How To Stop Boxer Briefs From Getting Holes
Why you should trust u.s.a.
I'g a former Appalachian Trail speed-record holder who has hiked over fifteen,000 miles in performance underwear. As an ultralight backpacker, I'll use the same two pair of undies for six months, washing and drying yesterday's pair for tomorrow'due south use. I've taken travel undies hostel-hopping on v continents, as well. In two years of covering travel and long underwear for Wirecutter, I've logged hundreds of hours of research and comparison on over l models. I've tested dozens of contenders on expeditions, personally suffering through differences in odor, chafing, and longevity. Aside from a few gifts from mom, travel underwear is the simply kind I own.
For feedback on the challenges undies may face internationally, we pinned downwards global nomad and author of The Hidden Europe Francis Tapon during the Sudanese portion of his five-year walk through all 54 African countries. We as well spoke with Genevieve Hathaway, director of ArchaeoAdventures, a tour agency specializing in "for-women-by-women" trips to the Middle Due east and Northern Africa. Finally, to get a better grasp on blueprint features, fabrics, and the changing men's underwear market place, nosotros checked in with Michael Kleinmann, aka The Underwear Expert, editor-in-chief of The Underwear Blog and founder of the Underwear of the Month Club.
Who should go travel underwear
Anyone who wants to travel lite or needs more room in their luggage for the fun stuff volition capeesh the convenience of ditching cotton underpants. Travel underwear reduces chafing and wicks away moisture—ensuring that discomfort from your undies doesn't agree you dorsum from your adventures. The thinner material takes up less space in your bag. They as well dry nigh twice as quickly every bit typical underwear fabricated of cotton.
If you've ever institute that doing laundry cuts into your travel time or budget, there's a better fashion to take clean skivvies when y'all're on the route. With the convenience of quick-drying, handwashable underwear, you lot'll no longer be at the mercy of the laundromat hours or expensive hotel laundry service. If you can commit to handwashing nightly earlier bed, yous tin travel indefinitely with but ii pairs of travel undies.
The only major downside is that travel underwear tends to be a bit more expensive per pair than typical cotton undies. For case, Uniqlo makes both cotton and synthetic boxer briefs, and the cotton version is about half equally expensive. And though synthetic materials have a slick, silky experience that many people love in underwear, they tend to experience less luxurious than the softer modal-blend skivvies popularized by companies like MeUndies. Just these softer materials dry too slowly—nigh as slowly as cotton in most cases—and aren't every bit effective at wicking moisture.
How we picked
Travel and performance underwear needs to run across basic standards for underwear, plus excel on other criteria. The panties and boxer briefs that fabricated our lineup met these standards for travel underwear:
- Moisture wicking and breathable: Travelers and athletes will generate more sweat in their groin than the average function worker. Moisture-wicking and breathable fabrics maximize condolement, reduce odor, and minimize chances of infection—all important features when you may non get a risk to alter your underwear for a while.
- Quick drying: Tapon wrote us, "Any traveler with a brain is going to pack light. That means minimizing the number of clothes you bring, including your underwear, even though they take up so little space. Now that you take so few underwears, you'll capeesh the importance of a quick drying ones. Yous want ones that you can launder at night and that they're almost dry out in the morning."
- Odor-resistant: Smell is caused past moisture and bacteria. Certain materials like wool or treated synthetics are more than difficult surfaces for bacteria colonies to develop on. We included only undies that advertised terms like "olfactory property-control," "odor-resistant," "antimicrobial," or "anti-odor."
- Stretch: When you're in a remote location filming leaps over chasms and rooftops on your GoPro, the last thing you desire is a rip in your drawers. "For active guys, nosotros recommend underwear that contains a performance fabric, or at the very least some amount of stretch," Kleinmann wrote us. Typically, 6 percent spandex, elastane, or Lycra is the minimum yous want to look for in a pair of good travel undies. Stretch matters more for boxer-brief or boyshort cuts than for hipster or brief cuts. That'southward because you'll need them to stretch with your legs as y'all walk, run, cycle, or squat.
