{"id":526,"date":"2026-10-09T09:36:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T01:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.khaneideal.com\/blog\/?p=526"},"modified":"2026-10-09T09:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T01:36:54","slug":"what-is-the-softness-of-different-swimwear-fabrics-4102-647b98","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.khaneideal.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/09\/what-is-the-softness-of-different-swimwear-fabrics-4102-647b98\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the softness of different swimwear fabrics?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, if you\u2019ve ever stood in a swimwear store staring at a dozen different swimsuits, wondering why one feels like butter against your skin and another makes you want to scratch the second you put it on \u2014 same. As a swimwear fabric supplier who\u2019s dealt with hundreds of brands and thousands of swimmers over the years, that\u2019s the exact question I get asked all the time: what makes swimwear fabrics soft, and how do different ones stack up? Let\u2019s break this down, no fancy science jargon, just real talk from someone who\u2019s got their hands on bolts of fabric every single day. Swimwear Fabric<\/a><\/p>\n

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First off, let\u2019s get one thing straight: swimwear softness isn\u2019t just a vibe. It\u2019s a mix of how the fibers are made, how they\u2019re woven or knitted, even how they\u2019re treated after production. And trust me, not all \u201csoft\u201d fabrics are created equal. Some feel soft out of the packaging but turn scratchy after one pool day, while others stay soft for years, even after 50 washes. Let\u2019s start with the most common ones I work with, because these are the ones 90% of swim brands use.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s kick things off with nylon, specifically the stuff we call \u201cpolyamide\u201d in the industry, but nylon\u2019s just the nickname everyone uses. Wait, hold on \u2014 not all nylon is the same. Basic 100% nylon swim fabric? Yeah, that\u2019s the cheap stuff you might find at a drugstore. It\u2019s stretchy, quick-drying, but if it\u2019s made with low-grade fibers and woven loosely, it can feel a little plastic-y, right? I\u2019ve had a customer bring back a batch last summer saying their new line felt like a old shower curtain. Turned out they went with 180 gsm nylon, woven with thick, coarse fibers to cut costs. But when we use high-grade nylon \u2014 like the kind we source from mills in Italy that spin extra-fine filaments \u2014 that\u2019s a game-changer. The extra-fine nylon filaments feel almost like silk when they\u2019re knitted right. We mix a little spandex in too (more on that in a sec) to keep it stretchy, so it\u2019s soft but not flimsy. Wait, but here\u2019s the thing about nylon: it absorbs a tiny bit of water, way less than cotton, but more than polyester. That minor moisture absorption actually makes it feel softer against your skin when you\u2019re wet, because it\u2019s not totally repelling water like a plastic sheet. I\u2019ve tested this myself \u2014 I wore a basic 100% nylon suit vs. a high-grade nylon-spandex mix on a week-long beach trip, and the high-grade one didn\u2019t chafe even when I was swimming for 6 hours straight. The basic one? By the end of the day, the neckline was rubbing raw.<\/p>\n

Next up is polyester, which I know a lot of people write off as \u201cscratchy swim fabric\u201d \u2014 but that\u2019s so outdated now. Years ago, polyester swimwear was basically a thin, stiff plastic that held water like a sponge and felt like a board when wet. But modern polyester is night and day. I work with a recycled polyester blend a lot, and that stuff is crazy soft when it\u2019s made with the right fibers. Wait, recycled polyester is a big trend right now, and a lot of people assume it\u2019s scratchy because it\u2019s made from plastic bottles, but that\u2019s not true if you process it right. We take post-consumer plastic bottles, spin them into extra-fine microfilaments, then knit them into a tight, smooth weave. The key here is that polyester doesn\u2019t absorb water at all \u2014 so when you get out of the pool, it dries super fast, but does that make it less soft? No, actually. The smooth microfilaments glide against your skin. I\u2019ve had swimmers tell me they prefer our polyester-spandex blends over nylon because it doesn\u2019t hold that damp, heavy feeling against your legs when you\u2019re walking to the snack bar. One thing to note about polyester softness, though: it doesn\u2019t get softer with wear the way nylon does. Nylon breaks in a little over time, gets a bit more supple. Polyester stays consistent \u2014 soft out the package, soft after a year. That\u2019s a pro if you don\u2019t want your suit to lose its shape or feel different after a few washes, but a con if you like that worn-in softness vibe.<\/p>\n

