‘Sweat wicking’ is a term you will come across often when shopping for outdoor clothes and activewear. But what exactly does sweat or moisture wicking mean and how important is it? Let’s break it down. 

What Do Sweat Wicking Clothes Do?

Let’s start with why you need moisture wicking clothes in the first place. 

Sweat wicking materials have two main roles. One, keep your skin dry and comfortable. The last thing you want when hiking or sleeping is sweaty clammy skin. It’s not only uncomfortable, it can cause problems such as sweat acne.

Two, sweat wicking clothes help your body stay cool. By moving sweat off your skin and letting it evaporate, it cools your body down. 

In short, sweat wicking clothes are designed to keep you dry and cool. This is particularly important for outdoor and intense activities such as sports, hiking and cycling. Sweat wicking clothes can also be helpful if you sweat a lot (hyperhidrosis).  

What Exactly Does ‘Moisture Wicking’ Mean?

So now you know what sweat wicking clothes do. But what exactly defines a sweat wicking material? There are two requirements for clothes to be sweat or moisture wicking. 

1. Ability to quickly wick or move moisture from your skin to the surface of the material. Sweat wicking clothes do this via capillary action. This is important to keep the skin dry.  
2. Ability to dry quickly. This improves the cooling action of your body. As the sweat evaporates, it draws heat away from your body.  

The Best Sweat Wicking Fabrics for Clothes 

Based on the above requirements, synthetic fabrics like polyester have the best sweat wicking performance. That’s why most sports clothes, outdoor gear and activewear are synthetic. 

Sweat-wicking polyester clothes have tiny pores through which sweat moves through via capillary. Because polyester and other synthetic fabrics are moisture-repellent (hydrophobic), they do not hold onto the sweat. So once it’s on the surface of the fabric, the sweat quickly evaporates. 

But not all synthetic clothes are sweat wicking. High-performance synthetic clothing for outdoors and sports is made with carefully woven fabrics that maximize the capillary action. Some even have a special coating to improve sweat wicking. 

Regular polyester actually traps sweat (because of its hydrophobic properties) on your skin, leaving you clammy and sticky. So shop carefully. 

Among natural fabrics, only wool has good sweat wicking capability. It absorbs some of the sweat, while allowing the rest of it to travel to the surface and evaporate. So you’ll also find lots of outdoor wear made from wool. 

Moisture Wicking vs. Moisture Absorbing: What’s The Difference?

Many people confuse moisture wicking with moisture absorbing. But the two are very different. 

Moisture wicking clothes move sweat from your skin and quickly release it into the air. In contrast, moisture absorbing clothes absorb sweat from your skin and hold onto it. Sweat can still evaporate from moisture absorbing clothes, but it does so slowly. 

Any situation that involves lots of sweating, you need sweat wicking clothes like our HercShirt t-shirt. It’s perfect for outdoor activities since it keeps you cool and dry. As a bonus, it also stays smell-free, something most synthetic clothes struggle with. 

For other situations where you expect mild perspiration, sweat absorbing clothes can work. Cotton, linen, silk, bamboo and other natural fabrics are moisture absorbing, with cotton being the most absorbent. These fabrics will keep your skin dry and can prevent sweat patches, but only if you don't sweat too much. 

Sweat absorbing natural fabrics are also breathable, which allows some of the sweat on your skin to evaporate instead of getting absorbed by the fabric. 

Are Moisture Wicking Materials Good for Bedding?

No, they are not especially if you have night sweats or you sleep hot. 

For one, most polyester sheets are not designed with the same sweat wicking performance as outdoor wear. So they tend to trap sweat on your skin, instead of wicking it away. They are also not as breathable as natural materials, so they can make you hot. 

Secondly, most people don't sweat as much when sleeping as they do when on a run or out on a hike. So you can comfortably use sweat absorbing bed sheets like linen and cotton without worrying that they’ll get soaked. 

That said, if you have serious night sweats, we recommend avoiding cotton sheets. They hold onto sweat more than any other material, so they can make you clammy and cold. Linen, silk, Tencel or bamboo sheets are better. They absorb sweat and let go of it fairly quickly.