We put UNI-QLO HEAT TECH to the test | Behind the Tech

[@MTerrance]

While I loved this video, please do not make a similar one on flame-resistant garments. Just saying.

[@raraavis7782]

'For science!' WhOOOsh 🔥

[@SDeCookie]

As a fire performer, PLEASE make one on flame resistant garments! We need it 😅

[@mon3ylounge]

Love this, you’re doing what a lot of fashion KZbinrs aren’t

[@bhraazkashyap7461]

Ridiculously good quality. The sub has been worth it

[@TheStyleMirrror]

This is literally one of my favorite channels. I was always into fashion, but your videos have really helped me understand the importance of quality materials in the clothes I wear.

[@gaelhepworth5051]

I live with Multiple Sclerosis, very temperature sensitive. Love heat tech and airism products from UNIQLO. Easy to layer to deal with climate change. Outstanding review!

[@Zilero]

Wow, you guys really are doing the most, I never expected this level of testing and production quality! Interesting to know a CLO is based on 1940’s suit, that makes a lot of sense with how cold I still feel despite the heat ratings.

[@itbakkawi]

I would love to see how this compares to like merino wool, alpaca, etc. So many anecdotal claims, but a more "scientific" approach would be nice.

[@WeatherManToBe]

You can't. That's how they get away with all the claims. Anytime you see ANY comparative word like 'warmer', dries 'faster' etc you have to ask, "compared to what?". And they will always be comparing to the worst full synthetic garment ever made. Nothing with any amount of synthetic material can compare to even the lowest quality natural fibre.

[@gikiryu]

@@WeatherManToBe haha good synthetic material can definitely hold up to a poorly put-together piece of clothing made of natural fibre.

[@danielnichols6024]

@@WeatherManToBe I agree that synthetic is widely used in things it shouldn't be used for because it's cheaper and that it isn't great for the environment. It's important to note things like gore-tex are more windproof and waterproof. If you are a artic explorer, astronaut, or deep sea diver you are going to be in synthetic material because it can be made with properties that natural does not possesses. Now in regular peoples lives probably all you need is a synthetic umbrella at most.

[@XCHDragox115]

I live in Nunavut, I have their Merino wool sweater and it is warm. Plus heat tech. It makes a difference. Now a caveat, you can put layers of anything and it will be warm, sure. But this does allow for me to be warm while being lightweight.

[@DanjaundTom]

@@elemenopi55but how do you deal with wool directly on your skin? I can’t do that with my sensitive skin 😢

[@Uncle.Pipo.]

I love this channel. You’ve cost me money, instead of shopping for clothes at Costco & Sam’s Club, now shopping at Lulu & Uniq. I am waiting on my Thursday sneakers to come in; feeling like a cool kid agin 😂. thank you for the quality breakdowns, helps us that insist on value. thank you

[@bidondegasolina]

Same here!

[@tc7909]

The thinner one is part of my daily uniform for under my scrubs. It is a bit chilly in a hospital. Also when I travel it is a lightweight effective base layer

[@whaiyun]

I love my heattech base layers. Best purchase I’ve made and lasts a long time. Makes a huge difference in reducing bulk in the winter

[@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory]

I’m a silk fan, but yeah, love base layers for always feeling warm without wearing a thousand layers.

[@LucificNight]

More than the actual test itself, the thinking that goes into these tests is fascinating. I'd have just tested these garments one-by-one, instead of cutting them into two and sewing them together for a head-to-head comparison in the same conditions. And then thinking of a walk-in freezer as a possible refinement to get a more consistent test environment when the weather proved too inconsistent. The results were interesting, but the problem-solving during experiment design? That's my jam right there.

[@Mrinfamous6981]

It would be great to include a moisture component. As something could be warmer but not as breathable causing you to be colder in the long term.

[@haidao778]

Informative! Really enjoying this channel!

[@JaxNoodle]

Thank you for accounting for smell and quality. I have had to off-gas clothing I thought was quality. This aspect of accessing quality is key for me.

