Have you ever attempted to do a cardio workout in a cotton t-shirt? If you have, I’m pretty sure you’ll have winced just reading that sentence. The claggy (good word, right) sweat that literally clings to your body as you attempt to writhe out of the shirt is something to behold. Or not…

I learned the hard way when I was relatively new to running. I went out on what I thought was going to be an innocent jog in the sunshine, but half way through – and when I say halfway I mean about 500m – the shirt started to stick to me in places nothing should ever stick to. I was a sweaty mess and my t-shirt just wasn’t giving me the benefit of the doubt.

Fast forward a few years and I’d like to think I’ve learnt a thing or two about appropriate training gear. So when I was asked if I wanted to review a top that claims to be the ‘world’s best workout shirt’, which apparently cools you down the more you sweat, I jumped.

The email landed in my inbox at the right time. Last year was the best I have ever felt in terms of fitness – I ran both London and New York Marathons and really thought that was it for life, that I’d continue to go to the gym 4 times a week and never have to worry about gym guilt again. But come on, we live in a real world here, and I have spent last 6 months procrastinating and worrying about injuries that weren’t half as bad as I thought. So the arrival of the shirt was the kick up the bum that I needed, especially as in a couple of weeks I’m meant to start training for the Berlin Marathon, which takes place in September.

I have also just moved into a flat that has a fully functioning gym, spin bike included, so I downloaded the Aaptiv app and headed for my class. Now if there’s something that’s going to make you sweat, a spin class is it… and sweat I did. But hang on, I didn’t feel sweaty at all on my torso – but the reason I knew the t-shirt was working is because I had sweat pouring from my forehead to the floor. What’s more, when I took the shirt off after my workout, there were no signs of sweat at all. I wouldn’t say it was completely dry, but it was definitely a lot better than my usual workout tops.

So how does it look? In all honesty, just like a workout top. The back however is pretty cool – a  mesh lining, which isn’t only breathable, but is also supposed to enhance the calorie burning rate. Now, I’m no scientist and I can’t tell you if this actually works, but it would be pretty cool if this isn’t just a marketing pitch.

All in all, I like it. And the brand is currently in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign to get their concept off the ground, which you can read more about on Kickstarter.