Technical t-shirts have features that will make your outdoor adventures more comfortable

If you’re heading for the hills in warmer weather, a good technical t-shirt will make your outing more comfortable.

Yes, you can pull on the old top you wore to the beach, but when you’re working hard uphill, a simple cotton garment will hold that sweat and, particularly if worn under a waterproof, will make for a clammy experience.

T-shirts specifically designed for outdoor enthusiasts will help sweat wick away from the body, and will dry out more quickly. Many have special treatments or are made from fabrics that combat odour, and some also help keep out ultraviolet radiation.

There were some very high-tech approaches to t-shirt manufacture evident in our test, with a variety of fabrics and treatments, some of which suit general hill use, others likely to be chosen by runners and mountain bikers.

We put to the test 10 t-shirts, ranging from simple walkers’ tops to specialised running and high-activity shirts, so make your choice.

Berghaus Vapour Base Zip Short Sleeve

Berghaus Vapour Base Zip Short Sleeve

Price: £36
Colour: blue
Weight: 118g
Material: 100 per cent polyester
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Recommended wash: 30C non-biological detergent
Sizes: men’s, S to XXL; women’s 8 to 16

We liked the styling of the Vapour Base, with its contrasting panels marked out by red seam stitching and we were happy to wear it round town as well as on our jaunts up the mountain.

The stretchier fabric in the side and shoulder panels moves well when reaching up for holds on scrambly routes and the Argentium fabric controlled odour well.

The underarm and top side panels are in a more open weave, which allows good ventilation. The half zip neck also allows variation in ventilation – open when working hard uphill and zip up during halts on the hill.

A short collar protects a little too, and the main fabric has UV protection of 30+.

The cut is fairly athletic which we found actually helped wicking, though it was a touch warmer than some of the ultralight models in this test.

A nicely designed t-shirt that offers good value for money.

Wicking 24/30
Comfort 25/30
Odour resistance 8/10
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Total score: 71/100

Craghoppers Karson Base T

Craghoppers Karson Base T (men’s)/Inessa Base T (women’s)

Price: £17.50
Colour: white/grey
Weight: 136g
Material: 100 per cent polyester
Country of manufacture: Sri Lanka
Recommended wash: 30C
Sizes: men’s, S to XXL; women’s 8 to 18

The Karson is a basic t-shirt that will wick a reasonable amount of sweat while you’re working hard uphill.

The cut is fairly loose rather than athletic, and the neck is a straightforward crew design.

The polyester fabric has some stretch in it and the odour control is moderate. Repeated use on successive days will see some build-up of odour.

The Karson’s great appeal is its price. If you’re looking for a basic but technical t-shirt to wear on warm days on the hill, it’s hard to beat for value. It’s a no-frills, basic top that will serve you much better than a cotton fashion t-shirt when you’re in the great outdoors.

By the end of our testing, the t-shirt had succumbed to small areas of snagging around rucksack friction areas, resulting in a few minor pulled threads.

Wicking 17/30
Comfort 15/30
Odour resistance 6/10
Quality 5/10
Value for money 8/10
Total score: 51/100

F-Lite Ultralight 70 T-Shirt

F-Lite Ultralight 70 T-Shirt

Price: £34.99
Colour: black/grey
Weight: 76g
Material: 77 per cent polypropylene; 22 per cent polyamide (nylon); one per cent carbon
Country of manufacture: Turkey
Recommended wash: 40C
Sizes: men’s, M to XXL; women’s S to XL

The Ultralight 70 is a remarkably lightweight top from the German brand, which claims it is the lightest performance baselayer in the world.

It’s super stretchy and very thin, but the carbon anti-static inner coating works well at keeping heat in for such a thin garment as it stops the t-shirt sticking to the skin. It wicks well too and its comfort is enhanced by the lack of seams. The main body is one-piece knitted, with its short sleeves providing the only seams where they join the torso section.

The Ultralight 70 worked well in warm conditions too. The clingy fabric doesn’t hold sweat, presumably because of the carbon treatment. Windblocking properties were good and the t-shirt dried very quickly.

Everything is pared down. There’s no label even, just garment and laundry information knitted into the inside of the bottom hem.

Despite being composed largely of polypropylene, the odour control was reasonable.

The F-Lite t-shirt is, we think, primarily aimed at high activity users such as runners and mountain bikers, though it’s perfectly usable for hillwalkers too.

The only question is over its durability when used with a full rucksack. The Ultralight 70 did have a few snags in places and there was a hint some of the panels were beginning to pill too.

The F-Lite t-shirt is a great option for those into fast and light activity. One other thing: it will show every contour as it clings to your torso, so if you have a few extra pounds on board, prepare for this to be made obvious.