[@rosecolouredglasses]

Doing the hard hitting investigative journalism that will heal this broken broken world!

[@rockbande98]

This video was great! Good information, clean video great edits, not a lot of bs you've earned a new subscription!

[@agnieszkaczerwinska6640]

We used heattech (thin) during our summer holidays in Iceland (camping). Comparing to woolen undergarments it was a much more economical option and we were very satisfied with the heattech t-shirts and leggings- thin and comfortable, great for layering. I like their ballet neckline (i think it’s what they call it) which is perfect for mild winter layering for indoor use.

[@panganaranga]

I had some heattech socks I bought in Shanghai in 2015. I have to say, they did not only did a great job, keeping my feet warm AND dry. They were not even thick, but waffled on a very small scale. Then, they were off supreme quality. I had them for around 7 years. Worn a lot during the colder times here in germany, so around 5-6 month.

[@wildgooseberrytea]

In terms of experiment design, now you have to redo this test WITHOUT cutting the fabric. Do first one separately, and then another one separately. Since by cutting it you basically reduce the properties of the better fabric, since now you are “leaking” heat from the “weak side”. Thats why you experiemnt cant prove or deny the 2.5 times claim, it is not a clean experiment. But all this just to nerd out completelt 😂 Otherwise excellent video! Can’t wait to see more of your experiment!

[@Shiftfashiongroup]

Thanks for the suggestion! We opted to seam the two shirts together rather than testing them separately as the fluctuations in outdoor temperature between tests may also have had an effect on the data. Hence, we did our best to find a good balance of having both a decent comparison of the two garments and something that would be visually interesting for this first test. Going forward, we’re looking to find a more consistent environment like a walk-in freezer to do these kinds of tests, as this would allow us to do more objective comparisons than we can do using the outdoors as our test environment. We’re also working on designing a more consistent temperature source that we can use for all of our tests, as we want to make sure that we have much more repeatable testing conditions before we begin to rate things (as we do in our Industry Secrets series). -Zak

[@wildgooseberrytea]

@Shiftfashiongroup thank you for such a detailed reply 🤍

[@felipefariast]

True, I thought the same

[@herbertho]

loving where this is going! would be interested in learning how long the anti microbial treatments last in something like this and whether it's more or less effective than using something like merino wool to combat odor over repeated wears.

[@ryanrobicheaux3896]

My wife and I love these shirts. We found them amazing (especially the ultra warm) when we were in Disney in the December. Great base layer if you're going to be outside for extended periods (theme parks, sporting events). For me, the regular Heat Tech is perfect under a hoodie on cold days in our relatively mild, southern climate.

[@Plague_Doc22]

Lovved how detailed you guys went with this. I actually bought both of these last month.

[@g.p.3655]

These videos are always awesome but this one went above and beyond. Super impressed, will always say that you guys should be way more popular. For a potential Behind the Tech video idea, it would be cool to see something for the outdoorsy crowd, who certainly put a lot more emphasis on the scientific and tested merits of their materials compared to the average consumer. One specific idea would be the difference in performance between a GORE-TEX garment and a PFAS-free alternative to GORE-TEX PRO like Patagonia's H2No. It's a very relevant topic and I'd personally love to see this.

[@Shiftfashiongroup]

Thanks for the suggestion! Patagonia claims their H₂No garments are "made without intentionally added PFAS", which seems to imply that there may be some level of PFAS in their garments even if they don't directly add any. It would be interesting to not only compare if the addition of PFAS is necessary for weather resistance, but also is there is actually any PFAS present in Patagonia's garments.

[@paulchen7628]

Love the new production value on this series! Would love to see more testing on outdoor wear or active wear expensive vs affordable brands

[@saiforos7928]

You can do room temperature meat in a garment in a freezer for consistent measuring. You could use a wireless meat thermometer to plot heat loss

[@shruts_na]

Please can you do Popflex by Blogilates next. Its marketed to be very high quality but I am a bit sceptical. Love how you guys are pushing conscious consumerism out here.

