What are the pros and cons of polyester vs. cotton t-shirts?
- Cotton t-shirts are made from natural and sustainable fiber
- Cotton creates breathable clothing
- Polyester dries quickly
- Both polyester and cotton come in a variety of colors
- Cotton’s durability lies in its fabric weaves
When looking for a t-shirt supplier in the Philippines, there are a few things you need to take into consideration. You’ll want to know the cuts and colors available, as well as the estimated life span of the shirt. Another important factor to think about is the shirt’s fabric. Of the many materials available for casual t-shirts, two of the most common are cotton and polyester. Let’s take a deeper look at these fabrics, and determine which is the best for your needs, polyester vs cotton t-shirts.
Cotton t-shirts are made from natural and sustainable fiber
Cotton has been used in apparel for hundreds of years. To this day, it remains one of the most popular fabrics.
Cotton is naturally occurring, which means it exists in nature and doesn’t need to be grown artificially. There are a couple of pros to this: it’s sustainable, so it can exist naturally for a long time, and it’s biodegradable, which means it will decompose over time.
However, there are also some cons to the fact that cotton is a natural material. Despite being sustainable, the process of manufacturing and preparing raw cotton for fabric production actually uses more pesticides than any other kind of commodity. Pesticides are generally harmful to the environment and can cause sensitive skin to itch. To remedy this problem, some cotton shirts come in organic varieties that don’t use pesticides.
Still, another disadvantage of cotton being a natural material is that it can fluctuate in price because it is a commodity. At the moment, it’s generally cheaper than polyester, but this can change if it becomes harder to produce.
Cotton creates breathable clothing
When we say the fabric is “breathable,” we mean that it allows air to pass through easily, so the clothing made from it is comfortable and not too warm. Because of the nature of its fibers, cotton is the most breathable fabric in the market today. Cotton shirts are lightweight and soft, absorb sweat easily, and allow your body heat to escape.
Polyester dries quickly
Polyester, on the other hand, is an artificial fiber made to be comfortable as well, though it is still not as breathable as cotton. It has moisture-wicking properties which allow sweat to move to the outer surface of the fabric, but the cloth dries quickly so that the sweat doesn’t saturate the apparel.
In fact, one of the factors that make polyester beneficial is it dries quickly. This is because it absorbs much less moisture than cotton or even other fabrics.
Both polyester and cotton come in a variety of colors
Because polyester is artificially created and cotton can be very easily dyed, both polyester and cotton come in many colors.
Polyester, however, does not take to customization with liquid dyes as easily as cotton does because of its hydrophobic properties. For the same reason, polyester doesn’t catch or retain stains as easily as cotton does.
Meanwhile, cotton t-shirts are ideal for customization. The natural fibers hold dye very well, which makes them good options for tie-dyeing and painting. The affordability of cotton t-shirts makes them great for screen printing, too.
Cotton’s durability lies in its fabric weaves
Cotton is less durable and less stretchy than polyester, but it is certainly strong enough to resist wear and tear. In fact, cotton is one of the strongest natural fibers, and depending on how it’s made, it can have a very long life span.
Cotton’s durability comes from the interlinking layers of fibrils that constitute the fiber cell. Unlike other fabrics, cotton remains durable even when wet, and even gets stronger when soaked. This is because it can absorb up to 25 times its weight in water.
Key Takeaway
We’ve listed some of the pros and cons of both types of fabric, and now it’s time for you to decide the kind of fabric that’s best for your needs. Of course, you can always go for a cotton-polyester blend, if you want the best of both worlds, but remember that even this blend has its own pros and cons.
Regardless of the kind of material you go for, remember to always choose a t-shirt supplier in the Philippines that ensures quality. At Lifeline Shirt, we use a combination of cotton and polyester in our shirts to provide you with both durability and comfort. You don’t have to choose between polyester vs cotton t-shirts. Browse our shop today!
You may also visit our official Shopee page for high-quality shirts for sale in the Philippines!