Now, the blend that\u2019s probably the most popular in swimwear right now: nylon + spandex. Wait, everyone calls it \u201clycra\u201d too, right? That\u2019s the brand name for spandex, like how Kleenex is tissues. This is the sweet spot for softness, in my opinion. Spandex adds that stretch that makes swimwear feel like a second skin, and when you mix it with nylon, you get the softness of nylon with the stretch of spandex. I usually recommend a 80\/20 or 78\/22 nylon-spandex blend for most brands, and that ratio hits perfectly. The spandex makes up 15-25% of the fabric, so it\u2019s stretchy enough to contour, but the nylon is still the main fiber that gives it that soft, smooth touch. Wait, but not all spandex is the same either. Cheap spandex breaks down in chlorine and sunscreen super fast, so after 10 washes, it loses its stretch and the fabric feels limp and scratchy. The good spandex we use is chlorine-resistant, so it stays soft even if you\u2019re washing your suit after every pool day. I\u2019ve tested fabric samples in a pool with high chlorine levels for 3 months straight, and our 80\/20 nylon-chlorine-resistant spandex blend still felt as soft as new, while a competitor\u2019s blend felt like cardboard by week 2.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the fancier stuff, the ones we use for high-end or luxury swim brands \u2014 like microfiber, or even bamboo? Wait, hold on, bamboo swim fabric is a thing, and a lot of people ask about that. But let\u2019s be real: pure bamboo swim fabric is basically useless. Bamboo fiber isn\u2019t water-resistant enough for swimwear, it holds too much water, and it stretches out way too fast. The good bamboo swim fabric is a blend \u2014 usually bamboo viscose mixed with nylon and spandex. That\u2019s when it gets soft. It has that natural, silky feel, but it\u2019s still stretchy and water-resistant enough for swimming. I worked with a small luxury brand last year that wanted a line of swimsuits that felt like loungewear for pool days, and their blend was 50% bamboo viscose, 45% nylon, 5% spandex. That fabric was so soft, customers were messaging the brand saying they wore it as beach cover-ups too. The only downside with bamboo is that it\u2019s more sensitive to sunscreen \u2014 some high SPF sunscreens can leave stains or make the fabric break down faster, so you have to be careful how you wash it. But if you\u2019re okay with that, it\u2019s a super soft option for people who want that natural feel.<\/p>\n

Wait, another one I get asked about a lot: neoprene. That\u2019s the wetsuit fabric, right? But a lot of swimwear brands use it for one-piece suits, high-waisted bottoms, even accessories like swim bags. Is neoprene soft? It depends. Thin neoprene (2mm or less) is way softer than thick 5mm wetsuit neoprene. The thin stuff feels like a stretchy, smooth rubber, and when it\u2019s lined with a soft fabric on the inside (we line most of our neoprene with a microfiber nylon blend), it doesn\u2019t feel rubbery against your skin. I made a sample one-piece with 2mm neoprene lined with our soft microfiber last year, and when I tried it on, it felt like wearing a really soft yoga pant, not a wetsuit. The only catch with neoprene is that it\u2019s not as quick-drying as other fabrics \u2014 it holds a little water, so it feels damp longer. But if you want a swimsuit that\u2019s supportive and soft, neoprene is a great option.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about the factors that make a fabric soft, beyond just the fiber type, because that\u2019s where a lot of people miss the mark. First is gsm \u2014 grams per square meter. That\u2019s how we measure the weight of swim fabric, and it\u2019s huge for softness. A 200 gsm fabric is thicker, softer, more durable than a 150 gsm fabric, right? Wait, not always \u2014 it depends on the fiber. But generally, lighter fabrics are thinner, so they can feel less plush. But if you go too thick, like 300 gsm, it can feel heavy and stiff, especially when wet. Our sweet spot for most swimwear is 180-220 gsm \u2014 that\u2019s thick enough to feel soft and durable, but thin enough to stretch and move with you. I once had a brand order a 280 gsm fabric because they thought \u201cthicker = better quality,\u201d but it was so stiff that their customers complained it chafed, and sales dropped 20% in the first month. That\u2019s a perfect example of why gsm matters, but it\u2019s not the only thing.<\/p>\n

Another big one is finishing. After we weave or knit the fabric, we do a \u201csoftening finish\u201d \u2014 that\u2019s the chemical treatment that makes it feel smooth, not rough. The cheap finishes are just a wax coating that washes off after 2 or 3 washes, so the fabric gets scratchy fast. The good finishes we use are water-based, so they\u2019re gentler, and they last for hundreds of washes. We also use something called \u201cbi-stretch knitting\u201d for a lot of our fabrics \u2014 that\u2019s a knit structure that stretches both horizontally and vertically, instead of just horizontally like basic knits. That makes the fabric feel softer because it can move with your body, not against it. I\u2019ve had customers say our bi-stretch fabrics feel way softer than their previous suppliers\u2019 fabrics, and that\u2019s why \u2014 the knit structure is designed to be flexible, not tight and rigid.<\/p>\n

Wait, also, how you care for your swimsuit affects how soft it stays. A lot of people wash their swimsuits in the washing machine with regular detergent, and that\u2019s the worst thing you can do. Regular detergent has harsh chemicals that break down the fabric fibers and the softening finish. I always recommend hand-washing your swimsuit in cold water with a gentle detergent, like Woolite, and air-drying it (don\u2019t put it in the dryer \u2014 heat ruins the softness and the stretch). I\u2019ve had customers send me back fabric samples that they\u2019ve washed 50 times in the machine, and they feel like sandpaper, while our samples hand-washed 50 times still feel soft. That\u2019s just part of the equation \u2014 even the softest fabric will get scratchy if you don\u2019t take care of it.<\/p>\n

Let me wrap this up with a quick breakdown, because I know that\u2019s a lot of info. If you\u2019re looking for soft swimwear, here\u2019s what I\u2019d suggest:<\/p>\n