If you’re the kind of person who tends to sweat through their clothes or struggle with stubborn sweat stains in clothing, you’re probably looking for a solution to your perspiration problems. And maybe you’ve heard of sweat-proof clothing, a game-changing product that is designed with special technology to absorb your sweat and stop shirt stains. But you’re not sure where to get started, with lots of different options on the market that all look pretty good from a quick overview.
So to help you out, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to two of the leading sweat-proof clothing companies on the market: Thompson Tee and Social Citizen. We’ll go over who each of these companies are, which products they offer, and the pros and cons of each. We’ll finish with a comparison to help you really suss out which product is going to be right for you. Let’s dive in.
What Is Thompson Tee?
Thompson Tee is a company selling patented sweat-proof undershirts. Their USA-designed shirts are made with something called HydroShield technology, a proprietary layering and stitching system designed to completely block sweat from showing through a process of reverse osmosis that allows sweat to escape as vapor. Their shirts are environmentally friendly and made of natural, absorbent materials like cotton and rayon.
Thompson Tee is owned by Billy Thompson and Randy Choi. Thompson suffers from axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive underarm sweating), and was very familiar with the problem of sweating through his clothing. That’s what inspired him to reach out to Choi, who could relate to Thompson’s struggles as a sufferer of cranial hyperhidrosis. In fact, Choi had even undergone sweat gland removal surgery as a teenager with negative side effects such as all-over sweating, skin problems, slow metabolism, and fatigue.
With Thompson’s background in sales, Choi’s experience in the apparel industry, and their shared familiarity with this problem, the two worked together to develop the Thompson tee as a solution for people with hyperhidrosis that would be safer, more affordable, and more convenient than Choi’s unsuccessful surgery was.
Thompson Tee’s appearance on Shark Tank allowed them to find a large audience of people looking to manage their sweat, helping them become a known name in the sweat-proof apparel market.
Thompson Tee Products
Thompson Tee offers a variety of products for both men and women, including:
- Original fit traditional undershirts made of 100% premium combed cotton
- A slim-fit undershirt made of 95% rayon from bamboo and 5% spandex blend
- An original fit long-sleeved shirt made of 50% Supima cotton and 50% MicroModal blend
- A fitted premium anti-odor t-shirt made of 50% Supima cotton and 50% MicroModal blend
The original fit and slim fit undershirts come in a variety of colors including white, black, gray, and navy, and also come in a multi-pack. The long-sleeved shirt and anti-odor t-shirt only come in white and there is no women’s version.
Pros of Thompson Tee
Some advantages of the Thompson Tee include the following.
Great customer service
Thompson Tee is a large, well-established company with a great customer service team available by phone from Monday to Friday from 8-5 pm PST.
Sweat-proof
The Thompson Tee is very effective at its most important function: preventing sweat stains. Users report that the shirt can be worn for a long time without showing sweat stains.
Great slim fit undershirt
While some have found the fit of the original fit undershirt a bit loose and ill-fitting, the slim fit undershirt is consistently complimented as soft, premium, and hugging the body well, making it easy to wear under other clothes. It is also said to hold shape well after washing.
Cons of Thompson Tee
Despite its popularity, the Thompson Tee also has some downsides that people have noticed.
The fabric
Thompson Tee fabric may lose shape after washing. This could mean poor durability.
No odor resistance
While some sweat-proof undershirt brands have odor-resistant fabrics, Thompson Tee does not have this feature. Some of their shirts are made of bamboo cotton, which does have inherent antimicrobial properties. This is definitely an issue worth considering for people whose perspiration problem leads not only to sweat stains but also to body odor.
Bulky underarm pads
While the underarm pad of the Thompson Tee does a great job at absorbing sweat, it can also be bulky and heavy, which is both physically uncomfortable and visible from the outside. So while the Thompson Tee might make you feel more confident that you’re not showing sweat stains, it might actually increase your self-consciousness if you’re concerned everybody around you can tell you’re wearing a sweat-proof tee.
Comfort
In addition to the bulky underarm pad, there is one more thing that makes the Thompson Tee a little bit less comfortable than you might like: the temperature. The underarm pads add material, which can lead to a heavier and hotter wearing experience.
What Is Social Citizen?
Another brand of sweat-proof clothing competing with Thompson Tee is Social Citizen. Founded in Canada in 2019, Social Citizen’s creator, Max’s story may sound familiar to many of you. When a person pointed out Max’s large underarm sweat stains at a dinner party, Max felt so embarrassed and insecure that he felt he had to do something.
Max noticed that no sweat-proof clothing company focused specifically on social situations, one of the contexts in which people worry about sweat the most. So Max made it his mission to create a shirt that was sweat-proof but still fashionable so that people could feel confident and look good in social situations.
