DHaRCO Mens Short Sleeve Tech Tee review – a technical riding jersey masquerading as a T-shirt

If DHaRCO does one thing well, it's styling – well, actually, they do lots of things well. With great fit and a wide range in sizing, to high-end performing fabrics, its kit, so far, has faired well on test. 

Anybody who foolishly thinks a regular cotton T-shirt is a good alternative to a proper performance riding jersey is soon rewarded with a sweat-soaked, heavy, and most probably smelly result - not cool. In fact, you can add in the windchill factor, too for those days that you really get it wrong.

Enter the DHaRCO Tech Tee, which blends synthetic and natural fibers to create a technical high-wicking fabric, with a large injection of fun to create a riding jersey with the same casual styling as your favorite T-shirt.

Design and specifications

Drirelease fabric has been around for a while, so it’s great to see DHaRCO using it here. Made from a mixture of 85 percent polyester and 15 percent cotton it’s designed to dry four times faster than a regular cotton T-shirt and still feel soft and comfortable next to the skin. The 4-way stretch material has anti-wrinkle capabilities and is designed to hold its shape after repeated use, something your cotton T-shirt most definitely won't do. 

Diving a bit deeper – the fabric is an engineered blend of synthetic hydrophobic (water-repelling) polyester fibers blended with natural hydrophilic (water-absorbing) cotton. Designed to repel sweat and push it to the exterior of the fabric for quicker evaporation all without the need for any nasty chemicals. 

Sizing ranges from S to 2XL, with some of the colors getting 3XL. Designs range from simple chest graphics in the Stealth Black, Reef Blue and Garigal colors, with the Caramel and Graze colours getting a massive surf-inspired back print or, if you’re going on a stag weekend riding, or like it bold, there’s the bonkers Miami Vice styled Jessie design. All of which, it goes without saying, will look just as good on the trails as down the pub.

Performance

I chose the dark brown Graze design as I love a massive backprint and surf. Using the size guide, I tested a size small, which fitted perfectly. It’s a slim-fitting cut, just like a regular T-shirt, the material feeling heavier than a cotton t-shirt but also softer next to the skin. The large screen-printed backprint, promoting ‘good vibes’ and DHaRCO’s mantra – ‘No ordinary life’ has been cleverly designed by keeping it to thin line work to make sure that the graphics don’t cover too much of the material blocking its wicking capabilities.

I’ll admit it does look good down the pub, but out on the trail it also performs too. It certainly does saturate pretty quickly in hot weather – which I was quite surprised by, but I could actually feel my sweat sitting away from my body. After just one long descent, I was almost fully dried out, so I was impressed. On winch and plummet days it certainly works hard to regulate moisture levels, so if a more casual style is your thing, the Tech Tee is a worthwhile buy.

Verdict

Dropping $58 / £50 / €54.99 on a tech T may seem expensive, but with a regular fashion T-shirt costing upwards of $50, it feels like a good investment, especially given the level of performance.

Tech specs: DHaRCO Mens Short sleeve Tech Tee

• Price: $58 / £50 / €54.99
• Material: Drirelease 85% Polyester, 15% Cotton
• Sizes: S-XXXL
• Colors/designs: Graze, Caramel, Garigal, Jessie, Reef, Stealth