flat which makes for a clean design if not overly exciting.

The Grades:

Fit:	C+	I realize some of this is personal preference on the pouch design, and for some people this might be a higher score, but the wacky fit and form didn't really feel right to me and the low rise became a true functional issue that I think anyone would find frustrating to some degree.
Design:	A	Although I wasn't into the fit I do like the design concepts. The color choices are nice to see in a traditionally very conservative form of men's underwear and the drawstring is a nice visual element that is thankfully matched with a more functional elastic waist.
Material:	B	Clearly this fabric is not meant to keep you warm to any great degree with all the holes so it's more about the fashion and "look" over anything else. The stretch makes for a body-conscious fit and the mesh holes do make for a unique look although it's not the most comfortable material given that it's mostly Nylon so I'm going with a decent "B" level grade here.
Construction:	A	My experience with N2N Bodywear items has been consistently a positive one with very good seams, no loose threads, and clean pattern matches where the legs join the base of the pouch.
Overall Grade:	C+/B-	As I mentioned in the beginning of this review the Raider line is sort of a class of gear by itself in that it's a mix of athletic gear styling intent but clearly only appropriate as underwear use. I think as far as this runner style is concerned it's a fun novelty item but there are enough limiting issues with the fit and material type that I'm not going to say I'm a fan of the item. The wearing applications seem fairly limited so maybe if you have a particular affinity for the material, or the low-rise runner look, this might be a purchase you would be interested in.
Would I buy another pair? As far as the runners are concerned, no, I think I'll skip buying anymore but that doesn't mean I won't try some of the other cuts that might fare better.

Wear Recommendations:

All-day Wear	Loungewear	Athletic	Sleepwear	Office Wear	Special Occasion	Bedroom Wear

Where To Buy:

The N2N Raider Runner is available to order at several online underwear shops including: MensUnderwearStore.com: Product Page, 10Percent.com: Product Page, JockBoyLocker.com: Product Page, NuWear.com: Product Page, Erogenos.com: Product Page, and of course you can always order direct from N2N Bodywear as well: Product Page.

Photos: