Ecommerce Printing Guide: 6 Best Quality Hoodies for Printing

10 min read

As a versatile and comfortable piece of clothing, hoodies have become a staple in most people’s wardrobes. They’re perfect for casual or athletic wear and can be layered with just about anything.

Whether you’re looking to sell custom hoodies or simply spruce up your wardrobe, it’s important to find the best quality hoodies for printing. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right ones?

We’ve done the research for you and compiled a list of hoodies that have been tried and tested for their durability, comfort, and style. These hoodies have a great fit and are made from premium materials, ensuring your designs will withstand frequent wear and washing.

Here are our top 6:

Keep reading to learn about hoodie fabric, composition, weight, and the most suitable fulfillment methods for your designs. Equipped with expert knowledge, you’ll be able to create custom hoodies your customers will love.

Want to learn more about fabrics? Read our Ultimate Guide to Fabric Types for characteristics and care.

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Top 6 hoodies for printing

There are two main types of hoodies: pullovers and zip-ups.

Pullover hoodies are designed to be pulled over the head, and typically have a kangaroo pocket and a drawstring hood. Pullover hoodies are easy to wear and give off a relaxed, casual look.

Zip-up hoodies, on the other hand, have a full zip closure that allows you to wear them open or closed for different styles. They usually have two front pockets and a drawstring hood. They’re often made of lightweight material, making them great for layering.

To select the best custom hoodies for your store, assess 4 basic elements: type, style, fabric, and fit. Browse through our top pullovers and zipper hoodies and see if they align with your vision and customer needs.

With that in mind, let’s dig into our 6 finalists.

Unisex Premium Hoodie | Cotton Heritage M2580

A fan of the good old classics? The Unisex Premium Hoodie is a casual and comfortable pullover that’s made of soft cotton and polyester. The 100% cotton exterior makes this hoodie pleasant to the touch, and its simple yet classic design is perfect for different settings and activities.

This premium hoodie features a plush interior lining for added warmth, a 3-panel drawstring hood, and a kangaroo pocket for storing personal items. The hoodie is available in sizes S–3XL and 14 different colors, making it a versatile choice for your designs.

Customize it with a direct-to-garment (DTG) print or an embroidery design and sell it in your store. If you go with a print, you can also maximize your branding with custom inside and outside labels.

Unisex Eco Raglan Hoodie | SOL’S 03568

The Unisex Eco Raglan Hoodie is made from a blend of organic cotton and recycled polyester. The 100% organic cotton exterior and the brushed interior lining make the hoodie soft to the touch and perfect for colder weather.

The hoodie features a classic raglan sleeve design, a drawstring hood, and a spacious front pocket for storing essentials. It comes in a selection of rich, classic colors and a wide range of sizes: XS–3XL.

You can customize the hoodie to your heart’s content with a DTG print or embroidery design. The SOL’S hoodie is a timeless piece and a good choice for casual or athletic activities.

All-Over Print Unisex Hoodie

Want more freedom when customizing hoodies? This all-over print hoodie will do the trick. The fabric of this hoodie is printed with your design and then cut and sewn to create a unique, hand-made product in sizes ranging from XS–3XL.

Made from a polyester, cotton, and elastane blend, this super soft hoodie has a cotton-feel face and a brushed fleece inside for extra comfort. It sports a kangaroo pocket for carrying essentials and a double-lined hood that can be customized on both sides.

You can create a bright and colorful all-over print, pick any solid base color, design a pattern, or add your brand and logo design anywhere on the garment. You can also choose white or black stitching and drawstring colors to match your design.

Premium Eco Hoodie

The Premium Eco Hoodie is available exclusively at Printful. Designed and hand-sewn on demand by our in-house experts, this quality hoodie will serve as the ideal canvas for your designs and keep them looking fresh even after multiple washes.

