A tech shirt is an alternative to a cycling jersey. The rise of gravel riding and the more casual apparel riders tend to wear have led to the design’s increase in prevalance. No brand’s clothing range is complete without at least one item.
Technical T-shirts can be worn for a range of activities outside of cycling, such as running, hiking, going to the gym or even the pub, because they offer a more casual style and relaxed fit.
Not having rear pockets is not an issue with the bar bags. Their design can be pretty simple and verstile, and most good designs are quick-drying, comfortable and look like a normal t-shirt.
As the tech tee is a new type of garment, you may not know what the best tech tee is, so we have put together a list of all the best tech tee currently on the market.
What to consider when buying a tech tee?
It is important to consider the size, especially if you are a woman, as you will need to size down if you are a male.
A tech tee is a much looser cut than a cycling jersey, so it’s important to consider fit.
Tech shirts need to be quick drying and have good sweat-wicking and odour-control properties to stay fresh.
It’s important to consider the look of the tech tee. That is, whether it has a sporty design or not.
Why should you trust us?
We love cycling kit. We commute by bike, hit the road, and enjoy leisure rides. Out riding is the way we test products.
We like tennis and running so we’ve tried tech tee out in a range of activities to see if they’re versatile.
The best tech shirts on the market are listed in alphabetical order and have been tried and tested by the Cyclist team.
7 of the best tech tees for cycling
- Castelli tech 2 tee (£70)
- Lead out! technical t-shirt (£62)
- Le Col workout t-shirt (£65)
- Maap Alt_Road tee (£65)
- Rapha explore technical t-shirt (£65)
- Under Armour tech t-shirt (£22/£26)
- Universal Colours mono bio unisex tech tee (£60)
The editorial team selects products that appear in the buyer’s guide. If you make a purchase through a retailer link, Cyclist may earn an affiliate commission for you. This is where you can read our reviews policy.
Castelli tech 2 tee
The Castelli tech 2 tee is made from a multi-filament piqué fabric which is stretchy and comfortable.
The T-shirt has a long back for good rear coverage when cycling, and it has bonded hems on the sleeves which our tester thought was a classy touch.
Our tester found the T-shirt to be a great cut, and not too baggy, and whilst the material is a little thicker than others, this wasn’t in a bad way The tester felt that the Castelli tech 2 tee doesn’t have the same smell as synthetic fabrics.
The Castelli tech tee has one flaw. The fabric is soft and stretchy, making it easy to pull threads loose. Other T-shirts may be more robust, but then again they may not be as comfortable.
The men’s and women’s options come in three different colourways, and the men’s in sizes of X-large and X-large, while the women’s comes in x-large.
- Buy the men’s Castelli tech 2 tee (£70)
- Buy the women’s Castelli tech 2 tee (£69)
Lead Out! technical T-shirt
Lead Out! is all the way from California. If you haven’t heard of this brand, this T-shirt deserves a place in this guide.
The Lead Out! tech tee is made from a fabric that reduces wet-cling and has thermoregulation properties.
The Lead Out! tech tee is made with post-consumer recycled plastic and it is ideal for riding.
The tester found the shirt to be comfortable, effective at sweat-wicking, and a good length. This guide has a looser cut than most others, but it has a tighter neckline than most.
It is available in five different colors and sizes.
- Buy now from Lead Out! (£62)
Le Col workout T-shirt
The multi-purpose lightweight T-shirt is ready for most activity, from running to the gym and yoga to cycling.
The Le Col workout tech tee is made from Drirelease fabric, which is very soft and has a fresh cotton feel, and has flat locked seams and side panels which the brand says prevents chafing.
The tester found the T-shirt to be very versatile, with a nice cut, and quick drying. If you are looking for one to wear on your bike, but also to the gym and shops, this is a great option.
This guide does not have extra rear coverage compared to others.
The men’s version comes in four different colors and sizes, while the women’s version comes in two colors and sizes.
- Buy the women’s Le Col T-shirt (£65)
- Buy the men’s Le Col T-shirt (£65)
Maap Alt_Road tee
The Maap Alt_Road tee is made from a lightweight technical T-shirt which has great hydration and sweat-wicking properties.
The side hem slips and thermally bonded sleeve hems of the Alt_Road tee are similar to those found in the Lead Out! tee. It has 50% recycled PET fibre in it.
The cut of this tee was easy to wear and our tester really liked it. The cloud colour showed a minimal amount of sweat, but it was quick-drying.
Our tester found the women’s version to be shorter on the body than the other T-shirts, which made it a more flattering fit.
The design of the Maap Alt_Road tee was less versatile than others in the guide as it feels very gravel-focussed.
The women’s version comes in cloud and olive green and in sizes XXS-L, while the men’s comes in teal and eggplant.
- Buy the women’s Maap Alt_Road tee (£65)
- Buy the men’s Maap Alt_Road tee (£65)
Rapha Explore Technical T-shirt
The Rapha Explore tech shirt is made for gravel and adventure riding. The brand says it performs best in hot and humid conditions.
The shirt is turned and has sleeves and hem.
Our tester found the Rapha tee to fit well and was a little closer to body cut than others in this list, but still a very comfortable T-shirt.
The material feels good against the skin, and the women’s T-shirt is longer in length than the Maap Alt_ Road tee.
The downside of this tech tee is that it shows sweat, according to our tester.
The women only have three colour options to choose from, whereas the men have eight. In the future, Rapha is working on adding more colors for women.
The women’s version is larger in size than the men’s version.
- Buy the women’s Rapha Explore Technical T-shirt (£65)
- Buy the men’s Rapha Explore Technical T-shirt (£65)
Under Armour tech T-shirt
The tech t-shirt is made from a lightweight, sweat-wicking fabric and is a multi-purpose sports t-shirt.
The tech tee is made with recycled, recycled and re-useable material.
The tester found the T-shirt soft on the skin. It has a similar feel to the Lead Out! technical T-shirt, but has a looser fit.
The Le Col workout tee is similar to the tech T-shirt in that it is not specific to cycling, but it does not have extra rear coverage.
The men’s and women’s options come in a variety of colors, the men’s is in a size X-X and the women’s is in a size X-X.
The cheapest item in our buyer’s guide is the Under Armour tech shirt.
- Buy the women’s version (£22)
- Buy the men’s version (£26)
Universal Colours mono bio unisex tech tee
The brand says the T-shirt is 100% renewable and doesn’t compete with arable land, which is why it is made from castor beans.
The blend of bio-based polyamide made from castor beans and 16.2-micron merino wool will keep you dry and help you stay fresh according to the brand.
The manufacturing process uses 20% less water and 20% less CO2 emissions than the fabric created with standard polyamide.
The tester found this tee to be very comfortable and relaxed.
Compared to the rest of the t-shirt in this guide, it has a very cotton feel to it. Our tester felt this was the type of T-shirt you could wear anywhere because of the design and this.
There is a tech tee in both basalt purple or canopy green.