The good thing about the Vertx Full Guard Performance Shirt with VaporCore from 37.5 Technology is that it checks the boxes for something that will last.
Runners and bikers always are looking for something better, right? Finding a comfortable, tough shirt that wicks moisture but doesn’t smell like a farm donkey in the summer sun can be challenging. Some shirts are tough, but uncomfortable. Some are comfortable but don’t hold up. And some, after a few runs or rides, hold on to a terrible aroma that seems to never go away.
I spent several months this summer and autumn running and riding in the Full Guard Performance Shirt from Vertx. It wasn’t, or isn’t, I guess, originally designed for running and biking. But it works great for those activities because it, and the other Vertx gear, is designed for more stringent tasks. I also wore this shirt while mowing the yard in the midday sun (because I’m dumb), doing woods work for some hunting and fishing projects, and even casually a few times. In all cases, it was top-notch.
The shirt has stretch flatlock sleeve and body seams, along with a 4-way stretch knit fabric. It moves with you without binding or chafing, which is a good thing for runners and bikers. Yet it’s also designed to fit to your body shape without being too tight or billowy. The key is to get the proper size to avoid the latter.
The testing model I got was an XXL; I should’ve asked for an XL, because after losing about 20 pounds this summer the bigger size was, indeed, billowy. The sleeves were long, too, with the larger size and I ended up cutting them off at the forearm. Given that I sweat a lot, that was doubly-helpful to keep them from being drippy-saggy along with offering more cooling.
Key to Cooling
The main key to cooling with the shirt is the VaporCore system from 37.5 Technology, which “uses natural minerals to create the ultimate temperature control fabrics, insulations, foams, and laminates.”
I sweat heavily in summer and not just because I’m out sometimes in the hottest part of the day. Always have, from when I was playing ball in high school, to today when I’m working, running or biking. I heat up like Baby Jack Jack and, eventually, settle down. During events in August and September, trying to stay cool is critical. Sweating is the key part of your body’s way of regulating its internal heat. Throw in heavy activity, humidity, temperature and clothing, and things can get wonky if you’re sweating a lot.
Synethetic performance fabrics help regulate body temps far better than cotton. The addition of technological advances with fabrics helps even more. The 37.5 VaporCore system helps regulate core body temperatures in heat or cold. I haven’t tested the shirt in temps below 40 yet but plan to do so, and expect it to be fine. In the 50s and 60s it was quite comfortable. The system helps fabrics dry quickly — 37.5 Technology says up to five times faster than others, and also says its odor control particles within the fabric won’t wash out.
The 37.5 Technology has active particles derived from volcanic sand that help diffuse sweat. It increases surface area of fabric to allow for faster drying, and holds but then releases odor molecules more efficiently.
After my runs and rides, the shirt wasn’t sticking to me like plastic wrap. On longer ones, the bottom of the shirt would be wet, of course, with sweat dripping off. But the top and sleeves weren’t like that. I’d hang the shirt outside to dry, which it would within 90 minutes or so. I wore it for a week at one point before saying, “Woof, that’s enough” and tossing it in the wash with some Active Green (which I recommend, too).
The Wrap
If you’re interested in a versatile shirt that works on the road, trails and bike or for other activities, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Full Guard Performance Shirt from Vertx with 37.5 Technology.
A couple more features I like about it is the dropback hem, which is just a smidge longer in the rear. I think that helps remove sweat easier, along with staying tucked in better if you need to do that. It is available in long or short sleeve. The seams don’t rub, there’s a little pocket on the hem for a key fob or something small, and it comes in six colors.
For a comfortable base layer in colder conditions or workouts in summer, this is one to consider. Ditto for casual use, hiking, hitting the range or going on the water in summer for some fly fishing. It’s a good, all-around shirt and the 37.5 tech is solid. Vertx also offers a pant and shorts with 37.5 Technology, too.
