Gildan 18500 Hoodie: an In-depth Review

If you’re reading this, you’ve got a keen sense for quality products.

Gildan 18500 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie has earned its stripes, rising to the top of our bestseller list here at Printful, and for all the right reasons—it’s renowned for its premium feel and value for money.

In this Gildan 18500 hoodie review, we’ll dissect the hoodie’s features, qualities, customization options, and everything in between. Feel free to use it as a guide when designing and selling the hoodie on your online store!

Gildan brand

Gildan offers fashion basics in a myriad of styles and colors. This brand is known for its Genuine Responsibility® program, which produces garments using renewable energy and less water than the industry average. 

One of the hallmarks of the Gildan brand is its commitment to quality and value. Gildan focuses on producing durable, comfortable clothing that doesn’t break the bank, making these products a popular choice for consumers looking for affordable basics. 

In the print-on-demand industry, Gildan is the go-to choice for many businesses because of its excellent blank apparel that provides an ideal base for customization. Gildan’s products, such as the Gildan 18500 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie, are appreciated for their durability, comfort, and versatility, making them great choices for printing and embroidery.

In short, Gildan is a well-respected brand, offering a range of quality products that combine comfort and durability, all while demonstrating a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable manufacturing practices.

Source: Gildan website

“We are one of the world’s largest vertically-integrated manufacturers of apparel, underwear, and socks, leading the way in ethical and sustainable manufacturing practices.”

Gildan 18500 hoodie

These custom hoodies have a regular fit and standard length, and the fabric easily gives into movement. Balancing between lightweight and heavyweight, it finds its sweet spot on the softness scale, promising comfort throughout the day.

But this hoodie isn’t just about comfort—it’s also about the details:

• A large front pouch pocket 

• Double-lined hood with a matching drawstrings that adds an extra layer of warmth and style

• Double-needle stitched collar, shoulders, armholes, and cuffs for durability

• Quarter-turned body to avoid creasing down the middle

• 1 × 1 athletic rib-knit cuffs and a waistband with spandex

Let’s dive deeper and explore the exceptional materials that bring these features to life.

Materials

This hoodie is made of 50% pre-shrunk cotton and 50% polyester. 

Garments made of blends like these provide a balance of comfort, durability, and practicality for everyday wear, making them a favorite choice for casual and active wear.

Poly-cotton blends also have the following advantages: 

• Durability: Polyester is known for its strength and durability. It can withstand wear and tear better than pure cotton, which means poly-cotton blend garments often last longer.

• Shape retention: Garments made from a poly-cotton blend tend to hold their shape better over time, even with regular wear and washing, due to the strength of the polyester.

• Wrinkle-resistant: Polyester is significantly more wrinkle-resistant than pure cotton, which means less frequent ironing. 

• Less shrinkage: With pre-shrunk cotton in the mix, the poly-cotton blend fabric is less prone to shrinking than 100% cotton, ensuring the garment maintains its size wash after wash.

• Quick drying: Polyester dries quickly, making poly-cotton blend garments like the Gildan 18500 hoodie ideal for activewear or hot summer days.

• Cost-effective: Poly-cotton blend is typically cheaper than 100% cotton, providing a cost-effective alternative without significantly sacrificing quality or comfort.

The Gildan 18500 hoodie, is also widely acclaimed as one of the best hoodies for printing. Its fabric blend provides a smooth surface that’s excellent for direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. The prints come out vibrant and have good longevity, meaning they can withstand numerous washes without fading.

Source: Printful

The Gildan 18500 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie has air-jet spun yarn, contributing to the hoodie’s soft feel, durability, and resistance to pilling.

Did you know: Air-jet spun yarn is a yarn manufacturing process that involves using an air-jet to twist and spin the fibers together, creating yarn.

Fit

The Gildan 18500 hoodie is recognized for its versatile and comfortable fit. As a unisex product, it’s designed to cater to a broad range of body types, sizes, and personal style preferences.

Here are some of the defining fit characteristics of the Gildan 18500 Hoodie:

• True to size: The hoodie is generally true to size, meaning if you usually wear a medium size,  a medium Gildan 18500 should fit you well. The pre-shrunk nature of the cotton also aids in maintaining its size even after washing.

• Comfortable fit: This hoodie offers a loose, comfortable fit, which makes it ideal for layering over other clothing or wearing on its own. 

• Drop shoulders: The hoodie has a drop shoulder style. This design gives the wearer a relaxed, casual look and ample room for movement.

