In the last installment of the battle of the blank apparel brands, we looked at t-shirts in the medium price range. This time we’re looking at the best brand for budget t-shirts. If you need apparel of decent quality, for the lowest price, then the biggest and best brands on the market are Gildan, Fruit of the Loom, and Hanes.
To help you decide which is best for your business, or just for yourself, we’re going to break down their blank t-shirts. We’ll compare price, quality, styles, fits, and which is better for printing. Firstly, let’s take a closer look at our three brands.
A Brief Overview of the Brands
Both Hanes and Fruit of the Loom were founded in the US over a century ago, with Fruit of the Loom born way back in 1851. Gildan is the relative newcomer, founded 40 years ago in Canada. All three are titans of the blank apparel scene, and have cornered a large share of the market in the US and around the world.
All three brands sell leisure wear– hoodies, sweaters, t-shirts, sweatpants and shorts, and their selections are pretty similar. Fruit of the Loom and Hanes also focus on underwear. None of the websites are great, but Fruit of the Loom’s is the best, and we found Gildan’s a bit sluggish. You might find it easier (and cheaper) to go through an intermediary.
They all represent the lower end of the price range– one reason they’re so popular among printers and retailers. Prices vary depending on the supplier and the quantity, but their t-shirts start at less than $3, and if you’re paying more than $10 per t-shirt, you need a new supplier.
Who Makes the Best T-Shirts?
Now we come to the t-shirts themselves. To compare, we’re going to look at the basic choice for each brand. These are the most popular with printers as they’re the cheapest, and also the most versatile, so you can print your designs and the t-shirt will look great on anyone. Later we’ll look at the variations of style and material.
The Simple Choice: 5000 vs 3931 vs 5250
If you’re looking for one t-shirt to please everyone, these are the best choices– the 5000 from Gildan, the 3931 from Fruit of the Loom, and the 5250 from Hanes. They’re all cheap, come in a wide range of colors, and are 100% cotton (a little polyester is used for some colors). Depending on your method of printing, polyester might be better, but some people prefer to avoid it, while cotton tends to please everyone thanks to its comfort and breathability.
| Gildan 5000 | Fruit of the Loom 3931 | Hanes 5250 |
|---|---|---|
|
Colors: 70 Weight: 5.3 oz. Sizes: S - 5XL |
Colors: 59 Weight: 5 oz. Sizes: S - 6XL |
Colors: 44 Weight: 6 oz. Sizes: S - 5XL |
The price of these three t-shirts varies from place to place, but at Wordans they all start at under $3 if you buy in bulk. Larger sizes and smaller orders mean the t-shirts cost more, but never more than $9. Hanes is a little more expensive than the other two, and Gildan is just about the cheapest of the three.
The extra weight of the Hanes t-shirt is noticeable– it definitely feels a little sturdier, especially when compared with the 3931, which has a lighter feel. Depending on the climate where you are, you might prefer one or the other. The 3931 also has a slightly slimmer fit, which might be what you want, depending on body shape. The 5250 tends to hold up a little better over time, and their Comfortsoft cotton is noticeably a little softer, at first anyway.
Gildan’s 5000 comes in the most colors, which, when coupled with the slightly lower price, is probably why printers like it so much.
The Verdict:
Gildan is the best choice for printers and retailers. The differences between the t-shirts are fairly minor, so the extra color choices, and the few cents you save on each t-shirt, make it the sensible choice. If you’re buying for yourself, I’d pay the extra dollar or so for the Hanes 5250. Unless you want a lighter, more fitted tee, then go for Fruit of the Loom.
Style Variations
Gildan ticks the most boxes here. They all have pocket tees, ladies and kids versions, long-sleeved ones, and v-necks, although Hanes doesn’t have a men’s v-neck for some reason. None have genuine scoop necks, but Hanes and Fruit of the Loom have some more open-collared crewnecks for women. Hanes does have a tall version, which is a nice addition.
The women in the office voted for Hanes as having the best quality, but prefer the variations offered by the other two. If you’re looking for a wider range of styles, you’ll need to head up to the medium price bracket, with brands such as Next Level and Bella+Canvas, which we’ve compared here.
The Verdict:
Gildan has the most variety, with Fruit of the Loom in second
Blends
| Blend | Gildan | Hanes |
|---|---|---|
|
CVC Cotton/Polyester |
8000 (50%/50%) Colors: 42 Weight: 5.5 oz. Sizes: S - 5XL |
5170 (50%/50%) Colors: 27 Weight: 5.2 oz. Sizes: S - 5XL |
|
Tri-Blend Cotton/Polyester/Rayon |
6750 (25%/50%/25%) Colors: 10 Weight: 4.7 oz. Sizes: S - 3XL |
42TB (30%/60%/10%) Colors: 33 Weight: 4.5 oz. Sizes: S - 3XL |
While they might use a little polyester for certain colors, in general, Fruit of the Loom doesn’t make t-shirts with blends, so they lose this round. While cotton is great, some printing methods work better with polyester, so having blends is useful for printers.
Gildan comes out on top here, as well as a 50/50 cotton/polyester blend, they also have a 60/40, which is a little more natural. They have more colors for the cotton/poly, while Hanes has more for the tri-blend. We still like the Gildan tri-blend more though, since it has more rayon and less polyester, which gives it a nicer feel, especially after wearing it for a while.
The Verdict:
Gildan wins this one, with Hanes in second
Ethics
Gildan and Fruit of the Loom both talk a good game, but as you’d expect, they exaggerate a little. All three of these companies outsource a lot of their production to Central American, and sometimes Asian countries, where labor standards are lower.
Specifically, there have been numerous complaints from workers in the Gildan factory in Honduras. Hanes has been accused of not doing enough to protect labor and environmental standards throughout its supply chain.
Fruit of the Loom gets fewer complaints, and of the three, seems to be the brand most concerned with its effect on the world. It’s not perfect, but what do you expect when you’re paying 3 bucks for a t-shirt.
The Verdict:
Fruit of the Loom is the most ethical
Conclusion
Given the low prices offered by these three brands, they all represent fantastic value for money. Gildan is the best option for resale. You get more variety than with the other two brands, including different materials, which gives you extra options for printing. You can also save a few cents on each t-shirt, which might not sound like much, but can add up over time, especially with larger sizes.
Conversely, we put them in last place for individual purchases. Hanes’ t-shirts are just slightly better quality, and the little extra you pay is irrelevant if you’re only buying a few. Fruit of the Loom might lack the options, but they have a nice fit and a nice feel to them, so we’ve put them in second place. We also like that it’s a little more ethical, and prefer the website.
Final Verdict:
Very close call, but Gildan clinches it with their variety and price
Whenever you need blank apparel, accessories, and promotional products, you can trust Wordans to give you quality, value, and amazing variety. Our customization tool lets you add any designs you like quickly and easily. Take a look at our Instagram, @wearewordans, for more ideas.
