Introduction
Manto is a great brand sported by a number of BJJ big names like Romulo Barral and Shinya Aoki to name a few. They produce a range of fightwear that look stylish and feel great. While I love their designs, they're not exactly the easiest to get hold of.
Official Specs:
- Material: 100% polyester
- Long Sleeve
- Printing on front, on sleeve, in back
- Tight fit
- Improved neck and overall fit
Aesthetics
The Tokyo rashguard features a grumpy looking man on the front, and the Tokyo skyline at the back, with the Manto logos on the shoulders. Odd design on first look, but it grows on you. This is something you're more likely to find on a cool T-shirt than a rashguard, and breaks away from all the other boring rashguard designs out there. For looking different, this scores high points in the aesthetics department!
The design is sublimated into the threads, so they won't fade or peel like normal shirts. And if this design is not your cup of tea, there are a couple of other interesting looking designs for the adventurous, as well as the safe but boring logo only designs. For those of you who prefer short sleeves, tough luck buddy. This cool design is in long sleeves only.
Form & Fit
An S size fits me just right for this rashguard. Despite being stated as a tight fit, the sleeves and the body are slightly loose and wear like a fitting long sleeve cotton shirt, rather than a tight compression top. Depending on your preference, this may be a good or a bad thing. For me, I like it best this way. Do note that I'm not exactly a big guy, and my chest runs a 94cm, while my arms are not all that thick.
The sleeves are pretty snug at the armpits though, so there's no loose material hanging there and getting in the way of the arms. The length of the sleeves reach slightly past my wrist while the bottom reaches a hand past my hips. Cutting for the body of this rashguard is straight down, unlike some designs that taper towards the waist.
The rashguard seems as tight/loose despite washing, though I'm not sure if this is a function of the rashguard being stretch resistant or me being too small to feel the difference.
Functionality
One thing I like about this rashguard is the extra band at the end of the sleeves that act like elastic on the sleeves of the sweater. These prevent the sleeves from rolling up the arm or extending past the wrist. It's made of the same rashguard material as the rest of the top, so it's just as comfortable and doesn't restrict any movement. The rashguard does a great job of not riding up to my stomach too.
The seams are flatlock as expected from any decent rashguard, and it's made of 6 panels with Raglan sleeves for greater mobility.
The material itself is pretty comfortable, but it can get a little warm wearing this rashguard. It doesn't seem to wick moisture as well and traps some heat. Depending on the weather you train in, it can be good or bad. I often find myself most soaked in sweat with this rashguard. Nowhere as bad as a cotton tee, but noticeable for a rashguard. It's also feels just a little thicker than other rashguards.
Do note that this rashguard seems to be an older model, and lack some of the newer rashguard features like odor-inhibition and anti-microbial treatments.
Affordability
For the longest time, I've held off getting a Manto rashguard due to accessibility issues. While it's not particularly expensive at US$44.95 (SGD$ 58) compared to other rashguards on the market, it's only available through official retailers and their ridiculous shipping prices.
When you factor shipping into the equation, it might come up to the same price as some of the newer, technologically more advanced rashguards. With that in mind, it boils down to how much you're willing to pay for design.
Conclusion
Nice design and a decent rashguard for the price, but may not be worth the cost of shipping in unless you have someone bring it back from the States or Japan for you.
Disclaimer
All comments in the review are my own personal opinion. Prices provided in brackets are merely for reference and are based on exchange rates at the time of writing.
If you like this review and found it helpful, please post a comment or let the company or retailer know too. Should you decide to purchase them online, you might want to consult the online buying guide for advice.
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