Heavyweight hoodies, your specification
Made to your tech pack, fabric and colours by a factory matched to the order.
Private label
Your main label, care label, hangtag and polybag. Nominated trims accepted.
A heavyweight hoodie is built from 350 to 500 GSM fleece, heavy enough to hold its own shape, with a stiffer hand, a dense drape and a hood that stands up. Streetwear labels sell it for the structured look; outdoor and workwear buyers sell it for warmth. The weight changes how it is cut, sewn and checked. A heavyweight hoodie manufacturer in Bangladesh has to plan for shrinkage in heavy cotton rich fleece before a single panel is cut.
Garments Hub BD shows both factories' fleece proposals on one sheet, with the weight, blend and shrinkage allowance each quotes, so a lighter fleece cannot hide behind a lower price. Where the hoodie is sold as organic, the factories are matched to GOTS; where a harmful substance test is needed, to OEKO-TEX.
Kinds of heavyweight hoodie
Heavy brushed fleece hoodie
Cotton rich fleece at 350 to 450 GSM with a brushed back, the core heavyweight. Choose it for streetwear basics and cold climates; it needs tight shrinkage control.
Sherpa lined hoodie
A fleece shell with a separate sherpa pile lining in the body, the hood or both. Choose it for winter ranges; the pile adds warmth and weight and makes seams bulkier.
Bonded sherpa backed hoodie
One bonded fabric with a fleece or jersey face and a sherpa back, so no separate lining is sewn. Choose it for a warm, lighter build; raw seams are bound to hide the pile edge.
Double layer hood hoodie
A heavyweight body with a self fleece double hood that stands up and frames the face. Choose it for the structured streetwear look; it adds fabric and bulk at the neck join.
How to specify a heavyweight hoodie
- Weight with tolerance
- State the weight, for example 400 GSM, and a tolerance, usually plus or minus 5 percent, so a lighter fleece can be rejected on arrival.
- Shrinkage and pattern
- Ask the factory for the fleece's measured shrinkage, often 2 to 3 percent in length on heavy cotton rich fleece, and a pattern enlarged to match it.
- Compacting
- Ask whether the fleece is compacted or pre shrunk at the mill, which lowers shrinkage but does not remove it.
- Hood build
- Single or double layer, and for a double hood the inner layer fabric. The neck join of a heavy double hood needs binding so it does not bulk.
- Seams and needles
- Overlock or flatlock, stitch density, and a needle and thread size suited to heavy fleece, so seams hold without needle damage.
- Sherpa details
- Which panels carry sherpa, how seams are finished over the pile, and whether the pile shows at the hood edge.
Tests to ask a heavyweight hoodie manufacturer in Bangladesh for
- EN 12127
- Mass per unit area from small samples. It confirms the bulk fleece weighs what was quoted, the first thing to verify on any heavyweight order.
- AATCC 135
- Shrinkage of fabric in home laundering, run on the bulk fleece before cutting, so the enlarged pattern rests on measured rather than assumed shrinkage.
- ISO 12945-1
- Pilling by the pilling box method. Heavy brushed faces and sherpa piles can pill or shed, so ask for grades on the face and on the pile.
What moves the price of a heavyweight hoodie
- Weight: fleece is bought by the kilo, so a 450 GSM hoodie carries half as much fabric again as a 300 GSM one.
- Cotton content: heavy cotton rich fleece costs more and needs shrinkage control.
- Sherpa: a sherpa lining or bonded sherpa fleece adds a second fabric or a bonding process.
- Double hood: a self fleece double hood adds fabric and sewing time.
- Sewing speed: heavy seams run slower and need heavier needles and thread.
- Freight: heavy hoodies fill cartons faster, which raises freight per piece beyond the FOB price.
Lead time for heavyweight hoodies
Heavy fleece is often knitted and dyed to order, which adds days before cutting, and the shrinkage test must be done before the pattern is final. A heavyweight hoodie sample usually takes 7 to 14 days once the fleece is ready. Heavyweight bulk follows in 30 to 60 days from the written PP approval. Sherpa and bonded fabrics can take longer to source, and the quote confirms every date.
What we check on heavyweight hoodies before shipment
- Weight on bulk fleeceA disc cut from the bulk fleece is weighed against the quoted GSM and its tolerance.
- Measurements after washingA washed hoodie is measured to confirm the enlarged pattern lands on the size chart.
- Hood neck joinThe neck join of a double hood is checked for bulk, even binding and no skipped stitches through the layers.
- Needle damageHeavy seams are checked for holes, broken loops and skipped stitches, signs of the wrong needle size for the fleece.
Questions buyers ask about heavyweight hoodies
Why does a heavyweight hoodie shrink more?
Heavy cotton rich fleece holds tension from knitting and dyeing and relaxes in the first washes, often by 2 to 3 percent in length. The fix is to measure shrinkage on the bulk fabric and cut to a pattern enlarged by that amount.
What is sherpa backed fleece?
A fabric with fleece or jersey on the face and a thick, curly polyester pile on the back that imitates sheepskin. It can be one bonded fabric or a separate lining. It is warm and heavy, and its seams need binding. Approve the pile on a swatch for softness and shedding.
How heavy can a hoodie be?
Most knit factories sew fleece comfortably up to around 500 GSM. Beyond that, seams get bulky, hoods stiff and sewing slow. Many heavyweight streetwear hoodies sit around 400 to 450 GSM, which feels substantial without fighting the machines. Ask both factories how heavy a fleece they sew regularly.
Is a double layer hood worth the cost?
On a heavyweight hoodie, usually yes. A single layer of heavy fleece shows its seams inside and flops; a double hood stands up and frames the face. On a standard weight pullover it is optional. If the neck feels bulky in the fit sample, ask for the inner layer in a lighter jersey.
Get a quote for heavyweight hoodies
Tech pack or sketch with quantities per colour. A compared quote in 48 hours.
