Hi all,

I typically wear a basic white tshirt in the fall and winter most days when I carry my pistol concealed. But in the spring and summer that just gets too hot. I was wondering if anyone happens to wear some sort of tight-fitting compression undershirt and how it works for you. I’d like to try something that is either short sleeves or a wide tank type, with a collar that is not too tight. A shirt that would look decent under a button up shirt. Not looking for a shirt that has a gun pocket or anything. This is just to protect my skin from the pistol and provide for a smoother draw. I’ve also heard that some newer materials can actually keep you cooler in the summer months. Thanks for any suggestions you may have.

Chris

I have been wearing the UnderAmror type/synthetic ones for years. Costco sometimes has their brand and they are great. The sports type will dry much quicker than cotton and help to put a layer between your holster and skin.

I wear Under Armor compression undershirts every day. Makes a noticeable difference in body temperature and sweatiness during hot weather, and provides a nice barrier between the gun/holster and your skin while carrying.

I wear them under every type of shirt. And not just during warm weather, but year round. In addition to tank tops and short sleeve versions, they also make long sleeve versions for cooler weather as well as thicker insulated versions for cold weather.

I get mine from the UnderArmor outlet site. Not as great a selection but much cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I get mine from the UnderArmor outlet site. Not as great a selection by much cheaper.

Yep. I get most of mine from either the UA outlet or eBay. They're kinda pricey at full retail. But I've amassed several dozen in various colors at this point.

I've had middling success with off-brand copies, so tend to stick to the real deal. Of the non-UA ones I've tried, the 5.11 and Adidas ones were the best, but still not as good as UA.

Awesome. Just the type of info I was hoping for. Thanks. I’ve got some shopping to do.

What size do you guys recommend in the UnderArmor sleeveless tops such that it’s not extremely tight yet form fitting and won’t come untucked? I see compression style and tight but not “compression”. I’m 6’2” and 205 lbs. much of my height is in my legs. I typically wear an XL T-shirt. Thanks.

For me, the fit is based more on the shape of my torso, (think fat) rather than height or weight. Might take a little trial and error to get the fit you want.

Why compression?

I wear these year round and have had good luck with the Academy house brand BCG. Relatively cheap, enough so that I can wear and replace twice or even three times before I hit the UA price point.

I have some of these I wear under a sweater. Super thin and slick feeling.


I believe these are from Costco.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris17404:
What size do you guys recommend in the UnderArmor sleeveless tops such that it’s not extremely tight yet form fitting and won’t come untucked? I see compression style and tight but not “compression”. I’m 6’2” and 205 lbs. much of my height is in my legs. I typically wear an XL T-shirt. Thanks.

Compression shirts are meant to be ultra-tight and hug every curve of your body. You know how women wear their yoga pants? Some of them look as if their legs are pressed into sausage casings. Compression shirts fit the same way.

If you don't want too tight, then get what manufacturers describe as fitted or semi-fitted. You could also get a compression shirt two sizes bigger than you need, so it isn't too tight.

https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/t/size-guide.html

If you carry a gun w/ aggressive grip texture like a late model M&P against a moisture wicking shirt like the one pictured above, the grip will snag and abrade the mesh fabric like crazy. A rough grip pattern will abrade anything. That's why you wear a layer between your skin and your gun, right? But some fabrics are smoother & slicker feeling than others.

I like air mesh shirts, but some of these aggressive grip textures are like rubbing sandpaper against a mosquito net.

Thanks for the info, guys. I guess I don't truly want a "compression" shirt, more form-fitting and slick for under everyday shirts. I'll try a few and see what works. Those sleeveless UA tops look like what I had in mind. I just don't want the collar to be too tight. I'd like a natural-looking collar.

Just throwing out another option for the summer: Vertx's Weaponguard shirts.

It's a whole shirt (polo, short sleeve button up or regular button up) with a sweat-wicking, tuckable liner sewed into the lower half. Gives you a shield between your body and the gun but stays generally cooler. I wear these in the summer when an undershirt plus shirt is too hot.

Obviously this is buying a whole extra garment and not an undergarment, but just wanted to throw that out there. The Vertx polos are quite cool in the summer and look nice.

Check out the "32*F" undershirts at Costco. Thin, stretchy and somewhat slick feeling.

My favorite is a pair of $12.75 Dri-Fit Tank-Tops I bought off Amazon a few years back after moving back to hot, humid Houston. Too bad they aren't sold any more as it's my favorite CCW undershirt.

What I liked:

Form fitting but not compression

Hands down the least likely to make me overheat undershirt I own.

Long so stay tucked in. The whole reason I'm wearing so my IWB holster doesn't chaffe so long is better.

Tank design so undershirt neck can't be seen wearing polo or button down. Also, no sleeves so undershirt sleeves can't appear beyond the overshirt.

Another good option is the EastBay branded shirts from their website. Lots of color and fit options. Some are more “compression” than others. Like you I just want a form fitting undershirt to keep my CCW from rubbing and to provide some moisture wicking.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris17404:
Thanks for the info, guys. I guess I don't truly want a "compression" shirt, more form-fitting and slick for under everyday shirts.

1) Some brands of compression shirts have tighter compression than others.

2) Some brands offer various levels of fit. For example, Under Armor offers undershirts in three fits: Compression (tight), Fitted (close to the skin without being tight), and Loose (not tight at all).

3) You can buy 1 size larger than usual to have a looser fit on a compression shirt.


So basically, you're going to want to try them out first, to determine what combination of brand, fit, and size offers you the type of form-fitting you're after.

I too love UA compression shirts. I wear them under my collared work shirt every day. I’m 5’10 and 220. I usually wear xl shirts. For under armor, i get xl in compression and large in fitted. This way the looser fitting in “fitted” has the slack taken up in size. The compression are fairly snug in the correct size for me. I wear the compression under my motorcycle protection and want it to fit snugly. For everyday wear i want it just a little looser, but still form fitting, so i buy the fitted in a smaller size.

Are the UA brand shirts long enough for taller people to tuck them in without worry of them untucking?