When you’re on the pickleball court, you need athletic wear that’s more than just stylish. Nike pickleball shirts offer the combination of being comfortable, having a lightweight design with double-needle stitching for durability, and being made from sustainable materials that swiftly wick moisture away from your body.
You could opt for other shirts for pickleball, but Nike has a reputation for quality and style that’s hard to beat.
Nike Best Pickleball Shirts for Women
Nike Dri-Fit Women’s T-Shirt
Often when we’re playing, we love a simple shirt that’s breathable, allows for movement, and is one that’s easy to wear on and off the courts. For this, the Nike Dri-Fit Women’s T-Shirt is our favorite.
The reasons we like this shirt include that it’s lightweight, has a crewneck with double needle stitch for durability, the style is simple, so it’s easy to pair with any bottoms, and the price point is right where we like it – economical.
For the money, this is a great shirt that will work to keep you dry and move freely during the game. There are also plenty of colors to choose from – mostly pastels, but there are a couple of brighter options with pink and blue.
Nike Court Dri-Fit Slam
The Nike Court Dri-Fit Slam is a racerback style of tank top that’s made entirely of breathable mesh fabric. If you’re already cringing because you feel that while mesh breathes well, it can also be a little itchy and irritating, you have no worries here. The material is soft, and the details of how the tank was designed make it perfect for the sport.
It offers a slim fit, but it’s long enough that it won’t bunch up during rigorous play; the moisture-wicking material ensures excess sweat isn’t an issue you’ll have to contend with, and it also allows for free movement – we’re not fans of feeling like our sleeves are getting in the way.
Currently, this shirt only comes in white, with a black swoop design, but you can shop for a similar Nike style on Amazon that offers a white and orange color contrast but more limited size options.
Women’s Nike Swoosh Tank Top
If you prefer a tank top that feels a bit more substantial than the Dri-Fit Slam but is still soft, lightweight, and designed for performance, the Nike Swoosh Tank Top is our top pick. This offers a comfortable fit that feels more supportive. It still has a slim fit but also offers a medium support bra built into the tank.
The hem is a little shorter on this, so it might ride up a bit with those high-reaching shots, but the arm holes aren’t snug at all, offering a good range of movement. Most importantly, it wicks away sweat, so you don’t have that gross feeling of your shirt being plastered to your skin. This tank top is mostly polyester with spandex woven in. Make sure to check out the nice range of colors.
Nike Dri-Fit Element
The Nike Dri-Fit Element is our top choice for those who prefer long sleeves when they’re playing pickleball, whether it’s because you like to play in the winter or want to provide a little extra protection from the elements all year round.
We like this shirt because it does supply warmth, which is great for practicing on cooler mornings, but it does a solid enough job of dealing with moisture that excess sweat isn’t much of an issue. The Dri-Fit Element will keep you dry all year round.
If you want to shop for a performance pickleball shirt, this one also offers a longer hem, so it can be tucked in. Technically, it’s a running shirt, but we won’t tell if you don’t.
Nike Best Pickleball Shirts for Men
Nike Rafa Dri-Fit ADV Short-Sleeved Tennis Top
The Nike Rafa Dri Fit tennis top is a classic shirt that’s perfect for the sport. Technically, it’s designed for the sport of tennis, but since so many movements are similar, you aren’t going to notice much difference in the performance of this shirt for either sport.
Nike Rafa is made of 100% polyester and features double-needle stitching for durability. This shirt has an excellent range of motion with sleeves and a soft, stretchy crew neck.
If we had one complaint about this shirt, it would be that at the time we were shopping, the colors were limited depending on the size selected. There are only three colors anyway, but we like this design enough that we would have easily put one of each in the bag.
Nike Dri-Fit Court Victory
The Nike Dri-Fit Court Victory tennis shirt is one that performs equally well for pickleball. This shirt features a v-neck line, but it’s not deep, and the sleeves are designed to combine the look and feel of a polo shirt and raglan. The result is a comfortable, soft shirt that will keep you dry and offer an excellent range of motion while keeping you looking stylish.
This shirt is 100% polyester and made with Nike’s Dri-Fit technology. There are multiple colors available, which are mostly neutrals, but there are also a couple of pops of color with red and bright blue.
Rafa Challenger
Similar to the Rafa Dri-Fit ADV Short Sleeve Shirt, the Rafa Challenger offers great breathability, so you don’t have to worry about the shirt being plastered to your body thanks to the sweat. It also allows great moveability, which is important for pickleball. It’s stretchy enough that it won’t bunch during arm movement yet maintains its shape well over time.
Pickleball Shirt Buying Guide
Styles
When you’re playing pickleball, being comfortable is priority number one. If the design of your shirt is restricting in any way, has features that bother you, or is one you don’t feel comfortable in, it’s going to affect your game. Details like this really do matter for the best performance.
For women, tank tops are a popular choice, but so are slim-fitting t-shirts that can be tucked in. For men, tanks aren’t as popular, with most men having options for various t-shirt styles. Still, there are differences in the design of sleeves and neck that could make a significant difference in how you feel and play.
Fit
Consider how the shirt will fit and move while you’re playing pickleball. Ideally, you don’t want a shirt that doesn’t stretch, which Nike has you covered in this area. There’s a lot of stretching, reaching, bending, arching – you name it, so you want a shirt that stays where it belongs, doesn’t bunch or twist, and conforms well to your body without being so snug that it constricts.
Some people prefer a more slim fit, while others opt for styles that are more loose. This is a matter of preference, but always keep in mind how the fit might change when you’re in motion.
Movement
When you play pickleball, you have to be ready for anything! If you have the chance to try on any of these Nike shirts for pickleball before purchasing, we strongly encourage you to do so. Once you have the shirt on, move your arms around. Mimic the movements your arms make when you’re playing pickleball, and also just do some stretching with your arms in general.
Ideally, you should have a full range of motion with no bunching, twisting, or rolling. There’s nothing worse than a sleeve bunched up in your armpits while you’re trying to play.
Materials & Construction
One detail that makes Nike so impressive when it comes to pickleball wear is their Dri-Fit technology, which works exceptionally well for wicking away moisture during active play. Not only is this important for comfort, but it’s also important for your health. Fungus loves growing in dark, damp places where sweat collects, and even without that, sweat can be irritating and feels gross.
Construction is also important. With the constant movement of pickleball, you’re constantly putting stress on the seams, so activewear that’s with solid construction and seams that stand up to the repetitive motion and strain is important. Nike does a good job with this also since many of their shirts are constructed using double stitching.
Key Takeaways
- Nike Inc offers several great styles of shirts for pickleball
- Keys to a great pickleball shirt include details like moisture-wicking breathability, movement, fit, and durability
- You can shop for some Nike shirts for pickleball on Amazon, but you’ll need to head to the Nike site for the best selection
- Nike Shirts for Pickleball cost more, but many are made from sustainable materials and offer exceptional quality