Well, now that I’ve had my new Jockey staycool undershirts in my possession for the last week, I’ve had a chance to try them out a few times.
Since I’ve been getting a bunch of visitors looking for a review, I thought it would be a good time to share some initial feedback of these Outlast-infused undershirts.
For those looking for some background on the product, check out the following article first:
Tim Tebow’s T-shirt is Cooler Than Yours. New Jockey staycool Undershirt (Video)
Product Details:
The new staycool collection from Jockey is available for both men and women.
- Name: staycool T-shirts
- Price: $27 for 2-Pk
- Collar Styles: Crew Neck (Style: 8804) & V-Neck (Style: 8805)
- Colors: White, Black
- 100% combed cotton for a soft, breathable feel
- Outlast® technology helps your skin feel up to 3 degrees cooler
- Longer length and a streamlined profile for a custom fit that stays in place
- Classic, comfortable fit without the bulk
- Reinforced collar with contrast neck tape, double-stitched hems are smooth, comfortable and durable
For the Women: Jockey staycool reversible tops ($21) are available in t-shirt and tank styles (5 color selections. 95% cotton/5% spandex). Jockey staycool underwear (3-Pk for $24) are available in bikini and modern brief styles (color packs, 95% cotton/ 5% spandex)
Product Sizing:
Although I normally wear medium sized undershirts, I like my undershirts to fit close to the body (without feeling too tight). Since the Jockey staycool undershirts aren’t very trim fitting and their sleeves are on the longer side, I asked for a size small this time.
That was a good call, because the small staycool fit pretty nicely. If you like your undershirts close-fitting like me, size down one.
The Good
- Although I had to size down one, the size small has a good overall fit on me. Close fit = No bulk and that’s something I look for in an undershirt
- The 100% cotton has a slight stretch to it, so it doesn’t feel too constricting and doesn’t feel too tight in any one place
- Lightweight fabric without being transparent
- Smooth outer finish with slight shimmer – possibly a byproduct of the Outlast technology. Looks nice and shirts drape well
- The undershirt feels slightly cool to the touch and when wearing it. I’ve worn it several times over the course of the last week, including to the gym, and overall, I’ve never felt too warm or too cold during dry wearing conditions. Assuming this is due in most part to the Outlast application.
- Very little shrinkage. In looking at my pre and post wash measurements, I see a nominal 3% – 4% shrinkage and the shirt feels as good fitting post wash as it did pre-wash
- The crew neck is high and fits close and comfortable around the neck line
- Overall, a nice looking and fitting undershirt
The Not So Good
- The fabric is a hair bit scratchy right out of the package and even after one wash. Not so much that it is uncomfortable to wear, but just enough for me to notice it
- I prefer deeper v-necks. The whole point of wearing a v-neck is to keep as much of your undershirt from showing when you are wearing an open collar. This v-neck might as well be a crew
- The sleeves are longer than I like. Even this size small has a 9.25″ sleeve length and I prefer mine a few inches shorter
Other Observation
- When the undershirt was fairly wet (post working out), Mrs. Tug and I were driving back to HQ and I felt noticeably colder that I normally do. So much in fact, I had to roll-up the window and wrap my sweat jacket around me.
- I’m not sure if this had anything to do with the Outlast treatment and how it reacted to a wet garment (vs. how it performs dry) or some other anomaly unrelated, but I wanted to note it here as something to refer back to
The Verdict
- It goes without saying, I’m a BIG fan of Jockey undershirts and I think the staycool undershirt lives up to Jockey’s and Outlast’s claims
- The undershirt does seem to noticeably keep me cooler than other undershirts
- For those men and women that run a little on the warmer side, the staycool would be a great undershirt solution
- Also, even for those that don’t run warm, I think this would be a great undershirt product to wear in hotter climates and/or during summer months
Is the fabric used to make this style of undershirt actually thinner than Jockey’s regular V-neck? That’s my suspicion, rather than something “special” about the fabric itself.
heya brian, thanks for stopping by buddy.
you know, it’s been a long while (6 years) since i wrote this article about the jockey staycool undershirt.
the “technology” used in this undershirt at the time, called outlast, claims it has phase-change properties in it designed to regulate body temperature better. (see outlast.com for more info)
so even though the name of the undershirt is staycool, the yarn technology that was originally used in these undershirts was designed to regulate temperature so you don’t get too hot or to cold.
