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The Best Performance Shirt For Men

Last updated on October 11, 2021

We looked at the top 5 Performance Shirts For Men and dug through the reviews from 9 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Performance Shirts For Men.

Best Performance Shirt For Men

Our Review Process

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If you find that you perspire a lot, whether you’re working out at the gym or just running around doing some errands, you probably don’t enjoy the feeling of wearing a damp shirt. This is where a performance shirt for men comes in. This is a shirt made of fabrics that are designed to wick away moisture and dry quickly. They keep you feeling cool and comfortable, no matter what you’re doing.

How do performance shirts wick away moisture? It depends on the material, which can vary from brand to brand. Essentially, the shirt absorbs the moisture from the body into the fabric and distributes it across the shirt. This helps it to evaporate quickly off the shirt, leaving it feeling dry and cool.

With a performance shirt, you can avoid having a sweaty look with the accompanying stains. While many people wear performance shirts at the gym or while working out, they are also great as a layer underneath clothes for daily wear.

Our Picks For The Top Performance Shirts For Men

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Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Our Top Pick

Under Armour Men’s Short Sleeve Compression T-Shirt, HeatGear Armour

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Under Armour

Men's HeatGear Armour Short Sleeve Compression T-Shirt

You can wear this compression shirt all day and remain comfortable. it has stretchy mesh in the underarm panels for ventilation. The four-way flex of the material provides mobility.

Overall Take

Great Fit This compression shirt for men is made with special fast-drying fabric.

 Runner Up

BALEAF Men’s UPF 50+ Performance Long Sleeve Shirt

BALEAF

Men's UPF 50+ Performance Long Sleeve Shirt

Get SPF 50+ sun protection with this performance shirt. The breathable fabric wicks away moisture and dries quickly. The relaxed fit is lightweight and offers a full range of motion.

Overall Take

For Being OutsideThis performance shirt offers protection when you're outdoors.

Pros
" These shirts are designed for maximum comfort and sun protection, and they're so affordable, you can buy more than one. Lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric. No tag collar. Flat seams reduce chafing. Relaxed fit allows full range of motion. Fits true to..."
 We Also Like

DRI-Equip Men’s Moisture Wicking Long Sleeve Performance Shirt

DRI-Equip

Men's Athletic Moisture Wicking Long Sleeve Shirt

You will feel cool and comfortable in this roomy performance shirt. It is made from a polyester moisture wicking fabric.

Overall Take

Highly BreathableWith a roomy fit, this performance shirt helps you feel cool.

Pros
" The DRI-EQUIP Athletic Shirt is a long sleeve shirt that’s lightweight, spacious and highly breathable – all the essentials for a moisture wicking shirt."
Cons
"Some reviewers wished the material had UV protection. Bigger than true-size."
 Best Set

Hanes Men’s UPF 50+ Long Sleeve Cool Dri T-Shirt, 2-Pack

Hanes

Men's Long Sleeve Cool Dri T-Shirt UPF 50+, 2-Pack

Get two handy shirts with this set. These shirts offer SPF 50 protection as well as moisture wicking.

Overall Take

Great BasicsThis set comes with two performance shirts.

Pros
" Affordable, dries quickly, versatile, good for the gym."
Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
12

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the performance shirts for men available to purchase.
5

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

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9

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: My Outdoors Life, Midlife Hacks, BestReviews, GQ, Outdoor Gear Lab.

334,256

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 5 Performance Shirts For Men and also dug through the reviews from 9 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Performance Shirts For Men.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in their category.

The Best Bang For Your Buck

Hanes Men’s UPF 50+ Long Sleeve Cool Dri T-Shirt, 2-Pack

Our Expert Score

5.2
2 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

9.0
46,046 user reviews

Our Take

Get two handy shirts with this set. These shirts offer SPF 50 protection as well as moisture wicking.

What other experts liked

Affordable, dries quickly, versatile, good for the gym.
- Outdoor Gear Lab
“These shirts are the cheapest and simplest UPF shirts I’ve ever bought,” says one dermatologist who says shirts work better for sun protection than sunscreen.
- New York Mag

What other experts didn't like

Durability, lack of features, inconsistent fit, lack of outdoor use.
- Outdoor Gear Lab

What to Look For

  • When buying a performance shirt for men, first consider the use. For example, do you want to wear it at the gym, or in the summer? In this case, a short-sleeve performance shirt may be best. Do you want to wear it while running outside in the cool weather? You may need a long-sleeve performance shirt for this.
  • If you want to wear the performance shirt as a layering item underneath other clothes, be sure to get a snug fit. This way, you will be able to layer on long sleeve shirts and sweaters without the bulky look.
  • Performance shirts for men are available in a multitude of colors. If you want a more neutral look that works with everything else in your wardrobe, go with a black or gray performance shirt. However, if you want to stand out with a pop of color, you can opt for bold options like red, yellow, blue or green.
  • Most performance shirts for men are sold as singles. However, you can also find some two-packs as well.

Performance Shirt For Men Rankings

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Taking care of your performance shirts will help them to last longer and reduce pilling. If you’ve worn the shirt for working out, it’s best to wash it after each use. If you let a layer of sweat build-up, this can result in unwanted scents and stains. If you won’t be able to wash your performance shirt right away after working out, don’t just leave it in your gym bag while it is wet with sweat, as it may get mildewy. Instead, hang it up somewhere to air dry before throwing it in the laundry basket.

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