Hawaiian shirts are a staple of my mountain biking wardrobe. To me, mountain biking is a fun, goofy sport. Why not wear the clothes to reflect that?
I own a few different brands of Hawaiian shirts and I’ve tried on even more at mountain bike festivals and stores. Handup have always made my favorite, so this “review” will be more of a “why I like this shirt” article as opposed to a review. I’ll of course still cover all the different things you look for in a dry fit Hawaiian shirt, as well as cover a few different brands if Handup doesn’t suit your style.
Most importantly, these shirts are COMFORTABLE. I’ve actually raced enduros in them before. Here’s a picture of me wearing their Pabst Blue Ribbon hawaiian at an enduro race in Keystone. At 5′ 8″, 180 lbs, and a longer torso & arms than usual for my height, I usually wear a size large shirt. Their size large fits me perfectly; The sleeves don’t scrunch up while I ride, the shirt covers my butt in a riding position, and there aren’t any pressure points in the shirt itself. Everything just “fits” like a hawaiian should. Roomy, but true-to-size. As an aside, I do own one of these in size medium. It’s a bit tight for mountain biking, but I wear it out to bars, around town, etc.
The shirt also breathes well. It’s a 100% polyester jersey style material, so you can see little holes/weaves in the fabric like you would on a jersey. It’s not just one continuous draped on piece of polyester. The weave style of a jersey is the most important part, and I feel like this design, whatever it may be, works well at keeping me cool and not too smelly.
Most importantly to SOME, the designs are awesome. Handup recently released their spring lineup of Hawaiians and they are absolutely awesome. I visited Sedona Mountain Bike Festival and thought the Handup Hawaiians had the best designs this season, although I am pretty partial to some of Dharco’s designs too. Dharco is a bit more understated (for a party shirt), but makes a great Hawaiian shirt too if you want other options.
This season, Handup has two “loud” colorful designs and two more understated designs. Again, these are understated (for a Hawaiian shirt). Below shows their new lineup for spring 2024. You can still get a lot of their old lineup on sale, though! I specifically like the “crouching tiger” design in their old lineup which is still one sale as I’m writing this.
A potential con of the shirt is that you’re “supposed” to air dry them after washing. I’ve never air dried them (I always dry on low) and I’ve noticed zero damage to the shirts from this, but it’s worth mentioning. Another potential downside is that the warranty on the shirt covers the shirt for a year due to manufacturer defects. However, I’ve noticed no defects or issues in the four Hawaiian shirts I own.
These shirts are priced solidly at $50 for a new design and $35 for one of the on sale designs. The on sale designs aren’t undesirable like many might presume. They’re usually just the older models of shirts that were once full price.
If you’re in the market for a nice dry fit Hawaiian shirt to wear biking, hiking, or whatever sport you might do, check out Handup! You can view their Hawaiian collection here.