7 Best BJJ and MMA Rash Guard Reviews

overviews of really good rash guards for MMA

My skin is really sensitive and when I roll and do groundwork on mats, I get hurt more than I supposed to and my skin is irritated a lot.

I am sure that if you do BJJ and MMA sessions regularly, you hate it too because you are reading this article.Extensive reviews of Best MMA and BJJ Rash GuardsThere are actually many other amazing benefits of rash guards and you can find them after the buyer’s guide.

But first, let’s start with the Best BJJ and MMA Rash Guard Reviews. I also have experiences with some of these and you can also find them below.

Note: All of these rash guards get quite good feedback on MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu forums and these have really good fitting rates as well. I also used two of them and my experiences were really good as well. With that, the ratings are given according to verified purchase reviews. Also, all rash guards on this list have sizing information on product pages or here.

1. Venum Gladiator 3.0 Long Sleeve Rash Guard


Best MMA Rash Guard ReviewsTraining Quality: 9.7 / 10.0

Durability: 9.9 / 10.0

Comfort: 9.7 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 9.5 / 10.0

Best Place to Buy: Amazon

Exclusive Features

  • Quality materials
  • Sturdy
  • Gives freedom
  • Very good fitting rate
  • Incredible moisture wicking qualities
  • The best MMA and BJJ rash guard on the market!

Firstly, Venum Gladiator 3.0 gets only perfect reviews from basically everywhere and considering that Venum is one of the industry-leading martial arts equipment companies, I was not surprised at all.

It fits well and also allows you to have complete freedom. With that, considering the reviews of trustworthy members on forums, the stitching is solid and provides you long durability.

It is made of one of the ideal and common blends, which is %13 spandex and %87 polyester, for a rash guard. This provides good stretching features without being too tight. So when you do sparring you will definitely feel comfortable with Venum.

It also improves blood circulation and helps your muscles stay warm as any other quality rash guards so you can recover faster and train more often.

Also, it has a rubber band and the rash guard just stays in place.

Thanks to all of these, it becomes the most durable and quality MMA, BJJ rash guard on the market.

Shortly, this rash guard is just perfect. If you are interested, take a closer look at Venum Gladiator 3.0 Long Sleeve. You have black and red color selections and in my opinion, the red model looks really awesome.

2. Hayabusa Metaru 47 Silver Rashguard


Best BJJ Rash Guard ReviewsTraining Quality: 9.5 / 10.0

Durability: 9.4 / 10.0

Comfort: 10.0 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 9.3 / 10.0

Exclusive Features

  • Good protection from scraps
  • Ergonomic design
  • Natural moisture wicking qualities
  • Suitable for long training sessions
  • Good fitting rate
  • I have really good experiences with it!

Hayabusa Metaru 47 actually has natural moisture-wicking qualities. At first, I was really surprised to see that Hayabusa uses natural moisture wicking qualities. Because Hayabusa produces headgears, MMA gloves with the latest technology. With that, according to my research, Hayabusa’s fabric gets the best ratings for comfort!

My Experiences: I trained with Hayabusa Metaru 47 over 2 years during my MMA sessions. Well, the durability is not two years since I lost it in a gym in Croatia while I was traveling Europe. Yes, it is stupid I know. Anyway, this seriously wicked my sweat incredibly fast and provided complete freedom for the movement. Unlike other rash guards on this list, I had many sessions with it and I can recommend Hayabusa Metaru 47 to anyone!

According to my research, you can use this rash guard over 3 years and this compression garment provides good training sessions for small guys and big guys as well.

It also has very detailed sizing information on here (chest, waist, sleeve length measurement). Considering the great fitting rate, if you get it according to sizing information, Hayabusa Metaru 47 Silver Rash Guard will fit just perfectly.

3. Fuji IBJJF Freestyle Long Sleeve Rash Guard


Training Quality: 8.7 / 10.0

Durability: 8.5 / 10.0

Comfort: 8.8 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

Exclusive Features

  • Quality fabric
  • Tight
  • Very good stitching
  • IBJJF certification
  • Cool looks
  • One of the most quality rash guards for MMA and BJJ

Fuji is one of the IBJJF certified rash guards on the market and you can actually use it for competitions. It is also available in all BJJ belt colors.

The material quality is quite good and it prevents bacteria from invading your BJJ apparel or your body! According to verified purchase reviews, the stitching is extra solid and I also know that many BJJ instructors suggest this ranked rash guard to their students.

As a side note, it is a bit tighter than other rash guards and the mesh panels at the sides provide good air in and out.

