How Two Guys Struggling with Infertility Discovered the Science of “Manly Cooling"

“So here’s what we’re doing,” we would say at parties. “We’re researching cooling devices and the male…anatomy…in order to create comfortable underwear that will chill your balls.”

Disclaimer: This article is sponsored by Snowballs

How Two Guys Struggling with Infertility Discovered the Science of “Manly Cooling

This was a conversation starter, to put it mildly. Several months later, when an unsuspecting friend caught us in the kitchen holding bags of frozen peas to the fronts of our pants, we were already convinced that we were onto something big. The friend had some doubts….

Male infertility accounts for roughly 50% of all infertility, but for many bad reasons, men can still feel “unmanly” when talking about it. That’s why we loved the name we’d dreamed up for this still-imaginary product: Snowballs! Some thought the name was insensitive, or inappropriate, but for us it made our story easier to tell. Because my friend and I had both been through the “fertility factory” with our wives, losing our money and our minds until we had begun to look more closely at the actual causes of male infertility…and had become obsessed by heat.

It was my friend and his wife who really provided the breakthrough. For them it had been a painful year. There had been a silent miscarriage after two years of trying, and they had seen one doctor after another, desperate for some good news to cling to. That place can be a very lonely place, as anyone who’s struggled with infertility knows. Finally one urologist took the time to sit down with them and listen carefully. Almost immediately, he had a new plan. First, my friend should begin icing his balls. Huh? And then he should have himself tested for a varicocele. Again, huh? We were still new to cooling.

But they went home that day thinking: Why not? They had tried everything else. So they began to do some research into heat…and this cooling thing started to make a whole lot of sense. After all, the testicles are located outside the body precisely to stay cooler. And one common 19th century method of birth control was to dip them in a bowl of hot water before hopping into bed. Not to mention that we’d always heard that men should avoid hot tubs, putting laptops on laps, and wearing tight underwear.

We started reading scientific studies online. In the mid-1960s, scientists had become aware that scrotal cooling could improve male fertility, but no controlled tests had been done until the mid-1980s, when the advantages of cooling were first clinically shown. Now we know that the testes of men with fertility problems tend to be naturally warmer by an average of over one degree Celsius, which is significant in this delicate science. We also know that if we can lower scrotal temperature on a consistent basis, fertility will improve.

So my friend began to ice…and a beautiful daughter was born about a year later.

Now we were fully committed to sharing what we had learned with anyone who would listen. We researched cooling devices, chemical compounds, organic cottons, and ergonomic underwear. We solicited factories all over the world to help produce a cooling underwear that would be comfortable, convenient, and hopefully effective. And 10 years ago, Snowballs were born. We’re still learning every day. Men in 34 countries are now wearing Snowballs and writing us to share their own stories – sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always hopeful for the future. Our favorite messages, of course, come with a baby photo attached. But even when the couples we strive to help don’t get the results for which they’re hoping and praying, we like to think that we may be saving a few marriages. In couples facing infertility, women almost always bear the greater burden – not only physically, but emotionally and intellectually.

Most IVF Warriors could probably teach advanced college courses on reproductive biology by this point. Men are sometimes uninterested, but more often they just feel helpless. There are few things worse than seeing your wife go through physical hell and not be able to do anything about it, other than to “be strong”, which usually has negative consequences. You cut yourself off from your own complex emotions. You shove that twinge of guilt beneath the carpet. Nothing feels sexy anymore. You disconnect. Your instinct is to “fix things”, but you can’t fix this. The doctors are in charge now, and they’re telling you what to do (at great cost) in terminology you may not fully grasp. You are clearly no longer in control, even if you’re doing your honest best to pretend you are, while your marriage sometimes seems as if it’s being assaulted from every direction, despite your best intentions.

We have a lot of sympathy for those guys, and one surprising psychological benefit of Snowballs – both for men and for women – has been that they give men a simple way to participate in the process. To share the experience, at least in some small way. To say: “This is not you. This is not me. This is us.” And that makes a big difference, we’ve found. Maybe as he slides in another ice pack, you even have something to chuckle about together. Not to mention the grateful emails we’ve had from guys saying something like: “She also thinks they’re pretty sexy!”

We would have never guessed that when we “grew up”, we would be running an underwear company and advising men to ice their balls. Now as our 10th birthday approaches, we wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. Not only does the science present clear evidence of the benefits of “manly cooling”, but in sharing our story, and destigmatizing male infertility, we also believe that we’re doing our small part to strengthen relationships in difficult times, both between wives and husbands, as well as between couples and their families and friends. Because even if it sometimes feels as if we’re all waging our battles alone, ultimately we’re all in this together. And that’s pretty cool.

To learn more about Snowballs cooling underwear, click here!

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Medical Disclaimer:

The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.