The Best Trail Running Shirts

A running shirt is one of the most important pieces of sports gear. A reliable model will help you stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which is essential to improving your performance. While a running shirt might not be a high-tech garment, you must note its main features to find a high-quality product. Shirts are in continuous contact with your skin, which plays a crucial role in determining your overall comfort.

Most models can be used for other sports and even worn as everyday clothes. However, not all shirts are suitable for running. How to choose the right T-shirt? In this article, I’ll talk about breathability, fit, materials, seams, and other important characteristics of trail running shirts. In addition, I’ll review the best models of the year so that you can find the shirt that best suits your needs.

Take a look at other articles to find the best trail running jackets, running pants, running backpacks, running watches, running belts, and trail running shoes.

THE BEST RUNNING SHIRTS

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SALOMON AGILE SS TEE

The Salomon Agile SS is a lightweight, soft-to-the-touch, and cool short-sleeve shirt, perfect for running in moderate to warm weather. Thanks to the ActiveFit design, it adapts perfectly to the shape of your body, providing a slightly snug fit while allowing for total freedom of movement.

This model features ActiveDry technology, which effectively wicks away moisture to keep your body dry and protected from the cold. In addition, it has breathable mesh panels under the arms for improved ventilation and comfort. The 360º reflective elements allow you to run safely at night.

Thanks to its high comfort and performance, this shirt is ideal for all types of runners, for both short city runs and long mountain trails. Best of all, it’s available at a very attractive price.

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SALOMON XA TEE

The Salomon XA TEE is a mid-range shirt with excellent performance for warm-weather running, sports training, racing, and everyday wear. Compared to the previous model, it features a slightly less tight design that is very comfortable to wear. It’s not too tight or too loose.

This model is also made with ActiveDry (highly quick-drying) fabrics that wick away sweat, preventing you from getting cold when you stop running. In addition, it includes horizontal bands made with micro-perforated fabrics that increase ventilation and accelerate drying.

Another advantage: It features an antibacterial treatment called Polygiene, which prevents the formation of bacteria in the garment, thereby considerably reducing the smell of sweat. Despite its light weight, this model shows great resistance and durability, even when one is carrying a heavy backpack.

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NEW BALANCE IMPACT RUN

Made with recycled materials, the New Balance Impact Run is an eco-friendly shirt, ideal for daily training, running, and trail running. This model uses fabrics with NB DRYx and NB ICEx technologies, which quickly wick away moisture, keeping you cool and dry during your activity.

It has an athletic design that allows you to move your body and arms with freedom. It’s not too tight or too loose. The Pin-dot fabric is ultralight and soft to the touch, which avoids chafing and improves air circulation. This makes it one of the coolest models on the list, perfect for intense activities and warm-weather running.

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ASICS SILVER

The Asics Silver is made with an ultralight mesh fabric that provides maximum comfort, softness, and lightness. In addition, it has flat seams that avoid skin chafing. Ideal for training, running, and trail running, this mid-range model features breathable fabrics that wick away sweat to increase comfort and keep you dry while you run.

If you like running at night, keep in mind that this model includes only one reflective element (the logo, which is placed on the front side). Many night runners prefer models with 360º reflectivity that offer greater safety.

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COLUMBIA TECH TRAIL

The Columbia Tech Trail is one of the most popular running shirts of the year due to its great features and great price. This model is made with fabrics that are so light, you’ll feel like you’re running without a shirt. These fabrics are UPF 50+ to protect you from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Also, the shirt features a mix of polyester and elastane, which is very soft to the touch and allows for wide movements. The seams don’t cause chafing. The Tech Trail uses Omni-Wick technology that quickly wicks away moisture from your body, keeping you cool and dry during your adventures. As you’ll see, it has a very casual and discreet design (it’s not too tight), making it ideal for use as an everyday garment.

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UNDER ARMOR HEATGEAR SS

The Under Armor Heatgear is a high-performing compression shirt, ideal for intense activities such as daily training, professional running, and trail running. Built with highly flexible “4-way Stretch” fabrics, this model provides a tight fit that feels comfortable all day. The Heatgear fabric quickly wicks away moisture, even when the shirt is worn with multiple extra layers. Therefore, you can wear it alone on hot days or under a jacket on colder days.

Thanks to the UPF 30+ fabrics, you’ll be protected from harmful sun rays. The shirt includes an anti-odor technology that reduces the proliferation of bacteria, thereby significantly reducing odor. It includes mesh underarm panels to increase ventilation.

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UNDER ARMOR HEATGEAR LONG

The Under Armor Heatgear Long is the long-sleeve version of the previous model. Both shirts effectively wick away sweat, are quick-drying, and provide great comfort. Plus, they both have a tight compression fit. However, this model is more suitable for running in cold weather or with lots of sun exposure, as long sleeves will better protect you from the outside elements.

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NIKE DRY MILER

The Nike Dry Miler is a tank top built with mesh panels for maximum breathability. While the previous model is best suited for cool weather, this model is ideal for running in hot weather, as it will always keep you cool and ventilated. The Dry Fit technology uses quick-drying fabrics.

It has an athletic fit, but is not too tight, allowing for a great range of movement and comfort during your activity. The shoulder seams are shifted forward for a perfect fit.

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BALEAF

The Baleaf T-shirt is quick-drying, provides excellent protection from the sun’s rays (UPF 50+), and helps you feel cool and dry throughout your activity. Made from high-quality polyester, this shirt is highly breathable, lightweight, and soft to the touch.

Another advantage of this model is versatility. Thanks to its excellent sun protection and durability, it’s ideal for lots of activities, such as running, trail running, trekking, climbing, fishing, backpacking, and other outdoor sports.