[@a97b18b]

For the price these are great. I use them both in the winter

[@dperreno]

Really interesting test! I feel for you sitting on that metal chair in the freezing cold - and no sun makes a surprising difference! Brrrr!!

[@abacavip6426]

Great video! Love that you’re testing claims from the manufacturer- this one seemed to come close to their claims. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@SmallStuffMatters]

Can you do a video on cashmere and why some pills and some doesn't?

[@aznpridebuhhd]

Really enjoyed this and how you made the shirt to ensure same testing conditions!

[@javin_lau]

This is awesome. Put Toronto on the map!

[@J3unG]

I am a big fan too! I appreciate this channel and the work they are doing. i am a hobbyist tailor and interested in the way garments are constructed. The work on this channel is always detailed, timely, interesting and useful. Keep up the good work, guys!!

[@des177ond]

Great testing! No one else is doing this! If i may, I'd like to make a suggestion for your next video, as I've always wondered, is it better to wear 2 layers of thin heattech rather than 1 layer of Ultra warm heattech? Because when it comes to hiking, I want to go as light as possible so if 2 layers of thin heattech is as good as 1 ultrawarm , I'd rather bring 2 thin heattechs, its just gives me more options to adjust to the weather and even allows me to wash 1 and wear the other. Weight wise both options seem to be fairly close, that's why this is a legit consideration.

[@jennifertavares1682]

I'd love to see more Uniqlo general merchandise evaluation and also other heat/cooling brands evaluation. There is one that Costco sells called 32degrees heat and cooling lines

[@hharukii]

Really appreciate all your hard work! Just here to add that Heat Tech gets warmer if you sweat in it, because it supposedly converts vapor into heat. So an idea could be to try doing some activities with varying intensity to try out how warm the normal vs ultra one gets!

[@elizabethtorresseal1859]

Me living in Texas, being cold at 68 degrees 😅

[@crosser985]

There’s also the Heattech Extra Warm which is a middle point between these two, it might be the best of both worlds

[@feelingpeachi3]

I’m loving this!! I want to break down more tech! 🎉

[@jennifertavares1682]

Me going for walks in my regular heatech pants in -20C thinking yeah these are good 😂 Seriously though you were just sitting there in a shell not moving that's dedication!

[@Kairi-ou]

Oh I wear these in the black version for work! They definitely last a long while, and keep the heat in in cold temperatures. My work uniform is just a thin black shirt and winter mornings get really bad without this layer, I do agree it gets unbearable the closer it gets to 15-20c degrees though.

[@Cermagine]

would love to see you guys do this sort of thing for more outdoorsy brands. Like a puffer jacket comparison between like Uniqlo -> Patagonia/TNF -> Arcteryx or something. Or even between the different fill ratings of one brand. Not much objectivity in this space and options can be pretty confusing

[@kevinstarlike]

I use Heat Tech ultra warm as a base layer (shirt and pants) while motorcycling (down to 5°C) and I am pretty happy with it. Granted, I have no other dedicated base layer to compare it to, but compared to a cotton shirt and nothing underneath my riding jeans, it is a noticeable difference. I'm comfortable for around an hour of riding before I look for a spot to warm up.

[@barbaragarnes6733]

Thanks for the review! I wear both qualities. Ultra leggings are great under my pants. The proof for me is WALKING in the cold. I found that I felt WARMER when walking. My body was generating heat and the Heat Tech kept me toasty. It was when I stood still (waiting for a bus) that I started to "cool" down. I was still warm yet could feel the difference between moving and standing still. Like you were sitting on that metal chair. BRRRR!

[@idiorico]

I greatly appreciate the effort man... Thanks

[@piyushjain4349]

Amazing work bro, I am from India can you please cover some of Indian brands like overlays, soul Store? Love to see ur views on them ❤❤❤

[@Notgonfreecs]

Thank you for sharing so much garment knowledge to regular consumers like us. I've been researching about garments and materials myself just out of curiosity and thank you for stating why certain materials are used in garments and especially shedding light on what would be a more sustainable purchase for consumers like us. I would love to see segments or interviews with manufacturers explaining how they're able to manufacture such volumes. why pick certain materials and lastly, what is the future trend we need to expect from clothing industries? Are we moving or starting to move in a sustainable direction or are we regressing in terms of fabric technology?

