Why I put Net Positive underwear to the test
Natural fiber underwear sounds like a simple switch, until you’re staring at hemp blends, organic cotton, botanical dyes, and a dozen styles, and you can’t tell which ones are worth your money.
But with restrictive return policies and an endless number of options, the struggle is very real when looking for your new favorite pair…
That’s why I’m working through organic cotton underwear brand by brand and scoring each pair on a 100-point scorecard, so you don’t have to buy a dozen pairs to find the good ones.
Net Positive was next on my list, and I tried three very different styles: a hemp-cotton thong, an organic cotton boy short, and a plant-dyed boxer. I also tried a bra that I always look forward to wearing.
This Net Positive underwear review walks through the brand’s story, the materials they use, and how each style scored.
By the end, you’ll know which Net Positive style fits the way you actually wear underwear.
DISCOUNT CODE: Want to try Net Positive? Use code KASEY15 for 15% off at checkout!
Table of Contents
What is Net Positive underwear?
Net Positive is a natural fiber underwear brand built to redefine what intimate apparel can be.
Its founder, Natalia Shevchenko, has a story a lot of us will recognize. Her daughter was dealing with eczema (something I’ve dealt with myself), and she went down the same rabbit hole many of us go down.
She ended up finding that when she switched to natural fibers, her daughter’s eczema cleared up. That’s one family’s experience, not a promise about what underwear will do for your skin, but it explains why the brand cares so much about what its fabric is made of.
Here’s what Net Positive says about its materials:
- Cotton: GOTS-certified organic cotton from bio-dynamic farms that use regenerative farming practices.
- Elastics, trims, and finishes: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified.
- Thong fabric: 53% hemp, 43% GOTS-certified organic cotton, and 4% DuPont spandex.
- Boy short fabric: 93% GOTS-certified organic cotton and 7% spandex, with no hemp.
- Boxer fabric: organic ribbed fabric, finished with botanical dye.
Related: A Clear Guide to the Best Underwear Fabrics (Cotton, Bamboo & TENCEL™ Compared)
Where Net Positive’s cotton comes from
Net Positive’s cotton comes from bio-dynamic farms that use regenerative farming practices. The brand lays out the details on its sustainability page, and here are the parts that matter:
- Biodynamic certification: Every one of Net Positive’s cotton farms is certified to the Demeter international bio-dynamic standard. That certification is farm-wide, so the whole farm has to meet those requirements.
- No external fertilizers: Biodynamic farming means no external fertilizers. Soil fertility comes from compost made with rotating crops and integrated livestock.
- Egyptian cotton: The women’s underwear is made with organic Egyptian cotton and hemp. The brand’s tie to Egypt runs through the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA).
- GOTS: The brand is GOTS-certified, a standard that covers organic quality, environmental stewardship, and ethical production practices.
Net Positive also says it has reached 100% carbon neutrality through carbon credits and land restoration. That’s the brand’s own claim, and no third-party verified is named, so I’m treating it as a claim, not proof.
Underwear scores at a glance
The boy short scored highest at 94, the thong followed at 91, and the boxer scored 85. Every style is scored out of 100 across five categories: gusset and coverage (25 points), odor and breathability (20), seams and movement (20), fabric quality (20), and waistband (15).
Underwear Styles Tested
Organic Cotton + Hemp Thong (91/100)
Great workout option that’s more breathable thanks to the hemp
Organic Cotton Boyshorts (94/100)
Great option for under skirts/dresses and for lounging in
Botanical Dyed Boxer
This is comfortable for lounging. If you’re pear shaped, size down.
| Category (max points) | Thong | Boy Short | Boxer |
| Gusset & coverage (25) | 22 | 24 | 19 |
| Odor & breathability (20) | 18 | 18 | 19 |
| Seams & movement (20) | 18 | 17 | 13 |
| Fabric quality (20) | 19 | 20 | 19 |
| Waistband (15) | 14 | 15 | 15 |
| Total (100) | 91 | 94 | 85 |
Net Positive thong review: 91/100
The thong quickly earned a spot in my regular workout routine, which was unexpected given I historically don’t love working out in organic cotton underwear. The hemp-cotton blend keeps it feeling extremely breathable and helps reduce how damp they feel after sweating in the gym. That’s the hemp inclusion hard at work.
- Fabric and sizing: 53% hemp, 43% GOTS-certified organic cotton, and 4% DuPont spandex, in sizes extra small to 3X.
- Gusset and coverage, 22/25: The gusset is 4.5 inches long and 1.5 inches at its narrowest. I do wish it were sewn at the top, lengthwise.
- Odor and breathability, 18/20: The hemp and cotton blend is what keeps this one feeling so breathable.
- Seams and movement, 18/20: Compared with other styles I’ve tried that have elastic around all of the seams, this is the most comfortable one I’ve tested.
- Fabric quality, 19/20.
- Waistband, 14/15: My version of “digging” is when a band leaves a real indent in your love handles. This one doesn’t really dig. It’s super minor, which is why it only lost one point.
Material Composition: 53% Hemp + 43% Organic Cotton and 4% Dupont Spandex, low-impact dyes and biodegradable fibers
Final score: 91/100. This one will be part of my regular workout routine, and I don’t say that lightly.
