Columbia recently sent me a Women’s Zero Rules Short Sleeve Shirt to review for ActionHub, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. As someone who normally sticks to tanks while working out, this shirt provided the perfect amount of coverage while exercising at a new gym, which tends to have a temperature that makes it too cold to wear a tank and too warm to wear a long-sleeved shirt.

I normally wear a size medium, but was sent a large for review. Although it fit well, I typically like my workout shirts to be a bit tighter so they remain snug while I move around. For future Columbia shirts, I’ll most likely go with a medium. However, being 5’11”, I think the size large provided me with a bit more length in the shirt, which is always appreciated.

Specs:

Omni-Freeze ZERO™ sweat-activated super cooling
Omni-Wick™
Omni-Shade™ UPF 30 sun protection
Modern Classic Fit
Comfort stretch
Antimicrobial treatment protects this product from bacterial growth
Center Back Length: 24.5 in
100 percent polyester ZERO interlock

I tested out the shirt during three separate workouts, the first being running on a treadmill. To be honest, I normally hate working out in anything other than a tank. With the increase in body heat, I immediately become uncomfortable in clothing with any kind of sleeves. I was wary at first, but I realized after a few minutes I wasn’t at all frustrated by heat, as the shirt was extremely breathable. The shirt did move around a bit near my waist and would lift a little with each stride, which was slightly distracting, but not overly so.

The second time I wore the shirt I was doing a simple 30-minute session of weight lifting. I found this to be the ideal shirt for that workout. It allowed me to keep a pretty normal temperature and because I wasn’t making rapid movements like I do when I run, having a slightly larger shirt worked.

The last time I tested the shirt was in a medium intensity yoga class, which is my exercise of choice. In class, I always wear a tank, but figured I’d give the Columbia shirt a shot. This wasn’t a class where you’re drenched in sweat by the end of it—only mildly. While it was again very breathable throughout, I found the looseness of the shirt’s abdominal area to cause problems, especially with inversions. I was constantly trying to tuck my shirt into my yoga pants. With one size smaller, I’m sure it would have been fine.

All in all, the Omni-Freeze ZERO technology that’s incorporated into the shirt worked wonderfully. Because I’m big about having fitted, comfortable clothing in high heat, this shirt was a nice surprise—even with its sleeves. While I most likely won’t wear it to yoga again, it’s been perfect for the gym.

While I reviewed the shirt in the color Geyser, which is a light turquoise, it’s also available in Groovy Pink, Black, Hot Coral, Laser Red, Tippet, Whitened Violet, White, and Airstream.