The current market demand for synthetic fabrics continues to rise, polyester and microfiber is a popular choice for procurement in various fields, but also become the fabric buyers are most likely to confuse the two types of materials. Many buyers are unable to distinguish the essential differences between the two, and mistakes in material selection lead to substandard quality of finished products and poor adaptability. In fact, the core difference is very simple: polyester is a basic fabric material, microfiber is ultra-fine fiber specification standards. Understand the difference between the two, in order for clothing, home textiles, cleaning products and other categories of accurate material selection, control product quality and cost.
Polyester fiber is made of organic dibasic acid and diol condensation spinning synthetic fibers, the production of the first, its molecular structure linear compact, resulting in abrasion-resistant, wrinkle-resistant properties. It is often divided into types by fiber (D), 1D-3D fine denier models suitable for ordinary clothing, home textiles, 3D or more coarse denier models more robust and durable, suitable for bags, industrial fabrics, etc., different fiber to meet the diverse needs.
The core criterion of microfiber is that the fiber degree is strictly lower than 1 Denier, which is much lower than the conventional polyester fiber, making a qualitative change in its performance and fabric structure. It is not a specific material, but a fiber specification, mainly polyester and nylon as raw materials, of which polyester-based microfiber is the most widely used, both have their own advantages in terms of durability, softness, etc., and purchasers can choose according to their needs.
This is the most essential difference between the two, the conventional polyester fiber fibers are more than 1D, from 1D-3D fine denier to more than 3D coarse denier, all belong to the category of standard fibers, the fiber diameter is relatively thick; and microfiber fibers are strictly lower than 1D, is a real microfiber, the fiber diameter is much smaller than the ordinary polyester fibers, the difference directly determines the two subsequent all the performance and hand feel.
Feel and comfort of the difference is very intuitive, polyester fabrics overall bias stiff, smooth, part of the coarse denier polyester fiber will also have a slight hard feeling, the fabric fit is general, suitable for the production of the need to maintain the shape of the product. Microfiber fabrics are extremely soft and delicate, excellent skin friendliness, no friction in contact with human skin, high degree of fit, wearing and use of comfort is much higher than ordinary polyester fiber.
Breathability and water absorption, ordinary polyester fiber breathability in general, and because the fiber itself is not hydrophilic, poor water absorption, water can only flow along the fiber surface to achieve fast drying but not absorbent. And microfiber due to the fine fiber, the formation of a large number of capillary slits, breathability greatly improved, while the capillary effect makes it have excellent water absorption, can quickly adsorb and lock the water, water absorption will not have a sense of stuffy wet.
In terms of durability and strength, ordinary polyester fiber has more advantages, its molecular structure is compact, fiber diameter is thicker, anti-friction, anti-stretching, anti-tearing ability is stronger, even if long time and frequent use, it is not easy to break, pilling, and longer service life. And microfiber due to the fiber is too fine, the strength of a single fiber is relatively low, although the fabric through the tight weave to ensure a certain durability, but after a long period of intense friction, it is more likely to be more than ordinary polyester fiber pilling, breakage of the situation.
Weight and drape, the two have distinctive features, under the same grams, ordinary polyester fabrics are relatively heavier in weight, with moderate drape, which can better maintain the fabric shape and is not easy to be deformed, and is suitable for the production of apparel and soft furnishings requiring three-dimensional shape. Microfiber fabrics due to finer fibers, more loose structure, lighter weight, belong to the lightweight fabrics, and excellent drape, can naturally fit the surface of the object, no stiffness, suitable for the production of intimate apparel, soft home textiles.
Polyester fiber and microfiber are recyclable synthetic fibers, but the environmental performance is slightly different. Ordinary polyester fiber production process is mature, energy consumption is relatively low, the recycling system is perfect. While microfiber due to finer fibers, processing precision, production stage energy consumption is slightly higher. However, in the use stage, microfiber durability, water absorption and cleaning efficiency is higher, which can reduce the number of washings and water consumption, the overall life cycle of environmental protection advantages are more obvious, is the environmental protection of modern high-performance textiles preferred.
