Hello Everyone,
There are so many sun shirts on the market right now and I am trying to decide which ones to go with. I like the Tailored Sportsman Ice Fil shirts a lot, they have awesome colors. My friend likes the Kastel shirts a lot, but I have not tried them yet.
Can you please share what your favorite riding shirts are and why??
Thank you!:encouragement:
I’ve tried a variety and always come back to Kastel. I have quite the rainbow collection. They’ve held up well and are nicely fitted.
My second choice is EIS, but they are quite a bit more boxy I’ve found.
My favorite is Kastel! You can’t beat them for the price, I usually find them about $30 on sale or ebay. I am tall and they fit me very well and wash beautifully. My one complaint is they do have big logo hits. I prefer the simple look of EIS or TS, but I still pick Kastel as my favorite.
I’ve tried many, they all have their pros and cons as far as I can tell
I think Kastels are the most comfortable, especially in extremely hot weather. They seem to cool the best and they feel the softest and most lightweight to me. I don’t love the logo and a lot of the color options. They often can be found on sale so I would be hesitant to pay full price.
The Tailored Sportsmans are ok- they have some fun colors and they look nice but I don’t find mine to be quite as cooling as the other shirts I have. I wouldn’t wear it on super hot days but it’s nice for when the weather in is in the mid 70s or so. I only have one and have no desire to buy one again. They are pretty soft to the touch though as well.
Swing Bette and Court- I really like my Swing shirts, it’s very similar to the EIS but can be found cheaper. It feels very slightly heavier than my EIS but also seems like it will hold up better. There are lots of good color options as well.
EIS- I really like the EIS shirts that I have but I have never paid full price for one. They are very slightly lighter and cooler than some of the cheaper ones but I haven’t found it makes enough of a difference for the price.
Irideon- For the money, these are some of my favorites. They can pretty easily be found for about 40 and I think they look really nice and do a good job keeping me cool. There are not many color options.
Dover Coolblast- If you can find them on sale they are pretty good for the money as well. I’m not sure I’d pay full list price for another one but they seem to go on sale for around the $50 mark- at least certain sizes and colors- and I would consider getting another one at that price.
I think if I had to rank them I would say
Kastel is the coolest, Irideon is the best value, EIS has the best color options and fit.
There are obviously other options I haven’t tried as well and I’m curious to see how others would review some of them.
I’m with Jo, I love love love Kastel. Probably too much. Evidenced on my blog: :lol:
http://hunkyhanoverian.com/allthingshorse/kastel-denmark-is-life/
I have both Kastel and TS and love them both! The TS are nice and long which is nice- I have a long torso, but they’re long enough to tuck into mid-rise breeches. I’ve worn the Kastel in some steamy hot Virginia weather and it was absolutely fantastic.
I have Kastel, Ariat, Noble outfitters and I think an EIS one.
The Noble Outfitters one is a huge N.O. Which is fitting considering their initials. It doesn’t breathe well, its sticky and it just does not feel nice. I have only worn it a few times and really don’t like it.
The EIS one is good. It hasn’t held up as well as anything else and I don’t find it AS cooling. I wouldn’t pay full price for them.
The Ariat one is probably my favorite. It is kind of “scratchy” feeling but it is by far the most cooling in my climate, and for me personally.
The Kastel ones are the softest for sure. Which is why I go for them over anything else. I find I still get warm in them and they aren’t as cooling as I expect after reading reviews from people in hotter climates.
Ariat/Kastel are definitely at the top of my list. Anything else I have tried is pretty meh for me.
I’m curious what kind of climate you have up there. Is it very humid? The only time I don’t like my sunshirts is when it’s humid - then they just feel clingy and gross. We get pretty ding dang hot down here in Texas and I’m so used the sunshirts now I can’t ride in a T shirt in the hottest months of the year.
I’m a big Kastel fan as well. They’re my go-to shirts for when I have to look polished in warm weather. I like them for fall/spring running as well. The length is pretty generous and the fabric is super soft.