[@-MacCat-]

Great video. Thanks. I will like to see you continue this test.

[@ClaudeShih]

Actually the acrylic content is a functional yarn which could absorb the moisture to turn into the heat

[@Shiftfashiongroup]

That's the rayon, not acrylic 👍

[@ClaudeShih]

@ I studied heat tech few years ago. They implant a material called Acrylate into fibers. The content also needs 30% minimum could meet heat function. Rayon content on basic and ultra heat is less 30%. It seems not enough to achieve heat function.

[@m.f.3347]

One possible way to measure more consistently would be to have an insulated box that you separate in half with the fabric you're testing. One half would contain a heat source and the other would just be at ambient temperature. You could then measure the temperature differential on both sides of the fabric, as well as the heat transfer over time. You could use this test apparatus inside of a climate-controlled chamber as well. Great video

[@Shiftfashiongroup]

Thank you; we're actually working on building this exact thing to use for our testing going forward!

[@Richard-mb5gq]

Nice test. Adding an infrared thermal camera might be worth considering. There are some USB models that plug into a phone and aren't too expensive.

[@justletmesleep_]

This is really cool, thank you! I think the walk in freezer is a good idea. I want to buy some thermals for my dad who is always cold in the office building, and i think the regular heattech might be good for him

[@nightismonochrome]

I'm curious what the effects of the rayon would be, say under a brisk walk as compared to a resting state. That paired with what equilibrium temperature they reach under the brisk walk, as they do have different insulation values. Since your body temperature is usually uniform, I'd suspect that the probe would be warmer, directly on the skin by the ultra. There's also the possibility of the inverse, where it's colder directly outside of the ultra compared to the normal heat tech, since the normal heat tech should be leaking more heat. Then again, also the possibility that the difference is negligible, especially as you go higher in activity intensity. Great video.

[@mycroft8380]

I feel like you’re gatekeeping some great brands from us! I’m sure you have your favorite tee, favorite pants, favorite jacket! You wear T-shirts that I want, great collar, great fit, great length, etc. Stop the gatekeeping!

[@Shiftfashiongroup]

Joe - haha I actually don't. Each brand will use multiple suppliers. So some items are good and some are bad. For example I like stone island jackets, but I have have had pants and shirts from them that are not worth the price. That's why I don't really want to give a brand a over all gold seal without exploring their entire product offering. Because I know that will be a disservice to our audience. A brand will not get my recognition without deserving it. As for the shirt. We are working on a project that that shirt is a part of. Stay tuned 🙏

[@mycroft8380]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply!

[@comfyquill]

Awesome video! I love that you are doing objective tests. I don't know any other KZbinrs doing this kind of work. A suggestion for future measurements for your last graph (showing Outside Base Layer temp): The base layer prevents heat from reaching the temperature probe, so temperatures measured this way will be lower than without a base layer. You can do two tests sequentially: one with the base layer and one without.

[@Shiftfashiongroup]

Thanks for the suggestion and glad you enjoyed the video! We opted not to do a control since the outdoor temperature was fluctuating enough throughout the day that it would be difficult to easily repeat the test. We're working on designing a new heat source that we can use going forward which doesn't require throwing Joe out in the cold and will make it easier to do control testing and directly compare garments, even across multiple videos.

[@bo5pice]

Would be cool to get a top 5 things you look for to gauge the quality of a garment when youre shopping

[@cossav2560]

Look here is what you do. You take two boxes made of any material, let's say plastic. In each box you put boiling water and a thermometer that you can read in real time (lot's of cheap options online). You insulate one box with the cloth from one type and the other with cloth from the other type you're testing. You put them out in same environment next to eachother. The difference in time it takes for the water to reach the temperature of the outside environment is a direct indicator of the ability of the two types of cloth to insulate. If you really want to take the measurement to the extreme you in insulate the boxes with like 4, 5 or even 6 layers of the same material. This way the temperature drop will be much slower and you'll able to see smaller differences between the two matierials. You're welcome.

