Gym Fabric
What is Gym Fabric
Gym fabric is commonly made from a variety of materials and blends, the most popular includes polyester, nylon, and spandex. These synthetic fibers are lightweight, durable, and moisture-wicking; ideal for activewear. A rising trend is replacing synthetic fibers with recycled and natural fibers.
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Gymnastic Fabric $ 2.60
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Leotard Fabric $ 2.60
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Dancewear Fabric $ 3.50
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Compression Fabric $ 4.70
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Performance Suit Fabric $ 1.30
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Exercise Fabric $ 2.70
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Cheerleader Outfits Fabric $ 3.90
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Shapewear Fabric $ 4.40
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Gym Costume Fabric $ 3.10
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Gym Perfect Fit Fabric $ 5.50
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Gym Stretch Fabric $ 3.40
Benefits of Gym Fabric
The Right Gym Fabric Keeps You Comfortable
The mind-muscle connection helps you get more out of your workout regimen and leads to faster fitness results, whether that's more muscle mass or faster weight loss. That mind-muscle relationship requires focus and awareness, and few things pull you out of your workout and distract you faster than feeling uncomfortable.
Whether it's gear that's too tight and chafes, or clothes that are too loose and gets in the way, staying comfortable helps you focus on what matters: Pushing your limits and being aware of your form and movements.
It Protects Against Injury
Besides improving your confidence and enhancing your fitness, picking the best workout clothes also reduces your risk of injury:
It wicks away moisture, reduces overheating, and keeps your body cool, thus minimizing your risks of heat-related fatigue and injury.
It reduces your risks of sprains, strains, and injuries (for example, loose-fitting pants could interfere with your squats and lunges, and poorly-fitted shoes can cause joint and foot injuries).
It may help to reduce fatigue and support your muscles, especially when it comes to compression-style workout clothing, and the right workout clothing can even improve post-workout recovery.
It Keeps Things Hygienic
Improve your gym hygiene with the right gym fabric. It's well-established that gyms and fitness facilities are a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria, to say nothing about that post-workout sweat smell. Great activewear material keeps unwanted B.O. at bay, is easy to wash, and in some cases is even hypoallergenic and antimicrobial (meaning the fabric resists and kills the bacteria that lead to infections and offensive odors).
It's Durable and Moves With You
If you're going to shell out good money for your gym gear, make sure it lasts and moves with you. Your athleticwear needs to move and stretch in order to give you the full range of motion while exercising, while also maintaining its fit and form without getting too stretched and saggy.
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Types of Gym Fabric
Spandex/Lycra
Spandex or Lycra is one of the great synthetic gym fabrics of the 20th Century, and one of our particular favourites. As a breathable gym fabric that also offers a great deal of stretch, it is perfect for workout clothing as it allows you to move freely without feeling restricted.
Spandex is often used in sportswear and swimwear due to its moisture-wicking properties, making it ideal for swimming or sweating it out at the gym.
Moisture Wicking Cotton
Unlike standard cotton, moisture-wicking cotton is designed to pull sweat away from the skin and allow it to evaporate quickly, making it ideal for high-intensity workouts. Moisture wicking cotton is often used in sportswear as it helps to keep athletes cool and dry during even the most strenuous exercise.
Polyester/Spandex Blends
While basic polyester is more breathable than cotton and is found in almost all fitness gym fabrics due to its lightweight and wrinkle-free properties, it isn’t quite as robust as spandex or other specifically moisture-wicking fabrics.
So when buying polyester workout wear, it's important to make sure your leggings include a blend of other breathable fabrics to help with moisture control, especially if you're hitting the gym regularly.
This blend truly makes the best fabric when it comes to workout leggings, sports bras and yoga pants. As we mentioned before, polyester is a great fabric for workout clothes due to its wrinkle-resistant and lightweight properties. When combined with spandex, you get a fabric that is breathable, stretchy, and moisture-wicking, making it perfect for any type of workout.
Bamboo Fibre
Organic fabrics such as bamboo fabric often utilise recycled material to create their cloth. This can be a popular option for fitness clothing as it is environmentally friendly as well as being absorbent, breathable, and comfortable. Bamboo is often blended with other gym fabrics such as spandex to create the perfect pair of workout leggings.
