If you’re after serious upper-torso compression benefits, look no further than the highly breathable Skins Series 5 top
The companion top to the Skins Series 5 leggings, this base layer packs Skins’ highest level of compression. It’s designed to help you train longer and recover quicker, whether you’re hauling heavy metal in the gym, racing obstacle courses, or busting a gut box-to-box on the football pitch. It’s among the best workout clothes for mobility work or for performing stretching exercises.
Men’s Fitness verdict
Even by compression gear standards, this Skins Series 5 top is a tight fit – which is exactly what you want. However, the design can lead to chafing in some areas.- Good arm compression
- Precise fit
- Front seams can chafe
- No watch window
How we tested this compression top
Kieran Alger is one of our top fitness gear reviewers with a wealth of experience across multiple disciplines. When testing out each of the compression tops on test, he noted features such as: fit; level of compression; extra design qualities (such as watch windows or seam locations) and anything else that’s worth knowing before buying.
What is it like to wear?
The Series 5’s paneled design strategically uses different fabrics to offer compression, breathability and flexibility where you need it most. It focuses the major compression on the forearms and biceps but leaves plenty of flex across the pecs and core – to maximize chest expansion and assist blood return to the heart.
The result is a tight-fitting piece of clothing that’s harder to wriggle into and out of than most of the other compression tops I tested. But once you do you can enjoy some of the best levels of targeted compression around.
Design features
There are plenty of other clever design details too. Mesh panels on the chest and spine help improve overall comfort and improve sweat-wicking performance. I also found that the Series 5 was excellent at adding warmth to your core without overheating. Highly elasticated waist and sleeve cuffs keep this layer locked in place during rigorous drills.
There’s no watch window to give you easy access to your vital stats during runs and rides. And in my tests, I felt that the extra seams on the front panels had a habit of moving into nipple-chafe territory during some workouts.
There are five available sizes, from small to XXL, but when ordering you are asked for your widest chest measurements, which then gives you a size recommendation. This precision sizing advice helps you get the full compression benefits of the Skins Series 5.
What other compression tops should I consider?
The Skins Series 5 Top is, in my opinion, good but not great. So, if you ask me, what are the class leaders? Well, the first alternative I’d like to mention is the 2XU Compression Long Sleeve. This top is a tight fit, with excellent compression levels designed to support your muscles during exercise, and aid their recovery afterwards. Any compression top worth its keep should do that of course, but the 2XU offering is one of the best at the job. The experience of wearing it is further enhanced by the fact it manages to juggle sweat-wicking breathability with effective insulation. Overall, it’s very hard to fault.
The other compression top deserving of a place alongside the 2XU Long Sleeve at the top of the pile is the Kymira IR50 Recharge. This compression top is pretty darn sci-fi when it comes to technology: its FIR material absorbs your body heat and then channels it back into your muscles to boost blood flow (and therefore oxygen levels). It’s the closest thing out there to a real-life superhero suit. But, FIR tech aside, the Skins Series 5 Top is a worthy rival.
| Materials | 76% Nylon, 24% Elastane |
| Size range | S-XXL |
| Color | Black, Charcoal, Green/Grey, Khaki, Navy Blue |
