Your Complete Guide to the Best Materials for Activewear

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By Rebekah Carter Posted on 20 September

Demand for attractive, durable, and versatile activewear is increasing. Today&#;s fashion fans aren&#;t just looking for compelling patterns and designs anymore. They want clothing that&#;s practical, comfortable, and ideally, good for the environment.

Since the pandemic, in particular, people have been investing in more flexible clothing options, as well as garments that can help them master their self-care routine. By , the market for activewear and athletic clothing is set to reach a value of around $779.9 billion thanks to this trend.

If you&#;re thinking of starting your own clothing brand, getting involved with an athletic niche could be an excellent way to increase your revenue, and differentiate your business.

However, before you start investing in your clothing collection, you&#;ll need to know what materials, and fabrics you should be using to give your customers the best possible experience.

Here&#;s your complete guide to the best material for activewear.

10 Activewear Fabric Properties to Consider

The right materials for your activewear line will depend on a few factors, from what kind of customers you&#;re trying to reach, to where you intend your garments to be used.

For instance, if you&#;re creating clothes for skiing fans, you&#;ll need different materials to a company creating garments for the standard gym-goer. A good way to start narrowing down your options is to think about some crucial properties your fabrics might need.

Here are 10 worthwhile properties worth assessing:

1. Moisture-Wicking

Activewear is designed for high levels of activity, whether your customers are running through a park or pumping iron at the gym. The more active we are, the more we sweat, and no one likes wearing damp, sweaty clothing. A moisture-wicking material will help to ensure your customers can stay cool and dry when they&#;re working out.

2. Anti-Bacterial

Sweat isn&#;t just uncomfortable; it can also be a breeding ground for bacteria. If bacteria gathers on a garment for too long, it can cause skin issues, itching, and all kinds of other problems. Consider creating workout clothes with anti-bacterial materials.

3. Odor Reduction

Speaking of sweat, it can often produce quite an unpleasant odor. The last thing someone wants when exercising alongside their peers at the gym is to smell terrible. Some of the best fabrics for activewear clothing help to reduce odors. Stick to breathable fabrics that reduce stink.

4. Hypoallergenic

Although this might seem like quite a niche thing to consider, it&#;s worth looking for hypoallergenic clothing when you&#;re building your brand.

Hypoallergenic materials are less likely to cause discomfort, even with regular wear. This means your customers will have a more comfortable experience when wearing your shirts, leggings, and other clothes.

5. Durability

When you&#;re learning how to start an activewear clothing line, it&#;s worth thinking about how your customers are going to use your clothing. They&#;ll likely put your garments to the test with vigorous exercise, which means you need to ensure the fabric will hold up to abuse. Make sure your athletic garments can stand the test of time.

6. Lightweight

Great athletic clothing shouldn&#;t weigh your customer down. While many fabrics aren&#;t particularly heavy, the materials used for sportswear need to be extremely lightweight. When searching for the right material, try to balance a lightweight, breathable material, with high durability.

7. Stretch

Mobility is crucial for anyone investing in activewear. Whether you&#;re creating t-shirts for gym-goers or leggings, you should ensure they can stretch to fit the person perfectly. The right materials should ensure your customers don&#;t feel restricted or refined when they&#;re exercising. This means they can use their muscles more effectively.

8. Protection

Depending on the types of sportswear you&#;re going to create, extra protection might be necessary in some areas. Some people need padded knees on their leggings to help them with their yoga movements and other exercises. It may be important to place extra protection in other areas too, such as around the arms of your shirts.

9. Cooling

Even if you&#;re designing clothing for winter sports, it&#;s best to stick to cooling, breathable materials. No matter the environment, exercise causes us to generate a lot of heat. A breathable and cooling fabric will provide more comfort for your customers.

10. Evaporation

Lightweight materials used for activewear should allow moisture to evaporate quickly, ensuring the garment can dry out as soon as possible. This will be important for both comfort in the gym, and for ensuring clothes can dry quickly after washing.

Activewear Materials to Consider

If you&#;re producing print on demand activewear, your vendor should be able to give you a wide range of different fabrics and materials to choose from. Not only should these materials have all the properties above, but they should also appeal to the values of your audience.

For instance, opting for eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics can be a good way to make your garments more appealing to your target audience.

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Here are just some of the best fabrics worth looking at for activewear, and why they&#;re so effective for athletic clothing.

1. Polyester Fabrics

Polyester is one of the most versatile fabrics in the garment world. It&#;s popular for not just its durability, but its exceptional comfort and performance. Traditional polyester fabrics are made with plastic fibers, making them lightweight, resilient, and resistant to wrinkles.

Polyester can also have excellent moisture-wicking properties. If you want to take your polyester activewear to the next level, consider choosing an eco-friendly polyester fabric, made with recycled materials, to reduce your carbon footprint.

2. Nylon Fabrics

Another example of a synthetic fabric, ideal for gym clothes, nylon was initially created to help produce women&#;s stockings. However, its versatility, stretch, and lightweight nature also make it perfect for athletic apparel.

