What is polycotton fabric and why is it so popular? Here we uncover more about this cotton and polyester hybrid, and why it is such a popular choice for clothing, decor, bedding, and more.
What is polycotton fabric?
A popular choice of fabric for clothing and bedding, poly cotton has the soft and absorbent qualities of cotton as well as the durable and easy to care for nature of polyester.
Some popular poly cotton materials include:
- Boston Pique Knit – water absorbent, pique knit construct, 4.72oz,
mesh like , flexible - Lima Cotton Lawn – tightly woven, 4.28oz, smooth, cool, durable, soft, breathable
- Lima Cotton Poplin – 5.90oz, tight, plain weave, water absorbent, smooth, taut
- Mayfair Herringbone Weave – soft, cotton feel, tight weave, solid, matte, 7.93oz
- Mulmul Soft Muslin – muslin weave, super soft, strong, durable, 1.62oz, woven
- Panama Flo – 4.42oz, woven, durable, solid, strong, taut, half
panama - Cotton Sheeting – tight, plain weave, 3.83oz, strong, soft face, breathable, spun yarns
- Woven Canvas – tightly woven, durable, 8.85oz & 11.2oz, non-stretch, smooth
How is it manufactured?
Polycotton fabric is manufactured by combining the natural fiber cotton with
Purposes of polycotton fabric
The purpose of polycotton fabric is to create a material that has the best of both worlds – the natural breathability and beauty of cotton and the durability and longevity of polyester. Mixing the two fibers can utilize the properties of differing strengths, dyeability, breathability and more. Cotton can be added to polyester to help give the polyester more of moisture-wicking finish, and polyester can be added to cotton to give it more durability and flexibility.
By creating a poly cotton material hybrid, you will get a fabric that has the advantages of both fibers; tough, durable, breathable, soft, and affordable.
Properties
The blend of cotton and polyester fibres have a wealth of properties, that makes them a popular choice for many end uses, in particular, clothing and bedding. Some common properties of poly cotton include:
- Wrinkle resistant
- Strong and durable
- Breathable
- Can be ironed
- Shrinks less than pure cotton
- Retain color
- Cheaper than 100% cotton
- Fade resistant
- Can be washed more often
- Easy to sew
Advantages of polycotton fabric
The blend of the two fibres is created to afford the advantages of both the cotton and the poly fibres into one fabric. While 100
The final fabric is normally soft, comfortable, and flexible with a breathable nature. It is also tear-resistant, less prone to pilling and static, and can be made into abrasion-resistant fabrics, such as canvas. Poly cotton is also less expensive than 100% cotton, and you can often find different ratios of the fibres, which will suit your end purpose.