Testing and reporting back on “the ultimate performance tee.”
Whether you’re the type of guy that’s flipping tires and climbing ropes for your workouts or just a dude who appreciates reliable and no-nonsense gear for hiking and traveling, finding the perfect t-shirt is kind of the holy grail.
It’s easy to find a couple dozen shirts that are close to great—tough enough, breathable enough, and etcetera. But when you find a piece of gear that’s actually built to keep up with you? That’s a special feeling. And that’s why we decided to take GoRuck’s Indestructible Training Shirt—their “ultimate performance tee”—for a spin.
Spoiler alert: It’s a pretty amazing shirt that’s ready to handle the toughest workouts you can throw at it, all while keeping its shape and looking like something you actually want to wear. For a fuller explanation as to why, keep reading for our hands-on review.
Disclaimer: the Indestructible Training Shirt was provided to us by GoRuck in exchange for an honest review.
How We Used It
For a shirt that’s made to withstand the rigors of everyday life and strenuous workouts, it’s only fair to test it on both fronts.
In everyday life, I wore the Indestructible Training Shirt to its natural limits—i.e., wore it every day until it started to stink. That was about two days, though you could probably push it to a third since this shirt is seriously wrinkle-resistant.
For strenuous workouts, I’ve been putting it through its paces with daily rucking using GoRuck’s GR1 and a 30 pound ruck plate. It truly excels here, with a design that minimizes any seam contact on your shoulders and makes carrying a heavy pack feel comfortable and natural. And even after a full soaking with sweat, the Training Shirt dried quickly and was none the worse for wear.
Materials
Any t-shirt is only going to be as good as the materials used to make it. In the case of GoRuck’s Indestructible Training Shirt, it’s made of a proprietary material that took three years of design and development to nail down.
At 190 GSM, this proprietary GoRuck fabric is just beefy enough to stand up to some serious abuse—but also appropriately weighted for warm weather workouts. A blend of nylon, polyester, and spandex gives it excellent breathability and four-way stretch, further emphasizing that highly active performance. Big bonus: The material is made specifically so it won’t pill up, even around the shoulders after carrying a heavy pack.
Take note here though: That specialized material also requires specialized care. To keep it in good shape, you’ll need to wash the Indestructible Training Shirt on cold and hang dry it. That’s awesome for long camping and hiking trips, but it’s a small inconvenience if the rest of your workout wardrobe is washer-and-dryer friendly.
Construction
The other half of any shirt’s quality depends on how it’s made. And how much attention to detail the manufacturer puts into their gear will determine whether it’s cut out for the long haul or destined to fail.
Construction details are also some of the hardest to evaluate from a quick online search. Here’s my take, after examining the design and stitching: This material could be really hard to work with since it’s stretchy and synthetic, but the machine stitching and attention to detail here is impeccable.
Even after a dozen washes and daily workouts in this shirt, there’s not a seam out of place. Usually at this point, cotton shirts I’ve worn will start to show signs of wear. That makes me confident that the Indestructible Training Shirt will truly live up to its name.
Fit and Feel
For context to go along with the pictures, I stand 6’3” tall and weigh in over 200 pounds. I’m a pretty standard size large for most men’s t-shirts, but oftentimes they’ll fall a bit shorter around the midriff than I’d like.
GoRuck’s Indestructible Training Shirt is exactly how I’d like an everyday workout shirt to fit. The material drapes nicely and feels easy on the skin. And the cut is generous enough to not feel squeezed into, without being overly baggy.
Overall, I give it a 9 out of 10 on fit and feel for a workout shirt—only because a tagless collar would be a great change here.
Durability
We’ve already touched on overall durability a little bit, but for a shirt called the Indestructible Training Shirt I feel like we’ve got to take a closer look.
The basic idea here is that the material gives an excellent blend of weight, strength, durability, and stretch—all the things you should be looking for in a shirt that’s made to last. And given the quality of the construction here, I’m guessing that I’ll be wearing this shirt for years to come.
That all hinges on one thing, though: You have to commit to following the washing instructions. Having improperly washed shirts with spandex and nylon before, I can tell you that even a little bit of heat in the washing and drying cycle can ruin one of these shirts in a hurry.
Value
At the time of writing, GoRuck’s Indestructible Training Shirts sell for 60 dollars each. That’s certainly more than you can expect to pay for a standard t-shirt. But in comparison to other performance tees, it’s just slightly pricier than average.
Overall value: I’ll say it’s quite good, given that this shirt feels like it’s going to last for the next five years or so in peak condition. If you only want to wear it as a casual layer, there are more cost effective options; but if you’re looking for a seriously durable workout shirt, it represents a very good value.
Final Verdict
When all is said and done, how does GoRuck’s Indestructible Training Shirt measure up?
In my experience, it really does live up to the hype of its name. Quality and attention to detail are on point, and I’m a big fan of the material they’re using. If you’re alright with taking special care of it in your washing and drying routine, it’s well worth investing in and will be a good workout buddy for years to come.
Price: $60
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