Unlock the Secret Power of Moisture-Wicking Gym Clothes That Could Transform Your Workout—Are You Wearing the Right Gear?
Ever noticed how every piece of performance gear out there swears it’s “moisture-wicking”? It’s like that buzzword showing up on every workout tee, gym short, and sock you see—from Vuori to Under Armour—making you wonder: does it really keep you dry, or is it just clever marketing hype? Let me tell ya, moisture-wicking isn’t just some fancy phrase to flash on tags. Sure, slipping into gear that claims this magic might not transform you into LeBron overnight, but it can seriously level up your comfort game during those sweaty grind sessions. But here’s the kicker—what exactly makes a fabric moisture-wicking? And how do you know if the gear you’ve been eyeing actually delivers on the promise, or if it’s all just a soggy letdown? Lucky for us, I dove deep with some textile pros and a top sports medicine doc to break down the real deal behind moisture-wicking fabric and how it can keep you cooler, drier, and ready to crush it. Ready to cut through the fluff? LEARN MORE
ANY PERFORMANCE GEAR worth its salt is going to claim to be “moisture-wicking.” No surprise, the term shows up in all of the workout clothing brands we recommend, from Vuori to Under Armour. But while most people have a vague idea that moisture-wicking has something to do with keeping you dry in sweaty situations, the details on what puts fabric into this category are poorly defined—to the general public, at least.
Moisture-wicking is more than a marketing buzzword, though. While using moisture-wicking fabric at the gym isn’t going to magically morph you into Patrick Mahomes or Lebron James, wearing gym shorts or workout shirts that fall into this category can make you more comfortable during your workouts, according to Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles. Moisture-wicking fabric can be a crucial element to keeping you cool and dry, allowing you to push yourself a little harder without overheating, he says.
Given how much this term is thrown around, it’s easy to mentally assign a definition to moisture-wicking based on your own experience. But some gear claims to be moisture-wicking when it’s actually not, making it important to be aware of what to look for. Because you probably don’t have a degree in textile sciences if you’re reading this (we don’t either), we tapped two fabric experts and Mandelbaum for help breaking down what moisture-wicking actually means, plus what to look for when sussing out gear.
What Is Moisture-Wicking?
You probably have some idea of what moisture-wicking means, but it never hurts to get into details. “Moisture-wicking fabrics are designed to pull sweat away from your skin and spread it across the outer surface of the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly,” explains Kerry Ryan, fashion designer and adjunct associate professor of fashion design at Pratt Institute. “Instead of soaking in like a sponge, the fibers act like tiny water slides, moving moisture along and helping you stay dry.”
Once that moisture is shuttled away from your skin, it keeps on moving, says Imran Islan, PhD, associate professor of textile development and marketing at Fashion Institute of Technology. “As moisture moves to the fabric’s surface, an athlete or runner faces the air, which takes away the moisture,” he says.
Certain Fabrics Are More Moisture-Wicking Than Others
While plenty of companies will slap this label on a range of clothes, not all fabric is truly moisture-wicking. “To enhance wicking, a fiber should have a narrow and hollow structure,” Islan says. “This narrow space differentiates surface tension, allowing moisture to be transported from one location to another.” The narrower the fiber, the better the moisture-wicking properties, according to Islan.
Synthetic fibers are more likely to be moisture-wicking, but there are certain natural fibers like Merino wool that are excellent at shuttling away moisture, Islan says. Activewear and performance gear that’s actually moisture-wicking is usually made up of one or several of these fabrics:
- Polyester: Ryan calls this the “workhorse of moisture-wicking,” especially with performance finishes.
- Nylon: This fabric is lightweight, durable, and great for active use, according to Ryan.
- Polypropylene: “It’s highly hydrophobic, meaning it repels moisture entirely,” Ryan says.
- Merino wool: This is a “natural standout,” per Ryan. It wicks away moisture, insulates, and resists odor.
- Tencel/lyocell blends: These fabrics are soft with a balance of moisture-wicking and comfort.
Some fibers are champs at absorbing moisture, but that’s the opposite of moisture-wicking, Ryan points out. These are fabrics you want to avoid if wicking is your goal:
- 100% Cotton: “It absorbs up to 27 times its weight in water and dries slowly,” Ryan says.
- Rayon/Viscose: This semi-synthetic fiber clings when it’s wet and holds moisture, per Ryan.
- Linen: While linen is breathable, Ryan points out that it soaks up sweat before it dries.
- Silk: It can feel cool to the touch, but silk is absorbent and not engineered for quick-dry performance, Ryan says.
Why Moisture-Wicking Is Important for Workout Clothes
Your body naturally produces excess heat when you’re working out, and you have to figure out how to dissipate that heat. By wicking moisture away from your skin, you can cool down faster, Mandelbaum explains. “You can’t eliminate heat when you exercise, because you’re constantly producing it—but your body is still trying to cool off,” Mandelbaum says. “Everything you can do to allow yourself to deal with incremental heat quickly will allow you to perform better.”
Moisture-wicking fabric also has the added benefit of keeping your clothes from clinging to you when you sweat, Islan says. If you sweat in something like cotton, your clothes can end up feeling heavy and less breathable, trapping heat against your skin and making it harder to regulate your body temperature, Islan explains. “In contrast, moisture-wicking can enhance performance and overall comfort for athletes or individuals in warm conditions,” he says.
Moisture-wicking fabric can even reduce chafing the growth of odor-causing bacteria, helping you to feel and smell better, Ryan says.
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Can Clothes Lose Moisture-Wicking Properties Over Time?
Unfortunately, your performance gear can become less effective over time. “Synthetic fabrics may lose performance due to wear, fabric softener build-up, or residue from body oils, Ryan says. “Over time, the fiber structure that moves moisture can break down.”
While natural fibers like Merino wool don’t break down the same way, Ryan says they can still get clogged by residue, limiting their moisture-wicking properties. Her advice: Wash your moisture-wicking gear with a sports-specific detergent and skip fabric softener to help them perform at their best.
But if you find that your go-to moisture-wicking gear doesn’t seem to be keeping you dry anymore, it’s time to swap it out for something new.
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Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
Charles Thorp is the Fitness and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health, where he shares the best product recommendations in gym equipment, recovery tools, supplements, and more. Following an early life in athletics, Charles became a NASM-certified trainer and began writing programs alongside the most respected coaches in the world.
Since entering the world of fitness content, Charles has had the opportunity to learn from and train alongside high performance individuals from the NFL, UFC, NBA, Formula 1, CrossFit, US Olympics, and Navy SEALs. When he’s not writing about training programs or gear, he can be seen at the gym or in the wild, putting them to the test.
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