- Manner: Travel underwear shouldn't mean dorky underwear. If your travels bring you lot to a identify where you'll exist showing off your skivvies, what you're wearing shouldn't scare abroad the visitor. Tapon takes his way and cut choices to the farthermost: "You desire an underwear that can serve equally your emergency bathing conform or even shorts. You may forget your shorts while they're drying on a line, leaving y'all shorts-less with iv days left on your vacation. A total cut or boxer underwear gives you an instant backup, especially if y'all're far from civilization or don't want to buy a new one. I've gone jogging many times in my full cutting underwear and nobody seems to notice."
- Cut: Whether a item pair of underwear stays up and doesn't dig into your body depends a lot on your shape and the cut of the underwear. We opted for undies with generous coverage, only not so much that they hinder mobility: Boxer briefs for men, hip-hugger/bikini-manner panties for women. When traveling, modest underwear allows more freedom to change in the open if need exist, or employ of underwear for anarchistic activities similar swimming or (Tapon'southward example) running. Just this isn't just about modesty. We found that medium-coverage underwear stayed in place, and skimpier underwear gave wedgies over time. Similarly, ill-fitting underwear tended to bunch up from rubbing against our pants.
- Variety of cuts: We focused on boxer briefs and hip-hugger/bikini styles in this guide, simply unlike bodies have different needs, so information technology's dainty if a line has multiple styles available.
How we tested
Each pair was run through a vigorous set of tests back habitation, including washing, drying, and sniff tests. I (Liz Thomas), served as the primary women's tester and filmmaker Miguel Aguilar did men'south testing. Our ultimate goal was to determine how each pair ranked co-ordinate to:
- Fit and comfort: You should get wedgies from your siblings, non your clothing. A good-fitting pair of underwear is designed and cut to minimize readjustment. We looked for a pliable elastic waistband that stayed upwards without feeling restrictive. "If the waistband is digging [into you] or rolls over, chances are it's a low quality pair or the wrong size or style for your body blazon," warned Kleinmann. The fabric should likewise help your undies stay up with a snug fit and enough stretch to maintain free movement.Though underwear can be designed to be high- or low-rise, the top of the inseam should e'er go to the lesser of the crotch. When the rise is likewise short, you lot'll feel restricted. Too long, and you'll have to ride your pants up like Urkel or suffer a sag at the crotch.Many men's boxer brief designs have a shaped forepart panel, too called a 3D console or pouch. Snarky Nomad writes in his guide "Why is everyone getting underwear and then wrong?" that the forepart panel should comprise and surroundings the body, preventing contact with legs or rubbing from seams. A good-fitting 3D front panel should fit closely, without restriction. In general, a good-fitting pair of underwear hugs your trunk and feels slightly compressed, but not too much. Some companies, similar Saxx put an boosted pouch within the pouch—substantially underwear in your underwear—to add even more separation, simply our testers preferred the lighter touch of a formed panel.
- Fabric and seam scratchiness: Is the fabric soft or does it brand you lot itch? Are there any annoying tags that can't exist removed (or if they are removable, is in that location still some rubbing where the tag was)? Do the seams rub against your peel or are they affluent and out of the way?
- Material stays in place: Also known as "doesn't require constant adjustment," Snarky Nomad recommends in that same underwear guide that a quality pair of undies should be made of a fabric and design that stretches and contracts with motility. The all-time underwear cloth will keep its shape over the course of the twenty-four hour period—not sag or loosen upwards between washes like a pair of jeans. Loosening cloth that expands but does non contract leads to what he calls "lateral drift."
- Durability: Performance skivvies aren't cheap. Wait for textile that will last. A solid waistband should not fold over or lose stretchiness over fourth dimension. Afterwards handwashing, the fabric and seams should not show signs of pilling or loosening of threads. Experts differ on the reasonable life span of a pair of underwear, with estimates as depression every bit half dozen months to every bit loftier every bit four-plus years. What's unacceptable is a pair that develops holes inside a few months.
- Long-term comfort: Whether you lot're on a 23-hour plane ride sandwiched betwixt ii x-hr autobus rides or y'all're backpacking in the torrid zone, yous should be able to vesture these for an actress day or two.
- Lightweight and packable: Underwear won't be the straw that breaks the weight limit on your bank check-in, but pairs that take up less space leave you lot more room for gear you really demand.