There is an awesome video on Amazon’s product page which shows Fuji IBJJF Freestyle closely. Also, Fuji has been around for a really long time and I rarely say the following, it is one of the companies which you can trust completely. I also have experiences with other MMA apparels of the company and my experiences are all good.

4. Under Armour Men’s HeatGear


an overview of the best rash guard for big guysTraining Quality: 8.4 / 10.0

Durability: 8.7 / 10.0

Comfort: 8.8 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 9.1 / 10.0

Exclusive Features

  • Good quality and fast drying materials
  • Decent thermal regulation
  • Good stretching qualities
  • Suitable for outdoor
  • Best rash guard for big guys!
  • Incredibly popular and many color selections

Under Armour Men’s Heat Gear is made of another polyester blend (%84 polyester and %16 elastane) and according to my research, the quality is a bit lower than the rash guards above. However, you can wear it at least 2 years! It can stretch well and does the job just fine.

It is definitely comfy enough (not too tight) so you can actually wear it in your daily life.

Alright, it has many sizes including XXXX-Large and there are only a few quality rash guards out there which have really big sizes. With that, Under Armour Men’s HeatGear is by far the most quality rash guard for big guys.

Guys, according to my research, this rash guard is the most popular rash guard on the market! People get it for various sports and martial arts. You can literally find a myriad of reviews all over the internet! So it is more than fair to say that Under Armour Men’s HeatGear is a safe choice.

As a final note, it has a myriad of color selections including Texas Orange and Carolina Blue.

5. Zipravs Compression Shirts for Men Long Sleeve


review of the best rash guard for BJJTraining Quality: 8.5 / 10.0

Durability: 8.4 / 10.0

Comfort: 8.2 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 11.0 / 10.0 (I know it is out of 10)

Exclusive Features

  • Suitable for martial arts
  • Tighter than usual
  • Good design
  • 4-way stretch
  • Protects you from sun
  • Gives you more than your money’s worth!
  • A myriad of design selections
  • Machine washable

The design and the materials allow Zipravs to have 4-way stretch and these do it without hurting the durability. This quality also reduces the injury risk during your sessions and the material blend provides good protection while you are rolling on MMA or BJJ mats. It basically protects your skin from rashes quite well.

With that, I witnessed that many guys in local MMA gyms religiously wear this ranked rash guard.

Guys, this rash guard is actually machine washable and keep in mind that moisture wicking qualities don’t allow bacteria to invade your martial arts clothing (kimono etc.)

In my opinion, considering the quality and the price, you seriously get way more than what you pay and this rash guard truly has the greatest quality-price ratio.

You have many color and design selections. Last time when I checked, it was actually around 20! The ranked rash guard also has a sizing chart on the product page.

You can also wear Zipravs outside since this ranked rash guard has UPF 50+.

6. Meister Rush Long-Sleeve Rash Guard for MMA, BJJ, and Surfing


review of a good quality rash guard for BJJ and MMATraining Quality: 8.3 / 10.0

Durability: 8.0 / 10.0

Comfort: 8.8 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 8.7 / 10.0

Exclusive Features

  • Very ergonomic design
  • Good waistband design
  • Solid double stitching
  • Good reviews on forums
  • Good price

The waistband of Meister is small and is not too tight. So when you wear it, you don’t feel like it inhibits your blood flow and yes, this is actually a problem for many rash guards on the market. With that, the design is ergonomic and Meister Rush Long-Sleeve Rash Guard is thinner than many other rash guards. So I can easily give A+ for comfort.

Also, it helps you show better grappling performance during your sessions. Because it is a snug fit and perfect for base layer compression clothing. This is the reason why it is preferred a lot for BJJ training.

Even though it is thin, it gets quite good feedback for protecting from mat burns and chafing.

It also has double stitching and Meister Rush Long Sleeve is extremely suitable for stretching.

My MMA sparring buddy wore this one for a long time and I don’t recall that he complained anything about it and according to BJJ forum members, you can train and roll on the mats with it around 2 years.

If you are interested, click here to view more about this solid rash guard.

7. Legend Rash Guards


Training Quality: 8.1 / 10.0

Durability: 8.2 / 10.0

Comfort: 8.0 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

Exclusive Features

  • Decent material quality
  • Ergonomic design
  • Mesh panels at the side
  • Protects from sun
  • Money back guarantee!
  • Lifetime warranty
  • The affordable rash guard which has good quality!

Nylon and spandex blend works just fine and Legend Rash Guard also has it. Due to the material blend’s feature, it is soft.

With that, the material blend is water resistant and you can swim with it. Thanks to sun protection you can also wear it outside. It is quite versatile.

It has double stitching and it is extremely suitable for retaining its form.

