Thread Count vs GSM Weight for Company Merch

Recently, we talked about thread count in detail for company merchandise. You can read the full post elsewhere on this blog, but we'll summarize the key points here for a related discussion: thread count versus GSM weight.

Both of these are measurements of fabric, and they both have meaning and are used in the creation of apparel. In fact, since there are a few key drawbacks to thread count, you often find GSM weight specified in product listings rather than thread count, and that's only if you find either one.

Should you pay more attention to thread count or GSM weight? Which one is more important? Should you even care? For the answers to these questions and more, read on.

All About Thread Count

The definition of thread count is quite simple, but there are a few details that muddy the waters and make it harder to use as a reliable measurement.

Most fabrics are a weave of threads (technically yarns; more on that in a moment) with some vertical and some horizontal. Different kinds of weave exist, like satin, twill, and herringbone, but they're all based on this same square framework.

Thread count is a number that counts the number of threads in a square inch of the fabric. It counts the number of threads total, both horizontal and vertical. A piece of fabric with 100 threads horizontal and 100 threads vertical in a square inch of material would be a 200 thread count fabric.

The higher the thread count, the smaller the threads have to be. That affects the texture, breathability, softness, and other attributes of the fabric.

So, what was that about yarns?

Most "threads" used in standard fabrics are actually strands of yarn made up of multiple threads. What you think of as a single thread, like what you would see in a craft store fabric aisle or strung up on a sewing machine, is likely to be a yarn made up of 2-3 individual threads twisted together. This gives the "thread" more durability and uniformity.

This tends to make thread count less reliable as a measurement, though. If that fabric we mentioned above, with 100 threads horizontal and 100 vertical, decides to count threads rather than yarns, each of those would be multiplied by three, and the final "thread" count would be 600.

Since there's a huge difference between a 200 and a 600 thread count fabric, this is obviously a problem.

On top of this, synthetic threads like polyester can be much, much, much smaller than organic threads like cotton. One single strand of polyester yarn could, technically, be thousands of threads.

All of this variability means that thread count, while useful as a broad indicator of how soft a piece of fabric is, isn't really a reliable indicator. Two different fabrics of the same thread count could be very different in feel, and two pieces of the same fabric could have different thread counts depending on who is writing the marketing for them.

All About GSM Weight

Another fabric measurement you might run into is GSM weight.

GSM stands for Grams per Square Meter. It's a measurement of how heavy fabric is by taking one fixed amount of it, a square meter, and weighing it.

This is a better measurement for the weight and feel of fabric because it's independent of the weave. The specific material will have an effect, of course, but that's unavoidable with fabrics.

Generally, the lower the GSM weight, the lighter the fabric is in how it feels as well as how it behaves.

• 0 to 50: This is your very lightweight, sheer fabric. Think things like bridal veils and light lingerie.
• 50 to 150: This is a common weight for most light clothing; things like blouses, dresses, and many shirts.
• 150 to 300: This is a heavier weight and is more for mid-range and heavy-duty clothing, like flax linen, general pants, heavier skirts, and suits.
• 300 to 500: This is for heavier items like denim, sweatshirts, and winter wear.

To put things into context:

• A sheer bridal veil might be 10-20 GSM.
• A light summer t-shirt might be 120 GSM.
• A more typical cotton t-shirt is around 180 GSM.
• A light-duty denim is often around 300 GSM.
• A mid-weight sweatshirt or hoodie is around 350 GSM.
• A heavy canvas material might be 500 GSM.
• A hefty woolen blanket can reach 700 GSM.

Note that it might not be labeled GSM; you might see G/M2 instead. That's the same thing, though; grams per meter squared.

The heavier the fabric, the more likely it is to be durable, insulating in colder weather, thicker, heavier, and less prone to wrinkling. Conversely, the lighter the fabric, the lighter it is physically, the less insulating it is (and thus the better it is in heat), and the more breathable it is, but the less durable it's likely to be.

For company merchandise, the GSM you're aiming for depends on your purpose. General t-shirts are going to be in a range from around 150 to 250, depending on whether you're aiming for a lighter summer shirt or a heavier all-purpose shirt. Heavier materials are used in things like hoodies and jackets. Heavier also means more durable, within the same materials.

What About Oz/Yd2?

If you're American like we are, you might not be used to thinking in terms of grams and meters. In fact, GSM, while widely used globally, is the metric standard for fabric measurements. Americans, particularly American production companies, often use the imperial system, ounces per square yard. Often, this is simply abbreviated Oz.

The concept is the same, but the numbers are different. One ounce is a little over 28 grams, and a yard is slightly more than one meter, which means the ounces per yard measurement is going to be a much smaller number.

