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I'm trying to find the absolute best material to put into a t shirt. The below is some of what I have found in my own research. I am not an expert, so some of the info below could be wrong. I'm hoping to have a good discussion on this.
I've been doing quite a bit of research on bamboo and cotton t shirt materials. I began by looking at egyptian cotton because supposedly it has the longest strands, but it seems that there is no such thing as a organic egyptian cotton and also it is very hard to find an Extra Long Staple (ELS) Egyptian cotton because very little of it is exported. Also the reliability of actually finding an actual ELS Egyptian Cotton seems difficult because all cotton from that region is called Egyptian cotton and this does not necessarily mean it is ELS. The next best alternative is the Pima ELS cotton which is USA made to be just like Egyptian ELS cotton. Pima ELS is readily available and you are able to get an organic variety.
Bamboo looked positive, but the claims for a small environmental impact seemed questionable. Also I have seen the material itself be compared to a Rayon or a Silk type feel. Where Silk is definitely softer than cotton, I have never liked the feel of silk and I question whether other people would prefer 100% bamboo over 100% cotton. Personally I have never tried bamboo. A bunch of companies that use it do a bamboo cotton blend, but this almost seems like they are doing this so they can merely feed the hype and say, "We use bamboo." Perhaps someone has other info on this or could provide a differing opinion. Here are some articles I have found on the subject.
I'm trying to find the absolute best material to put into a t shirt.
"Best" in what way exactly?
My opinion is that there is no best material over all material ever made. Each material will bring forth different properties. You will want to find what material works well for your target markets and/or your method of printing.
If you search via my username, you will see a number of posts of my quest about a year ago researching and learning about Bamboo. You'll also find some screenprinting done on Bamboo samples at my first Printwear show in 2007, by TS Designs in NC and by Newell Graphics in IA.
I still have an affinity for Bamboo (100% vs. blended) though at this time, I have no plans to use it for resale. The Bamboo/Cotton blends are soft, but the 100% Bamboo cannot be beat for extreme softness & lightweight feel.
Note that 100% Bamboo is also very thin. I am uncertain of your market but order Bamboo samples (100% and blended) to personally assess it. You cannot go solely on reading about it to make an informed decision on whether or not to move forward with it. I still have some blended Bamboo tees that I got on discount about a year ago. I recall having a friend's son wear a Bamboo tee outside, since he's a skateboarder. I asked that he get sweaty in it to determine if it really does not hold an odor and if it kept him cool.
I'm looking for the softest, smoothest, most breathable material, with the least environmental impact. As I said, I have not tried Bamboo, so I will have to do so, so my opinions on it's feel are not actually based on personal experience.
But the articles I linked provide a strong argument for bamboo not being as green as what most people think it is (which could potentially be a deal breaker for me). The Organic Pima cotton seemed like the best choice to me.
Last edited by SkullDude; June 29th, 2008 at 09:41 PM.
I have a client that wants a Natural Bag to carry back and forth to the grocery store, instead of wasting plastic,
does that mean, cotton or Bamboo, or both
thanks
Sandy Jo
I have a client that wants a Natural Bag to carry back and forth to the grocery store, instead of wasting plastic,
does that mean, cotton or Bamboo, or both
thanks
Sandy Jo
"Natural Bag"? I'm not sure what that means exactly. But if you click on the first link I posted - it says bamboo goes through a chemical process to turn it into a fabric, which could potentially be harmful to the environment and people's health.
Bamboo (rayon in actual fact) is a regenerated fibre. Cotton uses too much water, and a crazy amount of pesticides. Organic cotton still uses too much water, and has a lower crop yield (pesticides, bad as they may be, are used for a reason), making it worse again in terms of yield per acre (not irrelevant environmentally).
Everything has its downside, and unfortunately comparing them is a heck of a lot more complex than we would like. I don't believe the study has been done that shows which crop would be better for long term use (if any). And sadly the answer is far from obvious without such a study. Unless you're a textiles manufacturing expert (and just try finding one without an agenda), then idle speculation is pretty much just blowing in the wind.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't make the best decision you can with what little information you have; but don't expect to find a clear (or even a murky) answer.
I'm looking for the softest, smoothest, most breathable material, with the least environmental impact. As I said, I have not tried Bamboo, so I will have to do so, so my opinions on it's feel are not actually based on personal experience.
But the articles I linked provide a strong argument for bamboo not being as green as what most people think it is (which could potentially be a deal breaker for me). The Organic Pima cotton seemed like the best choice to me.
Bamboo t-shirts are really nice. Very very nice.
They may not be "perfectly" green, but nothing out there really is.
You should definitely try out a bamboo t-shirt to compare it to a regular cotton t-shirt. Some places sell a 100% bamboo t-shirt, but most I've seen use a blend of bamboo and organic cotton.
Bamboo and cotton Shirt material 