Also, if you don’t like Legend Rash Guard, you can return it and get a full refund. It also has a lifetime warranty as well. Guys, it is one of the most sold rash guards for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and so far it has amazing feedback from everywhere. Shortly, you just can’t go wrong with Legend Rash Guard and you have many cool color selections including navy blue and red. So I am sure that you can find something you like 😉 As a final note, it is definitely the most affordable rash guard which has decent quality.

Under Armour Men’s Alter Ego Short Sleeve


Training Quality: 8.4 / 10.0

Durability: 8.7 / 10.0

Comfort: 8.8 / 10.0

Quality / Price Rating: 9.2 / 10.0

Exclusive Features

  • Suitable for grappling
  • Very ergonomic design
  • Good coverage
  • The most quality short sleeve compression shirt

Under Armour Men’s Alter Ego is the most popular short sleeve compression shirt. Even though this type is just a short sleeve version of the model above still there are MANY low-quality short sleeve compression garments on the market. Because the design (shoulder and torso part) needs to change a bit and Under Armour definitely figured it out. Because this is preferred a lot more than its rivals and it is also the top-rated one.

This shirt has UPF 30+ and has good moisture wicking qualities just like Under Armour Long Sleeve Rash Guard which is at the fourth place of this list. It is also extra light and you can actually wear some models in your daily life. I also checked out many fitting ratings and it is way above average.

Under Armour Men’s Alter Ego has many designs including Flash, Batman, and Captain America. Personally, I just loved the Batman design.

How to Choose the Best Rash Guard for MMA and BJJ?


There are definitely some factors to consider before you invest money in a rash guard. Even though good quality rash guards are not expensive like BJJ GIs or top-notch MMA gloves, you need to pay a certain amount of money for good quality. Some rash guards are made of materials or blends which have better quality and some of them have certifications as well.

Rash guards above have superior quality however some of you may not have online shopping opportunities. For example; a few years ago while I was in Croatia, I did not have it and I had to get a rash guard for my MMA training according to a review. You may be in a similar situation or you may simply want to know more about it. I hear you and the information below is for you. Let’s start with the materials.

Materials: Spandex and polyester blends are mostly used for the clothing, apparels which need to stretch well without losing the durability and considering my experiences and ratings for rash guards, this blend type simply works. Some companies use nylon instead of polyester and these last less but as you can guess these have better prices. Also, keep in mind that, rash guards, which are made of spandex and nylon, are softer. I know that many people, who do grappling sessions, prefer slightly softer rash guards. Obviously, it is a personal choice and you can find these two blends above. As a side note, if a company uses spandex for a rash guard and the percentage is lower than ten, I guarantee that this rash guard won’t last more than a few months. So the blend should include more than %10 spandex!

Many companies also use technologies and fabrics which can get rid of sweat really fast. Many good brands such as Hayabusa, Venum, and Under Armour get amazing ratings for it. I also used two models of Under Armour and I have no complaints about comfort or anything about them so I put both of them on this list.

Stitching: The seams should be solid and if these are not, your rash guard can be useless in no time. Well, there is no way that we can understand it just by reading some product description of the company. So I checked out many people’s experiences (forums and other online resources) about stitching and according to them, I rated these rash guards.

Design: Since you do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or MMA training and need to do groundwork and roll on BJJ mats, your rash guard needs to have quality waistband. Because it helps your rash guard stay in place. Thanks to this, your rash guard stretches less and this improves the durability. Also, it gives no outlet to your sparring partner.

Fitting: These should fit well and be tight. Because you may wear your rash guard underneath your BJJ GI. Also, these just need to stay tight since you don’t want to give an extra outlet to your sparring partner. Because of these, you need to be careful about fitting rates. As a side note, these rash guards on this list have really good fitting rates and got quite good reviews from verified purchases.

Certification: You may wonder why your trainers ask whether your rash guard has IBJJF certification or not. The reason is that this certification is the most valid one and basically it tells that your rash guard is made of good quality materials and it passed the training performance tests for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so these can be used for the tournaments which are organized by International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is the most preferred certification and many rash guards in my writing have it!

Brand Overviews: Hayabusa, Venum, Zipravs, Under Armour have a myriad of rash guards on the market and each of these has at least decent quality. There is actually nothing to talk about it other than this. However, just stay away from no-brand rash guards. Even though the prices are low, these don’t protect your skin or even wick sweet well.

Scientific Experiments and Research (Update): Alright, recently I found out that if you train with a good Training Mask while wearing a rash guard, your blood cells adjust training at higher altitudes quicker and you will have better stamina sooner. As you may know, many professional fighters (BJJ, MMA fighters) also prefer training with these masks as well.

