Ask Tug: Are RipT Fusion Tee Shirts Better Than A Regular Compression Shirt by Under Armour?

Good question from a reader about how RipT compares to Under Armour. If you’re also wondering about whether or not this new category of men’s shapewear is better than Under Armour, the simple answer is that Shapewear and Under Armour are really designed for two different purposes.

Although there are some overlapping characteristics between some of the performance compression shirts like Under Armour, Adidas (Techfit), Nike, Reebock, Skins, etc. and men’s shapewear undershirts like Equmen, Spanx for Men, RipT Fusion, and Sculptees, men’s shapewear is generally intended to be used as an alternative to regular undershirts in regular everyday wear and not for sporting or high-performance activities.

Why is that? Well, because most performance compression shirts are made out of super-lightweight & thin synthetic fabrics that wick away sweat, dry quickly, and won’t absorb moisture – all very helpful when doing performance sports. In addition, although they will smooth and flatten your torso, sides, and stomach, they’re really not designed to shave inches of your chest and mid-section like men’s shapewear does. Most of the men’s shapewear products, on the other hand, are made from fabric blends that will feel more soft and natural on your skin and will have concentrated compression in areas like the chest and midsection.

Of course, since compression performance tops and men’s shapewear share some similarities, some guys will choose to wear them interchangeably. A simple way you can tell whether or not a men’s shapwear undershirt would be good to wear for high-performance sporting activities is to look at the fabric content. In general, if the undershirt has cotton in it, it would likely be a little less effective than one that’s made mostly out of synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon.

Here’s his question.

Are the Ript Fusion tee shirts any better than a regular compression shirt by Under Armour?

My Response:

hello r,

thanks for stopping by the site and sending in your questions.

the ript fusion shirts are very much different than under armour (ua) and they serve two very different purposes.  ua makes performance garments – usually made of high-tech, moisture wicking fabrics like lightweight polyester, nylon, etc.  their compression garments are pretty much tight all over and while their shirts can be worn as an undershirt, the fabric tends to be more synthetic in nature and not as comfy on the skin as traditional fabrics like cotton or new fabrics like modal.

ript fusion, on the other hand, is made more like a traditional undershirt in that the top and bottom are made out of 100% cotton and the mid-section is made out of a stretchy/compressing polyester/spandex that focuses the slimming in that area. the ripT more closely resembles an undershirt and is designed to be worn in place of a regular undershirt when you’re looking to streamline your look.

it is possible that the ua and ript fusion could shape and slim similarly, however, it’s really hard to tell since ua has so many different products.

if you’re getting good compression/slimming/shaping and good comfort from your ua undershirts, then you probably wouldn’t want or need to invest in a slimming undershirt like ript, equmen, spanx 4 men, sculptees, etc.

if you have any more questions, let me know.

best,
tug

Tags: ript fusion compared to under armour, ript fusion versus under armour, shapewear vs. under armour, under armour compared to ript fusion

Category: Ask Tug, Mens Shapewear