The Underwear Review

Can An Undershirt Solve Your Sweat Problems?

Helpful advice and undershirt recommendations to control your sweat.

It’s sort of a strange thing.

Sweating is this completely natural and necessary function of the human body, yet it tends to make people uncomfortable and embarrassed.

For some, this is the occasional minor inconvenience—maybe spurred by hot temperatures or a particularly stressful event.

Others, however, experience excessive sweating on a routine basis, whether it’s simply their genetics or the result of a medical condition.

Thankfully, there are tools available today in the sweat management toolbox that can help you control your sweating.

One such handy solution is an undershirt.

Among other benefits, wearing an undershirt allows you to absorb sweat before it reaches your top layer (i.e. prevent sweat stains).

But for those that tend to be heavy sweaters, wearing any old undershirt usually won’t do the trick.

Here, we’ll provide helpful sweat management advice and cover the specific styles of undershirts that help with controlling sweat.

Note: Featured products are independently selected and reviewed by The Underwear Review. If you purchase through our links, we may earn commission.

Do Undershirts Actually Help with Sweat?

One of the first things that people turn to when they’re looking to manage sweat and keep it out of sight is an undershirt.

Whether you have an occasional, situational, or chronic sweat problem, finding a high-quality undershirt can be a huge asset in your sweat management efforts.

But for those looking to utilize an undershirt to control sweat for the first time, you might be wondering whether they actually help all that much?

In short, the answer is, yes, undershirts can help quite a lot with managing your sweat.

Keep in mind, however, that the quality and design of your undershirt matters tremendously, especially for those that are on the higher end of the sweating spectrum.

For example, a thin cotton undershirt will have a light and breezy feel but will do very little to stop sweat.

And the last thing you want is an ineffective option that leaves you wearing not just one but two sweat-ridden shirts.

On the other hand, you don’t want an undershirt with overly thick fabric that may do a better job at stopping sweat but makes for a heavy and bulky fit.

A high-quality, sweat-focused undershirt will absorb sweat, create a comfortable barrier between your body and top layer, and fit well without adding extra bulk.

The good news is that these undershirts do exist.

And if you’re someone that is specifically interested in sweat control from your undershirt, there are specialty designs and features that can meet your specific needs.

For example, there are innovative new fabrics and materials that quickly absorb and evaporate sweat at a higher rate than traditional undershirts.

In this way, sweat is unable to pool and spread to your outer layer, while your undershirt remains dry and comfortable, as well.

Shop at Neat Apparel: Neat Sweat Defender Undershirt

The Neat Sweat Defender Undershirt is an option that does this with a patented blend of moisture-wicking material and sweat proof technology to capture excessive sweat and channel it for a much faster drying time.

This undershirt is a great everyday option that sports a fitted construction, a comfortable premium cotton fabric blend with a touch spandex stretch, and can tumble dry without shrinking.

Are There Undershirts That Prevent Pit Stains?

Of course, pit stains aren’t the worst thing in the world.

After all, everybody sweats, just some more in certain areas than others.

However, having a big pool of underarm sweat is also far from ideal.

First off, that damp underarm area on your undershirt can be pretty uncomfortable and actually lead to painful rashes if there’s too much friction in the moist area between your arm and torso.

Not to mention, pit stains have a tendency of making you feel self-conscious and distracted.

Thankfully, there are undershirts that can help with preventing pit stains by providing an absorbent barrier between you and your top layer.

If you lean more toward the mild end of the sweat spectrum, an everyday undershirt should cover the majority of your sweat control needs.

However, if you’re more toward the heavy end of the sweat spectrum, your average undershirt likely won’t do.

Whether that sweat is situational or hyperhidrosis, you’ll want to choose an undershirt specifically designed to target under arm sweating with specialty design features and fabrics.

The most popular underarm sweat blocking feature is the underarm sweat pad, which is a built-in pad or several layers of fabric at the underarm to catch and absorb sweat at a much higher volume than traditional undershirts.

For an undershirt with effective underarm sweat pad protection, we recommend the EJIS Sweat Proof Undershirt.

Man wearing EJIS Micro Modal Sweat Proof Undershirt.

Shop at EJIS: EJIS Micro Modal Sweat Proof Undershirt

Available on Amazon: EJIS Micro Modal Sweat Proof Undershirt

For 15% Off Use Coupon Code: TheUR

This undershirt features an extra absorbent micro modal underarm pad that’s soft, breathable, sweat absorbent, and leak proof with 140+ square inches of underarm sweat protection.

Beyond superior sweat protection, we love how this undershirt fits and layers with off-the-shoulder flatlock stitching to reduce friction, added length to prevent ride-up, and anti-odor silver technology.

For more sweat blocking undershirt options, check out our full list of the best undershirts for stopping pit stains.

Does Keeping Your Armpit Hair Shaved Help with Sweat?

A popular sweat management technique implored by many is to shave or trim your armpit hair.

While it may sound strange at first, there are actually quite a few benefits that shaving your armpit hair has to offer someone looking to control their sweating.

For example, sweat tends to gather and pool on underarm hair, which can end up leaving larger sweat stains on your shirt and multiplying that uncomfortable damp feeling.

Additionally, armpit hair traps sweat and bacteria, leading to those unpleasant underarm odors.

Some people have even reported noticing a reduction in underarm sweating after shaving their armpit hair.

Note, however, that shaving your armpit hair is unlikely to stop your underarm sweat altogether.

But it can help with sweat clumping and accumulation, and you may enjoy the overall cooler and fresher underarm feeling (and smell) it provides.

It will also help you to keep your armpit area cleaner (unclogging skin pores has been known to help with sweat reduction) and allow for a more thorough application of anti-perspirant.

If you’re going to shave or trim your underarm hair, be sure to use a device designed to handle sensitive skin areas.

Two of the best body hair trimmers on the market today are the Philips Norelco Body Groomer and the Panasomic Body Groomer.

Available on Amazon: Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7000

Philips Norelco’s Body Groomer is dual-sided with both shaving and trimming capabilities.

This body groomer is shower-proof, easy to clean, and has a rechargeable battery.

Available on Amazon: Panasonic Body Groomer ER-GK80-S

Panasonic’s Body Groomer has an ergonomic design with a unique V-shaped head for hard-to-reach places and round edge blades for a gentle trim.

This body groomer is waterproof and has a rechargeable battery.

Both of these options are highly rated and specially designed to safely trim sensitive areas, such as your armpits.

Pairing a Strong Anti-Perspirant With Your Undershirt

Of course, the most well-known and widely used tool in the sweat management toolbox is anti-perspirant.

And nowadays there are many anti-perspirants to choose from, including many geared toward those with hyperhidrosis.

Pairing a strong anti-perspirant with an undershirt designed to control sweat is the most effective way to control and keep your sweat out of sight.

Finding an anti-perspirant that works best for you, however, can take a little trial and error.

When browsing and researching anti-perspirants, choosing options that are dermatologist recommend are a great place to start.

Here’s a high-quality dermatologist recommended example from Carpe, which is a company that offers an array of products for total body sweat management.