Bamboo Yarn for
T-Shirt Manufacturing.

GSM Range

• 140–160 GSM: Lightweight summer T-shirts, hot-climate markets, draped/oversized fits. Bamboo's silky drape is most apparent at this weight. Opacity can be borderline for lighter colorways — test before committing. • 160–185 GSM: Year-round T-shirt standard range. Best balance of drape, opacity, and durability for premium bamboo tees. Most OEM bamboo T-shirt programs run 165–175 GSM. • 185–220 GSM: Heavier T-shirts and long-sleeved styles. Bamboo viscose at this weight shows less drape advantage versus cotton; consider bamboo/cotton blends at higher GSM for better cost and durability balance.

Yarn Count

• 30s–40s Ne ring-spun: Core range for premium bamboo T-shirts. 40s Ne delivers finest hand-feel; 30s Ne provides more body and slightly better abrasion resistance. • 20s–30s Ne: Suitable for heavier-weight casual T-shirts and long-sleeves. Cost-efficient but sacrifices bamboo's signature surface quality. • Open-end spun bamboo is commercially available but produces a coarser, less differentiated hand-feel — not recommended for premium bamboo T-shirt programs where the fiber premium needs to be justified at retail. • Bamboo/cotton blends (70/30 or 60/40) at 30s–40s Ne: A pragmatic construction that improves durability and reduces cost while retaining most of bamboo's hand-feel benefit.

Knit Construction

• Single Jersey: Standard for bamboo T-shirts. Good drape, appropriate weight distribution, cost-effective construction. Best for mainstream T-shirt silhouettes. • Interlock: For premium bamboo T-shirts requiring better opacity and dimensional stability. Adds 15–25 GSM versus equivalent jersey count; improves pilling resistance. Higher knitting cost. • Slub Jersey: Increasingly used in bamboo T-shirt programs for textural differentiation in sustainable fashion positioning. Bamboo slub has a distinctive drape character. • Avoid: French terry in pure bamboo — loop structure degrades faster than cotton equivalent under repeat washing conditions.

Shrinkage

• Expected (bamboo viscose single jersey, first wash 30°C): 6–10% lengthwise, 4–6% widthwise • Pre-shrunk/compacted: 2–4% length, 1–3% width • Pre-shrinking is non-negotiable for bamboo T-shirt programs — bamboo viscose shrinkage is higher than cotton and more visible to end consumers. Specify compacting to target residual below 3%. • Note: Bamboo shrinkage increases significantly above 40°C wash temperature — an important care communication data point.

Pilling Resistance

• Grade 2–3 (Martindale, 2,000 cycles) for standard 40s Ne bamboo viscose single jersey • Grade 3 achievable with bio-polish finishing and higher twist yarn (22+ TPI) • Pilling is bamboo viscose's most visible quality vulnerability in T-shirt applications — specifically at collar friction zones, side seam areas, and back panel (bag/backpack contact)

Colorfastness

• Wash fastness (ISO 105 C06): 3/4–4 (reactive dyed) • Light fastness (ISO 105 B02): 3–4 (adequate for standard casual wear; darker shades fade faster) • Rubbing fastness (ISO 105 X12): 3 dry, 2–3 wet (wet rubbing fastness is a known limitation — specify in QC protocol)

Tensile Strength

• Dry tenacity: 2.0–2.8 cN/tex (bamboo viscose fiber) • Wet tenacity: 1.2–1.6 cN/tex (significant drop — most relevant quality concern for T-shirt wash durability) • Fabric bursting strength (single jersey, 165 GSM): 200–280 kPa (lower than cotton equivalent at 280–380 kPa)

MOQ Guidance

• Bamboo yarn: 500–1,000 kg per count from established spinners (India, China) • Bamboo fabric: 1,500–3,000 meters per color/construction for standard orders; 800–1,200 meters minimum with premium pricing • Garment: 300–500 pieces per style/color from CMTs with bamboo experience; 200 pieces possible at sample-program pricing