[@gastonsgaspuitis]

Great, now I want them both!

[@ft4686]

omg i freaking love your content! so helpful!

[@ounasi]

In my city, it's not only humid but also cold. When it's around freezing (0°C), no matter what brand of underwear people wear, everyone needs to wear a mid-layer, or they'll be shivering from the cold. And once you're wearing that mid-layer, it doesn't really matter whether your base layer has 1x or 2.5x the warmth efficiency

[@cocoa8937]

Love the content!

[@skygaz3r]

I’m more curious how does the heat tech (thicker version) compare to cashmere, merino wool or other winter undershirts

[@MightMike7124]

Great video! This is something I always wanted to know!

[@xoFess]

I’d like to see the other features tested as well: the breathability, stinkproofness, etc

[@bloodshot6]

I’d like to see two different tests with one garment at a time. It was neat seeing both attached as one piece. What is the most comfortable to wear for indoor and outdoors for daily use?

[@shakar.bajalan]

Would love to see a review about Columbia Omni-Heat Infinity base layer and comparing it to this one to which one is preserving more warmth

[@Vlican]

Thanks for doing this

[@rumbleC]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. What are your thoughts on Icebreaker? Is it the best merino wool baselayer with affordable price? How does it compared to other brand's merino wool baselayer?

[@RC-ff3kn]

Test a mesh base layer brynje! Is it really better mw?

[@edmundyee3388]

Watching this and a Uniqlo ad shows up 😂

[@AliasHSW]

Love heatech and airism. Good bang for the buck

[@JostenDooley]

Please also do a Nike therma heat test as well

[@LucaWhittakerCamaiani]

I’d be interested to see you compare Heat Tech with GU’s Style Heat. If you’re unfamiliar with GU, it’s owned by the same parent company as Uniqlo and you can think of it as Uniqlo on a budget. They sell very similar products to Heat Tech called Style Heat for a bit cheaper than Heat Tech and I’ve wondered if they’re basically the same product under another name.

[@AngelAssassin117]

This was a good quality video. Commenting for the algo

[@FloppyAnomaly]

What shirts do you wear yourself?

[@LuisGarcia-Vids]

I first want to say that I appreciate what you’re doing. I want to show my appreciation by sharing some thoughts. 1. I live in Kansas and the temperature drops to below zero (Fahrenheit and Celsius) several times per year. Despite that fact, I didn’t know how to dress in layers until my late 30s when some friends from Minnesota were casually talking about it. Maybe there’s a role for you to be that friend that teaches how to stay warm. 2. I’ve embraced the concept of being comfortably cold when I plan to be outside for a long time to reduce the chances of sweating while in freezing conditions. 3. There are two main use cases when I plan to be in the cold. 1) going around town where I’ll only be outside and 5-10 minutes at a time and 2) being outside for 30 minutes or longer while doing something active like hiking or sledding. I’d want to know how the item would do in those two use cases. 4. Being able to regulate temperature is important to me and if that’s a feature in the item of clothing I’d want to know. 5. Knowing what temperature to use an item (I.e. conditions that the item was designed or intended for) is important. 6. Putting it all together: base layer, middle layer, outer layer. 7. Continue calling out comfort transitioning from cold to “normal” conditions (I.e. home or office) and vice versa. If I can be of any additional help let me know.

[@kart182]

leveled up

[@cassiohui]

I dont want to be "that guy" but you can't compare degrees celsius and say its 2x warmer, because celsius (and farenheit for that matter) is basically an arbitary scale. But a great start and an interesting experiment!