Microfiber is a better choice for bedding, its soft and skin-friendly feel can enhance the comfort of sleep, excellent water absorption and breathability can quickly absorb the sweat discharged by the human body during sleep, keeping the bedding dry and fresh, suitable for medium and high-end home textile production. The advantage of ordinary polyester fiber bedding is cost-effective, wrinkle-resistant and easy to take care of, better durability, suitable for ordinary homes with limited budget, but also can be used for hotels, B&B bulk purchases.
Microfiber is the absolute best choice for towels and cleaning cloths. Its excellent water absorption and capillary effect can quickly absorb water, dust and oil, wipe your face and body without losing hair, no need for too much detergent when cleaning, and the effect is far better than ordinary fabrics. The ordinary polyester fiber is completely unsuitable for making towels due to its poor water absorption, and can only make a small number of industrial dusting cloths, and the cleaning effect is greatly reduced.
The selection of materials for apparel and sportswear depends on the positioning of the product. Close-fitting underwear, light luxury clothing priority microfiber, soft skin-friendly feel can greatly enhance the wearing experience, breathable and quick-drying performance can also meet the needs of daily wear. Ordinary sportswear, outdoor clothing, workwear, etc. can choose ordinary polyester fiber, its better durability, tear resistance can cope with the complexity of the movement and work in the scene, and more cost-effective.
Home textiles selection should be combined with the use of the scene, sofa covers, seat covers, curtains and other home textiles need to maintain the shape, suitable for the selection of ordinary polyester fiber, firm feel can make the soft furnishings long-term to maintain a neat version of the durability can also cope with the frequent use of daily. While pillows, cushions, blankets, bedspreads and other home textiles that focus on the sense of touch, priority selection of microfiber, soft feel can enhance the use of comfort, the characteristics of the human body also make a better experience.
Industrial applications, ordinary polyester fiber is the mainstream choice, its high strength, high durability, anti-friction, corrosion-resistant characteristics, to meet the needs of industrial cloth, conveyor belts, tents, packaging materials and other products, and cost-effective, suitable for large-scale industrial production. And microfiber is only used in industrial cleaning, precision instrument wiping and other segments, using its excellent cleaning ability to complete the fine wiping of precision instruments and industrial equipment.
Microfiber polyester fabrics can integrate the strength of ordinary polyester fiber and the softness of microfiber, the core lies in its polyester fiber as raw material, retaining the polyester fiber molecular structure of stability, durability of the core characteristics, while through the refinement of the spinning process, the fiber fiber size is accurately controlled in the following 1D, to create the specifications of the microfiber, the perfect make up for the ordinary polyester fibers and the roughness of the strength of pure microfiber microfiber strength The short board of insufficient strength of pure microfiber.
The core reason why many fabric buyers prefer polyester microfiber for high-performance textiles is that it has excellent overall performance and can meet the needs of high-end textiles in many aspects. Compared with pure nylon microfiber, polyester microfiber is more cost-effective, and the production technology is more mature, more suitable for large-scale industrial production.
At the same time, microfiber polyester fabrics for textile can be modified, through the subsequent printing and dyeing, finishing process, to give the fabric antibacterial, antistatic, sunscreen and other additional properties, suitable for clothing, home textiles, cleaning products and other areas of high-performance needs, can create a diversified product system for the manufacturer, and significantly enhance the competitiveness of the product market.
Polyester fiber and microfiber have no absolute advantages and disadvantages, the core difference lies in the fiber fiber size, which in turn affects the feel, performance and application scenarios. Ordinary polyester fiber is cost-effective, durable and firm, and suitable for popular civil and industrial utility products that need to preserve the shape. Microfiber is soft and skin-friendly, water-absorbent and breathable, which is the best choice for medium and high-end products with heavy touch, suitable for intimate apparel, high-end home textiles, cleaning products and so on.
For buyers and manufacturers in pursuit of comprehensive performance, polyester microfiber is the optimal choice, which combines the core advantages of the two, both the strength and durability of polyester fiber and microfiber’s softness, skin-friendly, highly absorbent properties, to meet the high performance needs of a variety of fields, suitable for the production of mid-end and high-end products, taking into account the quality and market competitiveness.
