WAMA Hemp Underwear Review: High-ly Sustainable & Comfortable
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I’m really starting to embrace the vanlife hippie stereotype.
Okay, so Giovannie is far from a classic 60s VW, but when hemp underwear brand WAMA reached out and asked if I would be willing to review their product, I was high on cloud nine.
You see, hemp underwear is something I’ve been wanting to switch to for a long time, for numerous health and environmental reasons—and this gave me the perfect opportunity to stop putting it off.
And let me say, I am high-ly impressed.
Before get to the bottom of why I loved these bottoms, let’s talk a little bit away WAMA and why hemp underwear should be in everyone’s drawer—dirty vanlife hippie like us or not.
Why Wear Hemp Underwear?
Hemp is a highly sustainable crop that requires little water and no pesticides to grow, making it an excellent alternative to conventional cotton—AKA one of the dirtiest crops in the world in terms of chemical inputs.
Though only account for 2.5% of agricultural land use, it consumes 24% of the total insecticide and pesticide market, including those categories as “super hazardous” such as aldicarb, phorate, and endosulfan.
Then there’s the ⅓ pound of synthetic fertilizers use per cotton t-shirt and all the chlorine bleach used to make those white panties white.
All in all, conventional cotton is a chemically-saturated fabric we really shouldn’t want anywhere near our skin at all—let alone near some of our most sensitive area.
Synthetic fabrics are no better, especially since many synthetic undergarments have recently been called into question for BPA and PFAS, both nightly toxic chemicals and carcinogens that can leach into the body through the skin.
They’re linked to vaginal health problems and skin irrigation, as well as several health effects like infertility, cancer, and hormone disruption.
Of the most common fabrics used in the industry, that leaves us with two desirable fabrics for underwear: organic cotton and hemp. So are hemp underwear healthy?
Image by WAMA
About WAMA’s Hemp Underwear
Based in sunny LA, WAMA knows a little something about the necessity for absorbent, breathable underwear.
That’s partially why they want with hemp. Hemp is a natural fabric that is values for its breathability, antibacterial, antimicrobial, temperature regulating, and moisture absorbing properties. In underwear, that translates to keeping you cool and smelling fresh.
Hemp is made from one of the most sustainable fabrics in the world. Industrial hemp crops act as massive carbon sinks and soil remediators. Hemp also requires very little water and no chemicals inputs to grow or process, meaning even if it’s not certified organic, it’s likely organically grown.
WAMA combines this help with 44% organic cotton and just 3% spandex. The simple range of solid colors is thanks to OEKO-TEX certified non-toxic dyes.
Their women’s styles include hipsters, thongs, boy shorts, or briefs; Men’s include trunks, boxers, briefs, and boxer briefs. You can shop individually or in packs.
How my WAMA underwear came packaged.
About WAMA
One of the first hemp underwear brands, WAMA was growing–I mean going its own way, long before others caught onto the idea of planet-friendly panties.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, WAMA is also committed to ethical and fair labor practices. All of their underwear is ethically made in China in a BSCI-certified factory that adheres to strict labor standards and provides fair wages and safe working conditions for its employees.
All entities in WAMA’s supply chain are legally held to their ethical Code of Conduct.
As a Green America certified business, they care about their environmental impact beyond simply making a fully biodegradable product. They also use 100% recycled and reusable poly mailers, with the product wrap superfluously in compostable brown tissue paper inside.
My Review Of WAMA’s Hemp Underwear
Image by WAMA
I’m a big fan of hemp clothing in general. I love how breathable it is, but I’ll also be the first to admit that sometimes it’s not the softest fabric, depending on how it’s woven.
Obviously I was hoping something that would be so up close and personal to an, erm, sensitive area would be on the softer side of hemp, and WAMA exceeded my expectations in that regard.
So I tested several pairs of WAMA underwear in my two favorite styles: bikini underwear and thong underwear. I tend to dislike hipsters and boyshorts because I dislike the extra fabric which can bind around my hips when I’m being active—so most of the time.
While I can’t personally attest to the comfort of those styles, I can say their bikinis and thongs are some of the most comfortable underwear I’ve worn. The waistband is soft, and the leg holes don’t contain any pinching elastic trim. As for the thong, it stays in place without riding farther up than I want.
Their hemp/cotton blend is thicker than most, with a soft texture that feels a bit like heavyweight cotton. I don’t know about you, but I HATE the trend of mesh thing ladies underwear that you feel like are going to split if you bend over too far. I like the thicker, more durable substance the hemp provides. Despite the thicker fabric, it’s not bunchier or bulkier.
The other thing I love about WAMA’s underwear is the fact that hemp’s natural antimicrobial properties. Now remember: I live in a van and do laundry about once a month. Which means I do NOT change my underwear every single day (or even every other day!). Wrinkle your nose if you want, but that’s your daily dose of vanlife reality. WAMA’s hemp underwear stay feeling fresher and not smelling for longer than either the cotton or synthetic underwear I was using before.
Overall, WAMA's hemp underwear is a great choice for anyone looking to make more sustainable and ethical choices in their everyday life without sacrificing comfort or style. They’re especially great for budget conscious vanlifers who are looking for a quality pair of panties that will last a long time and withstand multiple days of wear without washing.
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