Nosotros started just past trying everything on. Anything that wasn't comfortable to sit at a desk-bound and piece of work in failed the initial test and was cut from the list. We then wore the top performers for 2 days in a row, earlier conducting a sniff test. Testers also noted whether the pair felt grimy or otherwise gross. If and then, nosotros asked the tester to run the underwear through some other two-day trial to ensure the grossness of the underwear wasn't related to their own health bug. To examination immovability, in addition to usual washing after vesture, we washed each pair of underwear three times straight with a few pairs of jeans (to simulate a rough wash).
Because drying time is an essential component of travel underwear, after running all the underwear through the spin bike, we line-stale it. We touched each pair every 20 minutes to determine whether it was dry and order of drying fourth dimension.
We then moved onto existent-earth testing on some trips we had preplanned. These included backpacking 215 miles throughout the metropolis of Portland, Oregon; vi weeks backpacking the Canadian Rockies, walking from the lowest bespeak in the Continental Usa to the highest; and road-tripping to the national parks of the West. And of course, wearing them on all the flights that got us to our destinations.
Afterward, we checked for signs of wear, such equally breaking apart at the seams and pilling on the textile. Every bit we continued to test the finalists, we repeatedly checked for immovability problems.
Our choice for boxer briefs: ExOfficio Men'south Give-Northward-Become 2.0 Sport Mesh half-dozen″ Boxer Brief
Our selection
Whether we were sitting on a bus or walking hills, the ExOfficio Requite-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief nicely balanced fit, comfort, durability, and cost. It'southward most identical to its predecessor and our previous pick, the Give-N-Get Sport Mesh. The only divergence is a slight change in material: from 92% nylon and 8% spandex to 90% nylon and 10% spandex.
Front panels are notoriously hard to size correctly, just the Sport Mesh's elementary, stretchy pouch should accommodate a wide variety of body types, whereas the more complicated, multi-flap designs establish on Saxx briefs can feel superfluous or stifling, depending on your personal situation. The Sport Mesh stretches equally you lot motion and retains shape well. Information technology had the quickest-wicking performance of all the underwear we tested and dried fairly quickly, too.
ExOfficio made its proper noun as a travel-underwear visitor with its long-lasting archetype Give-Northward-Go model, which we also tested and has since been replaced by the two.0 version (which nosotros haven't tried out yet). Multiple people nosotros consulted, including Tapon, have had their ExOfficio Give-Northward-Become pairs final for years. The Sport Mesh version has the features that made the Give-Northward-Become famous only pairs them with a ameliorate, softer, stretchier fabric (one% more Lycra than the Classic). It also has a 3D front console, a major improvement over the apartment front panel on the original Give-N-Become. Our tester felt supported and contained, regardless of his movement.
What ready the ExOfficio Requite-N-Go Sport Mesh apart from the residual is that information technology transfers moisture abroad from the body improve than the competitors. It is the ideal pair of undies for sweaty activities and hot locales. This pair likewise had better aroma treatment than most of the others we tried, a feature appreciated past athletes and lazy launderers alike. "I have worn these boxers for years," said our male tester, "and they have never permit me down. They definitely combat odor."
These ExOfficios were designed with the lightweight traveler in mind. At two.65 ounces (among the lightest we tested), they fit compactly in baggage without a lot of bulk. They're easier to fold than other underwear, with a more articulated front end pouch (though our tester institute himself more ofttimes wadding them into stuff sacks).
Some other advantage ExOfficio has over other brands we tested is that it offers the widest variety of cuts, colors, and sizes. Though we tested the dark-green 6-inch boxer brief, if you want good performance in a specific colour or leg length, information technology'southward probable ExOfficio offers your combo. They are also among the most widely available functioning underwear.
Our personal feel after years of wearing the original ExOfficio Give-Due north-Go shows that the odor-proofing antibacterial handling eventually fades, and with information technology, the ability to habiliment them for multiple days in a row. But the fabric itself is virtually indestructible. The same can almost be said of the Sport Mesh version. Despite some early on signs of pilling—especially in the perineum and the expanse between the legs—after half-dozen months of daily wear of a unmarried pair (yeah, gross—we didn't inquire him to do this), our tester said this pair didn't manage to develop any holes, despite some initial pilling. (Amazon reviewers and Snarky Nomad concur with our tester's finding.) So if you lot can live with the old-sweatshirt look or don't need to impress anyone with your undies, the Sport Mesh will serve you lot well for a long time.
