Top 5 Highest Quality Women’s Hiking T-Shirts 2024!

When hiking, we want to wear clothing that fits the activity. It needs to be durable; that goes without saying. But since we will sweat on our hike, it should also wick the moisture away from our skin and help regulate our temperature by being breathable. And it should be comfortable to wear.

I wore the wrong type of T-shirt once when I went hiking. It was made out of a kind of nylon fabric that just wasn’t breathable. As a result, I overheated and sweated more than usual, making me uncomfortable. The only good thing about that fabric was that it wicked the moisture away from my skin, which helped.

I learned from that experience that the material your clothing is made from matters. It needs to suit the activity for which you are wearing it. For example, if you are hiking in early winter, besides being breathable and wicking moisture away from your skin, you might want one that holds body heat in to help keep you warm.

This article lists my top 5 picks for the highest-quality women’s hiking t-shirts. Even though I numbered this list, I did not list these shirts in any particular order. I think the best route is to weigh out the pros and cons of each to see what fits your preferences best. See also my related articles: “Top 5 Highest Quality Men’s Hiking T-Shirts!” and “Top 5 Highest Quality Women’s Hiking Boots 2024!“

1. Smartwool Women’s Merino Short Sleeve Tee

I selected the Smartwool Women’s Merino Short Sleeve Tee to be first on this list because I wanted a high-quality Merino Wool T-Shirt to top the list. I enjoy wearing Merino Wool T-shirts when I go hiking. What I like about Smartwool’s is they wrap their Merino Wool fibers around nylon fibers for added durability. But you still get the comfort of Merino Wool.

Merino Wool is a softer, finer fiber than traditional wool, so it is very comfortable to wear. Since the fibers are finer, they can make thin material that is not too hot to wear, even in the summer. It also has an excellent moisture-wicking ability to keep the moisture away from your skin. And it doesn’t hold odors.

Since Merino Wool is a natural fiber, it breathes exceptionally well. While extremely resilient, Merino Wool is not unbreakable. You wouldn’t want to dry it in a dryer, but it holds up beautifully when washed in a washing machine. Additionally, moth larvae love eating Merino Wool.

2. Ibex Women’s 24 Hour Short Sleeve Low Crew

The Ibex Women’s 24-Hour Short Sleeve Low Crew is a high-quality T-shirt made from 100% Merino Wool instead of 84%, like the Smartwool shirt above. Merino Wool is durable but slightly less than when mixed with a small amount of a durable synthetic like nylon.

Remember, with Merino Wool, you can machine wash it. I would do it on delicate, but you don’t want to dry it in the dryer. Also, keep it away from moths, as they love to eat Merino wool.

Merino Wool is soft and comfortable to wear. Thin shirts like this will be great even in the summer heat. Merino Wool is breathable, wicks moisture away from your skin, and resists odors.

3. Vuori Women’s Pose Fitted T-Shirt

This Vuori Women’s Pose Fitted T-shirt is a high-quality women’s T-shirt that would be great for hiking. It is made from 87% Modal Rayon and 13% Elastane. Model is a type of Rayon made from Beech trees. It is considered partially synthetic. Modal Rayon is very soft and comfortable to wear.

Model Rayon and Elastane (similar to spandex) are excellent at wicking moisture away from your skin. And Model Rayon, in particular, is highly breathable. It also does not hold odors.

Both Model Rayon and Elastane are stretchy fabrics. Model Rayon tends to retain its shape; however, it can wrinkle. It is a long-lasting fabric that resists pilling and fading.

4. On Women’s Active T-shirt

The On Women’s Active T-shirt is another tremendous high-quality shirt you can wear hiking. Made from 93% Lyocell (Tencel®) and 7% Elastane, it does a great job wicking moisture away from your skin.

Tencel Lyocell fibers are incredibly breathable. They are very elastic and soft, making them super comfortable to wear. Another great feature about them is they are wrinkle-resistant!

Tencel Lyocell has a silky feel some may not like. It is a more expensive fabric, like most high-quality fabrics.

Another possible negative about Tencel Lyocell is it does not hold up well in heat. For example, you would not want to machine wash it in water warmer than 86°F (30°C). You would want to iron it if needed on low. Don’t dry clean, tumble dry, or bleach it.

5. Fjallraven Womens Abisko Wool Short-Sleeve T-shirt

The Fjallraven Women’s Abisko Wool Short-Sleeve T-shirt is another high-quality hiking T-shirt made from Merino Wool. This is the most durable Merino Wool shirt on this list because it is made from 50% Merino Wool and 50% Polyester.

Merino Wool by itself is extremely comfortable to wear. This Merino Polyester blend makes for a very comfortable T-shirt to wear as well.

This Merino Wool blend is excellent at wicking moisture away from your skin. And because of the Merino Wool, it also does not hold odors and is highly breathable.

The only possible negatives of this shirt are because of the Polyester, you don’t want to wash it in water warmer than 86°F (30°C). If you iron it, be sure to do it on low. Also, don’t dry clean, tumble dry, or bleach this fabric. Remember also that moth larvae love to eat Merino Wool.

Final Thoughts

The primary consideration when searching for high-quality hiking shirts is the type of material used in their construction. The suitable textiles should be able to drain away moisture and have the following qualities: comfort, breathability, durability, and resistance to odors. Hopefully, this article will provide some great suggestions to set you on the correct path.

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