Specifications checked against each brand's own product pages on 25 September 2026. We make one of the eight, so read our entry accordingly. We have no commercial relationship with any of the others.
The most comfortable knickers are the ones you forget you are wearing: soft against the skin, cool enough that you do not notice them in a warm office, with a waistband that does not dig and a leg that does not creep. To find the most comfortable ladies knickers UK shoppers can buy, we compared eight comfortable knickers for women on the five things that decide it: fabric, waistband, leg edge, size range and price per pair.
We also went through 351 of our own customer reviews to see what women say when underwear gets it right. 77% mentioned comfort and 41% mentioned softness, without being asked. The reviews that explain why kept coming back to the same two things: it does not ride up, and nothing digs in.
Best underwear for women: the quick answer
If you only read one section, read this: the best knickers for women, matched to what matters most to you.
- Softest feel: Stripe & Stare The Original Knicker, in TENCEL modal.
- Best everyday cotton full brief: Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi, in UK 10 to 30.
- Best for no knicker lines: Sloggi ZERO FEEL, or Uniqlo AIRism Ultra Seamless on a budget.
- Best high street multipack: M&S Flexifit Modal Rich Full Briefs.
- Best bamboo brief: Boody Midi Briefs, seamfree.
- Best organic cotton: Organic Basics Core Briefs.
- Best if your knickers ride up or your thighs rub: Flissie bamboo boxer shorts, our own, with a 6 or 9 inch leg.
8 comfortable knickers compared
This is the best women's underwear UK brands make for everyday comfort, side by side. Prices are per pair at full price, with the best multipack price where a brand sells packs. Ratings are shown only where the product page publishes them. Checked 25 September 2026; prices move.
| Knicker | Style and rise | Fabric | Sizes | Price per pair | Rating (reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe & Stare The Original Knicker | Low-rise hip brief, lace trim | 95% TENCEL modal, 5% elastane | XS (UK 6 to 8) to 4X (UK 20 to 22) | £18, from £11.70 in 7 or more | Brand says 65k five-star reviews |
| Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi | High-waist full brief | 95% cotton, 5% elastane | UK 10 to 30 | £12, £9.33 in a 3 pack | Not shown |
| Sloggi ZERO FEEL Hipster | Seamless hipster, bonded edges | 76% recycled polyamide, 24% elastane | XS to XXL | £13 | Not shown |
| M&S Flexifit Modal Rich Full Briefs | High-rise full brief, cotton gusset | 88% modal, 12% elastane | UK 6 to 28 | Sold in 5 packs; price not verified | Not verified |
| Boody Midi Briefs | Mid-rise brief, seamfree | 79% viscose from bamboo, 15% nylon, 6% elastane | XS to 4XL | £13, less in bundles | 4.83 from 5,130 |
| Uniqlo AIRism Ultra Seamless Hiphugger | Low-rise seamless short, cotton gusset | 71% polyamide, 29% elastane | XS to L when checked | £7.90 | Not shown |
| Organic Basics Core Briefs | Mid-rise, full back, free-cut leg | 95% organic cotton, 5% elastane | XXS to XXXXL | £13 in a 3 pack (£39), often on sale | 4.79 from 692 |
| Flissie bamboo boxer shorts | Mid-rise boxer, 6 or 9 inch leg | 95% Tanboocel bamboo viscose, 5% elastane | UK 8 to 30 | £20, about £13 in a 7 pack | 4.7 from 336 |
What actually makes knickers comfortable
Comfort sounds subjective, but comfortable underwear for women comes down to five things you can check before you buy.
1. Fabric: how it feels and how it handles heat
Modal and bamboo viscose are cousins: both are regenerated cellulose fibres, made from wood or bamboo pulp. They feel the softest of anything here, they drape rather than cling, and they move moisture away from the skin, which is why they suit anyone who runs warm. The trade is that they dislike hot washes. Cotton breathes well and survives any wash, but it holds moisture, so it can feel damp on a hot day or at the gym. Polyamide, the nylon in most seamless knickers, is what makes bonded edges possible and dries fast, but it is the warmest of the three. If you want the best breathable underwear for women, or simply breathable knickers for a hot day, start with modal, bamboo viscose or cotton.
2. Waistband: width and where it sits
A narrow band of elastic concentrates pressure in one line, which is where digging comes from. A wide, flat waistband spreads it. Rise matters as much as width: a high-rise full brief sits at or above the navel, a mid-rise sits below it, and a low-rise hipster sits on the hips. There is no best rise, only the one that sits where your body does not fold when you sit down.