Flaws but non dealbreakers
The ExOfficios had a good fit, but it wasn't quite as perfect every bit that of more-expensive underwear we tested. The waistband can roll over, although it doesn't dig. Snarky Nomad notes that there tin be bunching in the bottom/back of the underpants. During backpacking trips, the six-inch boxer brief caused our tester some slight chafing between the thighs (he attributed this to the size of his thighs, equally this is a trouble he had with all the underwear). This issue could be mitigated past opting for the longer, ix-inch model, which we did not examination. Our tester besides attributes chafing to the fact that he wore the aforementioned pair for a few days, allowing the accumulation of salt, dirt, and other substances that could contribute to or exacerbate rubbing.
Our tester also noted that although the ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Mesh wicks away sweat and dries quicker than the contest, the times when you exercise manage to go them soaked, they tin can stick to the skin and be harder to remove than our other picks.
The Give-N-Go Sport Mesh also didn't top the charts in our drying-fourth dimension test. They took a chip less than 2½ hours to fully dry on a line compared with 2 hours for the fastest-drying boxers, but information technology's unlikely that the extra 20 to 30 minutes of drying time will brand or intermission any state of affairs.
Amazon reviewers and Snarky Nomad warn that sizes run large, so size down if you tin. Those with able-bodied thighs or butt may detect the waistband and thigh holes don't correspond to your body dimensions. Nonetheless, ExOfficio offers an aggressive warranty program, then if you aren't certain what size to go, you lot can beget to make a few incorrect guesses and the company will cover the return shipping.
Runner-up boxer briefs: Tommy John Air Mesh Boxer Cursory
Runner-upwardly
If yous're willing to pay a hefty premium for something with a ameliorate fit and stretchier, softer fabric, the Tommy John Air Mesh Boxer Brief 8" is a nifty upgrade. Our tester said they "fit similar a fine tailored piece of clothing, nonetheless excelled during strenuous exercise." The fabric moved with the trunk, requiring no adjustment throughout the day. The undies didn't dig, sag, or ride up. Tommy John scored higher than any other pair we tested, getting near-perfect marks in all categories. Only costing almost $20 more than our pick and more three times the price of our budget pick, these are a good option every bit lucky underwear.
What fabricated the Tommy Johns stand out for our tester was that it had an easily accessible fly and the all-time front end pouch of any boxer cursory we tested. The fly allows exit from the pinnacle not the side, which our tester found convenient. He said this blueprint immune for a great flow of pee while also reducing pressure on the urethra to reduce dribble.
Snarky Nomad too likes the Tommy John boxer brief, despite the cost tag and some pilling issues. In his review, he notes that "most irritation is acquired by the contents of the front pouch coming into contact with the leg...if the contents of the forepart pouch are properly surrounded, they are also immobilized, and they tin can't escape the confines of the forepart pouch at all, and volition never come into contact with the leg." Snarky Nomad and our tester both concur that a standout feature of the Tommy John is that the front pouch is not flat, instead shaped to safeguard its contents. It as well lacks seams that can rub in an area that really should not be chafed.
Another benefit of the Tommy Johns is the wide range of sizes—from minor to 4XL. Withal, colour options are more limited compared with ExOfficio.
Tommy John offers among the best return policies we've seen on any product: "The Best Pair Yous'll Ever Wear" allows get-go-time online purchasers to dearest the product or keep it with money back if reported inside thirty days. The company also offers costless return shipping labels within 30 days for unused products.
Our pick for panties: Patagonia Women's Active Hipster
Our choice
The Patagonia Women's Agile Hipster doesn't cede style for performance. Information technology stays in place better than any other underwear we tested, dries quickly, and is more than packable than anything else we tested. And it holds up dandy to strenuous action and multiple washes—unlike the women'due south version of ExOfficio Requite-N-Go Sport Mesh, which sagged a fleck on our tester and pilled noticeably after just a few wears.
The Patagonia Active Hipster has soft reinforced openings for the legs that prevent wedgies or riding upward. We also enjoyed how the underwear is seamless, reducing areas where chafing or rubbing can occur.
