Vapor Apparel is Smelling up the joint

17993 Views 50 Replies 18 Participants Last post by freebird1963, Jul 9, 2010

Cjoe Design

Discussion Starter · Oct 5, 2008

I recently switched a majority of my sublimation orders over from Hanes Softlink to Vapor Apparel. My main reason was that they fit more like a regular tee. The Hanes seemed a little boxy and the length on them seemed to be an issue from time to time.

I was approached by a woman who informed me that her husband has to wear my shirts everyday because it is his company shirt and now because of the Vapor Apparel she has to send him straight to the shower because he wreaks. This does not seem to be an issue with other shirts. Her husband loves the shirts and claims they are the most comfy shirts he owns.

I wear the Vapor and have noticed if I go a little too easy on the deodorant Vapor will let me know. For me, that just tells me I need to give the old arms an extra swipe or two.

Is there another company that makes a dye-sub shirt that fits like Vapor but has the cotton lining like the Softlink.

I love the feel of the Hanes but am not crazy about the way it fits.

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CUSTOM UK

· #2 · Oct 5, 2008

The Hanes Softlinks are being discontinued. This has been validated by two separate suppliers, that post on this forum.

I wish that there were an alternative to Vapor, as their tees are starting to get a bit too expensive when compared to cotton.

Not everyone that wears a tee is looking to go jogging, or cycling, so the anti wicking feature is of no real benefit to the people that like cotton.

charles95405

· #3 · Oct 5, 2008

unfortunately Will is correct...hanes soft link has been discontinued...there are several companies that are now doing 100% polyester

Moo Spot Prints

· #4 · Oct 5, 2008

Cory,

Your customer is learning the hard way that polyester and performance shirts are not all the same. You need to look at manufacturers that add an anti-microbial coating to their fabrics. AFAIK, vapor does not.

Two I know that do are Zorrel and Xpert Performance

Cjoe Design

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 5, 2008

I thought Vapor did have the Anti-Microbal feature.

Moo Spot Prints

· #6 · Oct 5, 2008

Cjoe Design said:
I thought Vapor did have the Anti-Microbal feature.

The micro line supposedly does but I don't think the regular or backcountry ones do. The stink factor certainly points to them not having the treatment.

Check the web site. No mention of it on those.

Cjoe Design

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 5, 2008

Here is a writeup that goes with the Vapor Basic Apparel shirt that is the same shirt that I am getting the complaint with:

100% 5.9oz Spun Polyester Basic T, Adult Large, L, Ash Heather, Short Sleeve. Styled and designed to allow for maximum movement and comfort and to wick moisture away from the body with antimicrobial and antistain features.

So are they stating that they wick the moisture away but the body odor is left behind? I can see this being healthier because the body stays dry but now the wearer has BO worse than if he just wore a cotton tee.
Maybe I will just include a stick of deodorant with every dozen shirts (LOL)

Cjoe Design

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 5, 2008

My customer did say that usually her husbands shirts stunk but he didn't.Now his shirt does not smell, just him. So is the shirt working so good that it is wicking the moisture away and repelling the BO back to the skin instead of being absorbed by the shirt? I am a little confused on this whole thing.

Moo Spot Prints

· #9 · Oct 5, 2008

Honestly, I'm not sure what they use. I just looked at the web site and the anti-microbial line is not on the basic tee description but is listed in the fabric descriptions. My experience is that vapor shirts stink more than other brands, esp the ringer & basic tees under similar use. I don't use them primarily because of this.

All untreated and a lot treated polyester shirts smell bad after you sweat in them. Oils from your skin (and possibly waste from bacterial activity) bond to the fibers and don't come off easily. It's a cumulative effect that gets worse over time.

The best fabrics are ones that are designed with anti microbial properties from the get-go. Most 'coatings' will wash off after a while. Do your homework and understand what's actually done by the manufacturers. Don't be afraid to experiment to validate their claims!

