Under Armour vs Adidas

When selecting between Under Armour and Adidas for your organization’s branded apparel, it’s not just about choosing a popular name — it’s about finding the right fit for your team, event, or initiative. Both brands are leaders in custom activewear, offering high performance gear that reflects professionalism, comfort, and style.From employee uniforms to corporate wellness programs and client giveaways, understanding the differences in design, functionality, and value can help you make a more informed decision. Here’s how Under Armour and Adidas compare.

Brand Overview: Under Armour vs Adidas

Whether you prefer the sleek, modern look of Under Armour custom gear or the sporty-yet-timeless style of custom branded Adidas apparel, both brands have something to offer for anyone looking to enhance their performance and style while staying active. Here’s how they compare at a brand level.

Under Armour

• Founded on performance innovation and athlete-first technology
• Known for compression wear, moisture-wicking tech, and high-function training gear
• Emphasizes grit, intensity, and peak performance
• Mainly sought after for athletic, exercise, and outdoor performance apparel
• Specializes in sports like golf, football, basketball, and soccer

Adidas

• Heritage-rich global brand with crossover appeal in fashion, sports, and streetwear
• Strong presence in both elite sports and lifestyle sectors
• Balances performance tech with iconic style and sustainability efforts
• Renowned for virtually all major professional sports, including golf, baseball, soccer, football, tennis, and even F1

Style and Aesthetic

Under Armour and Adidas might make fairly similar products for fairly similar uses, but they reach their markets through different design characteristics.

Under Armour

• Functional, training-focused aesthetic that prioritizes performance over flash
• Modern, athletic appearance with clean lines, bold geometric patterns, and colors that pop on the field or in the gym
• Projects strength, determination, and serious athletic intent
• Features strategic color blocking, performance-driven details like ventilation panels, and a look that’s consistent with training, athletics, and personal fitness

Adidas

• Blends sleek, contemporary design with carefully curated retro influences
• Toes the line between high-performance sportswear and street-ready relaxed fashion
• Boasts iconic three-stripe branding, refined color palettes, and expertly designed silhouettes
• Represents an elevated, lifestyle-oriented appeal that goes beyond typical athletic wear

Which to choose: When it comes to aesthetics, Under Armour is the better bet if your audience is interested in purely functional athletic wear; meanwhile, Adidas custom apparel offers a more versatile style for those who like to take their activewear beyond the gym, field, or court.

Product Performance and Functionality

Now that we’ve set up a baseline understanding of key differences between Under Armour vs. Adidas, let’s take a look at how some of their top custom products from their most popular product classes stack up. I’ll dig into attributes like material, comfort, performance features, and price points to help you find the perfect custom garment.

Short Sleeve T-Shirts

Under Armour Team Tech T-Shirt vs. Adidas Blended T-Shirt

True to form, the Under Armour Team Tech T-Shirt offers excellent moisture-wicking properties via Tech Fabric, making it fast-drying and super-soft, while giving it a more natural feel than many other athletic polyester shirts. It also comes in a wide range of colors and offers both front and back printing options.

The Adidas Blended T-Shirt takes a different approach, combining comfort with sustainability. Made from a lightweight 4.1 oz. blend of 65% recycled polyester and 35% cotton, it delivers a soft, breathable feel that balances performance with eco-friendly design. Its regular fit provides a versatile and relaxed silhouette, while the ribbed collar ensures a secure, comfortable fit.

Our verdict: Under Armour’s more relaxed, natural-feeling, moisture-wicking tee gets the win.

Best for: Gym, outdoor company events, branded giveaways

Crewneck Sweatshirts

Under Armour Rival Fleece Sweatshirt vs. Adidas Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt

The Under Armour Rival Fleece Sweatshirt comes in at an 80/20 cotton/poly blend, giving it a bit more softness to go along with its roomier fit and almost identical weight. I personally like the front seams that give it more of a throwback look, but others may prefer Adidas’s straightforward design with shoulder seams.

