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When your own online business sells custom hoodies, good design is not enough. Your hoodies need to be good both in design and material that will make your brand in general and your product in particular memorable. To reach your goals, you need to focus on the material first. That means you must choose the best hoodie material suitable for customers’ needs, brand images, and so on.
In this article, we’ll explore the most outstanding fabric hoodie types and also compare the advantages and disadvantages of each one as well as their specific qualities and customization methods.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Factors you need to consider when choosing the best hoodies material
Before deciding what is the best hoodie material, you need to know several factors below:
1. Warmth
When choosing material for winter clothing, fleece is an excellent option for warmth due to its renowned ability to retain heat efficiently. In the winter, fleece provides a dense, cozy fabric barrier against the maximum cold temperatures.
However, fleece fabric is quite heavy. This heavyweight material might not be suitable for activewear or clothing to wear during outdoor activities so you need to focus on your purpose and choose the best product that is suitable for your own.
2. Durability
If you want to choose the best hoodie material for durability, consider using synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. Unlike natural fibers like cotton which will wear thin over time, synthetic fabrics are more resistant to abrasion and can last longer.
Hoodies are usually among the most worn items in one’s wardrobe. To ensure that your hoodie can stay resilient against all the wear and tear, it’s important to pick up material with high durability. And, to maintain your hoodie’s lifespan long-lasting, it also depends on the engineering process.
3. Comfort
To find hoodies which bring you the comfortable feeling, you must focus on the breathable fabric. This gives you general comfort during various activities. Some natural fabric like cotton will help you balance between warmth and air permeability.
4. Styles and personal preferences
Besides considering the materials’ characteristics, you should also look at your own styles and personal preferences to select the most suitable hoodie material.
- Casual wear hoodies: It prioritizes comfort and aesthetics. Soft fleece or jersey knit fabrics with a relaxed fit are great for lounging or everyday wear. You need to look for materials like cotton or cotton blends for breathability, or choose wool for added warmth.
- Activewear hoodies: This hoodie style focuses on functionality. Breathable fabrics like moisture-wicking polyester blends or lightweight jerseys will help regulate your body temperature during exercise. Let’s opt for materials with stretch, like those with spandex content, to allow for freedom of movement.
What is the best hoodie material?
There’re many good materials to make the hoodies but choosing which is the best option depends on your needs and your purpose. Below is detailed information:
1. Hoodie fabric weight
One of the most important things you need to check is fabric weight, here’s the product description for each item of our catalog. While heavier fabrics are great for winter hoodies , the lightweight material is more suitable for summer.
Below is the weight measured in grams per square meter (GSM) or OSY, you can pick the best one to gain your goals:
- Lightweight from 200 GSM (5.9 OSY) to 250 GSM (7.38 OSY): It’s the ideal for summer hoodies. They provide breathability and a comfortable feel in mild weather.
- Mid-weight from 250 GSM (7.38 OSY) to 300 GSM (8.85 OSY): A versatile option suitable for year-round wear in many climates which offers a good balance between warmth and breathability.
- Heavyweight from 350 GSM (8.85 OSY) to 400 GSM (11.8 OSY): It’s perfect for cold weather hoodies. These fabrics provide excellent warmth and insulation.
- Extra Heavyweight more than 400 GSM (11.8+ OSY): The warmest option, ideal for very cold climates or for those who prioritize maximum coziness.
Now, it’s time to explore what is the best hoodie material!
2. Hoodie Fabric Composition
Hoodie fabric composition provides 4 main types. They’re:
2.1. 100% cotton
Cotton is produced from 100% natural fiber. It is very skin-friendly due to its comfort, gentle touch (hypoallergenic properties), and moisture-wicking capabilities, making it the best choice for people with sensitive skin.
Besides, hoodies made from 100% cotton can absorb moisture up to 27x their weight making the ideal option for both keeping warm and maintaining your cool and dry if you have some outside or physical activities.
Here’s quick overview of 100% cotton hoodie:
- Soft and comfortable: Cotton is naturally soft and breathable, making for a very comfortable wear.
- Natural and hypoallergenic: Great for sensitive skin.
- Good absorbency: Absorbs sweat well, ideal for light activity in warm weather.
- Easy care: Machine washable and generally easy to care for.
- Great for customization: Takes well to dyes and embroidery for colorful or detailed designs.
2.2. Cotton-polyester blends
Cotton, a natural fiber, is known for its comfort and durability and is a very popular clothing material. Polyester is a man-made synthetic fiber. Together, they’re a match made and called cotton-polyester blend. When using it to produce, manufacturers can gain or achieve some certain desirable characteristics: cottons are soft, breathable, moisture-absorbent and polyester is durable and wrinkle resistant.
2.2.1. How many types of poly-cotton blends?
Polyester cotton blends has two main types, each of them has unique characteristics:
- 50/50 cotton-polyester blend: At Merchize, we provide several options like Classic Unisex Hoodie Gildan 18500 or Zip Hoodie Gildan 18600. Both of them are super soft, comfortable and also fashionable with metal zip.They also have a good balance between the breathability and comfort of cotton with the wrinkle resistance and durability of polyester.
- 80/20 cotton-polyester blend: Our products use this fabric such as Classic Unisex Hoodie AWDis JH00, Kid Hoodie AWDis JH001J or Classic Unisex Hoodie Comfort Colors 1567 bring user the comfort, breathability and durable yet lightweight. Moreover, Merchize provides custom hoodie service having a cool choice for those what-to-wear days for all people. With this print on demand service, you can have creative freedom to make your own hoodie.