Nylon
Nylon gym fabric is a synthetic material often used in workout clothing such as sports bras and leggings. Recycled nylon is a great option for fitness clothing as it is environmentally friendly as well as being an absorbent, breathable, and stretchy fabric. Nylon is often blended with other fabrics such as spandex to create the perfect pair of workout leggings.
Polypropylene
Another synthetic fabric suitable for gym clothes is polypropylene. Polypropylene can be more water-resistant than polyester because it transfers moisture instead of absorbing it. This makes it a great option for athletic wear, alongside its breathable and comfortable properties.
CNet recommends this type of material when you're exercising outside in sleet, rain, snow or high humidity
Merino wool
Merino wool can be a great gym fabric for activewear and is also often blended with fabrics like nylon and spandex. Merino wool is a natural fabric that helps to regulate body temperature, making it ideal for both cold and warm weather workouts. The fabric is also moisture-wicking and breathable, making it perfect for high-intensity exercise.
Prolong the Life of your Gym Fabric
Air Out Your gym fabric
After your workout, air dry your gym clothes by hanging them outside. Never let your sweaty tank top stay crumpled in the depths of your gym bag. Not only is this one smelly mistake, but keeping a sweaty garment trapped in a bag or laundry basket for a long period of time can breed mold and mildew.
Care and clean
Most synthetic workout fabrics like polyester, Lycra, and spandex are machine washable in cold water, but extra care must be taken to preserve the shape, elasticity and technical capabilities of each garment.
Separate and wash like with like items
You've likely mastered the art of separating lights and darks, so let's take it one step further by separating your workout gear so that you're washing like fabrics together. Mixing and washing synthetics and pieces of cotton together can cause abrasion, resulting in greater wear and tear on your gym fabric. Also, refrain from throwing in your dirty gym towel with your gym gear as the cotton fluff from the towel can cling to nylon and spandex. The same goes for anything with zippers or velcro, which can cause friction against delicate workout fabrics.
Wash in cold water
Hot water can cause shrinkage and decrease the performance of technical fabrics so it's ideal to wash your gear in cold water.
Use less laundry detergent
It may be tempting to put in more detergent to get the sweat smell out, but it's better to use three-quarters of what you'd use for a normal load as the extra detergent can cling to your gym fabric.
Keep the fabric softener away
While we love the fresh scent of fabric softener, gym fabric and fabric softener are an unfortunate pair. Fabric softener breaks down the elasticity in stretchy fabrics like nylon and spandex. It also creates a barrier on the garment, which traps in odors and clogs the pores of technical fabrics, decreasing their moisture-wicking capabilities.
Extension
A non-negotiable trait that must be exhibited during workouts is flexibility. The ability to perform different types of motions and move freely propels the wearer to hit the mark and set new records.
Stretchable sportswear gym fabrics improve mobility, posture, and one's natural silhouette. A good example of extensive activewear that encourages flexibility is compression leggings. They are often used for yoga as they allow the wearer to move freely in all motions.
On the other hand, wearing an overly tight sports bra might hinder proper breathing. But a high-impact sports bra with good support allows free breath and movement.
Moisture-wicking
The absorbency and moisture-wicking capabilities of athletic wear fabrics are great determinants in deciding the best option. With these characteristics, the wearer can continue with his/her exercise even after a long time without worrying about perspiration.
With the right gym fabric for sports clothes, the user will be able to perform long hours of activities like dancing, marathon races, etc., comfortably. The fabric absorbs sweat, leaving him or her dry and able to carry on.
Breathability
During workouts, sweat is inevitable, hence sufficient air is needed. On this note, thick sportswear gym fabrics are not encouraged because there will be little to no space for air to penetrate.
Choosing a breathable workout material ensures that the wearer remains cool, dry, and comfortable throughout. Air will effortlessly flow in and dry the sweaty cloth. This also helps to reduce the growth of bacteria on workout clothing.
Quick-drying
Aside from thick gym fabrics not being the best material for workout clothes because of perspiration, intense workout sessions also cause a lot of sweat. For better comfort and support for all kinds of workouts, it's best to use light fabrics like nylon that dry quickly, so that there won't be irritation of any sort as sweat remains on the cloth.
Durability
One major factor to be considered is the durability of the fitness gym fabric. Even though it's best to use light fabric, ensure that it has a long lifespan. Choose a sportswear fabric that guarantees multiple uses without compromising on quality.
