Moisture-wicking is the process of moving moisture away from your skin during a workout. Moisture-wicking fabrics draw sweat away from the skin to the surface of your workout clothing to be evaporated. This keeps you dry and feeling comfortable and dry throughout your workout.
Because water is adhesive and sticks to surfaces, moisture-wicking works through a process called capillary action, where water is drawn through the tiny holes of a fabric to its surface. Once moisture molecules are on the outside, surface tension pulls them together to be evaporated quickly.
This guide breaks down all the details of these fabrics, from what they're made of and how they work, to the best fabric types for your workouts.
Sweat is an important function your body uses to maintain temperature, but when it gets absorbed into your workout clothes, it makes you hot and then cold. Moisture-wicking fabric keeps you comfortable, limits the build-up of bacteria and prevents chafing.
Moisture-wicking fabrics are made from either synthetic, man-made fibers or natural fibers sourced from nature. All moisture-wicking fabrics have tiny spaces between their fibers that allow moisture to be drawn through.
There are a variety of synthetic and natural moisture-wicking fibers that can be equally effective at keeping you cool.
Synthetic fibers are man-made and chemically treated to become moisture-wicking. Some common types of synthetic moisture-wicking fabrics are:
Natural moisture-wicking fibers have innate wicking abilities because of their function in nature for plant growth and animal cooling. Derived from organic materials, they can be a highly effective environmentally-conscious alternative to synthetics.
Fibers from the cotton plant are the most commonly used natural fabric. Although cotton is a popular fabric, it is not moisture-wicking as it absorbs liquid into its fibers.
If it has been treated for waterproofing and moisture-wicking or used for low-intensity exercise, cotton has many benefits for working out, like its breathable fabric, easy washing, and hypoallergenic qualities that are comfortable for those with sensitive skin.
Moisture-wicking and waterproof are two seperate technologies; moisture-wicking fabrics pull moisture through fabric to its surface whereas waterproof fabrics don’t allow moisture to enter them. Both of them keep you dry in different ways.
Some materials, however, like GORE-TEX® and polyester, are more waterproof than other moisture-wicking fabrics. Some moisture-wicking fibers can be woven tightly and treated with a layer of polyurethane to make them waterproof. When it comes to natural fabric alternatives, boiled wool also has a very high level of water resistance, although is not completely waterproof.
Breathable fabrics have small holes that allow air and moisture to pass through them. Most moisture-wicking fabrics are breathable to a degree since moisture wicks through the spaces between fabric fibers, however, not all breathable fabrics are moisture-wicking as they don’t have the sweat pulling properties required for moisture-wicking.
Cotton, for example, has spaces between its fibers, but also absorbs and holds water directly in its fabric, making it breathable but not moisture-wicking. Polyester is one of the most breathable synthetic moisture-wicking fabrics, whereas wool is one of the most breathable natural moisture-wicking fabrics.
If you’re someone who enjoys breaking a sweat, moisture-wicking clothes are great to have on hand. Any high intensity activities, like Jiu Jitsu or running, and medium intensity workouts, like yoga, release a lot of sweat. Moisture-wicking fabrics keep you nice and dry so that you can focus on getting in your best workout.
Moisture-wicking clothing can be a workout game-changer. Check out some of our favorite moisture-wicking clothing.
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