Product Review: Champion Body Balance Top

A little while back I received some products from the awesome people of Champion to try out and review.  I took this peppy lemon top out for a long 12 miler on the trail a week ago and am happy to report that it did not disappoint.

Product Description: "It's so comfortable you'll want to live in it. And so flattering you'll wear it everywhere. It's our curve-conscious women's T shirt, combining sleek style with cool performance."

• Blissfully soft fabric feels great against your skin. (It's seam-free, too, so all you feel is softness.)
• Special fabric finish wicks moisture for constant cool.
• Knit-in mesh adds ventilation exactly where you want it: under arms, along sides, at V-neck.
• A touch of knit-in stretch ensures maximum ease of movement.
• Feminine tonal pattern trims left sleeve and center back.
• Semi-fitted styling, with tag-free collar and raglan sleeves.
• Polyester/spandex

(Description for very similar, if not the same, product found HERE.  Normally retails for $34, on sale for $16.99!)

The description cannot be more accurate.  This lemony yellow (banana?) top feels like butter and has the perfect amount of stretch.  As you can see it isn't skin tight and has a little give in the midsection and arms.  The knit-in mesh was one of the first things I noticed about this top, and the fact that it has minimal seams.  No rubbing!  WIN!

However, right before I went for my run I noticed this:

See the little "nub" where the v-neck comes together?  I was worried it was going to chafe a little, so I used some BodyGlide just in case.  I don't think I ended up needing it at all though because the little nub didn't rub (hee hee).

The condition outside for the run was perfect: slightly overcast with some sprinkles, about 50 degrees, and the sun trying to make its way through the clouds.  Once I got into some mileage, I pushed up the sleeves as I normally do because I was getting warmer, and the sleeves stayed up fine.  A few times I had to tug down the bottom of the shirt because it rode up a little, but I'm putting some blame on the Nathan Hydration Belt I was wearing.  The fabric really felt fantastic and a couple of times I felt like I was not even wearing a top...it was that soft.  At the end of the run I was surprised by how cool I stayed and how quickly the top dried once I took it off.  Only one small problem with this fabric: the fuel belt rubbed it and caused a it to fray just a little.  Otherwise, this is a gem!

Pros:

Moisture-wicking

Soft "like buttah"

Nearly seamless and non-abrasive

Reflective "C" logo

Tagless

Dries quickly

Cons:

Fabric doesn't work well with abrasive fuel belts (like a swimsuit rubbed by the edge of a pool too many times)

Overall, I loved this top and plan on wearing it a lot during these colder months.  The color makes me happy and it's so soft it's not even funny.  Seriously, it's like suede.  Ahh.

For more information check out http://www.championusa.com/ or become a fan of Champion on Facebook.
Many thanks to the people of Champion for providing me with this great gear. :)

**Note: All reviews are based on my own personal experience with the specific product that I was provided with. I received these products free of charge from Champion and was not compensated for my review.**