it’s very possible that at the time, this undershirt was simply lighter than others, and that played a part in it feeling cooler to me in my initial wearing tests.
in looking back at the article, i do see that i felt noticeably colder when the shirt was wet — which is actually contrary to what the outlast technology was supposed to allow.
meaning, if the shirt was designed to regulate my temperature better, i shouldn’t have felt colder when it got wet, compared to wearing a standard cotton tee that got wet.
over the years, i’ve honed my senses as it pertains to undershirt (and underwear) wearing, and i can tell you that i have rarely, if ever, sensed a notable difference between undershirts with special yarn technology in it, and others that do not.
keep in mind, most of my testing has been wearing underclothing, which sits below the layer of my outer clothing.
that’s an important distinction because most of the fabric technologies i’ve seen related to cooling really requires a catalyst (like airflow) to activate.
if the base layer is covered with outer clothing, there will be no airflow, thus no notable evaporation, thus no cooling.
going back to the staycool undershirts, i just checked the jockey site, and they make no mention of outlast anymore.
in place of that, they refer to “stay-dry” and staynew technologies.
who knows what that means, other than they’ve just created their own branded terms for fabric treatments that are designed to perform certain functions like wicking & resistance to fading/pilling.
what’s funny about their staycool offering, is that jockey also offers some women’s staycool shaping garments that are made from nylon, and make no mention of stay-dry or staynew.
if that’s the case, what’s staycool about it?
where i have seen a noticeable difference in my undershirt wearing comfort level, as it pertains to staying cool, is by wearing thin, lightweight undershirts.
so, undershirts that have either a looser weave (where it looks more gauze-like), cellular mesh construction, or undershirts made with finer/smoother threads, that are more silky on the skin than standard combed cotton alone.
here’s an article where i keep a list of lighter/thinner undershirts:
https://undershirtguy.com/are-thin-cool-undershirts-in/
anyway, i’m here if you want to discuss further (:
bought these t-shirts and the underwear for both of my grown sons for Christmas – they love them! Especially my younger son who has a long torso. He always has trouble when the shirt shrinks and it is then too short. The staycool is longer than a regular shirt. That is the main reason I bought them. The outlast was just an after thought. I found online that there are staycool shirts for women. I am going to tell some of my “change of life” friends about these and see what they say!
bought these t-shirts and the underwear for both of my grown sons for Christmas – they love them! Especially my younger son who has a long torso. He always has trouble when the shirt shrinks and it then too short. The staycool is longer than a regular shirt. That is the main reason I bought them. The outlast was just an after thought. I found online that there are staycool shirts for women. I am going to tell some of my “change of life” friends about these and see what they say!
I am living in Dubai and work as an ailine pilot. The temperature here can get to 45 plus C. I have tried a variety of t-shirts. I find that the stay cool t-shirts live up to the claim. They are soft after a few washouts, not too heavy and as a bonus seem to lose the wrinkles quickly. I like them so much I am ordering them from the US.
thanks for the contribution charlie. glad the jockey stay cool undershirts are effective for you!
From a physics point of view this claim is outrageous. It cannot work if it doesn’t have an energy source. How is it going to absorb heat? Heat is transferred from the warmer medium to the colder medium, the speed of this transfer depends of the characteristics of the material. The normal body temperature of a human is about 98 degrees. Now the following two scenarios have to be considered.
1. the outside temperature is above 98
In this case the only way to cool you body down is by sweating, the sweat evaporates on your skin which requires energy which makes you feel cooler. Wearing anything that obstructs this process (absorbs the sweat) will actually warm you up.
2. the outside temperature is below 98. In this case heat would be naturally transferred from your body to the environment. Wearing an additional layer of clothing will trap the heat close to your body and warm you up. So you would be better of to wear no undershirt at all.
