Under Armour

Under Armour enjoys strong community nostalgia for products made in the early-to-mid 2000s through roughly 2016, particularly compression base layers, boxer briefs, and bags, which many users report lasting a decade or more. However, there is broad consensus that quality has declined significantly in recent years, with newer purchases showing wear, inconsistent sizing, and inferior materials compared to older UA gear. The brand still has defenders, especially for underwear and cold weather base layers, but many longtime fans have moved on or buy selectively.

Older UA products — especially boxer briefs and cold weather base layers — have genuine BIFL credentials backed by years of community testimony, but widespread quality decline since ~2016 means buyers should inspect items carefully and temper expectations for newer purchases.

Older UA products — especially compression underwear, cold gear base layers, and early-era bags — are widely praised for exceptional durability, moisture-wicking performance, and longevity spanning 10–15 years. Even among recent buyers, boxer briefs and cold weather gear still earn consistent praise.

• Boxerjock boxer briefs frequently last 10+ years with heavy use
• Early ColdGear and HeatGear base layers praised for decade-plus durability
• Anti-odor technology noted as superior to competitors like 32 Degrees
• UA bags from the early era (made by licensee JR286) considered exceptionally tough
• Golf and athletic shorts praised for staying in place and wicking well
• Cold weather base layers (4.0 line) cited as warmest available for extreme conditions

There is strong and repeated community consensus that UA quality dropped noticeably around 2016–2017, with newer items showing faster wear, thinner fabrics, inconsistent sizing, and poor stitching. Shoes are widely considered a weak point, and bags have deteriorated since production was brought in-house.

• Quality declined sharply after approximately 2016–2017 across multiple product categories
• Newer apparel pills, frays, and loses elasticity far faster than older pieces
• Shoes and cleats widely considered below par compared to Brooks, Asics, and others
• Current bags criticized for cheap zippers and reduced build quality
• Sizing inconsistency reported even within the same item and size across recent purchases
• Some newer socks stretch out and lose shape quickly with regular use

A former UA employee explained that the beloved early-era bags were actually produced by a licensed partner, and quality dropped once UA brought bag manufacturing in-house.

Multiple long-term users noted that their UA cold gear and compression pieces from the mid-2000s still look nearly new after 10–15 years, while items bought in recent years showed wear within months.

One commenter summarized a pattern seen across the thread: they had switched to UA from a previous brand when that brand's quality dropped, and now notice UA following the same trajectory.

Several users specifically called out UA boxer briefs as one of the last remaining strong categories, with pairs lasting nearly a decade of regular athletic use — though a few noted recent batches developing holes in the crotch much sooner.