Hayabusa X Marvel: The Punisher Rash Guard Review

Hayabusa X Marvel, Marvel Hero Elite: The Punisher Short Sleeve Rash Guard Review

Summary:

We found this to be a well made rash guard with a great fit and great visuals, but is unfortunately prone to small snags and marks from training.

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Brand

Hayabusa are a popular brand, with strong ties to MMA, but also branching out to various individual martial arts as well. They strive for high performance, and many of their products feature bold, unique designs. They are currently working alongside Glory Kickboxing as the official equipment suppliers.

About the rash guard

The Punisher rash guard is part of Hayabusa’s official collaboration with Marvel for the new Marvel Hero Elite series. The range mostly focuses on a stunning range of character-themed boxing gloves, but also extends to other items, including this rash guard.

In terms of construction, the rash guard is based on Hayabusa’s existing products, so the points raised in this review should still help you out if you’re looking at some of Hayabusa’s other rash guards.

As someone with a love for the gritty nature of The Punisher, I was pretty excited to get myself a short sleeved rash guard with the iconic skull insignia.

Visuals

Admittedly The Punisher isn’t the flashiest of Marvel characters, so this rashguard isn’t quite as bold as the various unofficial superhero rash guards sold by other brands, however for someone like me who appreciates a slightly more minimal style, that’s perfect.

The skull in the centre of the chest makes for the centrepiece of the rash guard, using a couple of shades of grey rather than solid white, which adds for a more distorted design, fairly reminiscent of the spray painted version seen in the recent Netflix series’. Other than that the only other visuals are a tiny red ‘Marvel’ label, indicating the product’s officiality, and a small version of the Hayabusa wordmark on the back of the neck.

Materials/Craftsmanship

Hayabusa are known for keeping up with the latest technologies, and cramming their products with features.

With rashguards, these features aren’t necessarily unique, but definitely helpful. A good example is that the bottom band is lined with silicon, making the band a little thicker and sit far more securely around the waist. This is a feature we’ve seen before on other rashguards and shorts, but is implemented really well here and it takes quite a lot of friction before the rashguard will start to ride up.

Overall they’ve designed this with a fairly good shape, with panels well positioned for good movement, with reinforced flat stitching that doesn’t rub on the skin. Personally I think they’ve done a great job here.

These are made with a polyester elastane mix, which feels comfortable enough fit and seems to wick away moisture and sweat well enough when training, so you don’t feel soaked at the end of a hard session.

I have noticed one issue with the material though. After only my first training session, I noticed some small snags and marks. This is something that obviously happens over time, but for it to happen so quickly took me by surprise. After taking a closer look I think I’ve worked out why this is – the printing method used on this rash guard only affects the outer side, so while the outside is black, the inside is a light grey. This wouldn’t normally be an issue as you never see that, however where these tiny snags occur they’re now much more visible because the white colour behind is showing.

In practice, the only difference is that your new rash guard will look worn-in quicker, but it seems like a different dye method would be better suited here.

Comfort/use

As someone with a leaner build, I sometimes find that to get the right fit, the rash guard can be a little tight around the shoulders and armpits, however these seem to be well shaped, without being overly tight or loose in any place.

The grip at the bottom of the waist is also brilliant. I’ve had very few occasions when the top has moved or slid up, and I haven’t found the top to twist at all, so it’s safe to say the silicon is gripping and doing it’s job well.

Cost

So these rash guards will set your wallet back by $74.99 for the shortsleeved version or $79.99 for the long sleeved version.

Now, obviously that’s not cheap, however for the money you are getting a authentic Marvel licensed product, rather than just a similar looking design, which has all the quality you would expect from a well respected brand like Hayabusa. Not to mention, the choice of long or short sleeve sets it apart from other brands, making it a more versatile choice, whether you’re looking to use it as a rash guard or more of a compression top.

If you aren’t a big Marvel fan, then it’s probably worth saving a bit of cash and picking up one of their regular rash guards. But if you’re a Punisher fan, this is a hard one to resist.