Some Amazon and REI reviewers mutter that the fabric is thinner than on earlier models, simply nosotros found that to not exist a problem.
Almost of the reviewers who accept concerns about the current Active Hipster compare information technology with previous models, noting that the cloth isn't as soft, the waistband isn't equally thick, it doesn't take as much coverage, or isn't as durable. Our testers establish the material to be soft and were satisfied with the coverage. Compared with the other underwear we tested, which are amongst the finest in the genre, the current model of Patagonia Active Hipster is still the best.
We noticed no loose seams or pilling issues and so far, simply will proceed to test for durability. Patagonia has amidst the best return and repair policies in the industry, only does charge for a return label.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Our biggest complaint (and a common one amid user reviewers) is the cutaway tag. Unlike tags on other underwear, it can't be torn off the moment you lot realize annoying chafing. Information technology must be cut to not rip the stitching in the seam.
Runner-upwardly panties: Smartwool Women's Merino Sport Seamless Bikini
Runner-upwardly
Our tests over year nosotros originally researched this guide—which included a five-calendar week backpacking trip using Smartwool Women'due south PhD Seamless Bikini underwear—accept shown that merino wool can be incredibly durable. Wool also has natural antimicrobial features that tin reduce your chance of developing infections, or at to the lowest degree reduce odor. Merino does take its drawbacks as a travel underwear: It dries slower than synthetics, doesn't pack as compactly, is prone to bunching, and costs more. Withal, nosotros've chosen the Smartwool Women's Merino Sport Seamless Bikini underwear (a redesign of the original Smartwool Women's PhD Seamless Bikini that we tested) every bit our runner-upwardly pick considering they're one of the best all-effectually pair that are fabricated with wool.
The National Institute of Wellness says that one way to reduce your chances of developing vaginitis, including yeast infections, is to choose underwear made of natural fibers. Natural fabrics often let the transfer of air and moisture (aka exhale) better than synthetics like nylon. That heat and moisture confined confronting the skin could be a factor related to yeast infections.
You've probably heard that cotton is a good selection for undies, because they exhale well and wick away moisture. The problem is cotton takes a long time to dry—pregnant that moist, sweaty environments will stick effectually for awhile, which (every bit mentioned above) are platonic environments for bacteria growth. That's why we like merino wool undies: They wick, exhale, and have a drying time equal to or better than synthetics. Plus, the natural antimicrobial features of wool can reduce the accumulation of bacteria better than treatments in synthetics, which tin wash out over time.
Like the original Smartwool Women's PhD Seamless Bikini, the Smartwool Women'southward Seamless Bikini is made in Turkey with 72 percent merino wool, 22 per centum nylon, and 6 percent Spandex. And like the original, the current version has the same pesky sewn-in tag that received complaints from our testers and online reviewers. Nonetheless, this pair proved to be almost every bit comfortable and just durable equally our top pick. Of the underwear we tested, the Smartwool are amid the easiest to find in stores and online. Ane note of caution: The cutting of the Seamless Bikini is not identical to that of the old PhD Seamless Bikini—nosotros constitute information technology a little bigger, and reviewers on Smartwool's site largely agree—so if you lot'd liked the fit in the past, you may want to endeavour on the new version before committing.
Budget picks for boxer briefs and panties
Upkeep pick
If you want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing performance, the Uniqlo Airism line lets you supplant an entire underwear drawer on a tight budget, as long as yous can deal with its slightly odd fit and less-effective odor-control treatment.
The Uniqlo Airism's fit provides a comfortable corporeality of coverage in both the Boxer Cursory and Seamless HipHugger cuts. The coverage attribute isn't near modesty: We found that medium-coverage underwear stayed in identify, and skimpier underwear gave wedgies over fourth dimension. Similarly, the merino pairs nosotros tested tended to bunch upward from rubbing against our pants. The Airism underwear was besides quite durable and held up through several handwashing cycles with no signs of wear. Travel gear reviewer Snarky Nomad loved them.