Once you have a smelly shirt, the only real solution is to toss it and get another one. For new(er) shirts, make sure you wash them IMMEDIATELY after wearing. Don't throw them in the laundry pile. It just makes things worse.

Cjoe Design said:
My customer did say that usually her husbands shirts stunk but he didn't.Now his shirt does not smell, just him. So is the shirt working so good that it is wicking the moisture away and repelling the BO back to the skin instead of being absorbed by the shirt? I am a little confused on this whole thing.

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palmetto

· #10 · Oct 6, 2008

I've never noticed this about vapor; however, I rarely sweat much so I'd probably not be able to tell. This concerns me though b/c I have people buying them for those vary properties. I even had one guy buy them for undershirts to wear under his uniform. I thought this was odd due to the expense but he wanted them.

palmetto

· #11 · Oct 6, 2008

palmetto said:
I've never noticed this about vapor; however, I rarely sweat much so I'd probably not be able to tell. This concerns me though b/c I have people buying them for those vary properties. I even had one guy buy them for undershirts to wear under his uniform. I thought this was odd due to the expense but he wanted them.

I just spoke with my husband and he says the undershirt guy has said he really likes them and has had no problems with smell. ummm. don't know. This is really the first I've heard of this.

CUSTOM UK

· #12 · Oct 6, 2008

Cjoe Design said:
I was approached by a woman who informed me that her husband has to wear my shirts everyday because it is his company shirt and now because of the Vapor Apparel she has to send him straight to the shower because he wreaks.

An easier alternative, might be for her to change her husband.

Seriously though, the Vapor line are pushed on their moisture wicking capabilities. This I understand, is aimed at athletes and other strenuous leisure activities, with the aim being to keep the wearer cool.

I know that with cotton it is the tee, rather than the wearer that ends up smelling bad. I don't know whether these Vapor garments are actually drawing more sweat through the pores of the user, or simply allowing trapped moisture to escape.

conde tech

· #13 · Oct 6, 2008

Conde is STILL a supplier of Hanes Soft Link shirts. We have TENS of thousands of Hanes Soft Link shirts available.

CUSTOM UK

· #14 · Oct 6, 2008

There is also a long established company called Xpres in Europe, that sells their own equivalent of the Hanes Soft Link.

needaprint

· #15 · Oct 6, 2008

the Xpres t-shirts don't compare to Vapor...they still have that smooth shine to them. the vapor is much softer feeling

CUSTOM UK

· #16 · Oct 6, 2008

Hi Richard, the Xpres are cotton inside and polyester outside, the same as Hanes Soft Link.

Vapor are just far too expensive in the UK. Some work out at nearly £5 by the time vat is added. Ok for sports folk, but makes the end product uncompetitive for general wear.

needaprint

· #17 · Oct 6, 2008

you can get the basic tees for just 3.39 inc vat. they are a superior top in my opinion...but suppose it depends on your business model and target market

CUSTOM UK

· #18 · Oct 6, 2008

I target the high end of the market and sell worldwide through five separate sites.

needaprint

· #19 · Oct 6, 2008

sorry that was not a direct aim at you dreamglass...it was just a general comment on the vapor tee's...was just saying the 60p ex vat difference in my opinion for xpres isn't a high enough saving for people to drop the quality.

CUSTOM UK

· #20 · Oct 6, 2008

The reality is, that whilst sublimation is great for hard substrates such as mugs and coasters, most people prefer cotton garments over polyester. This would probably explain why there is such a limited range of polyester products available, when compared to cotton items.

Direct to garment printing is becoming much more available now, which will inevitably start to make inroads into the sublimation garment industry. The biggest benefit with sublimation has been a high definition image, with minimum hand (feel) to the image. There are now other processes capable of doing that now, onto cotton blanks which are available in a wider range of styles, more pastel colours and at a far lower cost than sublimation garments.

Sad, but true.

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