Never let them see you sweat
Written: Jun 22 '06 (Updated Jun 22 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Comfortable, effective at keeping you cool and dry, cheaper than Under Armour
Cons: There's no tie-dye version.
The Bottom Line: Russell Athletic Dri-Power Mesh shirts live up to their claims in keeping you cool and dry as you exercise. Cheaper than Under Armour but equally effective, these shirts are recommended.
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| thekingsingh's Full Review: RUSSELL ATHLETIC Dri-Power(tm) Mesh T-Shirt Mens 6... |
...well, actually they will.
As a rec league ice hockey player, sweat is almost as common as the ice you play on. With all of the thick padding and equipment you have to wear, staying dry is a challenge from a comfort perspective, and a so-you-won't-stink perspective.
To help deal with sweating, I like to wear "performance apparel" t-shirts underneath my hockey equipment. The point of these types of shirts is to quickly remove sweat from the surface of your skin (what manufacturers like to call "wicking"), to help keep the wearer drier and cooler.
I own shirts of two brands - the ever popular Under Armour and the less common Russell Athletic. Though the Under Armour worked in keeping me drier and cooler than when wearing a normal t-shirt, the Russell shirts were a bit cheaper, and so I decided to give them a try. All my shirts are the "loose fit" versions, to match my Costco 48-pack physique.
The Specs
According to their website, Russell Athletic Dri-Power shirts have the following features:
- Dri Power™ Mesh, 100% polyester
- Moisture-wicking fabric
- Athletic loose fit
- Set-in self fabric collar
- Single-needle topstitch on neck
- Heatseal label in center back neck
- 2-needle hemmed sleeves and bottom
- Dri-Power™ logo at lower left bottom
- "R" logo on left sleeve
- Imported
The shirts are lightweight, come in a variety of colours and are machine washable. They also come in standard t-shirt sizes. Pricewise, they can be purchased for around $20.00.
The material used to make the shirt is slightly different compared to Under Armour shirts. The Russell shirts have larger "pores" compared to Under Armour, which are also somewhat softer than the Russell shirts.
What I liked
The Russell Athletic Dri-Power Mesh shirts perform as advertised. Compared to a typical cotton t-shirt, any sweat absorbed by the shirt evapourates much more quickly, which helps to keep me cooler and drier as I exercise or play hockey. The performance is comparable to the Under Armour shirts I have - in fact, I don't notice any marked difference wearing either one.
The Russell shirts are light and comfortable. Being the loose fit version, they aren't restrictive in any sense either. Also, there are no tags in the collar to irritate the back of the neck. Instead, labels are printed directly on the fabric.
Further, Russell shirts are proving to be a bit more durable than my Under Armour ones, which are showing signs of fraying from being worn under hockey equipment.
What I like most is that with the Russell shirt, I get similar performance as Under Armour shirts, but at less cost.
What I don't like
That I don't have more of these shirts. But, that would mean I would have to sweat more, which means I'd have to exercise more. You can see the catch-22.
Conclusion
Russell Athletic Dri-Power Mesh t-shirts perform well to keep me cool and dry as I exercise. The shirt lives up to its claims, and is similar in effectiveness as Under Armour shirts.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
thekingsingh
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Location: Sacramento, California
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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