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During the hottest summer on record we put dozens of pieces of workout clothes to the test to see if they could help keep us cool and motivated while doing everything from pickup soccer to a 23-mile hike. Some of what we tested was easy to forget, but the six pieces that emerged as the best made a significant difference in our comfort and performance.

At a Glance

• How to Choose Workout Gear
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Testers

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Buff 5 Panel Air Cap

Sizing: One size fits all

Pros and Cons
⊕ Coolest, most breathable hat we tested
⊕ Easily packable
⊕ Convenient fit adjustment
⊗ Runs small: giant heads need not apply

Made almost entirely from recycled polyester mesh, the Air Cap is the most breathable hat we’ve ever tested. It was a tester favorite on 90-plus-degree days when we needed something to protect our faces from blazing sun during runs, hikes, and outdoor time with our kids. A sweat-wicking liner made mostly from recycled polyester absorbed and dumped sweat surprisingly fast, and lead tester Jakob Schiller liked the understated, sleek five-panel design. A bungee cord closure in the back cinched the fit down easily on windy days for most testers, but we found that the circumference of the hat was limited, meaning those with gargantuan heads should look elsewhere.

Buff says the cap is made with 100-percent renewable energy, earning a tip of the hat from us.

The North Face Lightrange Summer Short-Sleeve

Sizing: XS-XXL

Pros and Cons
⊕ Highly versatile, multi-use shirt
⊕ Comfortable tailoring
⊕ UPF 40+ sun protection
⊗ TNF branding is too bold for some tastes

Tester Micah Newman is a busybody. If he’s not teaching high school kids he’s out riding his mountain bike, running, or coaching a local soccer team—and the Summer Lightrange shirt was his go-to top for all of these activities. “I liked the wide cut through the body with slits down along the hips for a flowy and comfortable feel and look,” he says.

Made from 89 percent recycled polyester, the shirt is coated with TNF’s new Lightrange finish that adds UPF protection and helps with wicking. After 30 miles of testing in later-summer New Mexico heat, Newman said the shirt dumped heat as well as anything he’d ever worn and only smelled bad after repeated uses. He also gave the shirt kudos for the slightly longer sleeves—similar to what you’d find on a mountain bike jersey—that kept sun off more of his arms on long days outside.

Mountain Hardwear Trail Sender Shorts

Sizing: 28-42; 7-, 9-, 11-inch inseam

Pros and Cons
⊕ Versatile comfort for a wide range of activities
⊕ Breathable and durable nylon fabric
⊕ Convenient, secure pockets
⊗ Some found the test pair’s nine-inch inseam too long

One of Steve Jobs’ minor, but still important, cultural contributions was to point out that if you wear the same thing every day you save brain power that can be applied elsewhere. Consider these shorts the black turtleneck of summer workout wear. Thanks mostly to the thin, breathable, stretchy-but-durable ultralight ripstop build, they were comfortable for hiking and backpacking, fit well over a bike chamois for mountain biking, were flexible enough for yoga and soccer, and still looked great for apres.

Mountain Hardwear also accessorized them nicely, with vented pockets deep enough to hold a phone, a zippered pocket to hold credit cards, and a drawstring to hold them up. Lead tester Jakob Schiller said the nine-inch length he tested never felt inhibitive, even on longer runs.

Le Bent Mickey Pro Model Sock

Sizing: S-XL

Pros and Cons
⊕ High-performing fabric blend
⊕ High cut adds protection and compression
⊕ Look good anywhere, any time
⊗ Only available in three-quarter crew height

Michele “Mickey” Graglia excels during ultra-distance runs in extreme conditions, and that experience shows in his eponymous do-it-all socks for summer workouts. Made from a mix of rayon (from bamboo), merino wool, nylon, and elastane, these socks kept even the sweatiest tester’s feet happy, dry, and blister free on trail runs and mountain hikes. Some people might shy away from the three-quarter crew height during summer workouts, but we loved how they kept out gravel, lightly compressed our calves, and looked great with their mountain graphics, whether during a workout or heading out to dinner.

Outdoor Research Shadow Wind Hoodie

Sizing: S-XXL

Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight warmth
⊕ Water resistant
⊕ Easily packs small into small pocket
⊗ Could use even more stretch

This was the layer we pulled out when we were adventuring up in the mountains and weather rolled in. At just five ounces, it was never a burden to haul around but easily cut the wind so it felt 10 degrees warmer than the windchill temps. Thanks to a non-fluorinated DWR coating, it also fought off light rain and kept us dry while we climbed down from an alpine lake.