3. Leg edge: elastic, bonded, or an actual leg
This is the part most comparisons skip. A traditional elastic leg holds the knicker in place but can dig and leave a line. A bonded or free-cut edge, as on Sloggi ZERO FEEL, Uniqlo AIRism and Organic Basics, lies flatter and leaves fewer lines, but with nothing gripping it can creep. A boxer with a leg is the only style that puts fabric between your thighs, which is what stops rubbing and gives the leg band something to hold on to.
4. Gusset
A cotton gusset is a comfort feature, not a detail: it is the one part of the knicker in constant contact with the most sensitive skin. M&S and Uniqlo publish a cotton gusset. Most brands do not say, so check the product page if it matters to you.
5. Size range and grading
Knickers are usually drafted on one sample size and scaled up, which is why a larger size can dig at the waist and gape at the leg at the same time. Look for a brand whose range reaches past your size, and for size charts in UK numbers rather than letters. Of the eight here, Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi (UK 10 to 30), M&S (UK 6 to 28) and ours (UK 8 to 30) publish the widest numbered ranges.
The best ladies knickers UK women rate for comfort, reviewed
1. Stripe & Stare The Original Knicker: the softest feel
95% TENCEL modal with 5% elastane, a low-rise hip cut with ample back coverage and a lace trim. Modal is as soft as knicker fabric gets, and Stripe & Stare have built a brand on it: they describe the feel as cloud-soft and say it feels like a second skin, and their site shows 65,000 five-star reviews across the range. £18 a pair, coming down to £11.70 a pair when you buy seven or more.
Where it loses: sizes stop at 4X, which is a UK 20 to 22. It is a low-rise brief, so if your issue is a waistband rolling or a leg riding up, a softer fabric alone will not fix it.
2. Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi: the best everyday cotton full brief
95% cotton with 5% elastane, a high-waisted full brief with flat leg edges, in UK 10 to 30. If you just want comfy knickers for women that you can buy in a pack and forget about, start here: Sloggi calls it a proven bestseller, and it has been a drawer staple for years. £12 a pair, £9.33 a pair in a 3 pack. Sloggi says it keeps its colour and shape after washes at 95 degrees, which cotton can take and modal cannot.
Where it loses: cotton holds moisture, so on a hot day it can feel damp in a way modal or bamboo viscose does not. There is no size below a UK 10.
3. Sloggi ZERO FEEL Hipster: the best for no knicker lines
76% recycled polyamide and 24% elastane, seamless and label-free, with free-cut edges bonded in dots rather than stitched. It is the pair to reach for under thin, fitted fabric. £13 at full price.
Where it loses: polyamide is warmer than cotton, modal or bamboo viscose, and a free-cut edge has nothing to grip with, so on some bodies it creeps. Sloggi says it is completely invisible under clothing; no knicker is invisible under everything, and our guide to what actually stops VPL explains why.
4. M&S Flexifit Modal Rich Full Briefs: the best high street multipack
88% modal with 12% elastane and a 100% cotton gusset, in a high-rise full brief, sized UK 6 to 28. Modal softness at a multipack price from a shop you can walk into and return to. M&S sells them in packs of five.
Where it loses: we could not verify the current UK price or rating on the M&S site, so check both before you buy. A full brief is a full brief: if your thighs rub, it does not reach them.
5. Boody Midi Briefs: the best bamboo brief
79% viscose from bamboo, 15% nylon and 6% elastane, knitted seamfree, with a mid rise and a flat ribbed waistband, in XS to 4XL. Rated 4.83 from 5,130 reviews on Boody's site, the most reviews on any single product here. £13 a pair, less in bundles. If you want a bamboo brief rather than a boxer, it is one of the best midi knickers you can buy, and our comparison of seven bamboo underwear brands goes further.
Where it loses: roughly a fifth of the fabric is nylon, which is what lets a seamfree knit hold its shape, but it is worth knowing if you are choosing bamboo for breathability.
6. Uniqlo AIRism Ultra Seamless Hiphugger: the best seamless pair on a budget
71% polyamide and 29% elastane with a cotton gusset, cut as a low-rise seamless short. Quick-drying, smooth under trousers, and £7.90 a pair, the cheapest here by some distance.
Where it loses: only XS to L were listed when we checked. It is a synthetic, so it runs warmer than cellulose or cotton fabrics.
7. Organic Basics Core Briefs: the best organic cotton
95% GOTS certified organic cotton with 5% elastane, mid rise with a full back, flat-lock stitching and a free-cut leg, in XXS to XXXXL. Rated 4.79 from 692 reviews. Sold in packs of three at £39, so £13 a pair, and often on sale. If cotton is what your skin prefers, our cotton underwear guide covers what to look for.
Where it loses: no single pairs, and as with any cotton, it holds moisture on a hot day.
