My third try with the Under Armour shirts was to get a size medium of the UA Tech shirt. I got size medium because I was under the impression that this was a compression shirt, but it turned out it was a regular loose fit shirt.

So the size medium was a little too big. It will be fine as a regular workout shirt, but too big for a base layer when I’m cycling.

What did I do? Immediately ordered another one in size small! That’s how much I liked it! (Being on sale for $14.99 also factored into my decision!)

Here’s the sales pitch for the UA Tech line:

• “Feels like cotton – performs like Under Armour”
• “Performance stretch for freedom of movement.”
• “Microfiber polyester for moisture management.”
• “Flat seams for durability and comfort.”
• “Signature Moisture Transport System to keep you dry.”

From what I’ve seen with my shirt, it lives up to the hype.

The comfort and fit are the best I’ve ever had from any sort of athletic top. The material is very soft and comfortable – you could work out in it, sleep in it, whatever.

Also, with the raglan sleeves and flat seams, the shirt doesn’t bind your movement at all. You don’t feel any of the seams or tight spots or anything.

The fit is fairly loose, like a regular t-shirt – just like the other loose fit Under Armour shirt I got. So both of my UA Tech shirts (size small and medium) will be alright for training, but not really suitable as undershirts.

The color I got is awesome as well – green. It’s pretty bright but not ugly.

I haven’t been too rough with this shirt, but so far, durability seems good. For being so soft and light, you’d think durability would be on the low side.

My final verdict is…

I highly recommend the UA Tech t-shirts for general workout apparel. They feel great, fit great, the fabric is super comfortable, and really, the shirt is just plain awesome.

Go with Steel Stretch for your compression shirts, but grab a UA Tech shirt from Under Armour for a comfortable workout shirt with a loose fit (for those days you don’t want to show off your exact physique.)

Official website: www.UnderArmour.com

The first Under Armour shirt I got in my size (small) fit a little tight, and the seams cut into my armpits. It sucked.

But since the shirt felt neat otherwise, I wanted to try something else. So I bought an Under Armour “loose fit” shirt in size small, hoping the seams didn’t bug me.

Well, they don’t! The fit on this one is great. It fits like a regular t-shirt though. It’s not tight at all (I was hoping it would be a slim fit, but it really isn’t slim at all.)

Note that it’s part of their “Training” line, not the “Compression” line. Only the “compression” lineup of shirts are tight and form-fitting.

It is part of the HeatGear line though, so it still has Under Armour’s “signature Moisture Transport System which wicks moisture from your skin, keeping you dry and your body temperature consistent in any condition.”

It also has some sort of Odor-Control, which controls odor by preventing the growth of odor causing microbes. So far, I haven’t noticed any strange odors emitted from the shirt.

Comfort is alright. It’s comfy enough that you don’t think about it, but it doesn’t wow you like some of Under Armour’s other gear.

The color is “atmosphere” which is like a mix of light gray and sage green, with maybe a little beige in there.

Durability seems alright. I used it for over a year, but it wasn’t used often. Now, it has some noticeable scrapes and some seams coming undone, but any shirt that’s used for activities like sports and weight lifting will get beat up like that.

My final verdict is…

This turned out to be an alright shirt, but it’s not quite as comfortable as the UA Tech shirt or the Steel Stretch shirts, and lacks the compression of other Under Armour shirts.

The shirt isn’t bad by any means, but it’s nothing special. Plenty of other moisture wicking shirts are just as good, if not better. I’d look at the UA Tech t-shirts instead.

Official website: www.UnderArmour.com

If you’re not familiar with the Under Armour clothing line, the real core of their offerings is the compression-fit clothing. This compression fit is supposed to maximize performance since it bolsters muscle support and accelerates moisture transfer.

The brand may resonate a bit more with football players, but that doesn’t mean cyclists can’t get in on the action. I was looking for a good base layer for running and biking, so I decided to get a short sleeve t-shirt from Under Armour’s Heat Gear lineup.

The shirt in question is from mid-2008, and it has the same compression fit as the original, but was “updated with a new ergonomic fit and Anti-Odor HeatGear® fabric.”

I was actually looking at Under Armour shirts for years, but they were so expensive ($35 for a t-shirt,) I never bought one. When I finally went to get one in the store, my size was out of stock!

So I go to UnderArmour.com to find more info, and you can shop online, so I just went into the catalog. There’s my shirt for $24.99 – good thing I found this!

Worried about shipping charges? Have no fear! If you check retailmenot.com, you can probably find a coupon for free shipping. And once you’re a customer, they’ll send you current coupon codes, so you never have to pay for shipping and handling!

Let’s look at the shirt now…

Price

As mentioned, these aren’t cheap. But at $25 at their website, it’s not outrageous – most other performance base layers are the same price or more.

For someone that works out in the gym a few times per week, an old cotton t-shirt would be fine. But when you spend hours each day out in the hot sun, a $25 performance shirt is a good value.

Comfort

My first impression was that this shirt was awesome and worth every penny. It was nice and tight, and the compression felt great on my muscles. Size small seemed just about right for me, although it does take some effort to slip it on. (I wear size small bike jerseys and they fit fine.)

I have one complaint though – the seams. They don’t bother me on the sides, but the seam that goes under my armpit digs in. It’s not too uncomfortable for short time periods, and it’s fine for cycling since your arms don’t move much, but I wouldn’t want to run in it. I bet it would chafe me pretty bad.

Actually, I went running in it once to see. That seam was awful! It cuts into my skin, then scrapes back and forth, leaving my armpits sore for days!

Doing it over again, I’d get a size Medium to see if that helped. (But a loose fit Under Armour shirt in size small fits me fine.)

Durability

I’ve used this shirt for about a year and used it mainly as a cycling undershirt, but I’ve also worn it for some workouts. It still looks good as new, with no snags or any serious damage. However, across the back ( the shoulder blade area that supports the bar when I do squats,) it’s getting fuzzy from the abrasion of weight bars.

So durability should be good when not exposed to rough surfaces. If you’re just wearing it and washing it, it seems to be durable enough for years of use.

Style/Fashion

This is one of those shirts that looks good if you are big with chiseled muscles. If you’re a cyclist like me, you probably don’t want to be seen in this without something over top of it!

(But you can see me wearing it while demonstrating exercises such as the bird dog.)

Performance

The only reason to spend money on one of these shirts is for performance, so it better deliver! It does.

It does a very good job keeping me cool and wicking sweat away. It’s great for hot weather, but I also found it to be the perfect shirt to wear while indoor training on a trainer or rollers. It’s possibly cooler than going shirtless.

Also, the shirt boasts a UPF 30+ rating (stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor,) which means it blocks 97% of the sun’s UV radiation.

My final verdict is…

Under Armour makes a very cool product; I like the compression fit. However, make sure you get the right size. (In this case, the right size is the one that doesn’t chafe due to rough seams!)

After the problem with the seams I would recommend you look at Zensah and SteelStretch compression shirts instead. I haven’t tried a Zensah yet, but I think the SteelStretch shirt is 100 times better than an UnderArmour compression shirt!

However, since I bought this one, I’ll still be wearing it as a base layer for bike rides and races on hot days.

Official website: www.UnderArmour.com (HeatGear Full T, new)