In my opinion it cannot cool you down without an external energy source or it would violate the second law of thermodynamics. It might feel cooler due to a higher heat transfer coefficient but after wearing it for 5 minutes the inner side of the shirt will have the same temperature than your skin (try holding a piece of metal against your skin for the same effect). Don’t be fooled by these commercials people.
this is a great point karina and something i want to expand upon.
in all of this time of my writing, i have never stated that i am cooler wearing an undershirt than when not wearing one. i usually make reference to whether or not one undershirt is cooler to wear than another one.
now, i’m no physics major or chemist so i couldn’t tell you how some of the technology companies can back up their claims, such as outlast’s thermo-regulation, but i suppose they do have some studies that could substantiate them to some degree. keep in mind the outlast technology is not a “cooling” technology, it’s one that says helps regulate body temperature – jockey simply took one possible characteristic (making you “feel” cool) and focused their marketing message on that.
but as you most aptly pointed out, these marketing claims are mostly hyperbole, and they are so because companies have to find ways to make something sound appealing enough to buy. think about it, you wouldn’t buy half the stuff you do in life (maybe more) if it weren’t for a seller making their product sound appealing to you. right?
that said, your logic is sound with regard to something not being able to cool you down without an external energy source.
to date, there hasn’t been one undershirt that i’ve ever worn that has kept me cooler than when i don’t wear one, but that isn’t the point of wearing an undershirt. you don’t wear an undershirt to lower your body temperature (aka keep you cool), you wear one to make you feel more comfortable.
comfort can take many forms too: 1) protect outer clothing from sweat/stains, 2) confidence from not sweating through, 3) masking body characteristics, 4) shaping so you “feel” better/more confident, 5) clothing drapes better helping your appearance, etc…
i suspect that consumers know that most marketing claims are slightly exaggerated, so hopefully jockey’s “stay cool” messaging isn’t turning too many people off!
thanks again for stopping by and posting your comment.
Of course if the material is simply thinner that would result in feeling cooler. But that’s not hi-tech and it’s kind of deceptive for Jockey to suggest that there’s something hi-tech going on when it’s just a more lightweight fabric.
For a tight, close neck in an undershirt, the Jockey StayCool delivers.
I’m a tall guy with a long torso, I normally size down to L for undershirts, and the neck opening in the StayCool is perfect. Thick hem, tight to front and back of neck, perfect for first layer under LS, SS, Polo and even heavy T.
Very comfortable material, feels good to wear, and the neck is great. Best undershirt I’ve ever purchased, and I’m not even sure about the temp technology yet.
I’m in a tropical island. Medium built. I saw the ads and decided to buy and give it a try. As soon as it arrived. I try it on expecting it to be cooler, but to my dismay it was hotter than my ordinary t-shirt. I thought it should keep you cooler in hot weather. It seems to keep me hotter in hot weather. Maybe I using it the wrong way. Any suggestion?
hey robinson! thanks for stopping by and posting your feedback about the jockey staycool.
the product is made with outlast, a thermo-regulating technology, not specially a cooling technology/application. (i guess calling the undershirt “staycool” is slightly misleading). here’s some information i just pulled off the outlast website:
what’s interesting is that the “thermo-regulating” (regulating heat – body heat) characteristic seems more like the technology is climate dependent. when i was trying out my staycool, it felt nice to wear and did seem to wear a hair cooler than other undershirts i’ve tried recently. but, i live on the west coast near the water and we’ve had a pretty cool spring summer so far. in a hotter/wetter climate, you’re reporting that it’s making you feel warmer.
i did try another viscose (modal) undershirt made with outlast and noted to an outlast company rep that i really couldn’t tell the difference. she was really responsive and sent back the following information:
so, if outlast does moderate your temperature enough to keep you from sweating (something worth testing), the question is whether it’s better to moderate sweating or actually feel cool.
in hot temperatures, i’d actually vote for feeling/staying cool.
If the undershirt you were wearing previously had been washed many times, the material would be thinner, which allows you to feel cooler than any style of new undershirt.
Man, you gotta feel this shirt!
I feel cheated. There is nothing knew with staycool. 100% cotton same as others. Did not even feel cooler actually it’s hotter.
hey robinson, thanks for stopping by and posting your comments. although i found the stay cool undershirt lightweight and cool to wear, it is possible that others will have different experiences like what you did.
the outlast technology is a thermo-regulating technology which means it is suppose to help you not get too hot or get too cold. since everybody’s body chemistry is different, i would suspect that the outlast technology won’t be effective for everyone.
could you tell me/us a little about your personal experiences with undershirts in general, your general body make-up, and anything else that others might find pertinent?? it’s important that other readers know that the stay cool jockey undershirt might not work for them, so the more information they have to make a decision, the better it will be for everyone!
thanks so much for stopping by and posting your comments!