8. Flissie bamboo boxer shorts: the best if your knickers ride up or your thighs rub
Our own, so weigh this accordingly. 95% Tanboocel bamboo viscose with 5% elastane, cut as a boxer with a 6 inch or 9 inch leg, in UK 8 to 30 at one price. There are no seams at the back or sides, the front seam is flat, and the waistband is wide, soft and mid-rise. The leg opening is graded separately from the waist, so it fits a 28 as well as it fits an 8. Rated 4.7 from 336 reviews. £20 a pair, about £13 a pair in a 7 pack.
"The leg doesn't ride up and nothing digs in." Val, verified review
"I have now bought this style pants from 4 suppliers and these are by far the best. Extraordinarily comfortable, they don't ride up and fit so well." Kentwriter, UK, verified review
Where it loses: it is not a knicker. If you want a brief, a hipster or a thong, buy one of the seven above. It is not seamless, so under sheer fabric a bonded brief sits flatter. And it costs more per pair than a Sloggi or M&S multipack. If comfort for you means no thigh rub and nothing creeping up, see the colours and sizes; if you are here because of chafing, our chub rub shorts page goes into the leg length in detail.
Which knickers for which problem
| If your knickers... | Look for | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Dig in at the waist | A wide, flat waistband at a rise that suits you | Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi, M&S Flexifit, Flissie |
| Ride up or roll at the leg | A leg that reaches past where thighs touch | Flissie bamboo boxer shorts |
| Show a line under clothes | Bonded or free-cut edges | Sloggi ZERO FEEL, Uniqlo AIRism |
| Feel hot or damp | Modal or bamboo viscose rather than polyamide | Stripe & Stare, Boody, Flissie |
| Need to survive a hot wash | Cotton | Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi, Organic Basics |
| Stop before your size | UK numbered sizes beyond yours | Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi (to 30), Flissie plus size (to 30) |
What we will not tell you
You will see knickers described as invisible, as leaving no marks at all, and, in bamboo's case, as antibacterial or hypoallergenic. We will not say any of that about ours, and we would treat it with care from anyone. Any edge can show under thin enough fabric. Once bamboo or beech is made into viscose or modal, the properties people associate with the plant cannot be shown in the finished fabric. What you can check is fabric, waistband, leg edge, size range and price, which is why this comparison is built on those.
Comfortable knickers: your questions
What are the most comfortable ladies knickers in the UK?
It depends on what makes knickers uncomfortable for you. For the softest feel, Stripe & Stare's TENCEL modal knicker, or Flissie bamboo boxers. For an everyday cotton full brief in UK 10 to 30, Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi. For no lines, Sloggi ZERO FEEL. If yours ride up or your thighs rub, a boxer with a leg, such as Flissie.
What are the best women's knickers for everyday wear?
The best knickers for everyday wear are the style that sits where your body does not fold: a mid or high rise with a wide waistband for most women, in a breathable fabric like modal, bamboo viscose or cotton. If you walk a lot or your thighs touch, a boxer with a 6 inch leg stops rubbing that a brief cannot.
What is the most breathable fabric for knickers?
Modal, bamboo viscose and cotton all breathe well. Modal and bamboo viscose also move moisture away from the skin rather than holding it, so they feel cooler on a hot day. Polyamide, used in most seamless knickers, is the warmest.
Are modal knickers better than cotton?
Modal is softer, drapes better and handles sweat better. Cotton is cheaper, tougher and can go in a hot wash. If you run warm, choose modal or bamboo viscose; if you want knickers that last through anything, choose cotton.
Which knickers don't ride up?
Knickers with an elastic or bonded leg edge sit at the top of the thigh, which is exactly where they creep when you walk. A boxer with a leg that reaches past where your thighs touch gives the leg band something to hold on to, so it stays down.
Which knickers don't dig in at the waist?
Look for a wide, flat waistband rather than a narrow band of elastic, at a rise that sits away from where your body folds when you sit. High-rise full briefs such as Sloggi BASIC+ Maxi, or a wide mid-rise band like ours, both avoid a single tight line.
What are good quality knickers?
Good quality knickers publish their fabric composition, keep their shape after washing, have a cotton or soft gusset and come in a size range that reaches your size in UK numbers. Price is a weaker signal than any of those.
Are expensive knickers worth it?
Sometimes. A £13 to £18 pair in modal or bamboo viscose usually feels softer and breathes better than a budget multipack, and lasts if you wash it cool. But a £9 cotton full brief from Sloggi is still one of the most comfortable knickers you can buy. Pay more for fabric and fit, not for a label; comfortable ladies underwear does not have to be expensive.
