Helly Hansen Pace SS T-shirt Review
Now that summer is here and the temps are heating up, the ability of technical clothing to help you stay cool and dry is more important than ever. The Helly Hansen Pace SS T-shirt is one of the most versatile technical tees that I’ve worn in warm weather. It uses the Lifa® Stay Dry Technology and HH® Cool™ Fabric Technology to keep the shirt dry during high intensity/output activities. Helly Hansen claims that the shirt acts like an “on-body air conditioning” due to the fabric construction. The Lifa® Stay Dry Technology utilizes thicker fabric fibers inside and smaller polyester fibers outside to create a “mechanical pull of moisture”. And the additional HH® Cool™ fabric features an unique structure to further increase airflow and venting. I found these claims to be largely true in testing this product during the summer months training in Denver, Colorado. The shirt also has an UPF 30+ rating which is great for reducing sun damage to the skin.
This shirt kept me relatively dry during running workouts outside with temperatures well into the 80‘s. What I love about the fabric is that it is extremely soft, light, and stretchy. It is semi-fitted and because the sweat evaporated quickly from the fabric, it did not cling to my skin as much as some of my other shirts when drenched in sweat. I am 5’11’’ and 140 lbs with a thin build and this shirt (I wore a size medium) definitely hugged my skin more than many of my other technical T-shirts. However, it certainly was not too tight and allowed complete freedom of movement. Although running was the main activity that I used in testing this product, I also found this shirt quite functional in other pursuits including yoga and other cross-training sessions. For those of you that know yoga, this shirt remained next to my body when I was in “downward dog”, even though it was not tucked. It is also long enough to go underneath shorts and pants which allows for more versatility as a layering piece.
The shirt retails for $45 which is on the high side for a technical T-shirt. However, with all the features and versatility, the Pace SS T-shirt definitely deserves some serious consideration. For more information, please visit hellyhansen.com.