Wicking 26/30
Comfort 25/30
Odour resistance 7/10
Quality 6/10
Value for money 6/10
Total score: 70/100

Icebreaker Drifter

Icebreaker Drifter (men’s)/Aero (women’s) Short Sleeve Crew

Price: £50
Colour: orange
Weight: 118g
Material: 90 per cent merino wool; 10 per cent nylon
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 40C
Sizes: men’s, S to XXL; women’s XS to XL

On the face of it, the Drifter is a very basic t-shirt, suitable for both technical walking use and more general travel use.

It’s the mainly merino wool content that bumps up the price, but not the temperature of this top, which slots into Icebreaker’s ultralight category. And the Drifter is light for a t-shirt that has 90 per cent wool content.

It’s also cut fairly loosely, so there’s a cool feel when out on the hill. It doesn’t wick quite as well as some of the synthetic t-shirts, but odour control is very good, as you would expect from merino.

There’s no zip at the neck, just the straightforward crew, so no means of varying ventilation. The Drifter kept us reasonably cool when pushing hard, though it was less quick to dry out than most of the synthetic t-shirts in the test.

We quite liked the style of the Drifter: it has a curious knit pattern that gives it an interesting texture. There’s a good amount of stretch in the garment too.

The Drifter doubles nicely as a general travel t-shirt that will also serve as a technical summer base layer when heading for the hills.

Wicking 22/30
Comfort 23/30
Odour resistance 8/10
Quality 6/10
Value for money 5/10
Total score: 64/100

Lowe Alpine Sparta T

Lowe Alpine Sparta T

Price: £30
Colour: pink
Weight: 158g
Material: 91 per cent polyester; 9 per cent Spandex
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 40C
Sizes: men’s, S to XXL; women’s 8 to 16

This is another fairly basic t-shirt, described by Lowe Alpine as aurora red, but definitely on the pink side of the red spectrum.

The cut is fairly loose and there’s lots of stretch thanks to the Spandex. The neck is a standard crew and the t-shirt’s seams are flatlocked and provided no problem with rucksack straps.

Wicking was good and the Sparta T’s cooling and insulation properties were in the middle of the test range. It dried quickly and odour control was reasonable.

Comfort was good and the stretchy fabric did not impede movement.

Manufacturing quality was good too. A competent all-rounder at a reasonable price.

Wicking 23/30
Comfort 22/30
Odour resistance 7/10
Quality 7/10
Value for money 8/10
Total score: 67/100

Mammut Atacazo

Mammut Atacazo (men’s)/Illiniza (women’s) Zip-T

Price: £60
Colour: blue
Weight: 136g
Material: 98 per cent polyester; 2 per cent Elastene
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Recommended wash: 30C
Sizes: men’s, S to XXL; women’s XS to XL

The Atacazo uses Polartec’s Power Dry High Efficiency fabric, with its raised grid pattern on the inside face.

This aided wicking, which was very good. The Mammut t-shirt feels warmer initially, but the Polartec fabric does help temperature regulation and the half-zip also allows extra ventilation, so what might appear to be a fairly thick t-shirt actually performed well in quite warm weather.

There is a fair amount of stretch in the Atacazo, though it’s not as stretchy as some, and the cut is fairly athletic, though the t-shirt is long.

The Mammut t-shirt was very quick to dry out after sweat built up when wearing under a shell, and odour control was reasonable.

The Atacazo provided comfort both under waterproofs and worn on its own. There was no discomfort from the seams when wearing a rucksack.

The fabric provides protection of 20+ against UV rays.

The Mammut is a versatile t-shirt, useful in a variety of conditions from cool to warm, though probably just a little thick for those hottest days on the mountain.

Its polyester content is recycled and the garment is bluesign approved.

Wicking 26/30
Comfort 23/30
Odour resistance 7/10
Quality 7/10
Value for money 6/10
Total score: 69/100

Raidlight Technical Running Tee

Raidlight Technical Running Tee

Price: £35
Colour: blue
Weight: 94g
Material: 100 per cent polyester
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Recommended wash: 30C
Sizes: men’s, S to XL; women’s S to L

This lightweight t-shirt from the French brand is, as you would guess from its name, firmly aimed at the fast and light traveller.

It’s another minimalist design, very light, and made again from recycled polyester.

Raidlight says the Technical Running Tee is aimed at all types of runner, from road to ultra, and the thin fabric is definitely more suitable for high activity outings. It’s cooler than many of the thicker t-shirts, wicks very well and is cut quite short and in a figure-hugging athletic style.

The material is quite stretchy and dried very quickly. There are reflective elements in its design and the t-shirt has a small pocket on the right hip for keys or gel packs.

The second lightest garment in our test, it’s one of only two to weigh in below 100g.

Although it’s firmly aimed at runners, we found it worked well when hillwalking in hot conditions too. There was no sign of snagging or rubbing from rucksack straps, despite the thin fabric. Raidlight also says it will repair snags or tears free of charge.