I also have an Irideon one that fits very well and is LONG (I’m tall, long shirts are my favorite) but the fabric is coarser and it’s not as cooling as my Kastels. Still a nice, well-made shirt.
I also have a few of these shirts for cooler weather (60s or low 70s). They’re not a sun shirt, but they hold up well and have lots of sizing options. Also, they’re cheap. I wear mine pretty much year round – sadly Kastels are a poor choice as a baselayer in the winter if you live in the frozen tundra.
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=597914162&CAWELAID=120299900000087065&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=41591307997&CATCI=pla-297012607193&device=t&product_channel=online&Matchtype=&tid=onpl000000&kwid=1&ap=7&lsft=device:t,cvosrc:cse.google.online_Brand,cvo_campaign:805052041,cvo_pid:41591307997,cvo_crid:191347653062,Matchtype:,tid:onpl000000,kwid:1,ap:7&cvosrc=cse.google.online_Brand&cvo_campaign=805052041&cvo_pid=41591307997&cvo_crid=191347653062&gclid=CjwKCAiApdPRBRAdEiwA84bo30vx1rIMuq0d3ioz1GPOrWIQL8RNA6DPF8TMuVdkkFifchsAou7eDxoCydgQAvD_BwE
I really like the Romfh ones, which no one has mentioned. Not as clingy as the Kastel and durable
I like Kerrits IceFil for being truly light-weight.
My favorites for comfort and great patterns, though, are IBKul and San Soleil.
It’s not humid here at all. And it doesn’t get THAT hot here either. Something about the Kastel material just makes me … muggy feeling. Its the only shirt that does it.
I have worn it in hotter climates and not had it as bad, but also wasn’t riding.
I also ride in them all winter here…which gets down to -30*C at times. Obviously in an indoor arena, but still. They are perfect for me in the winter!
My favorite of all my sun shirts is the FITS one, but I can’t find them for sale anymore- it’s like they only made them for 1 season.
Second favorite is Kastel (nice and fitted, thin material), Irideon seems nice (haven’t worn it yet), followed by Ariat (nice shape, but material too thick), Dublin (not bad, kinda loose fitting), noble outfitters (don’t like the thick cuffs and the extra fabric around the inside zipper), and worst is the Dover brand (really boxy and unflattering).
Absolute favorite is the Ariat Sunstopper 1/4 zip. I even show in the white one with the snap collar (vs. zip). I also have one polo style in navy for clinics. They have a lot of great colors to choose from. Price-point helps. I like the mesh and the fit. More structured than the TS. The collar stands up even when not zipped (returned the new SmartPak Piper Sunshirt because of the zipper tag and the collar not standing up). I found the TS ones to cling too much with no structure. I’m in Sacramento, CA. Hot not humid. I ride in the Ariat Sunstoppers for most of the year. When it gets cold, I switch to the Ariat Lowell. My 2nd favorite riding shirt. I’ve given up on wearing short sleeves. I burn too easy these days.
Same. I got the wrong size in the one I have but kept it anyway and wear it all the time because it’s just so comfy. Not as tailored as others but soft, THIN, and doesn’t cling.
I LUURRRRV the Ariat Sunstoppers. I’m pretty hard on my clothing and I’ve yet to destroy one!
I like the Ariat sun stopper and Tri Factor, just tried a kastel and really liked it. I am a very heavy sweater and get soaked in any temps above 75. I really like how they absorb the sweat and when there is a breeze I actually feel chilly LOL
Love the Kerritts! Lightweight, wash well and comfortable. Great pricing too…
I just got 2 of the IBKUL ones. I love them! My barn owner has a couple and thats all she will wear now. I think I’m going to get a couple more too. They are so soft, light weight, and even during our humid summer here in mississippi, I do think they keep me as cool as other choices, but preventing sunburn.
IBKUL are my new favorites! Fun colors and keep you very cool even on 90+ days.
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