The Best Sustainable Women’s Underwear
Restock your underwear drawer with brands that use sustainable and eco-friendly fabric. From organic cotton to hemp to bamboo, I’ve found some incredibly comfortable and affordable underwear options that work for women of all sizes. Check out 8 of my favorite underwear brands that are made with eco-friendly soft, breathable fabric and are just as good for your body as they are for the planet!
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Does your underwear drawer need a refresh? I’m in the process of restocking my underwear drawer with brands that use sustainable and eco-friendly fabric. I’ve found some really great organic and sustainable underwear options that work for women of all sizes.
With materials like organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, the 8 underwear brands below are soft, breathable and just as good for your body as they are for the planet.
What’s The Issue With Conventional Cotton?
Cotton is the world’s most heavily sprayed crop. If your underwear aren’t 100% organic cotton, chances are the cotton has been sprayed with pesticides. Seven of the 15 pesticides commonly used on cotton in the United States are listed as “probable” or “known” human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Farming with organic practices keeps our waterways free from harmful herbicides and pesticides & encourages pollinators to visit crops, and keep the bees, butterflies and birds safe from harmful chemicals. Organic farming also reduces water use and non-renewable energy use compared to conventional farming.
Sustainable Fabric Other Than Organic Cotton
Bamboo fabric is incredibly soft, and it’s more breathable than cotton. It’s also moisture-wicking and more absorbent than cotton. Bamboo is a renewable resource that doesn’t require pesticides to grow, and is biodegradable.
Hemp fabric is naturally anti-bacterial, with anti-odor properties. The fabric is super comfortable, breathable and gets softer with every wash. Hemp is also organic and eco-friendly.
Fabric Breathability
Some synthetic fabrics used in underwear create a damp environment that promotes yeast overgrowth and can lead to irritation and infections. Organic cotton, hemp and bamboo are all breathable fabrics used in sustainable underwear.
Certifications To Look For
- ECOCERT: ECOCERT is one of the largest organic certifications worldwide, and it conducts inspections in over 80 countries. ECOCERT is a leading certifier of Fair Trade Standards pertaining to textiles.
- GOTS-Certified: The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the leading organic textile certification accepted worldwide.
- Organic Content 100 Standard-Certified: The Organic Content Standard (OCS) applies to any non-food product containing 95-100% organic material, tracking raw materials from their source to the final product.
- STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX: The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX is not a guarantee that a textile is organic, but this certification means that textiles tested negative for 100 potentially harmful substances.
- WRAP– The WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) program assures a safe, legal and ethical manufacturing process or the equivalent social compliant certifications and factory audits. Internal inspectors and auditors make regular and unexpected visits to factories to verify quality control and assess the proper working conditions are met.
- Fair Trade Certified– A certification for responsible business practices associated with eliminating poverty and enabling sustainable development for farmers, their families and communities.
- About Pact: Pact uses organic cotton because it sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people by using natural farming processes. That means no toxic chemicals and 91% less water than non-organic cotton.
- Fabric: 95% organic cotton, 5% elastane
- Certifications: GOTS certified organic cotton, Fair Trade Certified Factory
- Price: starts at $14 a pair & they have sales often
- Sizes: XS-XXL
- Styles: Bikini, Hipster, Boy Short, Brief, and Thong
- Colors/Patterns: Solid colors and patterns, some lace trim
- Giving Back: Pact offers a ‘Give Back Box’, which you can receive in your order. Fill it with your old clothes and they get donated to handpicked non-profits to be re-used or recycled. You can also select to offset the carbon footprint of your shipment when you order.
- My Thoughts: I have a pair of Pact Women’s Underwear in medium bikini style, and they fit me perfectly. The underwear stay in place and don’t ride up, which I love. I’ve washed and dried these many times and they haven’t shrunk. I’d love to try the lace trimmed ones!
- Shop: Pact Women’s Underwear
- About Oddobody: The female owners of this company think there is a clear correlation between knowing more about our bodies and feeling empowered in our bodies. Oddobody underwear is functional, healthful, and sexy. Oddobody’s 100% organic cotton underwear is a direct reflection of the desire to take control of the health and wellness of our bodies.
- Fabric: 100% Organic Cotton with elastic waistband
- Certifications: GOTS certified organic cotton, Fair Trade certified
- Price: starts at $22 a pair
- Sizes: XS-XXL
- Styles: Brief, Tanga, String Bikini, Sleep Short, Thong
- Colors/Patterns: Solid colors
- Giving Back: Oddobody uses eco-friendly packaging solutions whenever possible—100% recycled and 100% recyclable mailers, plus 100% omni biodegradable underwear packaging. The underwear itself is compostable since it’s 100% cotton (just cut out the elastic)!
- Shop: Oddobody Women’s Underwear
- About Boody: Sustainable bamboo viscose is highly breathable, comfy and soft; making it perfect for garments that sit close to the skin like underwear, socks and everyday basics. The bamboo used is grown organically. Boody uses a closed-loop system that reuses the water and solvents, instead of dumping them into the environment..