Without doubt this t-shirt is aimed at fast movers, but walkers who like to push their pace will find the Raidlight Technical Running Tee does the job on warmer days.

Wicking 26/30
Comfort 25/30
Odour resistance 7/10
Quality 6/10
Value for money 6/10
Total score: 70/100

Sherpa Adventure Gear Hero Tee

Sherpa Adventure Gear Hero Tee (men’s)
Price: £35
Sherpa Endless Knot Tee (women’s)
Price: £30

Colour: grey
Weight: 148g
Material: 85 per cent polyester; 15 per cent cotton
Country of manufacture: China
Sizes: men’s, S to XL; women’s XS to XL

The Hero Tee looks like a conventional t-shirt you might see worn on the High Street, but the Sherpa top is cut for an athletic fit and more importantly has Drirelease fabric.

The look of the Hero means it’s a good choice for dual use: OK to wear around town, but technical enough to wick moisture when pushing hard up the mountain.

The cotton in it does mean it is slower to dry than purely synthetic t-shirts, though Drirelease is claimed to dry four times faster than cotton.

The fabric also has Freshguard treatment and odour control was good.

The two internal seams where sleeves meet torso are not flatlock stitched, but they’re out of the way of the main rucksack strap points and didn’t cause discomfort.

The Hero Tee provides conventional t-shirt styling in a more technical fabric. It lacks the sort of temperature control found on some of the more technical tees and has no zip at the neck.

Wicking 19/30
Comfort 18/30
Odour resistance 7/10
Quality 6/10
Value for money 6/10
Total score: 56/100

Smartwool NTS Light 195 T-shirt

Smartwool NTS Light 195 T-shirt

Price: £55
Colour: grey
Weight: 180g
Material: 100 per cent merino wool
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Recommended wash: 40C wool cycle
Sizes: men’s, S to XL

The Smartwool t-shirt was the heaviest in the test and felt warmer than most.

Wicking was reasonable, though not as good as most of the synthetic models, but odour control was very good – one of merino wool’s strengths.

There’s a fair amount of stretch in the material, and the fit is again quite athletic, which means the t-shirt clings nicely to the body, though it’s not as figure-hugging as some. There is no zip, so no additional temperature control.

The NTS Light 195 T-shirt is conventional in design, though contrasting side panels take the seams away from the side of the body and shoulder seams are set away from where rucksack straps are likely to rub. All the seams are flatlocked.

The top protects against UV to a value of 35 and is fairly long, with a slightly extended back.

The Smartwool t-shirt worked best for us on cool to moderately warm days, rather than full-on sunny summer days, when the NTS Light 195 felt a little on the warm side. It was a touch slower to dry out too.

Wind resistance was good, however, and the Smartwool fabric is great for repeated use over a number of days, where its odour resistance really comes into its own.

Wicking 21/30
Comfort 22/30
Odour resistance 9/10
Quality 7/10
Value for money 5/10
Total score: 64/100

The North Face Light Nihon ¼ Zip Top

The North Face Light Nihon ¼ Zip Top

Price: £45
Colour: grey/red
Weight: 166g
Material: 100 per cent polyester
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Recommended wash: 40C
Sizes: men’s, S to XXL

The Nihon is a nicely styled stretchy t-shirt, cut quite loosely and with a quarter length zip which allows additional ventilation or can be pulled right up to the short collar when things get breezy on the tops.

The Polartec PowerDry fabric wicks very well and also controls odour well.

The flatlocked seams are placed away from rucksack strap pressure points and the t-shirt was very comfortable on the hill.

It’s a medium-weight garment, but the Polartec fabric coped well with warm conditions as well as cooler days.

The Nihon is another t-shirt that looks fine on the street but which has the technical attributes to ensure comfortable walking on the hill.

The best all-rounder in the test, it also has the bluesign mark denoting a high environmental quality and factory safety standards for its fabric. We used it without problem in a variety of conditions and were comfortable throughout.

Wicking 26/30
Comfort 25/30
Odour resistance 7/10
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Total score: 72/100

The North Face Light Nihon just pipped the Berghaus Vapour Base t-shirt to first place. It performed very well and has great styling that makes it a top all-rounder.

The ultra-lightweight tees from F-Lite and Raidlight are a good choice for those who want to minimise weight and are probably carrying a small pack. Again, they performed very well but are definitely aimed at the athletic end of the outdoor fraternity.

The Craghoppers Karson is unbeatable on price, if all you want is a basic t-shirt that’s a step up from a general cotton top.

Best in test: The North Face Light Nihon ¼ Zip Top
Recommended: Berghaus Vapour Base Zip Short Sleeve
Recommended: F-Lite Ultralight 70 T-Shirt
Recommended: Raidlight Technical Running Tee
Recommended: Mammut Atacazo Zip-T