The organic cotton and recycled polyester blend hoodie has a soft, brushed inside for a cushy feel during every wear. Featuring adjustable drawcords, ribbed cuffs, and a kangaroo pouch pocket, this eco-friendly piece combines comfort and function in one. It’s available in black and white colors, and a wide range of sizes: XS–5XL.

Add your own print or embroidery art or customize the hoodie with just your branded logo—the choice is yours. For maximum branding, you can also design a custom inside and outside label patch.

Unisex Midweight Hoodie | Independent Trading Co. SS4500

The Unisex Midweight hoodie is a standard-length pullover that’s easy to combine with streetwear outfits. Made with high-quality cotton and polyester blend fleece, it’s designed to provide both warmth and durability. The fabric is soft and comfortable against the skin, and the ribbed cuffs and hem ensure a snug fit that keeps the warmth in.

The classic design features a jersey-lined hood and a practical kangaroo pocket in front. The hoodie is available in sizes S–2XL and comes in 11 colors, making it a versatile basis for your designs.

With your custom print or embroidery design, this hoodie is sure to become a must-have streetwear item for your customers. It’s just right for everything from running errands to lounging at home, or going out and about.

Unisex Fleece Zip Up Hoodie | Independent Trading Co. SS4500Z

If you’re looking to add zipper hoodies to your offering, the Unisex Fleece Zip Up Hoodie will be a great fit. Made of soft, midweight, breathable fleece fabric, it’s a cozy addition to any everyday outfit and a great choice for indoors and outdoors alike.

The modern tailored fit with a zipper closure allows you to wear the hoodie open and match it with your t-shirt. These zipper hoodies feature a jersey-lined hood with matching drawstrings and spacious front pockets for carrying anything, like a phone or wallet.

It comes in a selection of rich colors and is available in sizes S–2XL. Customize this great quality hoodie with your DTG print or embroidery design and top it off with a branded outside label.

Compare the 6 best hoodies for direct-to-garment printing

	Cotton Heritage M2580	SOL’S 03568	All-Over Print Unisex Hoodie	Premium Eco Hoodie	Independent Trading Co. SS4500	Independent Trading Co. SS4500Z
Style	Unisex	Unisex	Unisex	Unisex	Unisex	Unisex
Fabric	65% ring-spun cotton, 35% polyester (differs slightly, depending on the color)	Outside: 100% organic cotton Inside: 80% organic cotton, 20% recycled polyester	70% polyester, 27% cotton, 3% elastane	85% organic cotton, 15% recycled polyester	80% cotton, 20% polyester blend fleece	80% cotton, 20% polyester blend fleece (differs slightly, depending on the color)
Inside label	✔️	❌	❌	✔️	❌	❌
Outside label	✔️	❌	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️
Sleeve print	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Sizes	S–3XL	XS–3XL	XS–3XL	XS–5XL	S–2XL	S–2XL
Price (starting from)	$25.95	$35	$42.95	$40	$30.95	$34.95

This checklist may help you point out some favorites. But now let’s explore fabrics, fulfillment methods, and branding options to give you the expertise you need to choose the best hoodies for your store.

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Hoodie properties

The way hoodie fabric is manufactured changes its durability, look, and feel. If you want to have great custom-printed hoodies in your store, it’s essential to understand the properties of different materials and fabric blends.

Fabric blends

Blends are created by combining different types of fibers. By blending different fibers, it’s possible to select the best characteristics of 2 or more fibers and compensate for the weaker traits.

Natural fibers have great absorbency, and they feel soft and pleasant on the skin, making them great for daily wear. Synthetic fibers beat natural ones in wrinkle resistance and strength and are less prone to shrinkage.

So it’s no wonder why fabric blends are so popular for hoodies. In fact, all 6 of our top hoodies are made of cotton and polyester blends. They combine the durability and fade resistance of polyester with the breathability and comfort of cotton.

Fabric weight

Fabric weight is the outcome of how the fabric is woven, its finish, and the fiber type.