- Fabric: 80% viscose made from bamboo, 13% nylon, 7% spandex
- Certifications: Ecocert, FSC, PETA vegan approved, OKEO-TEX, WRAP certified factories
- Price: starts at $10, and if you shop Boody through EarthHero they have sales often
- Sizes: XS-XL
- Styles: Full brief, mid brief, smoothing short, classic bikini, G string, Boyleg brief, Brazilian bikini, hipster bikini
- Colors/Patterns:Solid colors
- Giving Back: Boody is a member of 1% for the Planet. Purchase a string bracelet for $7.50 and 100% of profits are donated to Goodbye Malaria and the Relate Organization. By purchasing this bracelet, you are helping provide income for women in need and funding the life-saving fight against malaria.
- My Thoughts: I have 3 pairs of Boody Women’s Underwear, and there’s a reason I have 3 pairs- they fit like a glove, don’t ride up, and are super soft. I have the bikini style in medium, and I’ve washed and dried them many times without shrinkage. I’m really happy with these!
- Shop: Boody Women’s Underwear
- Shop: Boody through EarthHero
- About Knickey: Knickey was founded as a sustainable brand from the start – seeking out the most environmentally responsible processes, low-impact fabrics and ethical manufacturing
- Fabric: GOTS certified organic cotton and a small amount of elastane
- Certifications: GOTS certified organic cotton, Fair Trade Certified, OKEO-TEX certified
- Price: starts at $14 a pair
- Sizes: XXS-XXXL
- Styles: Low-Rise Thong, Low-Rise Bikini, Mid-Rise Hipster, Mid-Rise Brief, High-Rise Brief
- Colors/Patterns: Solid colors
- Giving Back: Carbon neutral- Knickey is committed to climate action, and offsets the shipping on every order. Knickey will take your garments back once they’re ready to be retired so they can be recycled safely and turned into new materials (like insulation).
- My Thoughts: I have a pair of Knickey Women’s Underwear in medium bikini style, and they do ride up a little- everyone’s shape is different, so they may fit a different-sized butt perfectly (I have a very rounded butt). They are super soft and don’t shrink in the dryer. I have heard many great reviews on the thong style, and noticed it gets 5 star reviews. I don’t wear thongs often, but these will be my next pair!
- Shop: Knickey Women’s Underwear
Organic Basics Women’s Underwear
- About Organic Basics: Organic Basics only chooses fabrics that care for the environment and they only ever partner with factories that care about their impact, too. Sustainability is their core mission, and they don’t mean that sustainability is nice to have – they mean that it’s the only way to act.
- Fabric: 91% Organic Cotton, 9% Spandex
- Certifications: GOTS certified organic cotton, PETA approved vegan
- Price: starts at $22 a pair
- Sizes: XS-XL
- Styles: Brief, High-Rise Brief, Hipster, Thong
- Colors/Patterns: Solid colors
- Giving Back: Organic Basics Fund to help fight climate change, restore biodiversity and protect vulnerable communities. This is about giving direct funding to people, groups and projects that address environmental and social injustices at the root cause — and aim to create long-term, real impact. Carbon neutral shipping available.
- Shop: Organic Basics Women’s Underwear
- About Wama: Hemp fabric is naturally anti-bacterial with anti-odor properties. Super comfortable, breathable and gets softer with every wash. Hemp is also organic, eco-friendly and can help save the planet.
- Fabric: 53% hemp, 44% organic cotton and 3% spandex
- Certifications: PETA approved Vegan, National Hemp Association, Green America, BSCI, OKEO-TEX
- Price: starts at $20 a pair
- Sizes: XS-2XL
- Styles: bikini, hipster, boy short, high waisted and thong
- Colors/Patterns: Solid colors
- My Thoughts: I have a pair of Wama Women’s Underwear in the medium bikini style, and I really like them. It’s true that they do get softer with every wash!
- Shop: Wama Women’s Underwear
- About Felina: Felina carries a line of certified organic cotton underwear. The underwear features plant based dyes.
- Fabric: 91% Organic Cotton, 9% Spandex
- Certifications: GOTS certified organic cotton, WRAP certified factories
- Price: starts at $16 a pair
- Sizes: XS-XL
- Styles: Stretch Bikini, Stretch Thong, Stretch Hipster
- Colors/Patterns: Solid colors
- My Thoughts: I have a pair of Felina Women’s Underwear in medium bikini style. They’re very comfortable, don’t ride up and don’t shrink in the wash. They were the snuggest pair that I tried, so if you’re on the fence, size up.
- Shop: Felina Women’s Underwear
- About Brook There: A one woman-owned company that has a small, dedicated team of sewers to craft the garments. Sustainability is always a priority with Brook There, influencing everything from the choice of fabrics to the manufacturing process.
- Fabric: 94% organic cotton and 6% elastane
- Certifications: GOTS certified organic cotton, made in the USA
- Price: starts at $28 a pair
- Sizes: XS-XXL
- Styles: Thong, Bikini, Hipster, Mid-Rise Brief, High Brief
- Colors/Patterns: Solid colors
- Giving Back: The inventory is stored at the same facility where it’s cut and sewn, eliminating the need to package each piece of lingerie in poly bags (a requirement of most standard warehouses). This also cuts down on additional transport. For shipping they use Eco-Enclose recycled poly bags and recycled tissue paper in order to avoid single-use plastics at every turn.
- My Thoughts: I don’t have a pair of these Brook There Women’s Underwear yet, but they are next on my list. I absolutely love the colors with the contrasting trim and am very impressed with this sustainable woman-run company.
- Shop: Brook There Women’s Underwear
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