So you read our last post SP 101 – Design and now you’re pumped and ready to place that t-shirt order! You surf your way over to HaleInk.com and begin building out your project… then it happens. You are ASSAULTED with an endless amount of t-shirt options! Bella Canvas, Next Level, Gildan, Alternative, Jerzees, Hanes, kill me. It’s sensory overload; how do you decide? You don’t want to make a poor decision, but where do you even start? You start right here.
In this article, I’ll go over some of our best selling t-shirts and the differences between them. Let’s start with the most budget-friendly option.
Economy T-Shirts
These T-Shirts get a bad rap; there is a place for them. Economy T-Shirts are not ideal for retail, but they are an excellent option for work apparel or giveaways. The cost of these is meager, which makes them a perfect choice for tough jobs that go through t-shirts very quickly, jobs like contractors, mechanics, and landscapers. You have many brands in this category, but there isn’t a drastic difference between them. They all have a standard fit; they are true to size and weigh in at about 5oz. It just comes down to preference. It’s like choosing between Dominos or Pizza Hut, they’re a little different but not really. The big decision here is whether you want to go with 100% Cotton or a blend of Cotton and Polyester.
A Basic Cotton T-shirt is more comfortable and has better breath-ability, but it will lose it’s shape faster and is prone to fading as you wash it. The Polyester in Blends makes the t-shirt stronger and causes it to hold its color and shape much more than 100% Cotton. All of these t-shirts have preshrunk cotton, but if you do not follow the care instructions, they will shrink and let’s face it, no one follows the care instructions. Here are our best-selling Economy T-Shirts:
Cotton
Gildan 5000
Hanes 5280
Jerzees 363
Poly-Cotton Blend
Gildan 8000
Hanes 5170
Jerzees 29M
Premium T-Shirts
These are probably the most commonly worn t-shirts. You will usually see “ring-spun cotton” somewhere on the label. They have a softer feel and tend to be fitted, and this gives the wearer a very flattering look. Premium t-shirts cost a little more than economy, but it is usually no more than a $1.00 and well worth it in my opinion. That extra $1.00 gets you a t-shirt that people love to wear around town which gets more eyes on your brand and your business. These are our best sellers in this category:
Cotton
Bella Canvas 3001
Next Level 3600
American Apparel 2001W
Poly-Cotton Blend
Bella Canvas 3001CVC
Next Level 6210
American Apparel BB401W
Tri-Blends
Do you know how in Voltron five mini-lion bots come together to form one super-bot? That’s a tri-blend t-shirt. As the name implies, these are usually made up of three materials. Cotton, Polyester, and Rayon come together to make the thinnest, softest, the most durable t-shirt you can print on. They are fitted, similar to the premium t-shirts. Tri-Blends tend to come in heather colors with some brands like Bella Canvas, offering a few solid colors. These t-shirts come at a price premium and are very fashion-forward. We mostly see them used by clothing lines, athletic-based companies, and small personal projects. I do not recommend these for work since you won’t want to ruin them and the cost makes them a little impractical for giveaways. Our best selling Tri-Blends are:
Bella Canvas 3413
Next Level 6010
American Apparel TR401W
Hopefully, this has been helpful, we have many more options available at HaleInk.com, but this was meant to highlight our best selling t-shirts and some of the sub-categories within them. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.
