The Mountain Hardwear WickedCool shirt is made for running in hot weather. Summers here in Salt Lake are most definitely scorchers with temperatures that rise into the triple digits. The oppressive heat is enough to make even the most hard core runners hesitate about stepping outside. But new gear is making it easier and more comfortable to run in extreme weather, and the WickedCool shirt is a great example.
We’ve been testing this new shirt all summer so far (even in 100+ degree heat) and have a few thoughts. But first, the details:
The Mountain Hardwear WickedCool shirt features
- Cool.Q™ ZERO technology
- Flatlock seam construction
- Reflective trim
- Mesh ventilation
- Stitched-in stretch side and shoulder panels
- Wicked Lite Zero body fabric
- Cool.Q™ ZERO Stretch Softie Jersey fabric panel
I’ve worn the WickedCool shirt on trail runs in the mountains, and blazing hot runs in Salt Lake City parks. I’ve even used it while hiking in the Wasatch. And the one thing that struck me the most is how comfortable this shirt is. Here’s why:
Fabric: The WickedCool is made from a very light, almost willowy fabric the company calls “Wicked Lite Zero.” It really is light. Combined with mesh ventilation, the shirt gets tons of airflow, which is good for wicking moisture away and also cooling the body down. The material also feels smooth, almost silky against the skin.
Little Blue Circles: What’s that now? If you look closely at the interior of the shirt, you can see hundreds of little blue circles embedded in the fabric. This is called Cool.Q™ ZERO. Mountain Hardwear says it’s an active cooling agent that reacts to your sweat to lower the temperature of the shirt and accelerate wicking. This creates a prolonged cooling effect. While I think it seems to work on hot runs, I found it takes a lot of sweat to “activate the circles” and even then, the feeling is barely noticeable only in high-sweat areas like the chest and back. However, one thing I like to do is take the shirt off and douse it in a stream while on trail runs. The water activates all of the circles at once, which makes the entire shirt a big cooling machine right off the bat.
The Good: Light and airy, silky fabric, active cooling system.
The Bad: It takes a lot of sweat to “activate” the little blue circles before feeling the effect.
Final Word: The Mountain Hardwear WickedCool shirt is a fine choice for runners and hikers who sweat a lot and recreate in oppressive heat.