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By Kyle Hodge and Tyler Chin
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The best workout shirts for men should be masters of multi-tasking (just as versatile as your fitness routine), combining sturdy and breathable fabrics that can clear the wringer of sweat, movement, and spin cycles in the wash without emerging significantly worse for wear or perpetually odorous. And when you hit the gym to knock out your New Year resolutions, it's always a boost of confidence to show up in something that doesn't make you feel like a schlub. To that end, we've got you covered with some of the best workout shirts for men, from tees to tanks to long-sleeves that are streamlined, breathable, and even stylish.
Save the heavy lifting to us and get straight to our favorite men's workout shirts right here.
Cotton feels great on the skin and is super breathable, so you might be surprised to hear that it makes for a terrible workout shirt. That’s because cotton absorbs moisture instead of wicking it away. So as your cotton T-shirt takes on sweat, it blocks airflow and can make you feel hotter. Most activewear brands avoid using all-cotton fabrics for that reason and it’s also why you’ll rarely ever see an athlete wearing a jersey made of the stuff. Instead, the best materials for gym shirts are polyester or a polyester blend. They’re not only breathable, but moisture-wicking and fast-drying too, so your sweat can dissipate through your most grueling gym sessions. Some workout shirts are even designed with strategically placed mesh for more airflow.
But it’s not just about keeping cool. Your workout shirt or tank should also have enough stretch to accommodate a wide range of motion for that next-level yoga pose and work with you when you’re trying to set a personal best on the shoulder press machine. High-quality workout shirts will use elastane that will stretch and conform to your every move, and remain flexible for the long haul.
Fit is another consideration, depending on how you want to train. Tighter activewear garments like compression shirts can help increase blood flow for better performance and decreased soreness, while looser-fitting gym shirts have better airflow to cool you down. It's all a matter of preference.
We put the best workout shirts for men through their paces by running, lifting, training, and sweating abundantly in them—even anointing some our favorite fitness pieces of all time with a GQ Fitness Award. Some are extra-ventilated with mesh panels, others offer UPF50 sun protection, while still others are so fly that they provide extra motivation for getting out there to run laps in the dead of winter. Above all, they're the perfect medium of comfort, breathability, and design to help you work out in style—with bonus points given to any shirts with sweat-wicking and odor-blocking properties. Here are some of the best workout shirts for men that deserve a spot in your fitness rotation.
To see more of the best workout clothes and gear handpicked by GQ editors, check out the GQ Fitness Awards.
Reign Short Sleeve Workout Shirt
Material: Nylon, polyester, and elastane Sizes available: S to XXL Standout features: UPF50+ sun protection, moisture wicking, GOLDFUSION anti-odor technology
Rhone's four-way stretch Reign tee clings in all the right places (around the biceps, for example, so that the sleeves don’t ride up and down) and none of the wrong ones (the shoulders, the armpits, and—[shudder]—the gut) thanks to raglan sleeves and a slightly looser fit. It’s breathable enough to prevent soak-throughs, but not so thin that that a brisk day will highlight your nipples to everyone on the track. The best part, though, is that the fabric is infused with little bits of gold for anti-odor protection, which the company says delays the onset of that dreaded perpetual funk that most other workout shirts succumb to eventually. It sounds dumb, but for us, contemporaneously acquired shirts from other brands have already acquired a certain musk that this one, mercifully, has not.
Material: Cotton and polyester Sizes available: S to XXXXL (with tall sizes) Standout features: Moisture-wicking Dri-FIT
Every brand now makes their own version of sweat-wicking fabric, but after almost three decades on the market, Nike’s Dri-Fit is still a more-than-capable challenger to some of the more expensive counterparts. High armholes and a slim body make the tee comfortable enough for runs and fitted enough for weightlifting, while an array of classic colors let you wear this shirt on the regular without signaling to others that yeah, you lift, bro. At half the cost of our other top picks—plus, Nike products frequently go on sale at retailers—this is the most cost-effective solution to the reprehensible cut-off tee collection that you're still clinging to.