[@Jason-fp7vi]

Woulda been good to plot the actual temps in Celsius rather than just the difference in Celsius. Yes they could just report the difference in Kelvin and be fine, but most people don't know how Kelvin works. If they had the absolute temps in Celsius, people that are turbo geek enough to care could pause and do the math in Kelvin ourselves

[@mycroft8380]

It would be great if you could do a deeper dive on OVO, I see you’ve just done a T-shirt thus far although the brand has hoodies and much more as I’m sure you know. I’m knee-deep in the brand so I need to know the truth!😂

[@Shiftfashiongroup]

It's definitely on the to do list! We are actually based in Toronto as well

[@MrTrill409]

Awesome content!!! I subscribed!!! 🫰🏼

[@OwenChiu]

Can you go over your favorite clothing brands

[@telissa1000]

Would love for you to test ice break merino thermals to compare

[@huistheman]

Why not wrap the fabric around something like a warm water bottle or something? Then you can standardize the starting temperature, remove any noise from the shiver response, and also not be miserable in the cold.

[@mimih119]

I find that heattech does not absorb sweat. If I walked into a store in winter and was very warm, then I get very cold when I walk outside because of the sweat. I think merino wool is better in this aspect. I’m curious to see your testing results.

[@god-318]

Hi! Could you do a comparison between Uniqlo clothing quality and their sister brand GU? The GU is slightly cheaper with some items like the puffer jackets way less expensive. I would love to know if the increased cost was worth it for most items. Thanks!

[@degelhia7402]

Amazing videos!! Curious how it compares to regular cotton long sleeve, wonder if base layer is just a hype

[@Mrinfamous6981]

I can just answer that. Cotton will absolutely make you colder than a more technical fabric or wool. This is because of the cooling effect cotton has. Because it does not dry quickly thus any amount of moisture stays in contact with you longer cooling you off. In terms of performance your really looking for a fast drying and high wicking material. Warmth is less of a interest when thinking about a base layer for sport or performance activities.

[@Project6908]

Well I'm curious to know what shoes were you wearing??

[@tommyherlimus]

20⁰C in my place is really cold.....different country different perception of heat

[@SleepyChoco]

How does one wash these ?

[@remo72tg]

just subscribed 👍

[@dnel9127]

Can you review clothes from Saaltstudio next? Love your videos!

[@sunnyyshc]

I never feel cold other than walking to/from the car to the destination (mostly

[@sunnyyshc]

actually, maybe a fleece seat cover will do.

[@daniellet.3072]

What’s the brand of his shoes?

[@Reina.Nijinsky]

Subbed 👍🏼

[@vletrmx]

Absolutely taking huge steps in improved the quality of your videos even more. With regards to heat loss, the subject wearing the fabric is also a variable - full or empty stomach, tiredness, … maybe doing a test on a dummy might give the most “clean” results that ofc don’t consider the water vapor loss of the human body.

[@buffawhale]

I miss you so much, I really want your shaker bottle back again T_T The Umoro

[@fjskj6529]

Comment caveat: I run pretty warm. Used to run and cycling in the winter I have an Ultra Warm turtle neck and holy shiet I don’t know the use case for it It’s too warm for winter unless you’re just standing around. Once you start moving it acts like a sweatsuit The only way I think it can work is you wear a spring or fall jacket. No way that can be worn for any activity

[@frankhu8692]

Still polartec is way warmer, i personally tested my newest heattech ultra and my polartec thighs. In terms of keeping my legs warm, my uniqlo works around 10 degree celcius whereas polartec works even-15 degree celcius.

[@呵呵呵呵-l6i]

Would you compare other brands that offer baselayer in different warmth and see if their claims are true?

[@ft4686]

i would prefer if you do this test over two separate days in a giant freezer. also, maybe put the probe at the armpit area instead? how longjohns are supposed to work is to create a tight fit -- not allowing any air in. cutting them up and stitching them does seem to have allowed some air to go in via the seams....

[@wherever5210]

Please do a review of Unbound Merino or comparison with other popular merino wool brands. Really want to know if it's worth the money. Thanks.