This Vuori Strato Tech Tee Might Just Be the Last Workout Shirt You’ll Ever Want to Wear—Here’s Why.
Ever wonder if your workout tee is really working as hard as you are? Performance tees promise a lot—they say they’ll keep you dry, cool, and comfortable when the sweat starts pouring. But how many actually deliver on that? Those high-tech fabrics like polyester and nylon aren’t just fancy buzzwords; they play a crucial role in battling that sticky, uncomfortable feeling and even help prevent skin irritations that cotton just can’t handle. Enter Vuori, a relatively new but seriously formidable name in the performance-wear game, shaking up the scene with a soft-as-velvet feel and next-level comfort. Founded in 2015, this California brand isn’t just chasing the giant athleisure dogs; it’s raising eyebrows and stakes—recently hitting an eye-popping $5.5 billion valuation. Sure, their gear isn’t cheap, but if you’re asking how and why people are hooked on it, keep reading—I took Vuori’s Strato Tech Tee through its paces, and the results are kinda spectacular.
PERFORMANCE TEES PROMISE a lot, and sometimes they keep that promise. These shirts are made with fabrics like polyester and nylon that keep you drier, cooler, and fresher than standard cotton. The seams are constructed to be less restrictive and abrasive. And beyond just feeling better, a shirt designed to keep you dry will reduce your risk of skin irritation, like flakiness and breakouts.
Vuori, founded in 2015, has quickly become a major player in the performance-wear space. The California-based brand raised $825 million in 2024 with a $5.5 billion valuation—keeping athleisure titans like Lululemon, Hylete, and Athleta on guard. The workout clothes aren’t cheap, but consumers love the brand for its ultra-soft feel and comfortable apparel.
| Materials | 96% recycled polyester, 4% elastane |
|---|---|
| Sizes | XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL |
| Colors | Black, Navy Heather, White, Charcoal Heather, Heather Grey, Platinum Heather + Various “Limited Edition” Colors |
After testing Vuori’s Strato Tech Tee, Men’s Health’s editorial team awarded it the top spot in their guide to the best workout shirts. But for a more thorough examination of how it feels and performs, Men’s Health asked Vuori to send me a sample for extended testing. I wore it almost daily—to the gym, on walks, to run errands—for a week to see if it could handle repeated wear (and washes).
The Material: Light, Soft, & Durable
As a fitness journalist, I’ve tested plenty of high-end athletic apparel, but the Strato Tech Tee is the first shirt that made me run to my wife and say, “You have to feel this.” It’s that soft.
Made from 96% polyester and 4% elastane, the shirt uses what Vuori calls a performance jersey fabric, which is about as thin as a food truck napkin. And yet, the Strato held up through heavy deadlifts and weekly driving range sessions in 80-plus-degree heat without disintegrating (like a food truck napkin). It even offered surprising sun protection and kept me dry the entire time.
Without the loud designs and textures workout shirts lean on, you can wear the Strato Tech Tee to the gym or a night out. That’s more than we can say for a lot of training gear. In this sense, Vuori made a two-in-one shirt you can wear virtually anywhere.
The care instructions are a little fussy. Vuori recommends washing the shirt in cold water with like colors, removing it promptly, tumble drying on low, and avoiding the iron. Unless I’m dealing with a piece I really care about, I ignore the tag and toss everything in together. The Strato Tech Tee held up just fine when I washed it with dissimilar colors.
That said, I always hang-dry my athletic gear, as I’m convinced it helps extend the lifespan. The Strato seems durable enough to survive some shortcut cycles, but I’d follow the instructions if you want to extend the Strato to last as long as possible.
The Fit: Athletic With Room Around the Midsection
At 5’11” and 180 pounds, I’m between a medium and large, depending on how tight a shirt feels around my arms and lats. I chose a medium for this review, and the Strato Tech Tee fits exactly how I like.
The sleeves are snug enough to show some shape without making me look shrink-wrapped. It hugs my chest and shoulders but leaves room around the midsection; a flattering cut for most guys and one that will keep you from constantly tugging it back into place mid-workout. I also found the 29-inch length long enough to stay put, but not so long that it bunches up or flares out. Raise your arms and you’ll flash a sliver of skin, not your whole torso.
