Wardrobe Ledger

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Under Armour

Start with the activity and the exact product family. HeatGear is a light warm-weather base layer, ColdGear is the warmer one, and their synthetic fibres are appropriate for sweat management; neither label makes unrelated lifestyle clothing better. Read Storm carefully: it usually identifies a breathable water-repellent treatment, while only products explicitly labelled waterproof—such as Stormproof Cloudstrike or Drive Rain—should be bought for sustained rain. Official reductions of roughly 30–50% recur across seasonal colours, but core HeatGear and ColdGear around €35–55 are already sensibly priced. Buy those for training rather than applying a blanket 'never pay retail' rule.

Scores

5.2D€€ → € on sale

Quality
6/10
Design
4/10
Appeal
5/10

Usually €35–265

What to buy, and what to skip

  • StrongPerformance & Sport

    Usually €35–75Buy at or below €30

    Still the clearest reason to buy the brand. Core men's HeatGear compression tops and shorts sit around €35–45, ColdGear fitted or compression base layers around €55, and better running shorts or seamless tops reach roughly €60–75. These are purpose-built synthetic layers where moisture movement, stretch and quick drying are the product rather than a cost saving. Around €30–40 for HeatGear or €45–55 for ColdGear is fair; choose compression, fitted or loose by activity rather than assuming one fit is universally better. The previous decade-long durability claim was anecdotal and has been removed.

  • DecentSweats & Hoodies

    Usually €55–110Buy at or below €40

    The entry Rival Fleece is better value than the previous verdict allowed: the current crew is about €55, hoodies €60–65, and the standard hoodie is an honestly disclosed 80% cotton/20% polyester fleece with a brushed interior. Seasonal colours regularly approach €35–45. Premium Unstoppable pieces reach €100–110 and shift to a more technical 65% polyester/29% cotton/6% elastane double knit with stretch and quick drying; useful for movement, but poor fibre value as ordinary leisurewear. Buy Rival near €40 for a gym or casual layer. Do not pay €100 merely because a sweatshirt is branded technical.

  • DecentJackets & Coats

    Usually €75–265Buy at or below €100

    The useful range now runs from €75–120 running and training jackets through €100–170 waterproof Cloudstrike or Drive Rain shells to €180–265 down jackets; a Limitless parka can reach €365. The €110 ColdGear Infrared Shield 2.0 is a real three-layer windproof softshell with four-way stretch and a fluorine-free water-repellent finish. The distinction matters: Storm usually means water-repellent, not waterproof, while Cloudstrike and Drive Rain models state waterproofing explicitly. Around €80–110 is good value for a named rain or cold-weather function; pay more for down only after checking fill and intended use.

  • DecentBags

    Usually €35–140Buy at or below €40

    Hustle remains a sensible low-cost backpack, but the category is broader than the old €45–75 band. Hustle Lite, Sport and 6.0 models run about €35–65, Contain backpack-duffels €65–80, and Summit or No Weigh packs reach roughly €90–140. Many models state a water-repellent finish and sport-specific pockets; that is useful, but Under Armour publishes no load testing or evidence for the old claim that owners routinely get several years from every model. Around €35–45 is the value target for a Hustle, while pricier packs must earn it through capacity and layout.

  • DecentFootwear

    Usually €70–250Buy at or below €100

    The blanket avoid is no longer defensible. Current running shoes span €70–100 entry models, €130–170 Halo and Infinite daily trainers, €180 Velociti Pro and roughly €250 plated or collaboration racers, with recurring sale prices around €65–125. Independent lab testing found the Infinite Elite 2 cushioned, stable and unusually durable, though still heavy; the Velociti Elite 2 offers good fit, grip and race pace but is heavy for a super-shoe and showed weak outsole durability. Buy the Infinite Elite 2 or another well-reviewed daily trainer near €90–110 after trying the relatively narrow forefoot. At €180–250, specialist rivals remain more consistent.

  • AvoidT-Shirts

    Separate training tops from casual jersey. HeatGear, Vanish and Tech pieces belong under performance; the sportswear rail is mostly logo cotton or cotton blends around €28–50. Even the €40 Heavyweight embroidered tee is 60% cotton and 40% polyester, so 'heavyweight' does not imply dense pure cotton. That can be comfortable, but it is not better casual fibre value than H&M, Mango or Marc O'Polo. Buy UA synthetic for exercise; do not pay €40–50 for the logo on a casual blend.

  • AvoidKnitwear

    The men's range has no repeatable wool-knit programme. Product names containing knit usually describe synthetic construction—such as engineered knit, tricot or a knitted tracksuit—while the warm casual layers are fleece. That is not evidence that an isolated wool collaboration can never exist, but it means Under Armour should not be treated as a knitwear brand. Buy ColdGear for training warmth and wool from a knitwear-led maker.

On the design score

The lowest design score here for a brand that is otherwise competently made, and that gap is the whole point of keeping this axis separate from quality. On the no-logo test the axis actually measures, Under Armour has close to nothing: take the wordmark off and you're holding a shiny grey synthetic tee. There is no Samba in the archive — no single object it made that people would still want with the badge removed — and that, not build quality, is the three points between it and Adidas. Level with Reserved at 4 by the opposite route: Reserved designs clothes that don't survive; Under Armour builds things that last and never designed them in the first place.

Who owns it

Under Armour, Inc. (US, listed)

Owned by

How this was judged

Researched. Confidence high, checked 2026-08.

Wardrobe Ledger is an independent clothing research project and is not affiliated with the brands listed.

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