2024 test9 productsWorkwear & Safety Gear
Which T-shirt Brand Wins?
We compared 9 t-shirt options head to head. Linus Tech Tips came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Linus Tech Tips
Price shown in test: $19.99 before shipping and handling; $31.72 total
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Runner-up
Whistlin Diesel Monster Max
Price shown in test: $49 before shipping and tax; $55.85 after
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Fabric | Order Time | Weight After Wash | Shrinkage | Moisture After Spin | Moisture After 15 Min | Breathability | Fading Place | Durability Rating | Pilling | Overall Result | Weight Before Wash | Weight Loss | Fading Test | Design Wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Linus Tech Tips$19.99 before shipping and handling; $31.72 total | 60% cotton, 40% polyester, made in China | 11 days to arrive | 149.66 g | least amount of shrinkage by percentage at only 0.14% | 224.56 g after spin cycle | just over 4 g of water weight (4.38 g) | 23.02 mph peak air speed | finished in fifth place for fading | received the best possible durability rating of one | no issues with pilling | best average score overall, winner of the showdown | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Whistlin Diesel Monster Max$49 before shipping and tax; $55.85 after | 100% cotton, made in USA | 8 days to arrive | not tested | least amount of side-to-side/top-to-bottom shrinkage overall at 0.62 in; second-best shrink percentage at 0.16% | 339.3 g after spin cycle | 247.35 g, over 35 g of water still in the shirt | just over 20 mph | least amount of fading of all shirts tested, looks about as good as new | received the best possible durability rating of one | not tested | finished second place overall; best score for durability specifically at an average of 1.3 | 211.9 g | 0.34 g loss (best yet at that point in the video) | not tested | not tested |
| 3Marques Brownlee$29 before shipping and handling; $34.99 total | 50% polyester, 25% cotton, 25% rayon, made in El Salvador | 10 days to arrive | 140.86 g, down 1.43 g | not tested | 208.52 g after spin cycle | 2.25 g of water weight (second best of all shirts) | 23.15 mph | not tested | not tested | not tested | finished third place overall; best individual score for comfort specifically | not tested | not tested | excluded from fading comparison because the shirt is charcoal colored, not black | not tested |
| 4Vice Grip Garage$24.95 before shipping and tax; $34.15 after | Gildan dry blend, 50% cotton, 50% polyester, made in Nicaragua | 5 days to arrive | 183.94 g, a loss of 0.88 g | not tested | 270.48 g after spin cycle, 86.54 g of trapped moisture | 192.56 g, still holding 8.62 g of water | 20.71 mph | tied for second place for fading (with Cleetus McFarland shirt) | not tested | a few fabric balls formed after 21 wash and dry cycles | not tested | 184.82 g | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 5Whistlin Diesel$29 before shipping and tax; $36 after | 100% cotton, made in Pakistan, printed in USA | 25 days to arrive | not tested | not tested | 332.27 g after spin cycle | still pretty wet at 46.07 g of trapped moisture | 15.34 mph | finished in fourth place for fading; design experienced some damage | not among the shirts receiving the best possible rating of one | not tested | not tested | 192.14 g | 1.64 g loss, about twice the Vice Grip Garage shirt | not tested | not tested |
| 6Cleetus McFarland$34.06 total | 50% cotton, 50% polyester, made in Nicaragua, appears to be the same shirt used by Vice Grip Garage | 5 days to arrive | 188.36 g, lost just over 1 g | not tested | not tested | not tested | 20.57 mph | tied for second place for fading (with Vice Grip Garage shirt) | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | started off looking very good, only a small amount of wear and tear |
| 7Westen Champlin$30 before shipping and handling; $34.99 total | no information given on fabric type or manufacturing location | 15 days to arrive | not tested | not tested | 359.64 g after spin cycle | still holding 53.56 g of moisture, the most of any shirt | 10.48 mph, the lowest of all shirts tested | finished in eighth (last) place for fading | not tested | not tested | not tested | 208.12 g, second heaviest yet | 0.5 g loss, second best at that point in the video | not tested | not tested |
| 8Matt's Off Road Recovery$29.99 before shipping and handling; $36.98 total | Next Level Apparel brand, 60/40 cotton polyester, made in Nicaragua | 10 days to arrive | 134.13 g (starting weight before wash not captured by host) | not tested | 202.8 g after spin cycle | down to only 4.8 g of water weight | 26.87 mph, best (first place) of all shirts tested | finished in seventh place for fading | received the best possible durability rating of one | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 9Joe Rogan$29.99 before shipping and tax; $40.65 after | 60/40 cotton polyester, made in Nicaragua | 6 days to arrive | 133.8 g, by far the lightest shirt, lost just over 1 g | not tested | 197.55 g after spin cycle | down to only 1.77 g of water weight, best drying result of all shirts | 26.28 mph, second best of all shirts tested | finished in sixth place for fading; design experienced the most wear and tear of all the brands | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
How it was tested
- shrinkage after one wash and dry cycle
- weight loss after one wash and dry cycle
- moisture retention and drying speed
- breathability (peak air speed through fabric)
- fading after 21 wash and dry cycles
- design/logo wear and tear
- fabric pilling
- order fulfillment time
“the shirt that had the best average score is the Linus Tech Tips shirt”