# wicking t-shirts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907 "2010-07-07T22:25:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/1 "2010-07-07T22:25:57Z")
Is there a difference between Cool Max shirts and UnderArmor shirts or any other wicking t-shirts? Do they work in high humidity environments? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/2 "2010-07-07T22:35:27Z")
Don’t know the 2 brands you mention, but I have had the best results with the all-polyester variety of shirt (such as sold by TravelSmith and EMS’ Techwick brand). I have extreme hyperhydrosis and these shirts dry very rapidly - as long as there are no layers over them. Unfortunately, for undershirts, no good solution exists AFAIK. All wick to the outer layer, making business clothing uncomfortably moist no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/3 "2010-07-07T23:03:48Z")
I wear a lot of this stuff for running, biking and backpacking. I think the big differences you’ll see are mostly in fit and general durability. They’re all pretty much made out of the same stuff (polyester) which does the same basic task of wicking moisture away from your skin and to the outer layer where it can evaporate. I have a range of tops and bottoms from el cheapo “Champion” (Target’s house brand) up to more expensive brands and they all work well. The more expensive brands have been holding up better (Champion tshirts seem especially prone to having a thread snagged but it hasn’t impacted performance) and if you want a tighter fit (compression garments, for example) spending a few extra dollars is worth it. If you’re just looking for some inexpensive wicking tshirts though, I’d say you can buy just about anything. As far as how they’ll work in a really humid environment, moisture will basically travel from a wetter to a drier area. Right next to your skin is pretty moist and perspiration will get sucked away and moved to the outer surface of the garment, however if it’s very humid it’ll be much harder for the moisture to then evaporate into the air around you. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/4 "2010-07-08T01:07:11Z")
You mean this [Champion](http://www.championusa.com/champion/Default.aspx)? They’ve always been their own brand. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/5 "2010-07-08T02:08:43Z")
They work OK, better than cotton. Neither work as well as wool. Smartwool and other make some very thin wool T-shirts which are very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/6 "2010-07-08T02:20:37Z")
I’ll join the chorus that they’re all pretty much the same when it comes to wicking. They do vary in fit and style, which can be an issue. I’ve found the seams in the el cheapo brands sometimes chafe. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/7 "2010-07-08T14:29:39Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > You mean this [Champion](http://www.championusa.com/champion/Default.aspx)? They’ve always been their own brand. I think Target’s C9 line of fitness clothing is made by Champion. I think their stuff is pretty good and always check the clearance racks to replenish my supply of workout stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/8 "2010-07-08T14:30:23Z")
Ditto on the conformity of brands. I used to work in purchasing of athletic apparel for a chain of health clubs and got samples from all the major brands. They all seemed to do the same thing. Nike, Adidas, Underarmor, Hind, Champion, Russell. The biggest problem of these wicking shirts was that they got wet really fast, smelled terrible, and required special laundry detergent to get them cleaned well. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/9 "2010-07-08T14:43:33Z")
Can anyone comment on Coolmax (it is a brand of fabric rather than a brand of clothes, I believe)? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/10 "2010-07-08T15:24:49Z")
> [@sweeteviljesus](#): > > Can anyone comment on Coolmax (it is a brand of fabric rather than a brand of clothes, I believe)? Yes, it’s a brand of fabric used by many manufacturers. It’s good, but not really better or worse than others (like EMS Techwick). I have a few pieces of Coolmax gear. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/11 "2010-07-08T15:43:40Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I’ll join the chorus that they’re all pretty much the same when it comes to wicking. They do vary in fit and style, which can be an issue. I’ve found the seams in the el cheapo brands sometimes chafe. The cheap ones do fall apart pretty fast, and they don’t have the features that the nice ones do - the shorts tend to ride up, etc. The nicest running clothes have cleverly designed pockets and things that keep your headphone cord out of the way and such. The cheap stuff does do the job, though - I’ll buy cheap shirts, but not cheap shorts or pants. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/12 "2010-07-08T15:43:53Z")
My friend works for the company that puts on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathons. I get a lot of leftover swag, including “performance” shirts. I like the ones by Sugoi the best. Their version of coolmax is called FinoTech. Great for biking, hiking, and just walking around. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/13 "2010-07-08T15:57:14Z")
Under Armour used to mike a wide variety of weights/blends of fabric. My favorite (which I can’t seem to find anymore) was an ultrathin almost sheer loose fitting cotton/polyester blend. It was so lightweight you could bunch up the entire shirt in your fist. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/14 "2010-07-08T19:48:55Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > The biggest problem of these wicking shirts was that they got wet really fast, smelled terrible, and required special laundry detergent to get them cleaned well. I have some older garments that seem to hang on to smell despite my best efforts, but I haven’t noticed that problem with the newer stuff (acquired in the past 2-3 years). I don’t use special detergent. I do line-dry the shirts (they get nasty in the dryer), which could explain why even my cheap shirts are holding up pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wicking-t-shirts/545907/15 "2010-07-08T20:01:10Z")
> [@sweeteviljesus](#): > > Is there a difference between Cool Max shirts and UnderArmor shirts or any other wicking t-shirts? Do they work in high humidity environments? > > Thanks, > Rob In my experience they are the same and will work in humidty. I like smart wool better because the synthetic wicking materials will start to smell bad after you’ve worn them for several hours.