Benefits of Wearing a Good Rash Guard


1. You don’t want to lose a tooth during your session, right? So you use a mouth guard during your session. With that, MMA and BJJ training can be also really harmful to your skin. If you don’t wear a quality rash guard and spat (compression pant), you may end up having cuts, rash, chafing… Actually, it is the most common reason why people wear rash guards.

2. When you wear a cotton t-shirt under your GI, it may not allow you to move freely and we need to do a myriad of techniques, strikes… during MMA or BJJ training sessions. So considering the training performance, the rash guard is the only option.

3. These also absorb the sweat like crazy and are made of anti-bacterial materials and the sweat does not ruin the construction of it, however, it can ruin your GI, MMA short etc. when you don’t wear a rash guard and spat. Also, thanks to the material blend, these dry quickly and don’t allow your sweat to create an odor. It is definitely a plus, right?

4, 5. Also, I actually had to train in a really cold environment in Croatia. At that time, I only had a rash guard which has decent quality and I was really glad that I bought it. Since doing ground work at 6 am in a cold environment would be a horrible experience without a rash guard. It just kept me warm while training. Now I am in Thailand and don’t need anything to keep me warm. However, I train often and according to a scientific research (references can be found at the end of the article), the improved blood circulation helps with the recovery so muscles can get ready for the next session quicker and will feel less soreness after sessions. So you can train more often and get better at MMA, BJJ… As a side note, many bodybuilders use rash guards for this reason.

6. Also, don’t these look just so awesome?

Conclusive Thoughts


Obviously, there are many reasons to wear a good quality rash guard. Recovering faster, avoiding rashes are just some of them. It also helps you perform well during your MMA or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training. With that, Venum Gladiator 3.0 Long Sleeve is made of good quality materials and lasts a lot longer than any other rash guards on the market! I also read a myriad of excellent reviews on forums. If you are looking for the best rash guard for MMA and BJJ, definitely check out Venum Gladiator 3.0.

In this writing, I covered everything you need to know about rash guards (qualities, benefits, best ones on the market etc.) however if you have any further questions or anything to share, just leave a comment below and let’s talk.

Image Courtesy of ABRAHAM Jits and Pixabay via Creative Commons License, Some Rights Reserved
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12 thoughts on “7 Best BJJ and MMA Rash Guard Reviews”

  1. Excellent review Furkan. I can see why a rash guard is needed. Great advice about why you should have one.

    Just one question. Is the Venum available in short sleeve at all?

    Thanks.

    1. Hi man, I am guessing that there is but it depends on which model you want. Just google it, if it short sleeve model exists, I am sure you can find a one on shopping site. But if you can’t just shoot me an e-mail and I will check it out for you.

  2. I have a friend who is an instructor in BJJ and he loves this wearing due to decreased friction and the comfort it provides on the mat. I have always been a fan of Venum and I advise it to EVERYBODY!!

    I also want to start doing BJJ and I will need to check this article out again. Thank you for the information!!

    1. Man, I get rashes all the time if I don’t wear this. Even I have a kimono, I get rashes. Also, I am not surprised since Venum is quite popular and I also feel more relaxed while I am rolling on mats with Venum and you are welcome anytime ; )

  3. I’ve been looking online for best athletics gear and clothes and I’m amazed with the different gears shown on this website.
    I personally like UnderArmour because of the look and quality, and I’m impressed when I saw it included on the list.
    I’ll be joining the varsity this coming school year so I’ll be planning on buying some of those featured here on the website.
    Thanks for providing in detail the benefits of using those gears listed above.

    1. These rash guards get quite good ratings all over the web and as I stated I also used some. From this experience, I have developed a good grasp on what rash guards are good and what qualities are needed in them. I also included the popular brands as well as not so popular ones. I really think these are good selections. Anyway, you are welcome man.

  4. The Spiderman and Under Armour long sleeve shirts I have and love them both. I wear them to the gym regularly and am more than satisfied with both products. In fact, I’m looking to buy more products for my gym sessions. Thank you for the excellent article and recommendation on more products I can workout in.

    1. You got cheaper products but these offer freedom and the materials are not the worst. I am glad these are still going strong.

  5. It very comforting to know that, for such a combative sport, one can find the appropriate gears to wear.
    Thanks for this.
    Jasmin

    1. There are ones which can protect your skin from various infections and dirt. Definitely wear one before you start training om mats.

  6. Hey, nice post! I can definitely see the need for/use of a product like this! Which one of these would be your favourite?

    1. I like Venum Gladiator 3.0 as it is thin yet it is very protective. You don’t get rashes a lot even the mats are rough.

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