What is moisture wicking fabric? Herewith the characteristic of light wearing, moisture conduction, quick-drying, cooling, comfortable wearing, easy cleaning and ironing free, the fabric made of hygroscope and volatilizing fiber has been widely used in fitness wear, lingerie, outdoor casual wear, etc. Before knowing what the moisture-wicking fabric is, let’s get some knowledge on the fiber it uses.
Firstly let’s make an interesting comparison on the different fibers for making fitness clothing.
| Fiber Type | Physical Feature for workout wearing | Fitness Wearing experience |
| Synthetic fiber ( example: polyester) | Low absorbent capacity, Bad moisture-penetrability. | Easy to have stuffiness feeling while exercising. |
| Natural Fiber:( example: cotton) | Good hygroscopicity, Comfortable to wear. | Cotton fiber will expand due to moisture absorption and stick to the skin. Sweating evaporates and dissipates slowly, resulting in a cold and wet feeling on the human body. |
| Hygroscope and Volatilizing fiber (example: nylon/dacron moisture wicking fabric) | Wear resistance, Light weight, good breathability， wet conduction. | Pulling moisture away from your body, through the fabric so it can evaporate, keep a dry and comfortable body feeling. |
According to research, cotton can take in 7% of its weight in water or sweat. Polyester, nevertheless, takes in 0.4% of its weight in water or sweat, which suggests while cotton technically absorbs more effectively, it lacks the quick-drying, breathable abilities of athletic fabrics.
After the comparison on fiber, you may have an idea of how the moisture-wicking fabric works better than other common fitness fabrics. But how can it reach to such a grade? — “Moisture-wicking” helps.
What does moisture wicking mean?
Moisture-wicking is an innovative technology made use of specific materials to get rid of the sweat from the skin along with the clothing.
It can take the sweat that the skin creates, and also via making use of capillaries, relocates the sweat to the external surface area of the garments.
What are common types of moisture-wicking fabrics?
Polyester
Polyester, a synthetic mix, is a reputable moisture-wicking material. When blended with other materials, polyester is an excellent selection for energetic wear since it is breathable, light-weight as well as quick-drying.
Linen Fabric
The hygroscopicity of hemp fiber is the highest among all fibers. Linen cloth can absorb moisture of several dozen times its own weight. The structural characteristics of the fiber make the linen have extraordinary breathability. After sweat is absorbed, it will quickly evaporate. It doesn’t feel sticky after sweating, which is one of the reasons why flax can be popular in summer.
Bamboo Fiber Fabric:
Bamboo fiber has always been hailed as “breathable fiber”. Its moisture absorption and perspiration capacity is not worse than that of pure cotton. In addition, it also has anti-mold and health care functions, satisfying people’s many aspects of clothing fabrics.
Nylon and Nylon Fabrics:
Nylon also has very good moisture absorption and breathability. Many sportswear is made of nylon as the main raw material. Because this fabric is easy to wash and dry, many consumers like to buy nylon fabric sportswear. The price of nylon will be higher than that of pure cotton. The price of one meter is between a dozen to twenty.
How can moisture-wicking technology help?
The moisture-wicking fibers used in the production of moisture-wicking fabrics generally have a high specific surface area, and there are numerous shock holes or grooves on the surface. Its cross-section is generally a special shape, using the capillary effect so that the fiber can quickly absorb moisture and sweat on the skin surface, and spread to the outer layer to bring the hair through diffusion. This technology can make a hydrophilic fabric both moisture-wicking and quick-drying. In general, it is difficult for both natural and synthetic fibers to combine these two characteristics, but with the technology of moisture absorption and sweat removal, it can achieve.
Therefore, for polyester fiber which is completely non-absorbent, the processing technology of moisture-wicking gives it a new life.
How does moisture wicking fabric work?
Wicking fabrics pull moisture through a process referred to as capillary action. Tiny channels, similar to the body’s capillaries, draw sweat away from the skin, onto the material, and enable it to vaporize on the surface of the material rather than on the skin itself. As the wetness reaches the outdoor layers of the fabric, it spreads rapidly and evaporates more rapidly. Finally, it gives the clothing a good function.
Moisture Wicking Fabric — the most Popular Fitness Clothing Fabric in the Future.
Nowadays you will see most of the big brands like GYMSHARK, DOYOUEVEN, JORDAN, LINING etc are putting moisture-wicking clothing into their marketing fitness clothing a lot. It gains a “big share” in their fitness series, in the meantime, this new era fabric is being loved by “sporting customers” and also “sporting suppliers”.
Our factory is putting much effort in producing this popular customized fitness apparel to meet this new era customers’ needs in order to satisfy the market with not only the new styles but also the new technology. We want to give our final customers the experience of enjoying the feeling of sweating by using the function of moisture-wicking fabric which will come up with moisture wicking fitness clothing.
