Moisture transport in fabric measured in numbers

Short answer: Moisture transport is about how fast a fabric moves sweat away from the skin and releases it to the air. Cellulose fibres absorb the moisture, synthetic fibres pass it along.

Two ways of moving moisture

Bamboo viscose and cotton absorb moisture inside the fibre. Polyester absorbs almost nothing but carries water along the surface. That is why bamboo feels drier against the skin while polyester dries faster.

What the numbers measure

Laboratories measure how much water a fibre can absorb as a percentage of its own weight, and how quickly a fabric spreads a drop. Bamboo viscose sits high on absorption and mid range on speed. See bamboo underwear for women.

What it means in practice

For everyday wear and underwear, high absorption wins, because the skin stays dry. For hard training, fast evaporation wins. That is why the two fibre types are used for different things. See bamboo t-shirts for men and bamboo activewear for women.

Frequently asked questions

Is bamboo viscose better than cotton for sweat

It releases the moisture to the air faster, so it feels drier after an hour.

Why does cotton get heavy with sweat

Because the fibre absorbs a lot of water and holds it for a long time.

Does activewear always have to be synthetic

No. For light training bamboo viscose is more comfortable and smells less.