The Adidas Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt comes in at a 70/30 cotton/poly split, giving it a slight edge on toughness but sacrificing a little softness. It’s also got double the color choices, and offers both printing and embroidery on the front and back (like Under Armour).

Our verdict: Under Armour takes the cake with a softer, more classic option.

Best for: Work from home packages, athletic uniforms, corporate giveaways, trade shows

Hoodies

Under Armour Rival Fleece Hoodie vs. Adidas Fleece Hoodie

The Under Armour Rival Fleece Hoodie features a super-soft 80/20 cotton/poly blend with a brushed interior and a relaxed, roomy cut — ideal for layering or casual wear. The logo placement on the chest makes it a bold option for branded customization, and it supports both printing and embroidery across multiple locations.

The Adidas Fleece Hoodie offers a similar option at, again, a 70/30 poly/cotton blend and moderately more athletic profile. For its part, Adidas keeps its logo on the sleeve, as opposed to the chest where Under Armour’s is featured, which is a helpful design choice for a custom hoodie. Both also offer both printing and embroidery options and multiple printing locations.

Our verdict: Tie — these are pretty similar offerings with minimal differentiation in terms of construction, quality, and fit.

Best for: New hire kits, trade shows, team morale gifts, team uniforms

Polos

Under Armour Tech™ Polo vs. Adidas Performance Polo

The Under Armour Tech™ Polo features moisture-wicking, odor-fighting capabilities you’d expect from one of the leading purveyors of custom performance polos. With a lightweight build and trim, modern silhouette, it’s also a versatile choice that’s ideal for the golf course or the office.

Meanwhile, the Adidas Performance Polo comes in with an ultra-light 3.8 oz-build, moisture-zapping hydrophilic finish, and UPF 50+ protection. Not to mention, it offers a ton of great color choices to go along with the contrast color heat transfer logo on the right sleeve.

Our verdict: Weighing Under Armour vs. Adidas polos and outerwear, Adidas wins here for top-notch performance features.

Best for: Giveaways for golfers, outdoor company events, trade shows, uniforms

Quarter-Zips

Under Armour Team Tech Quarter-Zip vs. Adidas Recycled Quarter-Zip Pullover

The Under Armour Team Tech Quarter-Zip is made from recycled polyester, helping keep you dry and our landfills less full. Meanwhile, its laid-back silhouette, lightweight build, and odor-fighting features ensure a comfortable experience with this highly functional garment.

The Adidas Recycled Quarter-Zip Pullover features 100% recycled polyester construction, with added hydrophilic finish to keep moisture off your body. It’s also got UPF 50+ protection to go along with a sleeve logo (as opposed to chest) and a ton of color options, making it somewhat more versatile than its competitor.

Our verdict: Adidas gets a slight edge for having more customization options.

Best for: Team apparel, trade shows, team uniforms, corporate giveaways, business apparel

Hats

Under Armour Unisex Team Blitzing Cap vs. Adidas Sustainable Performance Cap

The Under Armour Blitzing Cap features a snug, athletic fit with a pre-curved visor, making it a great choice for outdoor sports and active environments. It’s made from 100% recycled polyester, offers moisture-wicking performance, and supports embroidery across multiple locations — including front, back, and side placements.

The Adidas Sustainable Performance Cap also uses 100% recycled polyester and includes moisture-wicking tech, but comes with a more relaxed fit, a less-curved visor, and a snapback closure. It offers fewer logo placement options but brings more versatility in styling for both casual and athletic use.

Our verdict: Adidas is slightly more versatile with a snapback closure.

Best for: Branded giveaways, trade shows, custom golf attire, conferences, uniforms, employee gifts

Sweatpants

Under Armour Rival Fleece Sweatpants vs. Adidas Fleece Joggers

The Under Armour Rival Fleece Sweatpants offer a warm brushed interior with a moderate cut. Compared to their Adidas counterpart, they include a pinch more cotton with an 80/20 cotton/poly fleece blend, along with two additional color choices and an additional embroidery option.

