Nylon
No matter, the weather is cold or hot or you are doing squat or lifting dead weight, nylon is a perfect material to wear for heavy duty activity.
It is a perfect fiber for activewear due to its stretchability. It bends with your every movement. A perfect recovery is seen with nylon that enables your clothing to bring back to its
original shape.
Nylon has great moisture wicking property. This helps in wicking your sweat from the skin and evaporate it quickly to the atmosphere. This property of nylon has made it suitable for
activewears.
Nylon is super soft that is used in almost everything like leggings, sportswear, t-shirt etc. The mildew resistance capacity of nylon is another plus point. Thanks to it to keep clothing
from getting affected by mildew. As nylon is hydrophobic (MR% of nylon is .04%), they resist mildew growth.
Spandex
Spandex comes from elastomeric polymer. It is the most stretchable fiber in the entire textile industry. More often, it is blended with other fibers like cotton, polyester, nylon etc.
Spandex is marketed with the brand name Elastane or Lycra.
Spandex can stretch up to 5 to 7 times its original length. Where a wide range of mobility is needed, spandex is always a preferred option. Spandex has super elasticity property
that helps a material to recover to its original shape.
When spandex is blended with any other fiber, the percentage of it regulates the stretch ability of that clothing. It wicks sweat in good content (Moisture regain% of spandex is 0.6%)
and also dries quickly. But a sacrificing point is, it isn’t that breathable.
But it doesn’t limit the benefits of spandex. The high range of stretch ability makes it a perfect fit for fitness clothing. It shows an excellent ability to protest against friction. Again,
good resistance against mildew is also seen.
While washing spandex material, always be careful. If you rigorously wash it in the machine and dry it with iron, then it can lose its stretching capacity. So, gently wash it and dry it
in the open air.
Mostly spandex is used in skin tight clothing, sports bra, leggings, tracksuit, swimsuits, skin tight t-shirts etc.
Polyester
Polyester is the most popular fabric in fitness wear. It is extremely durable (Tenacity of polyester 5-7 g/denier), no tension of wear, tear or pill. Even machine abrasion is easily
handled by this fabric.
Polyester is hydrophobic (Moisture regain% is .4%). So, instead of absorbing water molecules, it wicks moisture from the skin and evaporates in the air. It shows a good elasticity
(Elastic modulus of polyester is 90). So, high performance activity clothing with polyester, bends with your every move.
Polyester is wrinkle-resistant that can retain its shape better than any natural fibers. It is lightweight and breathable which makes it more suitable to serve as activewear. It has
excellent resistance against friction and mildew.
But you need to wash your clothing right after your workout. Don’t let them with sweat. It can cause a bad odor.
Post time: Sep-16-2022