DeWalt Two Tone Performance T-Shirt (Long Sleeve)

Why I reached for this long‑sleeve tee

I spend a lot of time on hot, open jobsites where sun and sweat are part of the day. Long sleeves help with sun exposure, but most cotton work shirts bog down once the heat ramps up. I’ve been testing DeWalt’s long‑sleeve performance tee as a daily driver on roadway and utility jobs, with a mix of trench work, flagging, and equipment checks. Over several weeks of use, it proved to be a straightforward, no‑nonsense layer that keeps me cooler than cotton, offers real sun protection, and adds a useful sleeve pocket without getting fussy about features.

Materials and build

The shirt is 100% polyester with a mesh‑style knit and DeWalt’s Max‑Dri moisture‑management finish. Polyester is the right call for a performance work layer: it moves sweat fast and dries quickly between bursts of activity. The fabric here feels mid‑weight for a technical tee—light enough to breathe, substantial enough not to feel flimsy.

A couple of details matter on a jobsite:

• UPF 50+ fabric: full‑arm coverage with real sun protection means I can skip slathering forearms with sunscreen on most days.
• Antimicrobial treatment: helpful for odor control on long shifts and back‑to‑back days.
• Contrast black panels at the sides and under the arms: they break up the hi‑vis yellow/black look and, in practice, hide some of the grime that lands in those zones.

Stitching and panel alignment were clean on my sample, with no loose threads out of the bag. After regular wear and wash cycles, seams stayed put. The fabric didn’t stretch out or sag.

Fit and comfort

The cut reads like standard workwear—not compression‑tight, not sloppy. In my usual size, I had enough room to swing a sledge and run a tamper without the shirt binding across the shoulders. The sleeves are properly long and don’t ride up when I reach overhead or forward.

Polyester can sometimes feel plasticky. This knit balances that with a decent hand feel and good airflow. It’s comfortable as a standalone layer in warm weather and slides easily under a safety vest or lightweight hoodie when mornings start cool. I didn’t notice any hotspots from seams, even with a full harness on.

If you’re between sizes, I’d lean toward your typical T‑shirt size unless you prefer an especially loose fit for maximum airflow. The size range is a bright spot: M through 5X means most crews can find a workable fit without hunting specialty stock.

Breathability and moisture management

This is the shirt’s main play, and it delivers. On a 90°F day flagging asphalt trucks, the fabric moved sweat away quickly enough that I wasn’t carrying that clammy, heavy feeling you get with cotton. During bursts of activity, it gets damp, then it sheds that moisture once you’re back to a steady pace or step into shade. The mesh structure gives you that micro‑vented effect without the holes being so open that dust pushes through.

When layered under a vest, the shirt still breathed reasonably well. The side and underarm panels help keep the core from feeling swampy, and the fabric dries fast during breaks—useful if you rotate between sun and cab time.

Sun protection and visibility

UPF 50+ on a long sleeve is a real benefit if you work outdoors all day. The coverage cut down on forearm burn and the heat fatigue that follows. The bright yellow body improves conspicuity in daylight and overcast, though there’s no reflective striping and no ANSI/ISEA compliance listing. On roadway jobs requiring high‑visibility compliance, I paired it with a Class 2 or 3 vest. Think of this tee as a base layer that helps you stay within your PPE plan rather than a standalone visibility solution.

One note: the black panels absorb more heat in direct sun, but they’re placed under the arms and along the sides, so it wasn’t an issue in practice.

The sleeve pocket that actually gets used

A segmented pencil pocket on the left sleeve sounds gimmicky until you try it. I kept a carpenter pencil and a Sharpie in the two slots and they stayed put while working, even crawling into a vault. The pocket sits just above the forearm—accessible without interfering with glove cuffs or elbow movement. It’s not a stash for a phone (nor should it be), but for marking and quick notes it beats fishing around cargo pockets.

Durability and care

Polyester work shirts live or die by how they handle abrasion, snags, and wash cycles. After several weeks of use:

• No seam failures, no hem rolling.
• The fabric resisted pilling, even with frequent rubbing under a vest and harness straps.
• Typical polyester snag risk applies around sharp edges and fasteners—cable trays, tie wire, or sharp rebar can catch. I had a light pull that didn’t propagate after trimming the loose fiber.
• Color held after multiple cold washes. I air‑dried most days; on low‑heat tumble, the shirt came out fine and ready to wear. As usual with performance fabrics, I’d avoid high heat to protect the finish and the antimicrobial treatment.

It’s worth calling out the antimicrobial finish as a durability topic too: after repeated washes, the odor resistance still felt effective. It doesn’t eliminate smell entirely, but it noticeably reduces the “day‑two funk” that pops up on untreated synthetics.

Where it excels

• Hot, sunny days where you need coverage and cooling. The UPF rating and wicking performance are the core strengths.
• Utility and construction tasks that mix motion and idle time—walk‑work‑wait cycles where drying fast matters.
• Wearing under a vest or harness. The smooth knit doesn’t bunch, and the sleeves don’t bind.

Where it falls short

• No reflective elements or ANSI/ISEA certification. If you need a single garment to meet high‑visibility requirements, this isn’t it; you’ll still need a compliant vest or garment over it.
• Polyester and sparks don’t mix. Around grinders, welding, or cutting torches, this fabric can melt if hit by hot spatter. That’s a limitation of the material category, not this shirt specifically, but it’s worth noting.
• Storage is limited. The sleeve pocket is handy for pencils and markers, but there’s no chest pocket. If you like stashing small notepads or a radio mic clip on a shirt, you’ll still rely on your vest or pants.

Sizing, color, and the jobsite reality

The yellow/black colorway reads “work shirt,” which is exactly the point. Yellow shows grime sooner than darker colors, but it also keeps you more visible in daylight. The black side and underarm panels do a good job concealing the sweatiest zones. With sizes from M through 5X, it’s more inclusive than many jobsite tees, which makes it easier to kit out a crew consistently.

I couldn’t find warranty information on the product page. That’s not uncommon for apparel, but if you’re bulk‑ordering for a team, it’s worth asking your supplier about return and defect policies.

Bottom line

This DeWalt long‑sleeve performance tee does what a work shirt should: it keeps you cooler, protects your skin, and stays out of your way. The fabric wicks and dries quickly, the UPF 50+ rating is meaningful, and the sleeve pencil pocket turns out to be genuinely useful. It’s not a replacement for high‑visibility PPE on its own, and like all polyester, it’s wrong for spark‑heavy tasks. But for roadway construction, general construction, and utility work in warm to hot conditions, it’s become an easy first grab from the locker.

Recommendation: I recommend this shirt for anyone who needs long‑sleeve sun protection and moisture management on outdoor jobs, especially if you’re layering under a safety vest. It’s comfortable across long shifts, holds up to regular washing, and the practical sleeve pocket is a small but real productivity boost. If you require built‑in ANSI compliance or work regularly around sparks, look elsewhere; otherwise, this is a solid, reliable base layer for the bulk of warm‑weather work.