Later on trying all the options, our male person tester noted that the Uniqlo Airism could have been a bear on more supportive in the front pouch, but liked them overall, last: "I honey these boxers and I think they offer the all-time of both worlds for affordability and comfort." But the fit wasn't ideal compared with the more-expensive options nosotros tested. Nosotros think this is a consequence of the shortened inseam (leg length) combined with a taller rise (the distance from the crotch to the waistband), which can cause different fit bug on different body types. And although our tester did not experience this, other user reviewers written report that this also leads to the boxers bunching up in the back.
If you find that the normal-fit boxer briefs don't cut it, Snarky Nomad recommends getting the low-rising version and going a size upwards. The result is that it doesn't ride too depression. He too finds that the fit is amend, especially in the front pouch. In the future, nosotros will test the depression-rise option as well to compare it to the standard fit.
The Seamless HipHugger cut also offers an excellent balance of condolement, affordability, and performance. However, nosotros're also happy to come across that women's Airism panties at present come in iii cuts (HipHugger, Bikini, and High-Ascension Briefs), and two of those (HipHugger and Bikini) are now available in a more extended range of sizes (XS through XXL).
As would be expected for the price, Uniqlo's return policy is less generous. Information technology accepts garments that are "new, unused, unwashed, unaltered" with tags yet attached and with original receipt. You lot tin can't return in-store purchases via post, but online purchases do come with a prepaid return label.
The competition (men'due south underwear)
The waistband on the men'due south Smartwool PhD Seamless 6″ Boxer Brief rolled over, which reduced its long-term comfort. (They accept too since been discontinued.)
The Under Armour Original Series six″ Boxerjock performed well, merely wasn't a standout in any category. It also appears to be sold only in two-packs. Reviewers on Under Armour'south website mutter the waistband in newer models is likewise wide, not stretchy, and rolls over. They besides mutter about riding up and the overly prominent logo (which we didn't like either). Ultimately, there were meliorate options available for the price.
The ExOfficio Men's Classic Give-N-Go Brief wasn't every bit soft as the Sport Mesh version. Information technology also didn't fit as well and physically looks more than like travel underwear than the Sport Mesh version.
The quite-affordable Boody Men'due south Original Boxers ran modest for their sizes and the men'southward waistband rolled too easily. The bamboo-based fabric is a viscose rayon derivative, making it among the slowest to dry in drying-time tests. It is quite packable and the to the lowest degree expensive of all the undies we tested except for the Uniqlo.
The Arc'teryx Stage SL Boxer Short (at present discontinued) had too many seams near areas where most people don't want extra rubbing. It was likewise pricey for synthetics and not every bit odor-resistant as the others.
The Opinion Mariner was a tester favorite in terms of comfort, but we discovered after a poor showing during the drying-time examination that Stance's proprietary ButterBlend fabric is a rayon derivative—a fabric like to cotton wool. Despite superior fit and comfort that would make them a skilful choice for everyday wear, the Stance did non wick or dry as effectively equally other pairs nosotros tested, which made them difficult to remove after sweaty workouts.
The competition (women's underwear)
The ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Hullo Cut Brief felt soft, dried quickly, and wicked well, but didn't stay in place as well as our picks. However, we practise appreciate that the Sport Mesh is available in more colors and styles than whatever other brand we tested. (The Hullo Cut Cursory has, however, been discontinued.)
The Lululemon Soft Breathable Bikini underwear were promising considering they are soft, lightweight, and packable, and have rub-gratuitous seams (and questionable claims about reducing visible panty lines). But the thin fabric that makes them soft and meaty also has some immovability bug. Online reviewers noted holes developing in as few as three or four wears. Information technology was among the slowest to dry in our tests. (It's since been discontinued.)
The Boody Hipster Bikini and Boyleg Briefs ran small for their sizes. As mentioned in the men'due south competition, these are made of a viscose rayon derivative, explaining why it was among the slowest to dry out in tests. It is quite packable and the least expensive of all the undies nosotros tested except for the Uniqlo.
This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.
Sources
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Francis Tapon, global nomad and writer of The Hidden Europe, email interview
-
Genevieve Hathaway, director of ArchaeoAdventures: Women-Powered Travel, e-post interview
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Michael Kleinmann, founder and CEO of The Underwear Skilful, email interview
How To Stop Boxer Briefs From Getting Holes,
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-mens-and-womens-underwear-for-travel/
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