• Roomy sleeves: The sleeves of the Gildan 18500 are roomy, offering maximum comfort and ease of movement.

• Waistband and cuffs: The Gildan 18500 features a stretchy ribbed waistband and cuffs. This design detail ensures a snug fit around the wrists and waist, helping the wearer retain body heat in cooler weather.

• Adjustable hood: The hood is also generously sized and includes adjustable drawstrings, ensuring it can comfortably fit most head sizes.

Now that you know what the hoodie’s about, let’s look at the design possibilities.

Customization options

Here at Printful, we offer customization with two techniques for the Gildan 18500 hoodie: direct-to-garment (DTG) printing and embroidery.

If you choose to customize the hoodie using the DTG technique, you can add and combine the designs on the front, back, and sleeves. You can also add an outside label design but can’t combine it with a back print.

Gildan 18500 hoodie custom print options 

If you choose the embroidery technique, you can add a small embroidery design on the center, left chest, or one or both wrists and add a DTG design on the outside label. You can also choose to add a large embroidery design on the front center or the back. 

Gildan 18500 hoodie custom embroidery options 

If you’re new to embroidery designs and want to learn more, check out the Step-By-Step Guide to Embroidery Designs. 

Learn more: The Ultimate Hoodie Design & Logo Placement Guide

Colors

You can choose from 15 color variations for this hoodie model. When you start selling the Gildan hoodie, you can use any or all the colors you want. 

When it comes to the design colors, the possibilities for the DTG method are almost endless. You can print photography, graphics, text designs, and clipart. 

For embroidery, you’ve got two options:

• The standard color option is suitable for designs that have solid shapes with clear details and colors. You can choose from 15 colors and have 6 colors per design.

Printful’s unlimited embroidery design

• Unlimited color embroidery works best for designs that require a wide variety of colors and shades. With this, you can also achieve a gradient effect.

Sizes

The Gildan 18500 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie offers various sizes, accommodating different body types. While the specific sizing can vary slightly depending on the region or retailer, the general range for adult sizes usually includes:

• Small (S)

• Medium (M)

• Large (L)

• Extra Large (XL)

• 2X Large (2XL)

• 3X Large (3XL)

• 4X Large (4XL)

• 5X Large (5XL)

Given the unisex design of the hoodie, it fits both men and women. But it’s important to always check the size guide and make it available to your potential customers. For your reference, here’s a measurement guide and size charts.

Gildan 18500 hoodie measurement guide 

Gildan 18500 hoodie size chart (inches)

Gildan 18500 hoodie size chart (centimeters)

Remember, the best way to find the perfect fit is to take accurate body measurements and compare them to the specific sizing chart provided by the manufacturer.

Price

As the time of writing this article, the price for the Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie is $24.95 / €23.50. We also offer bulk order discounts of up to 19% off the final price. 

Give it a go!

Whether you’re looking for a cozy companion for cooler days, a canvas for your next print-on-demand project, or a reliable addition to your everyday wardrobe, the Gildan 18500 hoodie doesn’t disappoint. It’s a testament to Gildan’s reputation for creating products that effortlessly blend style, function, and affordability. So, if you’ve been on the fence about this hoodie, consider giving it a shot—you might just find your new favorite go-to garment!

Feel it in your hands and see how your design will look on this hoodie in real life. You can order a product sample with a 20% discount. Just register for free and connect your store to Printful. 

FAQs

Is Gildan 18500 good quality?

Yes, the Gildan 18500 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie is generally regarded as a high-quality garment that offers good value for money. It’s made from a 50% pre-shrunk cotton and 50% polyester blend, which makes it durable and comfortable.

Do Gildan 18500 hoodies shrink?

The Gildan 18500 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie is made from a 50% pre-shrunk cotton and 50% polyester blend. The pre-shrunk nature of the cotton means the hoodie maintains its size and fit even after washing. However, like any garment, very high heat during washing or drying can lead to some degree of shrinkage. For best results, we recommend following the care instructions.

How does the Gildan 18500 hoodie fit?

The Gildan 18500 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie is designed to provide a comfortable, versatile fit. It’s generally true to size, offering a relaxed, loose fit ideal for layering or standalone wear. The hoodie features roomy sleeves and a drop-shoulder style, enhancing comfort and freedom of movement. It also includes a stretchy ribbed waistband and cuffs for a snug fit around the wrists and waist and an adjustable hood to fit most head sizes. 

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