One subtle but smart detail: The bottom hem is slightly cropped inward, which helps the shirt stay in place, whether I’m swinging a golf club or grinding through a lift.
If you’re on the fence between sizes, stick with your usual. Vuori’s sizing feels true to size. However, if you’re a guy with broader chests or thicker arms, you could size up without looking like you’re swimming in your shirt.
Training in the Vuori Strato Tech Tee
I hit the driving range, the gym, and the grocery store in the Strato Tech Tee—and, yes, I washed it after every use, which isn’t just courteous to my fellow gymgoers but a reliable test of fabric durability. So far, the Strato still looks and feels brand new.
Anyone who golfs or trains with rotational exercises knows that some workout shirts can feel restrictive at specific ranges of motion. I’ve run into this issue myself. The Under Armour Tech Tee, which I like overall, gets tight around my lats at the end of my swing or during cable chops. The Strato Tech Tee looks just as fitted but moves more freely, stretching and morphing around my body without constricting it.
Men’s Health Fitness and Commerce Editor Charles Thorp, NASM also spent a month testing the shirt during runs, bodyweight sessions, and kettlebell workouts. “I haven’t had a single moment of restricted movement,” he says. “I did get a bit warm while wearing a weighted vest over it during an 80-degree summer day, no surprise there. But once the vest was off, the shirt dried quickly.”
I was also impressed by how cool and dry it kept me. On one test day, I spent an hour at the range and hit 100 balls in 83-degree heat. I could feel sweat building on my stomach, back, and underarms, but the shirt never showed stains, and I never felt wet. A light breeze seeped through the fabric and cooled my skin a couple of times.
And allow me to repeat myself: This shirt feels like velvet. Vuori calls it “the softest piece of workout material on the planet,” and I get it; it’s like wearing a pajama top to the gym. But despite this softness, the Strato never felt delicate, and I wasn’t worried about it tearing or going see-through once the sweat kicked in.
One minor nitpick: The tag is long. It’s not as irritating as it looks, but I could occasionally feel it scratch my upper back or poke out during a swing or lift. (I’ll be cutting mine off after I submit this review.)
Alternative Workout Shirts We Like
The Men’s Health team has worn a tested so many shirts. We narrowed down our favorites for our guide to the 11 best, so if you’re looking for something different, here are a few standout options we also love.
- If you want a tank top: The Tracksmith Van Cortlandt Singlet is timeless in style, breathable, and built with odor-fighting tech that keeps it (and you) fresh.
- If you want a cheaper shirt: Gymshark’s Vital T-Shirt is our favorite lightweight workout shirt for about $30. The low-profile flat-lock seams give it a surprisingly premium feel, and it’s one of the most comfortable shirts we’ve tested in this price range.
- If you want a moisture-wicking shirt: The OG. Nike’s Dri-FIT Short Sleeve tee remains one of the best sweat-wicking workout shirts out there. It’s soft, light, and will consistently keep you cool and dry during intense workouts.
The Verdict: Pricey But Worth It
At $58 a pop, I’m not about to fill my drawers with Strato Tech Tees. But I would if I could. I get why Men’s Health named it the best overall workout shirt. It looks fantastic, feels like a warm hug, and never once restricted my movement.
Most people, including myself, will have difficulty justifying a nearly $60 workout shirt. And fair enough. There are other tees that cost nearly half the price (see below) and come close enough in comfort and performance. (I like Gymshark’s apparel, especially for the price.)
Still, Vuori’s Strato Tech Tee lives up to the saying: “you get what you pay for”. If you’re a dedicated gymgoer looking for a soft, high-performing, do-it-all shirt, the Strato delivers.
| Materials | 96% recycled polyester, 4% elastane |
|---|---|
| Sizes | XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL |
| Colors | Black, Navy Heather, White, Charcoal Heather, Heather Grey, Platinum Heather + Various “Limited Edition” Colors |
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Andrew Gutman, NASM-CPT is a journalist with a decade of experience covering fitness and nutrition. His work has been published in Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Muscle & Fitness, and Gear Patrol. Outside of writing, Andrew trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, helps coach his gym’s kickboxing team, and enjoys reading and cooking.
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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