Activewear made of the right fabric is less likely to tear and wear quickly. No matter how it's stretched or stressed, it will last long.
Lightweight
Fabric weight is a major factor that contributes to sports performance, especially endurance sports. Oftentimes, coaches scrutinize the sportswear clothing to ensure that they are suitable and won't contribute additional weight, thereby hindering top performance.
Washability & Color-Fast
Activewear should ideally be washable and easy to clean. It should be easy to wash off dirt, sweat, and any unpleasant odor from the exercise fabric. Also, check to confirm that the activewear can shrink back to its original size after being laundered. In addition, note that not all fabrics can be washed the same way, so check for the best way to wash the workout material.
When a fabric is color-fast, it won't bleed or fade no matter how damp or wet it gets from sweat, water, or rain. With the fitness fabric being like this, it will last longer and retain all its other properties.
Thermal Insulation
Sportswear gym fabrics that have good thermal conductivity make poor insulators, so they are cooler to wear. These are perfect for several sports where strenuous movements heat the body, leading to profuse sweating. For winter sports like skiing and ice skating, such fabrics that trap more still air will keep the wearer warmer.
Water Vapor Transmission
Fabrics that are waterproof and permeable have a quality known as water vapor transmission. While allowing moisture from perspiration to escape, these gym fabrics will keep wind and rain from entering. This feature is important for activewear designed specifically for trail running, cycling, kayaking, and other outdoor activities.
Gym Fabric Processing Technology




Fibre production
All textiles are made up of fibres that are arranged in different ways to create the desired strength, durability, appearance and texture. The fibres can be of countless origins, but can be grouped into four main categories. Natural fibres, with the exception of silk, have a relatively short fibre length, measured in centimetres. Silk and man-made fibres have on the other hand very long fibre lengths (filaments) ranging from hundreds of metres to kilometres long.
Yarn production
When the fibre has been harvested or produced the next step is to spin the fibres into a yarn. It is easy to believe that this step, which is a mechanical one, uses no chemicals. But in order to increase the strength of the fibre, increase fibre cohesion and reduce friction during the spinning process, spinning oils are added.
Fabric production
The core of textile manufacture is gym fabric production. Gym fabrics can be created in many different ways, the most common being weaving, knitting or through production of non-woven gym fabrics. To prevent the yarn from breaking during these processes, it is important to strengthen the yarn and reduce friction. Sizing chemicals and lubricants are therefore added.
Pre-treatment
Pre-treatment processes can be carried out with fibres, yarns or gym fabrics. It enables subsequent processing of the material, which needs to be prepared to accept dyes and functional chemicals. This is done in a multi-step process. Exactly which steps the gym fabric goes through depends on the type, or blend of fibre, and how it will be treated afterwards. In some cases pre-treated gym fabrics are manufactured for later garment dyeing.
Dyeing and printing
During dyeing and printing both hazardous chemicals and dyestuffs are used. Dyes used for dyeing, can also be used for printing, but must then undergo the same fixation and washings steps as after the dyeing process. The most common way to print a gym fabric in full width is to use pigment prints, where the pigments stick to a surface using polymeric resin or a binder. No washing processes are needed. For garment printing , plastisol printing is very common. The PVC-based paste often contains hazardous chemicals, such as phthalates, but there are also alternatives based on acrylate or polyurethane.
Finishing treatments
This step of the process is all about adding special technical properties or an aesthetic appeal to the finished gym fabric. Depending on the properties desired, such as flame retardance, enhanced water resistance, antibacterial treatment, protective coatings or specific fashion treatments, a diverse range of chemicals are used. Some examples are given below.
Manufacturing, transport, sales and retail
When the gym fabric has the desired colour and properties, it is made into finished products such as sweaters, jeans, shoes or other special items like carpets, furniture or car seats. This step includes processes such as cutting, sewing and the addition of buttons and zippers, for example. In some cases dyeing and printing of the finished garments, with the fabric only pre-treated, occurs at this step. In garment dyeing there are a lot of dyestuff and chemicals used . Some times dyestuff with quite bad wash permanence are chosen to give the clothing in fashion a worn out look. For garment printing, Plastisol prints (PVC) are very common, but there are other types available for example based on acrylate or polyurethane.
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Asked Questions
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