Adidas Fleece Joggers are more straightforward, with a bit more polyester (70/30 cotton/poly) and front/back printing. These are pretty standard fare for those who take their athleisure wear to the gym or the couch, with a moderately more modern, tapered fit than Under Armour’s version.

Our verdict: Both options are pretty straightforward jogger-style sweatpants, but we’ll give Under Armour the win for being slightly more customizable.

Best for: Work-from-home packages, client gifting, employee apparel, company swag

Price and Value

Both Under Armour and Adidas offer high-quality custom apparel. However, their pricing, value, and product strengths can differ depending on your goals, budget, and quantity needed. Here’s what both brands offer:

• Premium custom products for athletic, outdoor, and casual use
• Bulk pricing discounts for large orders
• Notable brand recognition and positive association
• Versatile styles for corporate, athletic, or promotional use

But does one offer a distinctly better value than the other? Keep in mind that costs can vary by printing options, individual product, quantity, and even color in some cases. The averages below are based on per-unit costs across multiple products, so real prices can vary.

For maximum ROI on a tight budget: Adidas products tend to have a slightly lower price point, and can have similar features and quality. However, Under Armour products can be worth their marginally higher average prices depending on the use case.

It’s also worth noting that higher quantities will reduce per-unit costs for both brands, and there may be lower- or higher-cost alternative products you can choose from.

Brand Recognition and Perceived Value

When it comes to instant brand recognition, Adidas has an edge that spans generations and continents. The iconic three stripes show up everywhere from high school track teams to fashion runways to city streets to sold-out arenas. Adidas's brand power encompasses athletics, style, and lifestyle.

For organizations choosing branded gear, this widespread appeal means your team or event gains instant credibility and perceived quality. The aforementioned lined logo carries weight across diverse demographics, making it particularly valuable for corporate partnerships, community events, or any situation where you want your branded apparel to resonate with the widest possible audience.

No slouch in its own right, Under Armour operates in a different sphere of brand recognition — one that's built more on pure performance than popularity. Within athletic and fitness communities, the UA logo gets respect as a mark of performance-focused gear that promises exclusivity and authenticity.

For teams, training facilities, or corporate wellness programs targeting fitness-minded audiences, Under Armour's reputation can enhance perceived value by signaling that the organization is similarly serious about quality. While it may not carry the same universal recognition as Adidas, Under Armour's brand equity still runs deep among athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

When to Choose Under Armour vs. Adidas

If you’re still weighing Adidas vs. Under Armour performance wear at this point, I’ll summarize all the above into a few simple differences:

Choose Under Armour If...

• You prioritize technical performance and athlete-tested functionality
• You’re outfitting sports teams, fitness pros, or high-performance environments
• You want moisture-wicking, quick-dry gear that holds up under pressure
• You’ve got the budget for premium performance gear

Choose Adidas If...

• You want a balance of style and sport with strong cultural relevance
• Your audience values on-trend looks with athletic credibility
• You’re targeting brand-conscious groups who appreciate high-visibility names
• You need polished pieces for casual wear, retail, or brand-forward campaigns

Final Thoughts on Under Armour and Adidas

In summary, these are two quality athletic brands with huge name recognition, so either makes a great choice.

• Adidas gets wins for broad brand recognition and wide desirability. It’s also got more lifestyle appeal with more versatile styling.
• Under Armour takes the cake for signaling supremely serious fitness and athletic commitment and innovative features.

The one you pick should come down to your audience and their expectations, the use cases you have in mind for your products, and how well the aesthetic align with your unique brand.

Whenever you’re ready, RushOrderTees offers a wide range of products from both brands — giving you the flexibility to see your custom design in real time, along with bulk pricing discounts and delivery timeliness that fit your needs.

Check out the full custom apparel catalog, or contact us today for help getting started.