What is a moisture wicking Garment?

A Staggering number of product names are bandied about to describe a type of garment which is manufactured to stay dry and keep you cool;
Wicking, Performance Wear, Dri-Fit, Coolmax, Cool and Dry Tech, Double Dry to name but a few.

But what do they really do?

A moisture wicking t-shirt is a garment that attracts moisture, then transports the moisture through the garment to the outside where it can evaporate. What is wicking? Wicking is a word used to define the method by which moisture is moved away from the body in a fabric. This means the cloth beside the skin summons moisture, then transports it through the t-shirt to the exterior where it can evaporate. Summoning the moisture can be done by a capillary action (garment must be in contact with the skin) or by an electrostatic process.
Companies like Vapor Apparel, Nano-tex, Wickers, and Nike use one or both of these technologies, all of which keep you cooler and dryer than cotton.

Almost all of the shirts labeled performance wear have a moisture management system in place. As a humble screen printer I cannot speak to which one might be better than the other. I can however reiterate my client’s joy at having a much better shirt for just a little more money. Say good-bye to hot, uncomfortable t-shirts and hello to a much cooler and dryer garment.