Metal Vent Tech Short Sleeve 2.0
Material: Polyester, elastane, nylon Sizes available: XS to XXL Standout features: Moisture-wicking, odor-resistant
A shade looser than the Rhone, this updated version of one of our favorite Lululemon workout tops deserves its spot in these hallowed rankings because it lets in a whole lot of air. That's thanks in large part to a series of visible, larger-than-usual holes that somehow don’t show any skin. Also, the heathered colorways and contrast-stitched seams provide a nice reprieve from the bright solid colors available at your local sporting goods store. For those of you who aren’t inclined to shill for an athletic apparel giant without an endorsement deal in place, the logo—already small and unobtrusive—is tucked away on the back, just below the neck.
Material: Polyester, elastane Sizes available: XS to XXXL Standout features: Moisture-wicking
Under Armour's HeatGear compression shirt will help you focus on your workout without any interruption from the brisk winter weather. Its super-light fabric delivers superior coverage without weighing you down. It includes a mesh underarm and back panels for better ventilation to help wick sweat and keep you dry. For an affordable $32, this HeatGear long-sleeve top is a must-have. The cold won't be an excuse next winter.
Material: Nylon and elastane Sizes available: S to XL Standout features: Moisture-wicking, anti-microbial, UV protection
Tracksmith has carved out its own niche in the running community for its preppy New England athletic apparel—think Prefontaine-era silhouettes with a dash of retro Ivy League style. Its Strata tee, a 2023 GQ Fitness Award winner, is a super lightweight top that offers a barely-there feel so you can focus more on clocking miles than making sure your nipples aren't chafing. An added UV treatment to the exterior protects your skin from the sun's damaging rays, and the tee manages to wick away moisture from the body and expel it from the shirt so that you don't emerge from a run soaked in sweated.
Material: Polyester and elastane Sizes available: XS to XXL Standout features: Moisture-wicking, anti-odor
Chest day got you feeling like you want to show a little more off? Fellas, behold the muscle tank. In our testing, the revamped Swift Tank, with its refined neckline and added bindings on the sleeve openings, muscled its way to the top. An additional anti-odor treatment cuts back on any over-the-top funk as you emerge from the gym, and its overall flattering design will have you feeling like the most svelte guy in the weight room.
License To Train Long-sleeve Shirt
Material: Polyester and nylon Sizes available: XS to XXXL Standout features: Moisture-wicking, anti-odor
Even beyond the dead of winter, some folks prefer to work out in a long-sleeve, whether it's to help absorb excess sweat or to create a hotter environment that helps you sweat it out even more. Lululemon's License to Train tee is best for those kinds of people—because of its construction, it won't cling to your sticky skin, while the anti-odor properties won't have your gym bros keeping their distance from you when you're in need of a spotter. Also, unlike so many other long-sleeve tees that prioritize a slim fit for accentuating the look of your upper body, this option has a regular-fit that's easy to slip off and toss in the laundry hamper at home.
Material: Merino wool Sizes available: XS to XL Standout features: Moisture-wicking, odor-resistant, thermoregulating
Most workout shirts look like, well, workout shirts. Satisfy Running is one of the few brands that are making athletic gear fit-pic worthy. The brand's Cloudmerino tee is cosmic cool and a far cry from what you'll find at your local sporting goods retailer. Not only does it look more like a fashion piece than a piece of gear, because each one is dyed by hand, no two will be the same. So you can rest assured that you still won't have the same exact tee at the very swaggy gym you attend. And it's more than just a pretty shirt. The Cloudmerino tee is made using an extremely lightweight merino wool (a.k.a. Mother Nature's wonderfiber) which does many of the fancy stuff that synthetic performance fabrics do—namely, moisture wicking, temperature regulating, and odor blocking.
If you're training for a spring marathon, you're going to be on that winter training grind. This super-thin merino running tee from Janji manages to keep you warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot (thanks to some pretty impressive thermoregulation properties). And above all else, it makes you feel like you can go that extra mile.
District Visions' featherlight shirt is constructed with a proprietary hidden mesh that only reveals itself when stretched—as you run the shirt literally lets in air. This tech works so well that we'd consider using it even if the shirt's fit were slightly off, but the DV Air-wear is perfect in that department, as well.
Ten Thousand's “durable” shirt is the one you reach for when you're expecting to do some damage at the gym with an intense workout of high-impact reps, without needing to replace it after a couple heavy cycles. It's why we deemed it the best every day workout shirt in our 2021 Fitness Awards.
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