Christmas present alert! High-tech boxer shorts, which protect men’s sperm from smartphone and wifi radiation damage, are calling out for “stocking filler” status.
These new pants are a cage for guys’ crown jewels, protecting them from the ravages of the modern world.
French entrepreneur Menard and his pals chatted away about their balls and came up with the idea for Spartan boxer shorts – a high-tech pair of pants that protects a man’s most vital assets from the radiation that pervades the modern world.
This is not merely an invention for the hypochondriac. Wifi, smartphones and numerous other devices emit electromagnetic radiation which several studies have suggested damages men’s sperm and penis.
Though a conclusive link between radiation and lower fertility has not been proven, sperm are definitely dying. Recent research found that, for a variety of reasons, some of which remain unclear, the sperm count of western men has halved over the last forty years.
Faced with the reality that men are not going to give up the smartphones that have become their second-favourite appendage, and the fact that they don’t want their other favourite to stop working, Menard, along with co-founder Pierre-Louis Boyer, set about finding a way to create a world in which sperm and smartphone could live harmoniously.
The fruits of their labours are the unique Spartan boxer shorts. The company says they take inspiration from the technology found in microwaves and space suits. The team developed a silver and cotton mesh that Menard claims is more comfortable than normal fabric. It uses a mesh of conductive material to block electromagnetic fields, thus protecting the precious goods within, blocking more than 99 per cent of mobile phone and wifi radiation. Plus, they have the added benefit of having anti-bacterial properties meaning the pants should stay odour-free.
The Spartan is, in effect, a cage for the crown jewels. And why not? But don’t be fooled by the term “cage” or the name Spartan. Despite being named after the famous warriors of antiquity and being made from 50 per cent silver, these underpants “are not a suit of armour”, Menard stresses. They won’t protect you from a high-paced football to the gonads or a crafty below-the-belt punch.
Prices range from £28 to £35 per pair so it’s a premium product, competing with the likes of Calvin Klein and Prada. But Menard makes the strong argument that given what’s at stake, they’re probably worth the investment.
