The RW Takeaway: The shirt that will keep you feeling dry and cool.
- Fast-drying, odor-resistant merino wool (52 percent).
- Perforated rear and side panels for ventilation.
- Drop-tail hem for more coverage.
Price: $75
Colors: Red, blue, panther
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The Icebreaker Cool-Lite Amplify tee is a comfy, lightweight option for shoulder season, or for morning or evening runs when the air is a bit crisp but you know you’ll warm up. It kept me feeling fresh and dry through an entire 30-minute easy run on a warm spring day. The merino wool-blend fabric wicks sweat from your skin but doesn’t absorb odors, making it easy to get two or three wears out of it between washes. It also isn’t an ahhhbvious workout shirt—I wore it to the office with jeans and it looked totally casual.
Fabric That Keeps You Seriously Cool
I think the sweat-wicking ability of the Cool-Lite Amplify tricked me into thinking I was working less hard than I actually was. I set out for an easy run and finished feeling like I had done just that, but I completed my three-mile loop just in two minutes more than I did when I felt like I was pushing it. Instead of feeling sticky and overheated, the soft, flowy material pulled sweat away from my body, keeping me cooler, and drier than I would have been without a shirt. I think this coolness and dryness provided by the Amplify boosted my performance, even if it was just because I wasn’t distracted by how miserably sticky I was.
It comes in three different color options: blue (tested), a rosy peach, and a dark grey. As the blue one soaks up sweat, the wet fabric is really obvious, so runners who are self-conscious about armpit sweat marks might consider the darker-colored version.
It Feels Awesome
This shirt made my regular-paced run feel super easy. When I wasn’t wearing a clingy shirt saturated with sweat, I could enjoy the miles that much more, feeling lighter, freer, and more energized. This is definitely the top I’ll choose when I want to feel fast and confident before I start my watch.
Pros
- Fast-drying
- Perforated panels for cooling
Cons
- Extra coverage, while welcomed by others, may be cumbersome for some
Riley is a writer and outdoor adventure guide currently based in Tucson, Arizona where she leads mountain bike rides, rock climbing, and hiking trips. In her spare time, she writes stories and reviews outdoor and fitness gear. Find her writing in publications including Outside, Lonely Planet, SHAPE, Bicycling, Runner’s World, and others. When she’s not playing in the mountains, she’s probably laying down somewhere or eating (or both).
