Wholesale performance shirts: a buyer's guide to blank moisture-wicking tees

Moisture-wicking polyester tees for teams, races, camps and staff. Your decoration method narrows the choice, so start there.

Every shirt in this guide is 100% polyester, and they all wick sweat. They differ in weight, cut and size run. The bigger decision is how you'll decorate. Polyester takes sublimation, DTF and heat transfer well, it takes screen print with the right ink, and standard DTG isn't a fit. Pick the method first, then the shirt.

Which performance tees are in this guide?

Ten styles, from light race tees to a 5 oz shirt with more body:

• Team 365 TT11 Zone Performance T-Shirt: 3.5 oz polyester interlock, men's cut, UPF 40+. Sizes run XS to 6XL.
• Team 365 TT11W Women's Zone Performance T-Shirt: the same fabric in a women's cut, XS to 4XL.
• Team 365 TT11Y Youth Zone Performance T-Shirt: the same fabric in youth XS to XL.
• Team 365 TT11L Zone Performance Long Sleeve T-Shirt: the TT11 with long sleeves, men's XS to 4XL.
• CORE365 CE10 Capital Performance T-Shirt: 4.13 oz interlock, unisex, UPF 50+, XS to 6XL.
• AllPro 48000 Pro-Lock Performance T-Shirt: 4 oz cationic polyester, men's, snag resistant, UPF 50.
• Gildan 42000 Performance T-Shirt: 5 oz, unisex, modern classic fit, side seams, snag resistant.
• C2 Sport 5100 Performance T-Shirt: 3.5 oz with an antimicrobial finish, unisex, XS to 4XL.
• Badger 4120 B-Core Sport Shoulders T-Shirt: 3.5 oz, men's, with a paneled shoulder built for movement.
• Augusta Sportswear 790 Nexgen Performance T-Shirt: 3.7 oz, unisex, with fabric made to help keep dye from migrating. Sizes run S to 5XL.

If your job calls for cotton instead, the premium t-shirts guide covers cotton and blend tees, and every tee we carry is on the t-shirts page.

How do you decorate polyester?

Sublimation, DTF and heat transfer vinyl all work on every shirt here. Screen print works too, with some planning. DTG is the one to skip, because DTG inks need cotton fiber to bond.

When does sublimation make sense?

Sublimation is the natural fit for an all-polyester tee. The dye turns to gas under heat and goes into the fiber itself, so the print adds no feel and won't crack or peel. Color decides where it works. Sublimation ink is see-through, so it only shows on white and light shirts. The manufacturer calls the Gildan 42000 an ideal choice for sublimating, and it comes in White. The TT11 family also comes in White, so one sublimated design can cover a whole roster.

What about DTF and heat transfer?

These are the methods for dark polyester. A DTF transfer or a vinyl cut sits on top of the fabric, so dark shirts work. On red and dark polyester, pick a low-temperature or blocker-backed product so dye doesn't tint the white. Both run on a heat press, so they suit short runs and name-and-number jobs. Polyester can scorch or shine under too much heat, so use the polyester setting your transfer maker lists and press one test shirt.

Can you screen print a performance tee?

Yes. The thing to plan for is dye migration. On dark polyester, heat from the dryer can pull dye out of the fabric and into a light ink. A white print on a red shirt can come out pink. Print shops handle this with low-cure inks made for polyester, a gray or black blocker base under the light colors, and a lower dryer temperature. Light shirts printed in dark inks need less of that care.

If screen print is your main method, look at the Augusta 790. Per the manufacturer, its fabric uses a technology that helps keep dye from migrating. You'll still want a low-cure ink, but the fabric is working with you.

Can men's, women's and youth match?

Yes, and the TT11 line is the easiest way to do it. The TT11, TT11W and TT11Y use the same interlock and nearly all the same colors. The shared colors run from bright options like Safety Yellow and Acid Green to the darker Sport Dark Navy and Sport Maroon. So players, coaches and parents can all wear one color.

The size range helps too. The men's TT11 runs up to 6XL, and the youth TT11Y starts at XS. Add the TT11L for coaches or fans who want long sleeves in the same fabric. It comes in fewer colors, so confirm your team color is offered.

For a unisex order instead, the CORE365 CE10 also runs XS to 6XL in a single cut. More women's cuts beyond this guide are in best women's-cut blanks.

How heavy should a performance tee be?

Go light for races and hot-weather events, and go heavier when you plan to stitch a logo. The 3.5 oz tees, like the TT11, the 5100 and the 4120, are the lightest of the bunch. They suit a 5K shirt or a camp shirt worn in the heat.

Embroidery is where weight matters. Dense stitching pulls on thin fabric, so on the lightest tees, keep stitched logos small and use a good stabilizer. The CE10 at 4.13 oz, the 48000 at 4 oz and the 42000 at 5 oz have more body to hold a left-chest logo, so they're our picks for embroidered staff shirts. If stitching is the whole job, the best blanks for embroidery guide shows which fabrics hold the most thread.

Which shirts work best outdoors?

For crews and camps in the sun, check the UPF number. The CE10 is UPF 50+, the 48000 is UPF 50, and the TT11 family is UPF 40+. UPF tells you how much UV light gets through the fabric, so a UPF 50 shirt lets through about one fiftieth.

Odor matters on a long day too. The 5100 and the 4120 have an antimicrobial finish, and the 42000 has odor control. Per the manufacturer, the 42000's Safety Green color is compliant with ANSI/ISEA 107. That suits race-day volunteers and event staff. Road work often calls for a certified safety garment with reflective tape, so check the job's requirement first.

Which build details should you know about?

A few small specs can change an order:

• Labels. The CE10, 48000, 42000 and 5100 have tear-away labels, so you can relabel them for a brand. The Augusta 790 has a tagless label with no brand name on it.
• Sleeve logo. The Badger 4120 carries a small heat-seal Badger logo on the left sleeve. Factor that in if your client wants a plain shirt.
• Color. The 48000 is cationic polyester, which the manufacturer says gives a fade-resistant print surface. The TT11 family uses cationic dyes for bright color that holds up in the wash.

Which tee fits which job?

• Matching team order across every age → TT11, TT11W and TT11Y
• Long sleeves in the same team fabric → TT11L
• 5K or race-day giveaway → C2 Sport 5100
• Sublimated design on white → Gildan 42000
• Screen-printed light ink on dark polyester → Augusta 790
• Embroidered staff shirt → CORE365 CE10
• Outdoor crew in the sun → CORE365 CE10 or AllPro 48000
• Athletes who need room to move through the shoulders → Badger 4120
• High-visibility volunteers or event staff → Gildan 42000 in Safety Green

Need a cotton tee for a giveaway table? The core value t-shirts guide covers the budget options. For cooler months, the long-sleeve tees guide compares more sleeved styles.

Which one would we start with?

For most team and camp orders, we'd start with the Team 365 TT11. At 3.5 oz it's light enough for a hot practice. It takes sublimation on White, and DTF or vinyl on the darker colors. The women's and youth versions carry nearly all the same colors, so one design works for the whole roster. Between the TT11Y and the TT11, sizes run from youth XS to men's 6XL.