Active Cotton™
Nature's perfect fabric, engineered to move moisture
100% cotton that truly wicks instead of soaking. Drier skin, no stink, no chill, no chafe — and it still feels like the shirt you actually want to wear.
The Problem
Synthetics don't move sweat. They spread it.
Lock Apparel founder Regg Miller spent his competitive years in synthetics and never stopped hating them: overheating, odour, fabric sticking to skin. A synthetic base layer doesn't absorb sweat so much as push it sideways — wet on the inside against your skin, wet on the outside, with everything your body just excreted still sitting against you.
So he paid a textile chemist to solve it properly. The brief was simple: keep the comfort of cotton, but make the fabric actually move moisture off the body instead of holding it there.
"I know what you're thinking — cotton's rotten, cotton's the enemy. Active Cotton is going to be your best friend."
What It Is
The first true moisture-moving cotton
Active Cotton is not a 60/40 poly-cotton blend dressed up as performance wear. It's 100% cotton, engineered so moisture is wicked into the fabric and carried through to the outside — the face of the garment does the work while the layer against your skin stays dry.
Before Active Cotton, the only natural alternative to synthetic technical fabric was Merino wool — and roughly one in five people can't tolerate wool, while real Merino garments stay expensive. Active Cotton gives you a natural fibre with superior moisture management, at a price that makes sense, in a fabric you'd happily sleep in.
Cotton — not a poly blend
Moves moisture, doesn't spread it
Inside face stays dry against skin
Washes with no loss of performance
See It Work
Don't take our word for it
Water on the fabric, sweat on an athlete, and the people who've trained in it for years.
Active Cotton in Action
The demo: moisture is applied to the fabric, wicks in instantly, and transfers to the outside — the inside face is completely dry.
How It Performs
Outperforms synthetics. Hands down.
True wicking, total absorption
Sweat is pulled into the fabric and carried through to the outside face. Look at the inside and it's dry — that's the difference between moving moisture and merely spreading it.
Thermoregulates hot and cold
For a runner, heat is the enemy. Active Cotton regulates in both directions: you don't overheat, and you don't get the clammy chill that hits when a wet synthetic cools down.
No stink
Synthetics hold odour, on your body and in your laundry. Athletes report finishing a hard session — and a wash cycle — with no smell at all.
No chafe, no nipple burn
Because the surface against your skin stays dry and soft, the friction points that ruin long efforts stop being friction points. Riders and long-distance runners notice it first.
Built to last
The founder demos the technology in a shirt over eight years old with more than sixty washes in it — no pilling, no loss of performance.
Kind to sensitive skin
Competitive athletes with skin issues aggravated by synthetic gear — like Tyrone Pierre at the College Gridiron Showcase — use Active Cotton specifically to avoid the irritation.
Voices
Athletes, coaches, editors
"Since I tried these Active Cotton shirts from Lock Apparel, they are the only shirts I run in now. Unlike synthetics that promise performance, these actually work. I don't get chill, rashes, drenched or smell any odor — and I never overheat."
"I've seen every piece of athletic wear out there. This is the best athletic gear I've ever worn, period. It literally takes the sweat off your body and gets rid of it — you don't stay wet, you don't get cold, and you don't stink."
"I'm wearing Active Cotton by Lock Apparel. I love this product. You sweat and it gets rid of your sweat. You can breathe and it's amazing performance."
"I watched a demo of how Active Cotton wicks away sweat better than synthetics, so of course I had to try it for myself. Not only did it outperform — it was also the most comfortable, breathable clothing I have ever used for working out."
"The Active Cotton shirt was amazing. Its ability to pull sweat away from the body was uncanny. The highpoint for me is the fact that it doesn't chafe and doesn't hold any odour."
"Amazing run…amazing garment. The Active Cotton felt so light for the entire run. Typically I will have sweat around the collar; not at all this time."
"I wore the shorts and the tank top for my long, hot 13 km run on Sunday at 7 a.m. — and was impressed that while the clothes were soaked through, I was nearly dry as a bone!"
"All the clothes are very light and amazing to work out in. The sleeveless is perfect for training as it gives you full range of motion."
Find It In The Line
Performance starts next to your skin
Active Cotton shirts
Breathable tops built from the same 100% cotton moisture-moving fabric that pulls sweat away from your skin.
Explore
Active Cotton legs
The Lady Lock Tights pair moisture movement with anatomical support for long rides, runs, and training sessions.
Explore
The Lock Bra
An Active Cotton lining helps move sweat away from the chest while the Lock technology provides stable support.
Explore
Long Sleeve ¼ Zip
A dry, breathable Active Cotton layer with a quarter-zip collar and neon turquoise Lock Apparel mark.
ExploreThe Short Answer
Good questions deserve clear answers
Is Active Cotton really 100% cotton?+
Yes. Active Cotton is not a 60/40 poly-cotton blend. The fabric is 100% cotton, engineered to move moisture through the garment and away from your skin.
How is Active Cotton different from synthetic performance fabric?+
Most synthetic fabrics spread sweat across the surface. Active Cotton absorbs and wicks moisture through to the outside face, so the layer against your skin can stay dry while the fabric carries moisture away.
Does Active Cotton hold odour?+
Athletes and reviewers describe finishing workouts without the persistent smell associated with synthetic gear. The fabric is designed to move sweat away rather than leave it sitting against the body.
Does it work in both hot and cold conditions?+
Active Cotton is designed for thermoregulation: moving sweat away helps prevent overheating during effort and the wet, chill feeling when a garment stays saturated.
How durable is Active Cotton?+
Regg Miller demonstrates the fabric in a shirt more than eight years old after over 60 washes, while the original performance and appearance remain part of the story behind the technology.
Lock Talk
Go deeper
27 Jun, 2018 · Performance Support
What is Active Cotton?
Nature's perfect fabric, enhanced. Why Active Cotton outperforms synthetic technical fabrics for everyday training.
27 Jun, 2018 · Reviews
Never had an undergarment give me the kind of support that the Lock tights have
Gear editor Jason Thorpe of MotoCross Magazine on why the patented D-Band changes the game for riders.
27 Jun, 2018 · Reviews
No matter how much you sweat the clothes never stick
Certified personal trainer Glenn Faltenhine on training in Active Cotton.
The natural choice for performance