Best Running Clothes for Sweating

We all sweat, there’s no hiding or denying it if you’re working hard enough. So what are the best running clothes for sweating ?

To put it simply, sweating is your bodies way of getting rid of excess heat. The longer and harder you push yourself, the more heat you need to get rid of. Essentially, longer and harder means more sweaty (Yes – I am well aware of how that reads !).

Generally you want clothing to accelerate your bodies ability to get rid of this heat. Any sweat needs to be soaked up by your clothes and pulled away from your skin, taking the heat with it. Furthermore the clothes need to dry quickly and get rid of the sweat they have soaked up. These two factors make up what we call “breathability”. This is how your clothing gets a cooling effect. On the other hand is this the effect you want all the time ?

How much should clothes breathe ?

This is a difficult one. We assume that more breathable is better but it does not always work that way in the real world. Firstly the temperature can play a huge part in how much breathability is right for you. Secondly, we aren’t all equal and some of us sweat more than others. On the other hand remaining dry is definitely an advantage, especially at colder times of year. Some fabrics do retain heat better when wet and if you sweat heavily in winter, these are not a bad choice.

Which fabrics breathe best ?

Polyester. The undisputed champion of that near perfect balance of breathability. In a virgin state this material is far from sustainable. However, I strongly believe that recycled polyester is a great tool for tackling climate change. You can have all the advantages of virgin polyester and make use of otherwise waste materials. Be sure to check out the recycled range in my online store !

Bamboo is an intermediate fabric. It wicks well but does not dry so quickly. On the other hand it does retain heat well when wet so if you are considering running in cold weather and taking a few breaks, this is not the worst choice. When used as a base layer underneath another garment it does seem to stay warmer, reduce chafing and further insulate.

Sheep’s wool is often disregarded as a performance material but does have some fantastic qualities. Not only an insulator but also an effective regulator of body temperature. This material retains heat very well, even when wet. I am yet to do some testing with this material but it is something I would be looking to use in the future.

Running Clothes for Sweating in Summary

Often running clothes do come down to personal preference. What works for one person may not work for another. One day something may work well for you and another day it may not. Weather does play a huge role but I would recommend recycled polyester for its fast drying in most conditions. Cotton is the fastest drying natural fabric but it doesn’t retain heat when wet and doesn’t dry fast enough for this to not be an issue in my experience.

Give our recycled polyester range a try. It is soft, smooth, hard wearing, quick drying and each T-Shirt diverts 8 waste plastic bottles from landfill and into a circular economy !

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