Moisture Wicking Clothing questions

aerochic42

I live in a region of high(er) humidity in the summer and am of the freckle and or burn skin type. I know the fabric quality affects how long and how well an article of clothing lasts, but I don't know if it impacts those other features.
Do the assorted brands of moisture wicking clothing work when the humidity is high enough that you sweat will sitting in the shade? Do they offer any real sun protection? Are there brands of fitness clothes that do better in both of these aspects?

How loose can the moisture wicking shirts be and still be effective? I ask this as most of the moisture wicking fitness clothes are more fitted than regular tee shirts.

WhatMeRunning

I have loose fitting moisture wicking UA Heat Gear shorts and shirt (both in my profile pic) and they work great. Feel nice and cool. Granted, when it is hot and humid to where even being naked feels miserable, clothing will not help all that much except for pulling hte mosture off your body to evaporate on the shirt making the shirt feel a little cooler, but overall I don't think the benefit is that much more than having no shirt on (which you would not do, obviously).

I have seen some shirts advertised on the tag with SPF ratings but do not own any of those. I suspect you may be interested in something like those for added protection.

aerochic42

Anyone else?

kristydi

I live in Atlanta, so I'm very familiar with humidity. I think the main advantage of moisture wicking clothes is that they don't stay wet like cotton does.

ETA I don't have any of the SPF rated ones either. Though I have seen some SPF rated rash guard type swim suits that I've thought about getting for my kids.

kristinegift

I marathon trained last summer in Iowa, and it was pretty darn humid. I have a ton of moisture wicking t-shirts, but eventually there's only so much they could do. I would come home from a long run totally drenched. But the benefit of moisture wicking fabrics is that the sweatiness doesn't lead to chafing, and I think that's what's most important. I like the "loose fitted" styles, but you kind of have to try them on to figure out which style/size fits that way

As for sunburns, I put on a sport sunscreen and wear a hat with a visor. I use Neutrogena sport face for my face/neck/chest and a spray-on sunscreen for my arms and legs. I ended up with a great running tan anyhow, but at least I never came back from 2.5-3 hour long runs looking like someone put me in an oven.

scottb81

In the Georgia summer a moisture wicking shirt will still be fully wet and dripping not too long into the run. The difference is, unlike cotton, it doesn't get real heavy and chafe. It also dries faster.

All that I have ever worn seem to protect my skin from the sun.