• 50 GSM is 1.47 Oz
• 100 GSM is 2.95 Oz
• 250 GSM is 7.37 Oz.

Since the number is less precise, and since the measurement is limited mostly just to the USA, you generally see the Oz measurement used for heavy-duty materials like denim and canvas, and for workwear and working fabrics like totes and tarps. For most apparel, though, you'll still see GSM, even in America.

Does GSM Mean Quality?

Not really.

GSM is a measurement of weight, but the weight of a fabric can be influenced by the material and even the thread count. The more densely-packed the threads, the more fabric there is physically in the space, and the heavier it will be.

A highly durable fabric made of synthetic materials could be lightweight in terms of GSM, extremely high in terms of thread count, and useful more for particular kinds of apparel than general use.

Lightweight fabrics aren't necessarily bad, either. A lighter shirt isn't by definition going to be less durable; it just might be made of a fabric blend instead of pure cotton or a lighter weave.

As with any metric used to judge a piece of apparel, GSM is just one tool out of many. You can't judge a book solely by its cover, nor can you judge a fabric solely by its GSM.

Is Thread Count or GSM a Better Metric?

This depends on your perspective.

For now, though, we would say that GSM is better for judging fabrics than thread count, for the same reasons listed above.

Thread count can be deceptive. Moreover, since it was broadly used as a marketing term for bedsheets and similar household linens, more people have a broad awareness of what it means, so it has been more widely used and misused. You can't necessarily trust thread count to be accurately representative of the fabric.

GSM, meanwhile, is a slightly harder to grasp measurement for the average consumer, which means it's been used less often as a marketing term and has retained more of its meaning and value.

The real answer, though, is neither. Thread count and GSM are both measurements that can give you some information about a piece of apparel, but they don't tell the whole story.

In fact, this is why we don't list either one on our products. For thread count, it's a largely meaningless metric without other information like material, yarn strand count, and more. For GSM, the only product we use that lists it is our customizable N95 masks, which list the GSM as part of the filtration information.

In fact, those masks are a great example. No one would describe an N95 mask as lightweight, sheer, or thin, but the GSM is low for each layer. GSM alone doesn't tell the whole story.

That's not to say we don't know the thread count or GSM information for our apparel. All of the products we offer are items we know all about; we just don't think the information is really relevant for making a decision for your company's merchandise. That said, if you want to know, just reach out and ask; we'll be happy to discuss it with you.

Picking the Right Fabric for Company Merchandise

When you want to pick a fabric for a piece of company apparel, you want to think about the purpose of the item. Is this a simple shirt people will wear on their days off? Is it a durable piece of workwear you expect people to use long-term? Is it part of a uniform, where you want a consistent appearance and durable, long-term use?

You can more or less disregard thread count for company merchandise. Thread count is much more commonly used for non-apparel fabrics, so you're going to have a hard time finding specific thread count information that is both useful and reliable. The truth is, if you message a vendor asking for a 600 thread count t-shirt, they're just going to mentally translate that to "a soft fabric" and send you whatever they have on the softest end.

GSM is a little more useful, but it can still be very contextual. High GSM fabrics tend to be more durable, thicker, heavier, and better for workwear, but they aren't necessarily better for company apparel in all circumstances. You wouldn't want a heavy GSM fabric as a company uniform t-shirt for a landscaping company in Florida; you would be condemning your employees to heatstroke. High GSM does not necessarily mean better, just heavier.

Another consideration is how you brand your apparel. Lower GSM fabrics don't take embroidery as well, and are more prone to puckering or tearing around a design. Higher GSM fabrics hold embroidery a lot better. If you're using a DTG printing method instead, a lower GSM fabric will take the print better.

You can also think about the ethics of the fabrics.

With thread count, there's a sort of direct relationship between thread count and ethics. This is because higher thread count apparel often has synthetic materials in it, and the more synthetic the material, the more it sheds microplastics, the worse it is for the environment, and so on. Seeking higher thread counts can be at odds with a sustainable apparel pledge.

With GSM, the two aren't as connected. But for lighter GSM fabrics, you need to think about durability. If you're tearing through uniform shirts on a monthly basis, no matter how breathable and comfortable that low-GSM fabric is, you're sending a lot of it to landfills. A step or two higher might be more durable and better for long-term sustainability.

There's never one single right answer here. Every brand and every purpose for every piece of apparel will have different ideal items. That's why we offer so many different options in our store.

If you aren't sure what you want, we're happy to work with you. Send us a message, and we can work with you to find something that best suits your needs, on the balance of quality, longevity, durability, comfort, and even branding method. We go to great lengths to make sure everything we offer is as ethical and sustainable as possible, and we want to help you achieve the same goals with your company merch.