4 advantages of synthetic fabrics

When we think of synthetic fabrics, we often (wrongly) associate them with inferior quality products. However, they were developed to meet very specific needs in today's fashion and sports performance. They have properties that offer several advantages that natural fabrics are unable to provide. In this article, we will restore the nobility of synthetic materials by stating four of their advantages. Happy reading!

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Synthetic fabrics are cheaper

First significant advantage: the price . Overall, synthetic fabrics are less expensive than natural fabrics, and this for several reasons.

First of all, synthetic fabrics necessarily mean synthetic materials, such as spandex and nylon. These raw materials, produced on a large scale, are much less expensive than those used for the production of natural fabrics.

In addition to this, they are often manufactured in factories located in low-cost countries, where labor standards may be lower. This allows synthetic fabric manufacturers to reduce their overall production costs and offer lower prices to their customers.

Easier to maintain

If you have an active lifestyle and don’t have a lot of time to take care of your clothes, synthetic fabrics may be a more practical option for you. Indeed, they tend to be stain resistant , which means they retain their appearance for longer and require fewer washes . On top of that, these fabrics are often less prone to wrinkles than natural fabrics, which means they can be worn several times before needing to be ironed.

This is what a study published in 2014 in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences ¹ reveals . For this study, 120 women were asked to wash and care for different types of fabrics for 4 weeks. The fabrics selected for the study were cotton, wool, polyester and nylon, which are materials commonly used in the manufacture of clothing.

Several points were analyzed, including: washing time, the number of washes needed to remove stains, ease of ironing and the quality of the fabric's appearance after washing. The results showed that synthetic materials were the easiest to maintain and required fewer washes than natural fabrics. Participants noted the following:

• Polyester is the easiest to wash and requires the fewest washes to remove stains.
• Nylon is the easiest to iron and retains its appearance best after washing.
• Cotton and wool are the most difficult to care for , requiring more time and effort to clean and iron.

Please note, once again this is not an absolute rule . Some types of synthetic fabrics can shrink or lose their shape when exposed to high temperatures, so it is important to follow the specific care instructions for each type of fabric. You will find this information on each of the product sheets on our site.

Are (in some cases) more durable

It is often said that natural fabrics are more durable than synthetic fabrics. However, this is not an absolute rule. In some cases, they are even considered less durable than synthetic materials.

First of all, synthetic fabrics are stain and fade resistant . This is especially true for fibers like polyester, which are less likely to stain or fade than fibers like cotton or wool. In addition, they are durable and resist water and humidity well, which greatly reduces the risk of mold!

Next, they are more resistant to wear and tear than natural fabrics. Fibers like nylon and spandex have a higher tensile strength, making them less likely to wear or tear. This makes them an ideal choice for outerwear, bags, and shoes.

They offer more different varieties

Synthetic fabrics offer more choice than natural fabrics for several reasons. One example is that they can be produced in a wide range of colors and patterns. Synthetic fibers can be dyed with great precision, so they offer a greater choice of unique colors and patterns.

Also, as we said before, synthetic fabrics are cheaper. Therefore, this encourages manufacturers to offer more options, which is more complicated for a producer of natural fabrics.

Finally, they can be produced with a wide variety of physical and chemical properties, which allows them to meet more specific needs. To illustrate this, let's take a very special example: the discipline of freediving .

In freediving, the goal is to hold your breath for as long as possible, ranging from a few seconds for beginners to several minutes for pros. Synthetic fabrics, such as neoprene, are particularly suitable for this discipline, as they offer high thermal insulation and allow divers to stay warm for long periods. Neoprene suits are also flexible and form-fitting, which reduces resistance in the water and facilitates the divers' mobility. These characteristics allow them to swim more easily, which greatly contributes to improving their athletic performance .

In conclusion, synthetic fabrics are often looked down upon, but they offer many advantages over natural fabrics. They are cheaper, more durable, easier to maintain and offer more choices.

If you liked this article and you are still thirsty to learn, we suggest you read our article on the 4 advantages of natural fabrics . You will be able to have a precise opinion on the advantages that natural and synthetic fabrics offer. 😉

We hope you enjoyed the article and we look forward to seeing you soon to discuss a new topic!

Bibliography

1. Lee, YJ, & Lee, KH (2014). A Comparison of the Care and Maintenance of Different Textile Fabrics . Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 106(1), 54-60