2.2.2. Which of these cotton-poly blends makes the best fabric for hoodies?
To choose the best material for hoodies, let’s scroll down:
- Softness and breathability: A blend with higher cotton content, like 65/35 cotton-poly or 80/20 cotton-poly, will be softer and more breathable. This is ideal for warmer weather or if you just prefer a comfortable feel.
- Durability and moisture-wicking: A blend with higher polyester content, like 50/50 or even a tri-blend with polyester like 70/27/3 polyester-cotton-elastane, will be more durable, wrinkle-resistant, and better at wicking away moisture. This is good for activewear or cooler weather.
- Longevity: A blend with more polyester (like 70/30 cotton-poly) will generally last longer. Polyester is more resistant to shrinking, wrinkles, and fading compared to cotton.
- Customization: For vibrant and detailed prints like DTG printing (direct-to-garment printing) or embroidery, a higher cotton content (like 65/35 or 80/20) is preferable. Cotton takes dyes and stitches better, resulting in sharper designs.
2.3. Tri-blends
A tri-blends shirt is a great option for hoodies made from 3 different fibers: cotton, polyester and rayon. The typical composition is 50% cotton, 25% polyester, and 25% rayon; this ratio also differs, depending on the manufacturer and purpose of the fabric.
By mixing 3 materials, a tri-blend shirt makes the user feel soft, smooth and comfortable because the blend of cotton, polyester and rayon creates a fabric that combines the best of each material: the natural softness of cotton, the durability and flexibility of polyester, and the silky feel of rayon. Furthermore, the mixed materials also enable tri blend shirts to retain their shape-holding fit even after countless wears and washes – unlike old cotton shirts that become misshapen over time.
2.4. 100% polyester
Our hoodies, which is also a premium version of sleeveless hoodie, weight made from 100% polyester, are quite light and also a go-to-choice for active users. Moreover, its moisture-wicking qualities help you maintain your body cool and dry while in the hottest weather.
3. Hoodie Fabric Textures
Hoodie fabrics come in a variety of textures, each offering a different look and feel. Here are they:
3.1. Brushed fleece
Brushed fleece is a type of fabric known for its softness, warmth, and coziness. It is typically made from cotton, polyester, or a blend of both. The fabric has a napped finish, meaning it has been brushed to create a raised surface of tiny fibers.
This fabric is double-faced: a flat face on one side and a soft, napped face on the other. The soft and smooth napped side faces your body, making it comfortable to wear.
3.2. Sherpa fleece
Sherpa fleece is also a type of fleece fabric that is known for warmth and softness. Whether you’re hitting for winter hike, running or relaxing around the campfire with friends, it still makes you the most comfortable.
With our All over Print Fleece Hoodie, your casual will leverage day-to-day style. You can also mix and match with a T-shirt or sweater underneath to make it warmer through the windy and colder days.
3.3. Minky fleece
Minky fleece is a luxurious and soft fabric known for its incredibly soft touch and velvety feel. It’s a type of plush fabric that falls under the category of synthetic fleece, typically made from 100% polyester. And, one of the most outstanding products is All-over Print Fleece Zip Hoodie. It brings user soft and heavy scuba fabric with warm fleece lining, this hoodie is super comfy and lasts long.
4. Some other materials
Besides some popular fabric like cotton and poly-cotton, hoodies also made from several materials like:
4.1. Scuba(95% polyester and 5% spandex)
Scuba fabric made with 95% polyester and 5% spandex is a synthetic knit material commonly used for activewear, dresses, bags, and even some garments. With 95% polyester, this makes the fabric durable, wrinkle-resistant, and relatively fast drying. Polyester fibers are strong and can withstand abrasion, making them suitable for clothing.
By the way, with 5% spandex, this small amount of spandex adds stretch and recovery to the fabric. This allows scuba fabric to hug the body comfortably while still allowing for movement. Matching 2 fabrics, your hoodies will become the best choice for both keeping warmth and also making your body dryer than ever!
So, if you’ve gone through our hoodies catalog, you may have noticed we offer most products with scuba fabric, feel free to check here!
4.2. Jersey knit fabric
Jersey material was made from wool, cotton or synthetic materials like polyester. This material has 2 types: single-knit jersey and double-knit jersey. The former is more lightweight and stretch so that it’s suitable for active wear, the latter is less stretchy and more weight. That is the reason why single-knit jerseys are preferred over double-knit jerseys.
4.3. Corduroy
Corduroy is a distinctive textile with a raised rib or “wale" texture . It’s a woven fabric where the weft threads are cut to create the raised corduroy wales. Modern corduroy is most commonly made from cotton making the products more durable, cozy fabric… This material is usually to make coats, slacks, jackets and also for fashion-hoodies.
4.4. Wool
Wool is also natural fiber from the hairs of various animals like sheep. It has moisture-wicking capabilities and is breathable for remaining dry and warm. Hoodies made from wood are great but the price is more expensive to produce than other fabrics like cotton and polyester. That’s why the price is quite high. Moreover, the products from wool have more shrinkage so you need to hand-wash them to protect the best. So, if you’re looking for a comfortable, warm, and eco-friendly fabric option, wool is definitely worth considering.
Sum up
We hope that you can have detailed information about each material’s characteristics to choose what is the best material for hoodies for printing your designs. By the way, let’s remember to check the fabric weight and then consider which one is the best for each occasion.
After it’s done, feel free to start the manufacturing process. While in proceeding, you also check carefully what printing method and also how materials affect print quality, durability and so on. To check and know that it has a good or bad review when the customer receives it, let’s order a product sample to see how it looks in real life.
And if you’re looking to design your own custom hoodie using a POD (Print-on-Demand) service, let’s sign up today with Merchize, your trusted POD fulfillment partner, and start your journey to success!
