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Asics PR Lyte Short Sleeve Review

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asics pr lyte short sleeve running shirt review
Credit: Asics
Price:  $38 List
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Manufacturer:   ASICS
By Andy Wellman ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Jun 4, 2015
77
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 30% 8.0
  • Breathability - 20% 8.0
  • Drying Speed - 15% 9.0
  • Versatility - 15% 7.0
  • Features - 15% 6.0
  • Style - 5% 7.0

Our Verdict

Asics discontinued the PR Lyte shirt.
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Fast drying and breathable
Affordable
REASONS TO AVOID
Large fit
Annoying neck trim
The Asics PR Lyte Short Sleeve is a very simple running shirt that does an above average job of breathing and drying, keeping you cool on those hot days. It is also very comfortable. It is the only shirt in our review to incorporate spandex into its fabric weave, making it pleasantly stretchy. But overall, what you see is what you get, as there aren't too many features to speak of. This is a simple and functional shirt at an affordable price.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Asics PR Lyte Short Sleeve is a classic good-at-everything but not exceptional at anything type of running shirt. It's difficult to point out anything specifically wrong with it, and yet in every category of our rankings there was a better performer. Its most unique feature is the 6% spandex fiber woven into the polyester, making it extra stretchy compared to the competition. That said, we didn't feel like we needed all that stretchiness as the cut was the largest of the group.

Performance Comparison


asics pr lyte short sleeve running shirt review - fast drying, breathable, and comfortable, the pr lyte was one of our...
Fast drying, breathable, and comfortable, the PR Lyte was one of our top picks for road running, here on the Camp Bird Road, home of the famous Imogene Pass Race.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley

Comfort


One of the most comfortable shirts in the review. Our only complaint is that the logo neck tape sewn on to the inside back of the neck, designed to reduce abrasion against the neck, was unfortunately annoyingly abrasive. The fit is the largest and least restrictive of any shirt in the review.

asics pr lyte short sleeve running shirt review - this shirt had the largest and widest fit of any of the ones we...
This shirt had the largest and widest fit of any of the ones we tested. No constriction here!
Credit: Elizabeth Riley

Breathability


Like the Patagonia Capilene Lightweight T-Shirt, the PR Lyte does not use different mesh panels to help with breathability. The predominantly polyester fabric that Asics uses throughout the shirt is very thin and has closely spaced breathing holes. We found it to be plenty adequate.

Drying Speed


Second only to the Capilene Lightweight T-Shirt, the PR Lyte was a very fast drying shirt. This is not a surprise since it is composed of the thinnest fabric of all the shirts. With no fancy frills, it is very effective at wicking and drying.

asics pr lyte short sleeve running shirt review - simple with no flairs. the asics logo on the front here is...
Simple with no flairs. The Asics logo on the front here is reflective and the neon shoulder panel is made of the same breathable and fast drying, super thin polyester as the rest of the shirt.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley

Versatility


While the PR Lyte makes for a great running shirt, we are certainly concerned about its durability given the very thin, lightweight nature of its fabric. There are no reinforcements to aid with abrasion, so we feel it is not the best choice for wearing with a pack or as a base layer.

Features


There is not much to be said for features on this shirt. It has two reflective logos that are bright, one on the front and one on the back.

Style


This shirt is pretty much middle of the road. It looks like a decent running shirt, and has different colored panels on the shoulders to accent the look.

asics pr lyte short sleeve running shirt review - this shirt was the only one that included elastic fibers (6%) woven...
This shirt was the only one that included elastic fibers (6%) woven in with the predominantly polyester, making it extra stretchy. It was also the largest of the men's size large, a little too wide for this frame.
Credit: Elizabeth Riley

Best Applications


This shirt is best used as a road running or racing shirt. We think it will wear out quickly if used with a running pack on too much.

Value


With an MSRP of $38.00, this is the most affordable one in our review by one dollar! While we don't think it's a bad value at all, we would recommend one of the other two shirts - especially our Editors' Choice winner, the New Balance Ice 2.0 - that are basically the same price.

Conclusion


The Asics PR Lyte Short Sleeve is your average technical running shirt that has no extraneous frills or features and yet does exactly what its supposed to do — keep you cool and dry. We have pretty much nothing bad to say about this shirt, but it wasn't our favorite.

— Andy Wellman
 
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