What is fabric count?
May 23, 2024
Fabric count is a representation of yarn thickness, usually represented by the English count (S) in the "fixed weight system", that is, under the condition of a common moisture regain (8.5%), the weight of one pound of yarn, with a length of 840 yards per strand, is the number of strands.
When doing fabric business, several professional words are often involved, such as count, density. So, what is the impact of this count and density on fabric quality? Next, let me give you a science popularization.
What are the advantages of higher count?
The higher the count, the finer the yarn, the smoother the texture of the wool, and the higher the relative price. However, the fabric counts are not necessarily related to the quality of the fabric. Only fabrics with more than 100S can be called "super". The concept of count is more suitable for worsted fabrics and has little significance for coarse fabrics, such as Harris tweed, which has very low count.
The larger the count, the finer the yarn.
Count is the most important indicator to measure the quality of the fabric. It's easy to understand, in fact, it is to describe the thickness of the yarn, the larger the count, the finer the yarn. The diameter of 250S wool has reached 11 micrometers. The finer the yarn, the more delicate and delicate the fabric style woven.
The higher the density, the better the waterproof performance.
Due to its high-density, high-count fabrics can also be waterproof. Liquids such as red wine, tea, and juice can spill on clothes, don't worry, the liquid will only roll on the fabric and won't penetrate.
Pursuing ultra-fine yarns may not necessarily be a good thing.
Too fine yarn is extremely difficult to produce and can easily break. For example, a group in China has already produced 300S fabric, but due to poor wearability, it can only be displayed at the fabric exhibition, with no actual value. Therefore, while pursuing ultrafine fibers, it is necessary to ensure that the raw materials have superior performance.
Fabrics with a count more than 100S but less than 300S are currently popular high-end fabrics in the market. We can look forward to the emergence of fabrics with a count more than 300S and excellent wear performance in the future. Perhaps there will be such ultra high-count fabrics in the future.