Nylon fabrics are ideal for leggings, shirts, and accessories. Plus, they&#;re highly elastic, quick drying, and resistant to bacteria and mildew. The best nylon materials even help to draw sweat away from the skin, and provide wearers with an excellent level of breathability.

3. Spandex Fabrics

Probably one of the best-known fabrics for workout clothing, spandex materials have taken the athletic industry by storm. The biggest benefit of these fabrics is their ability to stretch, offering exceptional mobility and freedom of motion.

While spandex fabrics may not be as effective at removing moisture as some other alternatives, they&#;re great for comfort and smooth movement. Just make sure you provide your customers with tips on how to look after their spandex, so it doesn&#;t stretch out over time.

4. Bamboo

One of the eco-friendlier materials on our list, bamboo is an environmentally friendly and comfortable material, used in a variety of different environments. Bamboo pulp creates a lightweight natural fabric, with excellent moisture wicking properties.

Although Bamboo materials can be a little more expensive than alternatives, they&#;re a great way to differentiate your shop from other clothing brands. The right bamboo clothing can offer a range of great benefits to customers, from odor resistance to temperature regulation. Plus, bamboo fabrics are wonderfully soft and resilient.

5. Thermal Fabrics

Thermal fabrics are fantastic for keeping your customers warm in cold weather. They&#;re a little softer and denser than other durable fabric options. They&#;re also perfect for intense outdoor exercises, like skiing and hiking. Though these thick fabrics can retain warmth, they&#;re also ideal for wicking away sweat and offering great breathability.

Many thermal fabrics, such as fleece, can be susceptible to piling, due to their extra-soft surface. However, you can experiment with different options to create hoodies, shirts, shorts, and other products that offer amazing comfort with great durability.

6. Seamless Knit Fabrics

Seamless clothing has become a must-have in the activewear industry. Seamless tops and leggings are ideal for all kinds of sports and activities, as they reduce the risk of chafing, and give your customers a more comfortable experience.

Seamless fabrics are often stretchy and lightweight, as well as being very soft and comfortable. They can also be made to be quite elastic, so they fit your customer perfectly.

Avoid Cotton Fabrics

Although cotton is a popular fabric choice for many types of clothing, thanks to its simple, hypoallergenic, and breathable qualities, it&#;s not always the best for sportswear. Cotton is a type of hydrophilic material, which means it often holds and retains a lot of water.

If your customers end up sweating during their workout (which they usually will), it can take a long time for cotton clothing to dry out. In some cases, cotton clothing can also increase the risk of chaffing during hot seasons, and hypothermia during colder seasons.

Stick to more breathable, moisture-wicking, and lightweight materials to give your customers the best workout experience possible.

Novatomato&#;s High Performance Activewear Fabrics

At NovaTomato, we work with creators and designers to produce all kinds of different clothing, from seamless leggings, to durable, and sustainable shirts. With our print-on-demand service, companies can customize the fabric they use for each of their garments. We can help you stay one step ahead of Activewear trends in your industry.

We offer a range of options to choose from, including:

• High-performance recycled polyester: Our eco-friendly recycled polyester is wonderfully stretchy and durable. It offers moisture wicking properties, a high-density weave, and a durable, yet lightweight experience, ideal for leggings, shirts, jerseys, and pants.
• Fine performance mesh fabric: Great for breathability, our high-performance mesh fabric keeps customers cool and dry throughout their workout. It&#;s great for tank tops and similar products, with excellent stretch, and a soft texture.
• High performance Sorona: Our high-performance and eco-friendly Sorona fabric, made with recycled polyester, combines the comfort of cotton with the durability of polyester. It&#;s stretchable, wrinkle resistant, and great at reducing moisture.
• Cloud soft textured recycled polyester: Another exceptional eco-friendly option, this recycled polyester is made with additional spandex fibers for better stretch and mobility. It&#;s durable, lightweight, and wrinkle resistant.

Reach out to the NovaTomato team today to learn more about our amazing high-performance fabrics, and the materials you can choose for your activewear collection.

FAQs

Here are some of the most common questions we&#;re asked about activewear materials.

What Is the Best Activewear Material?

The best Activewear material depends on a range of factors, from the needs of your customers to the garments you want to create. However, stretchy, durable, and breathable fabrics like bamboo and recycled polyester are excellent choices.

Is Polyester Good for Working Out?

Polyester is durable, lightweight, and breathable, making it an excellent choice for activewear. Many sweatpants, activewear shirts, and running jackets are made with polyester blends. Polyester also has excellent moisture wicking properties.

What Is the Best Material for Gym Clothes?

The best material for gym clothes should be stretchy, durable, and breathable. It needs to wick away moisture and sweat easily, and should offer exceptional comfort in all temperatures. The best fabrics will also give customers complete freedom of movement.

For more information, please visit polyester mesh cloth.