Many people wonder what the difference is between regular and ring-spun cotton. In a nutshell, ring-spun cotton is nicer and feels softer. But why is that?
The processes for creating regular cotton and ring-spun cotton are totally different. Regular cotton is made from soft vegetable fibers that are twisted together to make yarn, which is then woven to make material. Most of the industry standard t-shirts, such as Gildan, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and other major mills, provide regular cotton t-shirts. Regular cotton is less expensive to make, which means it’s a big seller.
Ring-spun cotton, on the other hand, is completely different. Ring-spun yarn is made by twisting and thinning the cotton strands to make a very fine, strong, soft rope of cotton fibers. Ring-spun cotton t-shirts are more durable and last longer than their regular counterparts, but will also be more expensive, too.
Mostly, whether your t-shirt is regular or ring-spun won’t make too much of a difference. If you’re curious, though, you can probably tell the difference between the two by picking them up. Ring spun cotton feels heavier to the touch than regular cotton, even though it isn’t.
So which is better: ring spun or regular cotton? It’s hard to say. For a softer, more durable t-shirt, go with ring-spun. For cheap t-shirts that you can wear over and over again, check out some of our regular wholesale cotton t-shirts.