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UNDER ARMOR TECH 2.0

The Under Armor Tech 2.0 is a versatile shirt for running, trail running, hiking, and other outdoor sports. It has several advantages: good price, quick-drying, elastic, and soft materials. Also, unlike most models on the list, this t-shirt has a loose fit, which can be an advantage if you like shirts with a more casual design. Disadvantages are that the seams are not very comfortable for long-lasting activities and it doesn’t feature the best technology for reducing odor.

It’s not the best running shirt of the year, but it’s one of the best values for the money on this list.

IMPORTANT FEATURES OF RUNNING SHIRTS

RUNNING vs TRAIL RUNNING

For city runners who are starting in the world of trail running, it’s reasonable to believe that running clothing is not much different from trail running clothing. This thinking is actually correct, as both activities require breathable clothing that allows you to run comfortably. However, when you are trail running, you must consider extra factors, especially when you’re traveling down long trails.

If you’re running around town and the weather gets worse, you can easily take shelter somewhere or even take a taxi home. On the other hand, when you’re running in the mountains, finding shelter can be difficult or even impossible. The weather may change suddenly—rain may fall, hail may fall, and strong winds may blow.

Therefore, when you’re trail running, you must know what the weather conditions will be like and wear the appropriate clothing. Mountain clothing must help you maintain the right thermal balance, avoiding heat loss as well as excess sweat, which could accelerate the cooling of your body when you stop running.

If you’re in doubt, especially if you think that the weather could get worse, I recommend bringing along a trail running backpack where you can carry extra layers.

TYPE OF FABRIC

All running shirts are made of synthetic materials, especially polyester. Many of these fabrics are mixed with other materials (such as elastane) to achieve greater stretch. Elastane, also known as Spandex, is especially important in tight-fitting garments that adapt to the shape of your body.

Polyester is a silky, soft-touch material that is very comfortable to wear. You’ll find different qualities of polyester on the market. Some are softer, some are stronger, and still others are lighter. Overall, it’s a highly breathable, quick-drying material, which makes it perfect for sports practice.

Also, you can find t-shirts made of nylon mixed with merino wool, which results in a soft, stretchy, and breathable garment, with greater thermal protection.

I recommend that you avoid cotton garments because they don’t wick away moisture properly. These types of fabrics can stay wet for a long time, which can cause you to get cold when you stop running.

BREATHABILITY

Shirts are the first layers of sports clothing, which means they are in direct contact with your skin. Therefore, they must be highly breathable. Even if the other layers perform well, it will be of no consequence if the first layer doesn’t wick away moisture properly.

Today’s shirts feature advanced technologies, including perforated micro-meshes, ventilated panels, and special fabrics, which can wick away sweat quickly. They should keep your body as dry as possible.

QUICK-DRYING

The drying speed affects the garment’s ability to keep you cool while you’re running. High-quality fabrics quickly evacuate moisture to the outside, where it comes into contact with the air and, ultimately, evaporates. Sweat evaporation helps your body stay cool. Fabrics that take too long to dry cause your body to retain more heat, thereby preventing you from cooling down. This is something you want to avoid.

Fabrics dry more or less quickly depending on the intensity of the activity, the outside temperature, the outside humidity, and other factors. However, generally, most trail running shirts are designed to dry very quickly.

LOOSE OR TIGHT?

Running shirts have different designs, lengths, and widths. Tight-fit designs provide greater cold protection, as well as excellent athletic performance. Therefore, they are very popular for trail running. These models have a streamlined design that offers little resistance to the wind.

However, some runners prefer slightly looser designs, which perform very well for city running, workouts, and daily activities. You must find the design that makes you feel most comfortable. This way, you’ll improve your performance while enjoying your favorite activity.

SHORT SLEEVE, LONG SLEEVE, OR SLEEVELESS?

Although tank tops are more popular among women runners, you will find plenty of tank tops for men as well. Tank tops are designed to keep your body as cool as possible, which is why they are best suited for warm climates. In addition, they allow for greater freedom of movement than short-sleeve shirts do.

Short-sleeve shirts are the best-selling shirts on the market, as they perform well for many sports activities. They’re perfect for running in moderate weather, both in the city and up in the mountains.

Long-sleeve shirts offer greater protection against the sun, wind, and cold, which is why they are recommended for running in harsh climates. These models should provide excellent breathability while maintaining your body’s thermal balance.

SEAMS

High-quality sports garments should have minimalist seams, flat seams, or inside seams that don’t cause chafing or skin irritation. In some models, the seams are strategically placed in areas where there is less friction while you exercise.

VERSATILITY

Most likely, you will want to wear your running shirt for lots of other activities, such as MTB, climbing, trekking, etc. These garments are designed to evacuate sweat and help you maintain a good body temperature, which is essential in any sport.

A versatile model must be comfortable to wear, resistant, and durable, as well as allow for freedom of movement. Also, pay attention to the seams. Minimalist seams are ideal for running because they don’t cause chafing. However, they are not as durable as traditional seams. This means they’re not the best option for hiking because the friction with the backpack straps could damage the seams.

WEIGHT

When you run, you want to go as light as possible. However, the product’s weight is typically related to the thermal protection it provides. You should find a product with a good ratio between weight and thermal protection, which will depend on the weather conditions, the altitude, and the intensity of the physical activity.

Today, most manufacturers use ultralight, high-tech products, so you’ll have no problem finding a lightweight model.

REFLECTIVE BANDS

Many runners like to go for runs at night, when the temperature drops and the streets are quiet. If you’re planning to do this, you must wear garments with reflective bands that will make you visible to other runners, motorbikes, and cars.

Reflective designs vary from model to model. Some shirts have discreet side stripes, others have large reflective patterns, and still others have just a small reflective logo.