Related: Huha vs Subset: Best Underwear for Sweat vs Everyday Wear
Net Positive boyshorts review: 94/100
The boyshort is the highest scorer of the three. It’s made from 93% GOTS-certified organic cotton and 7% spandex, with no hemp. Sizing is different from the thong: the boyshort is only available in extra small to extra large.
- Gusset and coverage, 24/25: The front-to-back length is 4.5 inches, the gusset is sewn in on both sides, and the narrowest width is about 3 7/8 inches.
- Odor and breathability, 18/20: I tested these on a sleep test, not a workout test. I lounged in them all day long.
- Seams and movement, 17/20: These don’t move a ton, so that isn’t the reason for the lost points. The front seam isn’t always the most flattering, and that’s where most of my deductions come from.
- Fabric quality, 20/20.
- Waistband, 15/15: The waistband is doubled over, with a bottom seam and a top seam. That double layer helps it lay really flat.
Material Composition: 93% GOTS-certified organic cotton and 7% spandex, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified trims, GOTS-certified dyes
Final score: 94/100. I’d pick this one for lounging and sleeping, since that’s how I tested it. I haven’t worn it for a workout.
Net Positive botanical dye boxer review: 85/100
The boxer is the lowest scorer, mostly because of fit. It’s Net Positive’s organic ribbed fabric, and it was my first real exposure to botanical dyes in this series. The brand’s boxer is only available in extra small to extra large. If you’re pear-shaped, size down! It runs a little big on me.
- Gusset and coverage, 19/25: This is the widest gusset I think I’ve seen, at 9.5 inches leg to leg, so you have coverage that way. The front-to-back coverage is a wee bit narrow at only 2.5 inches. You do have coverage, but I don’t think it accommodates a variety of anatomies as well as it could. I’d love to see Net Positive expand it a little.
- Odor and breathability, 19/20.
- Seams and movement, 13/20: That’s mostly because this fits me a little large.
- Fabric quality, 19/20.
- Waistband, 15/15.
Material Composition: 96% GOTS-certified organic cotton and 4% spandex, botanical peach dye from Cotinus coggygria (aka the smoke tree), Trims (elastic, thread): OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified
Final score: 85/100. These are very long from waistband to bottom hem, and even in a tighter fit, I don’t have many use cases for them. You could probably wear them under a maxi dress or a maxi skirt, but that’s about it. They’re more of a lounge piece than a daily one.
Which Net Positive style should you buy?
Pick the thong for workouts, the boy short for lounging and sleeping, and the boxer only if you want a long lounge piece or something to wear under maxi styles.
- Net Positive thong (91/100): It’s the one I tested that works well for workouts and is a mainstay in my routine. The hemp-cotton blend and the minimal seams are what set it apart.
- Net Positive boy short (94/100): The highest score of the three, with a double-layer waistband that lays flat. I tested it by lounging in it all day, and the front seam is the one thing I’d tweak.
- Net Positive botanical dye boxer (85/100): It runs a little large, so size down if you’re pear-shaped. It’s very long, which limits where you’d wear it.
If you want to compare these against other styles I’ve scored, browse the growing master scorecard for my natural fiber underwear reviews.
Bonus: Best Bra
Organic Cotton + Hemp Keyhole Bra
This quickly became my go-to bralette shortly after the first wear test!
Net Positive underwear FAQs
What is Net Positive underwear made of?
Each style uses a different fabric:
- Thong: 53% hemp, 43% GOTS-certified organic cotton, and 4% DuPont spandex. The hemp and organic cotton blend makes it a fully natural-fiber base, and the small amount of spandex adds stretch.
- Boy short: 93% GOTS-certified organic cotton and 7% spandex.
- Boxer: made from organic ribbed cotton fabric and dyed with botanical dye.
GOTS (the Global Organic Textile Standard) is a third-party certification covering both the organic fiber content and how the fabric is processed. In all three styles, natural fibers make up most of the fabric.
What sizes does Net Positive offer?
The thong runs from extra small to 3X. The boy short and boxer run from extra small to extra large. If you need sizing above XL, the thong is currently the only style that goes that far.
Which Net Positive style scored highest?
The boy short came out on top with a 94 out of 100. The thong followed at 91, and the boxer scored 85. The boxer’s lower score is tied to its long length and larger fit, which you can read about below.
Which Net Positive style is best for working out?
The thong. It’s the one I tested for my workout routine, and it’s staying in it. I tested the boy short for sleeping and lounging, not for workouts, so I can’t speak to how it performs when you’re active.
Does Net Positive run big?
Only the boxer. The botanical-dyed boxer, made from their organic cotton ribbed fabric, fit me a little large, so I’d size down if you’re pear-shaped. The thong and boy short fit true to size, so you can order your usual size.
Can you wear the Net Positive boxer every day?
Not in my experience. It’s very long, so I see it as a lounge piece, or something to wear under a maxi dress or skirt. If you want something for everyday wear or workouts, the thong is the better fit for movement, and the boy short is my pick for sleeping and lounging.
You deserve better underwear
If one of these Net Positive styles sounds like your fit, the shop links above will take you straight to it. Every pair I review gets the same 100-point scorecard, so you can compare brands side by side. Want to see how Net Positive stacks up against your favorite brands? Check out the full master scorecard here.
For brand-by-brand scoring like this in one place, join the waitlist for the Better Goods Field Guide (BGFG), my seasonal magazine and ranked brand directory for natural fiber and non-toxic goods.
