Our mood, well-being and comfort can be affected by many things, from our home and office life to the car we drive or the shoes we wear.
But besides these fundamental needs, certain minor things can also make a surprisingly big difference.
Have you ever felt irritated by an itchy sweater or a tee? We all have! That's because the wrong fabric of a t-shirt can make you feel uncomfortable and anxious, but a soft, high-quality tee can set a positive tone for the entire day.
Let's talk about how t-shirt material can affect your comfort.
The comfort dilemma
There are few things that make a t-shirt fabric comfortable, but stretchability and breathability are the main ones (softness taking the third place).
And that can present a challenge because very often you've got to choose one or the other. Here's why.
Natural fabrics such as cotton, linen and hemp offer the biggest breathability and keep you cool during hot days. Unfortunately, these fabrics aren't naturally stretchy.
Among the best stretching fabrics are nylon and polyester; however, since they're synthetic, they do not absorb moisture well and even create a "plastic bag" effect, i.e. you're hot and sweaty all the time.
Cotton
Let's briefly talk about cotton, the most common fabric for t-shirts. It's not all the same, and in this case, usually, the more money you spend, the more comfortable you are.
Regular cotton t-shirts are the cheapest but often stiff and scratchy because of low thread count and costs saved during production.
Combed cotton is a softer version, but still, unless the tee is baggy, it can restrict movement.
We recommend opting for organic or Pima cotton that offer breathability, more stretchiness, and softness if you have the budget.
Fabrics to avoid
Being sweaty, hot and stinky are the opposite of comfort, and certain t-shirt fabrics are precisely that.
While these materials are usually cheaper and easily accessible, consider avoiding them if possible.
Polyester is made from synthetic polymers, is non-breathable, keeps you sweating, can cause skin infections and loses its quality pretty quickly.
Acrylic and nylon are made of petroleum; they pile and are non-breathable, making you sweat soon after putting the tee on.
Lastly, while rayon is the best of the worst options because it's made from recycled wood pulp, it's treated with various toxic chemicals and can cause skin irritations.
Fabric blends
Okay, so you know what fabrics to avoid, and that cotton, while great, can still be scratchy and doesn't give much stretch.
What are the alternatives for best comfort then? Say hello to fabric blends that combine the best qualities of different textiles (even those that should be avoided on their own) and give you the most comfort.
Your first option is the polyester and cotton blend that's super soft and has more stretch than your regular cotton. If you choose the right brand that uses high-quality polyester in their t-shirts, like, you can also rest easy knowing that your t-shirts will be breathable, wrinkle less, and tear-resistant (to a degree).
Your other option is tri-blend. It's one of the softest materials to wear and is made of cotton, polyester, and rayon. Luxurious, smooth, moisture-wicking and breathable, it keeps you cool, dry and comfortable.
If you want to know what is the best fabric for t-shirts is, click here and find out on this article from Fresh Clean Tees.
For your consideration
Yes, unfortunately, certain natural and breathable fabrics don't fully pass the comfort test because they're rigid and don't stretch.
However, we still wanted to mention that t-shirts made from these materials can be a great option in certain situations, e.g. when you know you don't move much or when you need a lot of sun protection.
So for your consideration, we offer linen and hemp. Both are lightweight, breathable, strong, and if you choose high-quality, they will give you a lot of comfort on a hot summer's day.