Which is better Cotton Vs Polyester? 

This is a great topic to discuss today. Every day most of us where a t-shirt either cotton, polyester or some type of blend. Today we will discuss which is the best and why.

Cotton or Polyester shirts

This subject comes down to a lot of different variables. It also comes down to the t-shirt printing method that you are planning on using. So if you are using a printing method such as dtg printing you will want to use 100% cotton. You can use some poly blends with dtg but the inks work best with 100% cotton face shirts. If you are screen printing you can print on 100% polyester or cotton blends or 100% cotton. The same goes for HTV. HTV stands for Heat transfer vinyl. You can press on transfers on either cotton or poly. If you are using dye sublimation, then you can only print on 100% polyester shirts.

Cotton

• Cotton cost is cheaper than Polyester
• Cotton is softer than Polyester
• Cotton is eco-friendly
• Cotton will shrink 
• Cotton wrinkles easier
• Cotton is great for people with sensitive skin
• Different Cotton types
• Easy to dye
• Cotton is a natural fabric

Polyester

• Polyester cost more than cotton
• Polyester is more durable than cotton
• Polyester does not shrink
• Polyester is a man made fabric
• Polyester dries faster than cotton
• You can get moisture wicking polyester shirts
• Less fading with Polyester compared to cotton
• Dye sublimation on polyester last longer and looks better
• Wearing polyester in the summer will make you feel hotter

The price difference between Cotton and Polyester

You can find cotton t-shirts for a lot cheaper then you can find a 100% polyester shirt. Cotton t-shirts start at around $.99 and Polyester starts around $3. There is a huge price difference as you can see. If you are looking for the cheapest fabric between the two I would definitely choose a cotton t-shirt.

Is Cotton or Polyester more Durable?

Polyester is definitely more durable. If you are looking for sporting wear or shirts for your business I would definitely recommend polyester. Just understand that your employees may feel more hot with their polyester t-shirts than they would if they had cotton shirts instead. Cotton will also shrink pretty fast. Most items usually come preshrunk now but you will still notice some shrinking after washing and drying your shirts.

Which fabric is the best?

Polyester is definitely going to be better for outdoor events. Cotton is definitely going to feel better for around the house and summertime activities. So you want to to know which is better. You will be better going with a poly blend so that you get the best of both worlds. The two fabrics will compliment each other giving you something that won't shrink or wrinkle too bad. If you are choosing to print some graphics on custom t-shirts than it also depends on the method that you are about to choose to print them. 

If you are choosing the method that you are going to use to print them after then I would definitely go with polyester. You never need to worry about your shirt shrinking or fading. You'll also get to use the dye-sub printing method but that just means that both the shirt and the printing is going to cost you a lot more.

If you have any comments please feel free to let us know in the comment section below.