Tester Andy Dean’s favorite part was the built-in stretch that allowed him to move his body however he wanted while running, climbing, or any other activity, without the jacket restricting his full range of motion. A tapered hood fit snug over our heads to keep our ears warm, and when not in use, the jacket packed away into its own chest pocket and disappeared into our packs.

Mystery Ranch Gallagator 10 Pack

Sizing: S/M and L/XL

Pros and Cons
⊕ Goldilocks size for day hikes
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ Accessible, well-organized pockets
⊗ Too bouncy for running

Packing for an adventure is full of contradictions. You must bring everything you absolutely need but want to avoid overpacking because extra weight quickly becomes a burden and slows you down. We found that the Gallagator 10 had enough room for everything we needed for a day-long adventure—food, water, extra layers, first aid kit—but was small enough that it was impossible to load with unnecessary junk. Thoughtful pockets, including two on the shoulder straps for small items like a phone, made gear organization super easy.

Tester Zach Kline, who spent countless hours with the pack on, said it carried comfortably on long hikes and mountain bike rides, and everything was easily accessible thanks to the double zipper that splays open the top. He didn’t, however, love it for running because he said he was never able to cinch it down tight enough to prevent bounce.

How to Choose Workout Gear

If you’re just starting to work out regularly, first buy the simplest, most affordable workout gear you can find and build from there. One day you’ll be out running, hiking, or playing soccer and realize the shirt you’re wearing dumps sweat about as well as a wet rag. That’s when it’s time to upgrade to something like the TNF shirt described above. Another time you’ll realize you need to carry more than a phone and wallet while out adventuring and an accessory like the Mystery Ranch Gallagator 10 pack will come in handy. Experience is always the best kit builder.

Once you start collecting more expensive pieces, you’ll have some choices to make. Here are a few guidelines to help with your decisions:

Wool vs. Synthetic

You’re going to have to decide between wool or synthetic materials, especially when buying workout tops. Synthetic tops are usually more affordable, more durable, and better at wicking. Wool tops come in handy, however, when you’re on a multi-day adventure and don’t want to stink (or if you like to wear your clothes for weeks without washing).

Color

Call us vain, but you want to be thoughtful in your color choices when buying workout gear. It’s easy to dress yourself head to toe in clashing and bright colors so that you look like a bag of Skittles on the trail. Put a little thought into how all your color choices work together so you don’t draw unnecessary attention (unless you want attention, then go wild with Day-Glo).

Size

Workout gear is easy to find in stores, so try everything on. Sizes are fairly consistent among major brands, but some do run slightly smaller or larger. People who are on the line between sizes will also want to see which one fits best. There’s no rule of thumb in the workout world about whether you should go tighter or looser. It just depends on your preference and what feels most comfortable. But make sure you have full, unencumbered range of motion for all the activities you’ll be using the piece for.

Lined or Unlined

Workout shorts come with or without a liner. Sometimes the liner is great, sometimes it’s awful and immediately leads to chafing. If you have merino or synthetic underwear you already like to exercise in—like —we suggest buying unlined workout shorts so you always know you’ll be fine, no matter how far you’re running or how many hours of frisbee you’re playing. If you prefer to go as close to commando as possible, find a pair with a comfortable mesh liner.

How We Test

• Number of testers: 9
• Number of products tested: 59
• Number of miles: 425
• Hottest temp: 106
• Highest elevation reached: 10,500
• Favorite post-workout snack: Beer

Most of the testing for this category took place in New Mexico. Fortunately/unfortunately New Mexico had a brutal summer, with several weeks of temps over 100 degrees. In weather that hot, high-quality and thoughtfully designed gear made a big difference.

This year’s tester group ran the gamut, with a couple weekend warriors testing gear alongside a former soccer star and a guy who trains incoming special forces troops. The age range was anywhere from mid thirties to mid sixties, and interests ranged from ball sports to rock climbing.

Because there’s so much workout gear on the market, anything that made our final list had to stand out in more than one way. Breathability, for example, wasn’t enough. A shirt had to be breathable and fit well, or offer some other unique characteristic that made our testers want to wear it every time they headed out the door.

Meet Our Lead Testers

Lead tester Jakob Schiller was a gear editor at �����ԹϺ��� and is now a columnist. One of his favorite memories from �����ԹϺ��� was going down to the gear cage in the basement of the Santa Fe office and marveling at the mountains of outdoor gear that the staff tested for the twice-annual Buyer’s Guide. His personal garage is still packed with brand new stuff waiting to be tested, but it will never rival the infamous gear cage.

One of the routes Jakob used when testing workout gear:

Other testers in this cohort include Zach Kline, who trains elite search and rescue troops for the Air Force, and Micah Newman, who played Division 1 soccer and is now one of New Mexico’s most accomplished soccer coaches.