# Are all polyester shirts moisture wicking???



## Sublime_Vizion (Jul 30, 2010)

Hi Guys. Been trying to research this but can't really find a solid answer. Are all polyester shirts moisture wicking? There are a few different ways/styles that the garments are woven but is it the way it is woven or the material itself that gives these shirts their moisture wicking properties? Thanks.


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## Hegemone (Oct 18, 2011)

I think it's a coating on the poly threads. So I believe the answer to your question is no.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

That is correct no not all polyester shirts are moisture wicking. There is no coating from what I understand but how the raw material is woven


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## Hegemone (Oct 18, 2011)

I have been told by specialty materials to wipe down moisture wicking poly fabrics with alcohol before applying. I guess I assumed this was to break down some sort of treatment on the wicking fabric. I guess this is why a definitive answer is hard to find. Lolz.


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

From my understanding in talks with Vapor some time ago moisture wicking can simple be a treatment after the material is made or as part of the manufacturing process.


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

No, not all poly shirts are moisture wicking. 
There appears to be a lot of different names for performance fabrics like CoolDry, DryFit, TrueDry, Heat/ColdGear, KoolDri etc. In most cases descriptions of different brands of moisture-wicking apparel mention that the fabric is *treated *for certain performance properties; sometimes the weave is described to be something with improved cappliary action.

Unfortunately, from my experience, not all moisture-wicking fabrics are created equal - in some garments "performance" coatings seem to yellow during heat pressing, or wash off after a while.


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## Michelle Roberts (Mar 8, 2012)

It depends. Generally-speaking, thicker polyester filaments are cheaper and have a rougher handfeel. These fabrics achieve wicking and moisture management properties through a finish that is applied after the weaving or knitting process. This finish is not permanent, though it will last practically the life of the garment. 

Thinner yarns (less than 1 denier) are called microdenier yarns and they will promote moisture-wicking because of the small size of the yarn and the shape of the filament (for example, a polyester can be created with a shape that causes liquid to "channel" along the yarn, thus wicking moisture away). These microdenier fabrics usually have a soft, silky, pleasing hand-feel.

Fabrics are also knit or woven with a texture that helps keep the fabric raised off the surface of the skin (think diamond-texture or waffle-weave). The textured surface helps the fabric stay raised off the skin so the moisture will be able to wick off the skin through the fabric instead of just completely coating the fabric causing it to stick to the skin. This also causes the garment to feel more comfortable to the wearer.







Sublime_Vizion said:


> Hi Guys. Been trying to research this but can't really find a solid answer. Are all polyester shirts moisture wicking? There are a few different ways/styles that the garments are woven but is it the way it is woven or the material itself that gives these shirts their moisture wicking properties? Thanks.


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## Sublime_Vizion (Jul 30, 2010)

Amazing information! Thank you all very much.


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## MAAG (Feb 20, 2012)

A moisture-wicking and fast drying cloth has an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer is made of hydrophilic synthetic fiber and has multiple meshes. The meshes are defined through the outer layer. The inner layer is made of hydrophobic synthetic fiber and is bonded to the outer layer. The inner layer exposed by the meshes pulls away from a person's skin and protrudes into the meshes when perspiration exceeds evaporating moisture from the outer layer, so area of the inner layer contacting the person's skin will be reduced to make the person comfortable.
Source: Atlatlsports.com


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## jharris (May 29, 2013)

MAAG said:


> A moisture-wicking and fast drying cloth has an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer is made of hydrophilic synthetic fiber and has multiple meshes. The meshes are defined through the outer layer. The inner layer is made of hydrophobic synthetic fiber and is bonded to the outer layer. The inner layer exposed by the meshes pulls away from a person's skin and protrudes into the meshes when perspiration exceeds evaporating moisture from the outer layer, so area of the inner layer contacting the person's skin will be reduced to make the person comfortable.
> Source: Atlatlsports.com


sorry for the ignorant question - I'm new here but is there a "technical" term to describe 1) the "dri-fit" weaving technique and/or 2) the treatment to make it "dri" fit"?


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