When you think of athletic apparel, Hanes probably isn't the first name that comes to mind. Athletic wear and athleisure has largely been dominated by upmarket brands like Lululemon, ALO Yoga, Athleta, and Nike.
I'm certainly a fan of most of those (particularly Lululemon), but I'm also not in a position to spend a small fortune on luxury workout gear. If I buy a few pairs of running shorts or joggers, chances are I won't add anything else to my closet for a while.
If you're like me and work out four to five times a week, you run out of the good stuff before it's time to do laundry. When the options narrow down to wearing something dirty or spending more time washing workout clothes, things start to look bleak.
I'd heard about the new, reasonably priced Hanes Moves collection of workout gear from the brand most of us associate with undershirts and underwear, so I figured I'd give it a try. Over the past week I tested the Performance Short with built-in boxers and the Air Mesh T-Shirt at the gym, lifting weights and doing cardio. While wearing them, I had some of my best workouts of the year.
Hanes Moves Performance Short
The shorts are made of a polyester and spandex blend that's remarkably soft and stretchy. Even some of the more upmarket brands I've tried have shorts with a rough papery or crinkly exterior, but the pair from Hanes feels nice in hand.
The interior liner doesn't offer the same level of softness, but it makes up for that with comfortable compression and great breathability, with mesh side panels for better airflow. Even as I stretched out from side to side before my workout, the shorts — as the collection name suggests — moved with me.
Key Specs
| Inseam | 5-inch, 7-inch |
|---|---|
| Liner? | Yes |
| Materials | Polyester, Spandex |
The Performance Short in Action
Once I got to the gym, the plan was to test out the shorts while lifting and doing cardio. First up was squats. As I dipped down the shorts stretched adequately and weren't so tight my legs never felt constricted. Some shorts with liners feel good for upright exercise but don't have enough flexibility to handle big bends, stretches, or explosive movement. That wasn't the case with these.
After my lifting session I moved on to a quick run on the treadmill. Here's the thing. My gym is underground and can get pretty muggy once the weather begins to warm up. This was certainly one of those days and within a couple minutes I was sweating pretty hard. Whereas some other liners—even those made of moisture-wicking materials—start accumulating sweat over time, the mesh panels on the Hanes kept me cool and relatively dry.
I love these shorts. Are they the end all be all for exercise shorts? Probably not. They've got great stretch and feel comfortable in a variety of circumstances, but they also feel a bit delicate. I'm a bit worried about what a few dozen washing machine cycles might do to them over time, though considering they only cost 18 bucks, it's hard to worry too much.
Hanes Moves Air Mesh T-Shirt
I typically don't bother buying high performance exercise shirts. For the most part, whether I'm lifting or running, I'm probably in a cotton T-shirt or something similarly basic. That said, I believe I have to start making an exception. The Hanes Moves Air Mesh T-shirt succeeds on a few different levels.
First and foremost, it is incredibly comfortable on the skin. The shirt isn't skin-tight like other performance materials, so you can feel a bit more relaxed in it. If you aren't always keen to hold in your stomach while you work out (like me), the relaxed fit offers a lot more leeway. Much like the shorts, the material is also a polyester and spandex blend. What automatically set the shirt apart from other options are the two mesh panels on the shoulders.
The Air Mesh T-Shirt In Action
Much like the performance short, the Hanes Moves T-shirt uses mesh to improve breathability and keep you cool and comfortable during a workout. A lot of these little panels or "breathable" sections on athletic apparel tend to feel like more flash than function. This shirt was noticeably different.
Even walking to the gym from my apartment, I could feel the light breeze through the panelling. This kicked into high gear once I started my workout. As I gradually worked my body into a sweat, I never overheated or felt the shirt start to stick to my back. The mesh panels and the moisture-wicking fabric kept away the pit stains I've grown accustomed to creating.
The shirts also excelled for running and repetitive motions. The fabric is soft enough that I never felt any friction or chafing and the shirt still bounced free and loose even under an unforgiving sun.
Similar to the shorts, my only real concern is long-term durability. The material is thin and has so far successfully survived one wash, but I wouldn't be shocked if it began falling apart after a few too many heavy workouts and washes.
Not So Final Thoughts
I took both items through one heavy workout. Each item was tested separately from one another so I could fully focus on how it performed instead of splitting my attention. In short, they both passed with flying colors. The shorts are some of the softest and most comfortable I've ever tested, even in comparison to significantly more expensive options.
The T-shirt is nearly as impressive. While it doesn't have the same bells and whistles as a dual-layer short, the mesh panels were excellent while the soft material felt great against my skin.
The Hanes Moves collection is an affordable alternative to luxury athletic apparel brands that performs well. It's hard not to love that combo. I'll be curious to see how well they hold up after several workouts. Sure, they may not be the first option out of my closet, but both the Performance Short and Air Mesh T-shirt are perfect for rounding out your workout wear rotation without burning a hole in your wallet.
Tom Price is a Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics and Runner's World while also contributing to Best Products and Bicycling. Prior to his work here, he previously covered product reviews, startup news, pop culture and even professional wrestling. In his free time, he enjoys watching pretentious TV, low-brow movies, and exercising for beauty, not health. If you are interested in exploring more of his work, check out his website.