In the US, the fabric is measured in ounces per square yard (oz/yd2), but others might have an easier time understanding the metric unit—grams per square meter (g/m2). G/m2 and Oz/yd2 show how much 1 square meter/yard of fabric weighs. The higher the g/m2 or oz/yd2 number, the denser the fabric will be.

From our 6 finalists, the SOL’s hoodie has the lightest fabric, and the all-over print hoodie has the heaviest. You can easily compare the fabric weight of our best hoodies in this table:

	Cotton Heritage M2580	SOL’S 03568	All-Over Print Unisex Hoodie	Premium Eco Hoodie	Independent Trading Co. SS4500	Independent Trading Co. SS4500Z
Fabric weight (oz/yd2)	8.5 oz/yd²	8.3 oz/yd²	8.85 oz/yd²	8.55 oz/yd²	8.5 oz./yd²	8.5 oz./yd²
Fabric weight (g/m2)	288.2 g/m²	280 g/m²	300 g/m²	290 g/m²	280 g/m²	280 g/m²

You might be wondering—how does fabric weight affect your hoodie choice?

The main difference between lighter and thicker fabrics is their breathability. Hoodies made from light, thin material usually let more air pass through. They’re suitable for warmer weather or as a layering piece. They’re often made from materials that provide some warmth but are not too heavy or bulky.

Hoodies made from thicker, heavier fabric are designed to provide more warmth and insulation. They’re often made from materials like fleece or heavy cotton that can keep you warm in colder temperatures. They’re generally bulkier and less breathable than lightweight hoodies, making them more suitable for colder weather.

You should choose the hoodies that most fit your brand vision, demand, and the upcoming season. Lighter fabrics for summertime and heavier ones for winter and the holidays. That way, you’ll be sure to adjust your offering to customer needs.

Fulfillment methods

To ensure your designs look just like you envisioned, you’ll have to choose the most suitable fulfillment method for hoodie printing. Each technique has its own benefits, so we’ll quickly explain each one to make your choice easier.

DTG (direct-to-garment) printing

DTG (direct-to-garment) printing is great for photo prints and designs with small details or lots of colors. Since the print soaks into the clothing fibers, it’s also very durable. To make sure the print stays vivid and crisp for a long time, read our care instructions and add this information to product descriptions in your store.

Embroidery

In recent years, embroidery is becoming increasingly popular, so it’s a good idea to think about adding embroidered products to your store as well. Embroidered apparel has an elegant, upscale look and can be positioned as premium pieces. Try out embroidery for text design, bold logos, and thick lines.

DTG printing and embroidery are available for 5 out of 6 of our top hoodies:

All-over print sublimation

All-over prints are best for print color combinations, patterns, large-scale designs, or solid color prints in shades that are otherwise unavailable. You can also use all-over printing to add your logo design anywhere you want.

Your design will be printed on fabric, and then cut and sewn together by our in-house team to create your perfect hoodie.

All-over print sublimation is available for:

- All-Over Print Unisex Hoodie

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Branding options

After you’ve chosen a great quality hoodie and picked a fulfillment method, it’s time to make your brand shine. Create a more professional look by adding an inside or outside label. Customizing hoodies with your company’s branding will strengthen your customer loyalty and work as free advertising for your brand every time they wear it.

Explore different branding options and create an unforgettable unboxing experience for your customers.

What’s the best hoodie for customization?

So who’s the winner? Of course, it’s the hoodie your customers will love!

To get it right, consider fabric composition, weight, fulfillment method, and, of course, pricing. Calculate your profit margins and figure out how much customers are ready to pay for a custom hoodie from your brand. To see your hoodie in real life and check the print quality, order samples.

If our 6 favorites don’t fit what you’re looking for, head to our product catalog to find the hoodie that matches your vision. Good luck and happy designing!

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Grete Grivina

Grēte is a Content Writer and Editor at Printful. After finishing a Master's degree in Creative Writing, she keeps expanding her knowledge in copywriting, translating, and editing.