Salomon Discontinued The Fast Wing Tee in December 2017
REASONS TO BUY
Great feature set
Zip-neck
Sleek fit
REASONS TO AVOID
Uncomfortable stitching and fabric
Salomon Fast Wing Tee Review
Credit: Salomon
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Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Salomon Fast Wing Tee is without doubt the most unique running shirt that we tested and has features that we have not seen before in any other running shirt. We also liked it for its sleeker fit, breathable paneling, and its style. Unfortunately, we found the Fast Wing Tee to be our least comfortable shirt, mostly due to the abrasiveness of the seam stitching on the inside of the shirt, but we also found the fabric to feel a bit itchy. These complaints are admittedly very nit-picky, and didn't stop us from wearing it during the Jemez Mountains 50 mile ultra race. It served us well on that outing and we greatly appreciated its race-specific features.
Performance Comparison
While our Top Pick winner was one of our favorites for its features and design, we were sad that it wasn't as comfortable as the others. Specifically the seam sewing was abrasive and itchy.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley
Comfort
We could only award the Fast Wing Tee a 5 out of 10 for comfort as it was the least comfortable shirt of the bunch. What we did like was Salomon's “Active Fit,” which accommodated our wide shoulders but was sleeker in the torso, without constriction. It was our favorite fitting shirt. However, the main fabric felt a little itchy to us and reminded us of our little league baseball uniform's rough polyester — not a great memory. The seam stitching on the inside of the shirt felt abrasive, especially around the neck zipper. This is such a well-made shirt that we really wish that this wasn't an issue. We much preferred taped seams on The North Face Kilowatt.
The Fast Wing has a far tighter and more “athletic” fit than any of the other shirts, a feature that we really loved. We also liked the zip-neck for ventilation options.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley
Breathability
The Fast Wing Tee features mesh breathing panels seemingly everywhere. Panels under the arms stretch all the way down the sides, and panels on the back of the neck cover the entire middle back of the shirt. They do an effective job as this shirt breathes well.
Drying Speed
Despite being constructed of Salomon's “ActiveDry” fabric, we found that the primary material was the second slowest to dry in our drying test.
Versatility
The Fast Wing is designed specifically for use with a pack. The silicon shoulder print keeps the pack firmly in place while the low side pockets are still easily accessible.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley
Features
We awarded the Fast Wing our Top Pick for Features, so it must have some good ones, right? We especially loved the dual side pockets, which sit just above the waistline and are easily within reach without awkward contortions or zippers to manipulate. We often stored gels, energy chews, granola bars, and trash wrappers in these pockets. They are great for use with or without a pack, as their location is designed to not interfere with anything on your back. If only every shirt had these pockets!
A close up of the shoulder shows the silicon “pearls” that are sticky and do a great job of protecting the shoulder from abrasion and more importantly keeping a running pack firmly in place. The side effect is that there is no shirt “ride-up” when wearing the pack. Also shown is breathable mesh.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley
Additional features that we loved were the silicon dots printed onto the shoulders. Not only did they cut down on abrasion to the shirt while wearing a running pack, but they accomplished their primary purpose of keeping the pack in place wonderfully. The side effect of a pack that didn't move was there was no shirt ride-up on our backs, an oh-so-common problem. We also enjoyed the 1/2 zip neck, which gave us great freedom of ventilation.
Dual side pockets on the Fast Wing are incredible for organization and are a feature we wish every running shirt had. The pocket is plenty large enough for these energy chews, here they are intentionally sticking out for the sake of demonstration in the photo. Also shown is breathable mesh panels running up the back and sides under the armpits.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley
Style
Although the look of this shirt is decidedly European and road-biking influenced, we found it to be the best looking shirt of the bunch. The Patagonia Capilene Lightweight T-Shirt also has a slightly tighter fit.
Best Applications
The Fast Wing Tee is designed for ultra races or long days in the mountains or on the trail, and that is where it will excel. It would not be our first choice for road running or racing.
Value
With an MSRP of $65.00, this is the least affordable shirts in our review. If you need a specialized technical shirt for ultra-efforts, then we think it is worth it. But if you are not concerned with all the special features, many more affordable shirts would serve you better.
Conclusion
The Salomon Fast Wing Tee is a running shirt that comes with great features, but also suffers from some unfortunate drawbacks. While we loved the built-in pockets, shoulder print, and zip-neck, we were quite unimpressed by its lack of comfort. While the abrasive seam stitching didn't keep us from wanting to wear it, it is easy for us to imagine a slightly tweaked and better version of this same shirt.
—
Andy Wellman
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