That’s how Social Citizen was born. It’s the only sweat-proof shirt on the market that looks just like a regular t-shirt, made with an innovative sweat-proof pad is composed of 3 layers:
- A water-resistant layer that feels like traditional t-shirt material
- An absorbent layer made of special materials that expand to absorb water and stop it from reaching the exterior of the shirt
- A waterproof layer made of some of the thinnest waterproof fabrics as a final stopping point for the remaining sweat
Most importantly, this sweat-proof pad is so thin that you can barely feel it, and nobody looking at you will spot it, even with your arms straight up in the air.
Social Citizen Products
Social Citizen makes both men’s and women’s sweat proof shirts, including:
The shirts come in white, dark grey, black, army green, and pink, as well as a three-pack with different colors included.
Pros of Social Citizen
Effectiveness
First and foremost, Social Citizen is known for being super effective at stopping sweat stains. In fact, for some, it is the first sweat-proof shirt that’s ever worked for them.
“Truthfully they're the first sweatproof shirts to work for me. Most importantly, they did stop the sweat from showing.” - Claire
Customer service
Even as a smaller and newer company, Social Citizen prioritized customer service to make sure that its customers are always happy.
“I wanted to order another shirt for my son super last minute before Christmas. the customer service agent went above and beyond to make sure it shipped after the warehouse closed before the holiday.” - Beatrice G.
Comfort
One of the things that really makes Social Citizen stand out from the pack is how extremely comfortable the shirts are. In fact, many reviewers even say it’s hard to go back to wearing a “normal” shirt after getting used to the Social Tee.
Style
Because insecurity is already a big issue for people who tend to get sweaty, it was important for Social Citizen to create a sweat-proof shirt that wouldn’t read to other people as “sweat-proof.” That’s why they designed a fashionable t-shirt that looks just like any other shirt. This makes a huge difference to people’s confidence.
“I don’t know how I could go out without this again. The confidence is different!!” - Lauren
Cons of Social Citizen
With a nearly 5-star rating, Social Citizen’s customers don’t have too much to complain about. However, it is worth noting that the Social Tee is not designed as an undershirt but rather to be worn proudly. As such, the fit isn’t cut slim enough to make it totally disappear under another shirt - although some people still find success in wearing Social Citizen products as undershirts.
Also, as a newer company, Social Citizen’s product range is not too wide - yet. With customers reporting that the shirts work wonders.
Comparing Thompson Tee vs Social Citizen
Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably wondering which company’s sweat-proof shirt would be better for you: Thompson Tee’s or Social Citizen’s? So let’s compare and contrast.
First of all, both of these companies make a great product and offer superior customer service, indicating that they really care about their customers. Generally speaking, customers are quite happy with both and often report life-changing results. So if nothing else, these success stories certainly speak to the effectiveness of specially-designed sweat-proof clothing to help reduce sweat stains and boost confidence.
That being said, the shirts have pretty different use cases. Thompson Tee markets its product as undershirts. They are not meant to be worn alone and you probably wouldn’t want to anyway, since the shirts have visible seams under the arms that look strange and call attention to your underarm area So, as long as you plan to cover it up with another shirt, you’ll be fine.
However, if you want a shirt that you can wear openly and as a single layer, you’ll probably want to go with Social Citizen, whose sweat-proof pad is neatly hidden inside the shirt to make it look just like any other regular shirt.
There’s also the issue of comfort to think about. Many people could find Thompson Tee’s shirts less comfortable than Social Citizen’s with their bulkier, heavier underarm pad and fabric that doesn’t always feel great against the skin. Social Citizen’s underarm pad is so thin that you won’t even notice it after getting used to it, and the 95% cotton/5% spandex fabric is buttery soft.
Finally, if you want to buy a sweat-proof shirt that’s going to last, Social Citizen is probably a better bet. Some might find that the Thompson Tee can lose its shape, whereas Social Citizen’s product is shrink-resistant and easy to clean without damaging.
How to Choose Sweat-proof Shirts
Sweaty people today are pretty lucky. You no longer have to rely on nothing but deodorant, antiperspirant, and sheer hope to try and keep yourself free of sweat stains. Instead, you have access to dozens of sweat-proof shirt options on the market today designed specifically to help you stay dry, comfortable, and confident. And you know that when the company is founded by a person who has experienced the same problem as you, it will really get the job done.
The only downside of this booming new sweat-proof clothing industry is that having too many options can make it difficult to choose what you want to try out for yourself. And while it may be easy to say “just try them all and see which is your favorite!”, not everybody can afford to do that.
So we hope this comparison guide to Thompson Tee and Social Citizen - two of the best sweat-proof shirts on the market - has helped you make a decision about which shirt you want to buy. Trust us, getting your first sweat-proof shirt will be a game-changer for your confidence. Enjoy!
