Bamboo Sweatshirts – A Guide

Short answer: A bamboo sweatshirt is a classic sweatshirt made in sweat fabric with bamboo viscose. It feels softer on the inside than an ordinary cotton sweatshirt, breathes better and stays fresh longer, because bamboo holds back the bacteria that create odour in a thick fabric.

What makes the fabric different

Sweat fabric has a smooth outside and a brushed inside. The inside is what the skin touches, and with long, smooth bamboo fibres that pile turns softer and stays softer through more washes. See the range under bamboo sweatshirts for women in several colours.

Breathability in a thick fabric

A thick fabric normally holds heat and moisture, which is why ordinary sweatshirts turn clammy indoors. Bamboo viscose moves the moisture away from the skin, so the same thickness can be worn in a heated room without having to take it off after an hour.

Odour between washes

A sweatshirt is washed less often than a T-shirt, because it does not lie directly against the skin all the way round. That is exactly why it matters that the fabric does not gather odour. Bamboo viscose keeps the surface drier, and bacteria have poorer conditions in between.

The fit

The shoulder seam should end at the edge of the shoulder, the sleeve should reach the base of the hand, and the body should end at the hip. A sweatshirt that is too long in the body looks borrowed, and one that is too short rides up whenever you raise your arms.

Ribbing decides the service life

The ribbing at the neck, wrists and hem is what loses its shape first. If the ribbing is thin and without stretch, it droops within a month, and then the whole sweatshirt looks worn. Pull the ribbing at the wrist in the shop: it should pull all the way back.

With or without a hood

A sweatshirt without a hood is cleaner in its look and easier to wear under a jacket. A hoodie is warmer and covers the neck, but the hood gathers at the neck under an outer layer. Most people end up with both and use them for different things.

For the men's range

On the men's side the cut is broader across the shoulders and slightly longer in the sleeve. See bamboo sweatshirts for men and choose the same series as the women's model if two in the household want the same colour and wash them together.

When it is too warm

A sweatshirt in bamboo viscose is a middle layer and not an outer layer. Above fifteen degrees outdoors it gets too warm on its own, and there a long sleeved T-shirt is better. See the whole category under sweat clothing for the thinner alternatives.

Washing and shape

Wash at 30 degrees without fabric softener, and turn the sweatshirt inside out so the brushed inside does not rub against the drum. Hang it to dry, because the tumble dryer collapses the pile inside and makes the ribbing brittle, and neither can be put right. See also the bamboo hoodie and bamboo and temperature regulation.