Duluth Trading vs. All Citizens - Differences
There is no doubt that both Duluth Trading Company and All Citizens are in the upper echelon of men's underwear and apparel companies.
Both brands make reasonably priced, trending, and most importantly, high quality durable underwear for anyone to enjoy.
Most of the aforementioned qualities cannot be said about a majority of apparel brands, so hats off to both for creating something truly unique and special. However, with apparel companies, there will always be discrepancies and major differences.
Although this article will review their underwear, both brands make a ton of other great products such as performance dress shirts, performance pants and much more.
What Is Duluth Trading Company?
Duluth Trading Company was founded in 1989 by brothers Bob and Dave Fierek in Duluth, Minnesota.
Duluth Trading primarily deals in men's and women's apparel and fire hoseworkwear, but they also have a line of tools and other handy work-like products. Men’s boxer briefs, work shirts and pants, and hats are their best-selling products.
Duluth Trading Co states its mission as a part of three “stitches” — humanity, community, and sustainability. It is through these three stitches that Duluth makes its mark on the fashion and apparel industry.
Although they primarily sell their products in large stores throughout the midwestern United States (with a big store in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin) and other parts, they also sell online at their website and on Amazon.com.
What Is All Citizens?
All Citizens is on a mission to democratize comfort by making premium performance-based products and offering them at wallet-friendly prices with sustainability and charity at its core. From patent-pending boxer briefs to performance dress shirts and training shorts, All Citizens is committed to making the most feature-packed products that enable you to seamlessly transition from work, play and everything in between.
All Citizens believes that comfort is a basic human right and that businesses are one of the most powerful forces for positive change. Their aim is to serve a higher purpose and make sure comfort is available to all.
Price Comparison
Duluth Trading Company and All Citizens both offer multiple underwear lines - Duluth Trading Company actually offers a lot of different underwear lines that are built for different situations and with different fabrics. All Citizens streamlines their underwear lines so that all of their underwear is made with eco-friendly performance microfiber that can handle any activity, so that you don't need to change your underwear every time you switch from lounging, the office, the gym and any other activity.
For the purposes of this article, and in order to make sure we are comparing apples to apples in terms of features and fabrics, we will be comparing Duluth Trading Company’s Armachillo Bullpen Boxer Briefs against All Citizens’ Re:Luxe Paradise Pocket™ Boxer Brief.
Duluth Trading Company’s Armachillo Bullpen Boxer Briefs cost $32.50 while All Citizens’ Re:Luxe Paradise Pocket™ Boxer Brief cost $18 - All Citizens is almost half the price of Duluth’s.
All Citizens also offers their $99 Drawer Refresh where you can get 6 pairs of their Paradise Pocket boxer briefs for just $99. Duluth Trading Company does not offer any bundle discounts, so $99 only gets you 3 pairs of boxer briefs.
Paradise Pocket Ball Pouch Separates Your Nuggets From Your Thighs
The most important question every man needs to ask of their future underwear purchases is if they will separate their nuggets from their thighs. BSTL, also known as thigh stickage, is one of the most uncomfortable things for men, especially in hotter weather.
All Citizens underwear comes with their patent-pending Paradise Pocket, which is a ball pouch that gently caresses the goods and separates them from your thighs. The Paradise Pocket hammock holistically wraps around your twig and giggle berries to ensure that the lads never fall out of the pocket during any activity, so you’ll be adjust-free all day. This means no more unwanted skin-on-skin contact with your thighs. Say goodbye to that sumo squat, side step, awkward re-adjustment dance and hello to life-changing comfort. It has been ranked as the most effective ball pouch by experts and customers.
Duluth Trading Company also offers a ball pouch called the Bullpen that is very easy to use as well, but the front pouch of the underwear doesn’t have a lot of room, so while your “boys” are separated from your thighs, they will also be “mashed” down as if you’re wearing compression shorts. The Bullpen is a good design but it’s paired with a pouch that isn’t great, so the overall comfort is affected.
Horizontal Fly for Comfort and Function
The All Citizens horizontal fly is incredible when nature calls. It’s much easier to use than traditional keyhole flies - just pull down and up and you’re already ready to go. No need to fiddle with multiple layers of fabric down there or having to use two hands to make an opening.
Duluth Trading Company offers a crossover fly which is simply not as easy or convenient as the horizontal fly. This round goes to All Citizens thanks to the quick action from the horizontal fly.
Made From Luxuriously Soft, Eco-friendly Performance Microfiber
Sustainability should be a core focus for all modern brands, and All Citizens is changing the world one pair of underwear at a time. All Citizens underwear is made with their eco-friendly Re:Luxe Performance Microfiber that is made with recycled materials from recycled bottles. Each pair of underwear is made with two recycled plastic bottles, so waste is diverted from landfills, oceans and incinerators for each pair sold, and it lessens our dependency on fossil fuels.
The Re:Luxe fabric is built with technical qualities for all-activity and all-weather comfort: moisture-wicking, quick-drying, 360°stretch, anti-odor, cuddling-with-pandas soft, durable, breathable, and everything-able, so they are perfect for every activity, from hikes to crossfit and commuting to lounging.
Their performance microfiber also has better colorfastness, so it retains its color and brightness wash after wash and does not fade, ensuring that your underwear looks as good as new for years.
Duluth does not use recycled materials for their Armachillo Bullpen Boxer Briefs, but their performance fabric has microscopic jade embedded in it to make the fabric feel cool to the touch.
Mesh Breathe Zones for Breathability
Another key feature that Duluth Armachillo Bullpen Boxer Briefs don’t have that All Citizens does is mesh Breathe Zones.
These zones are strategically placed where you sweat the most (on your llower back and between the legs) to allow more airflow and ventilation through micro vents. Sweat can’t evaporate without air, and these Mesh Breathe Zones help air reach the sweat to get rid of it once and for all.
No Ride Up — Zero Wedgies While Wearing
Finally, the All Citizens underwear NEVER rides up thanks to the Grip Thighs. The legs on most underwear ride up and bunch, which causes wedgies, so premium underwear should have a smart feature that addresses this frustration.
All Citizens’ Grip Thighs have a gentle hold on your legs to keep them in place. Duluth doesn’t have this feature so expect constant readjustments and wedgies.
What’s the Deal With the Three-Panel Design?
The three-panel design integrated on all Duluth Trading Underwear is certainly a unique feature that most companies don’t have.
However, it doesn’t really add or do much. It’s a cool concept — three panels for each section of the underwear — but isn’t that how every pair of underwear is designed?
Social Impact
All Citizens is dedicated to democratizing comfort for everyone, everywhere. They make comfort more available to everyone by keeping the prices of their premium products much lower than other brands while also donating key resources to communities in need through their For All Social Mission — something Duluth lacks.
What’s the Verdict?
When it comes down to it, you should go with the company that actually gives a damn about delivering more value to you (with better products at better prices), saving the earth and supporting people everywhere.
All Citizens is actively trying to make a dent in the absurd amount of pollution that the fashion industry produces while simultaneously aiding the global community. Not to mention, they make pretty darn comfortable underwear at an incredible price.
Sources:
How sustainable is push for nylon? | Down to Earth
Why, Exactly, Is Polyester So Bad for the Environment? | Ecocult
