Skip to content
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Fabric for Plushies
For consumers and manufacturers, making plushies can be very funny and profitable. But have you ever had such a question: What makes the best plushies? The first thing most people think of is picking out the best upholstery fabric. Indeed, soft and comfortable fabrics can level up the comfort and appearance of plushies, making them more comfortable and pleasant for users to hold, cuddle, or play with.
How to choose the perfect fabric for plushies? As a professional manufacturer of plush toys, we will introduce 10 commonly used fabrics for making plushies and analyze their pros and cons to give some guidelines and inspiration for your plushies business. First of all, let's talk about the benefits of choosing high-quality fabrics for stuffed toy products.
Importance of Choosing High-Quality Fabrics for Plushies
For Users
A quality fabric is always safe for your skin; it also minimizes the allergy and irritation possibilities and makes the plushies more kid-friendly. Moreover, the premium fabric ensures the longevity of the plushie, reducing the frequency of replacement due to tear and wear so that users can keep their beloved plushies as long as possible.
In addition to this, better quality fabrics that have good color fastness can ensure that the plush toys remain brightly colored for a long while, hence making them look refreshing and enhancing their texture.
For Brands & Companies
From the marketing and product sales perspective, premium fabrics provide a brand niche for the plushies in the market to distinguish them from other poor-quality plushies. The brand's image can be enhanced by selling stuffed animals made from quality fabrics, pushing the customers to buy well-upholstered plushies.
High-quality fabric plush toys are very much praised by customers. A positive image makes it easier to spread product messages and sales volume. Plushies made of quality fabrics always satisfy the customers. Selecting the right fabrics can enhance their repurchase rates and also loyalty. While high-quality fabrics are generally more costly, many customers choose to spend more for the quality, which can increase the profit margin for your business.
Selecting the right fabric is one of the keys to making soft and durable plushies. Before diving into the analysis of 10 commonly used plushies fabrics, there are 8 factors you need to consider when choosing the best fabric for plushies.
8 Factors to Consider When Choosing the Fabric for Plushies
1. Safety
- Ensure the fabric you choose meets the relevant safety standards, including the EN71 toy standard for Europe and the American ASTM F963.
- Fabrics must be tested to ensure they do not contain any potentially harmful chemicals, including deadly dyes and also poisonous heavy metals.
- Study the fabric suppliers or producers and check the quality and safety standards during production.
2. Durability
- Choose sturdy fabrics that have high strength and wear resistance so the plushies are not worn out with frequent use.
- To this end, focus on the structure of the fabric and its weaving density since these two parameters will define how resistant a fabric is.
3. Comfort & Softness
- Pay more attention to the fabric's touch and superficial features so that the plushies stuffed with upholstery are soft enough without causing any injury to a child's delicate skin.
- Choose fabrics applicable in any season and provide the users with a soft and warm feeling during the summer and winter.
4. Cleaning & Maintenance
- Choose fabrics that are very easy to clean and wash, such as machine-washable or hand-washed fabric.
- It is advised to measure the antibacterial properties of the fabrics in order to reduce the likelihood of bacterial growth.
- Make sure that the fabrics you choose are easy to maintainwith clear care instructions.
5. Color Fastness
- Choose professional dye fabrics to avoid any color fading or changes caused by environmental influences.
- It is essential to ensure that the color of the fabric surface does not fade easily because the pigments pose a health hazard for the children.
6. Allergic Problems
- Always choose allergy-resistant fabricsto prevent allergies for children and adults.
- Consider the breathability of the fabricto prevent the accumulation of moisture and bacteria.
7. Environment Protection
- Select materials that are biodegradable or are derived from recycled waste to reduce the environmental impact.
- In order to adhere to the sustainable development principles, environment-friendly techniques used in manufacturing should be adopted.
8. Production Cost & Efficiency
- Strive for the balance between cost and quality by finding fabric suppliers or manufacturers who can offer high-quality fabrics at affordable prices.
- Make sure that the fabric manufacturer or factory can increase production efficiency without compromising the quality.
10 Most Commonly Used Fabrics for Making Plushies
Cotton
Pros: Cotton made from 100% cotton fibers, is a skin-friendly natural fabric that fits infants and young children. Its surface and texture are very appropriate for giving frequent hugs and touch. Cotton has good breathability that implies the free movement of air, allowing plushies to be fresher for a longer period and not get muggy. It is commonly used to make plushies that needs advanced printing.
On top of that, cotton is a biodegradable fabric material that won't have a negative impact on the environment.
Cons: Cotton tends to wrinkle very quickly and needs a lot of careful handling in order to preserve its condition. Besides that, cotton has a very weak resistance to wear and moisture absorption. In addition, if the cotton is subjected to the sun for a long time, it will fade within a short period.
Polyester
Pros: The polyester fabric is durable and does not create any hairballs or fluff on the plush toys. It is very easy to clean and maintain, and it is machine washable and quick-drying. Moreover, the production costs of polyester are much less than those of many other fabrics, which makes it a very cost-effective option for manufacturers planning to increase their profitability.
Cons: Polyester fabric generally has much less breathability and also softness than natural fibers. If your plushies need to be more skin-friendly, polyester fabric won't be an ideal choice.
Wool
Pros: Wool is a natural fiber that has a soft, warm, and extremely comfortable feel. Wool is naturally flexible and does not deform very easily; for this reason, stuffed toys made of wool have a very good shape retention.
Cons: Wool is expensive as it is one of the main problems. Moreover, some people who are allergic to wool may have itchiness problems. Wool is slightly photosensitive, so it must not be in the sun for too long. It requires a lot of special care to maintain its appearance and texture.
Short Plush
Pro: Short plush is perfect for making exquisite stuffed animals. The short plush can provide a more realistic and detailed surface to the plushie. More significantly, short plush is softer and much more suited for hugging. In addition, the short plush is an easy-to-clean fabric that does not accumulate dust and other contaminants very easily.
Cons: Shorter plush gives a worn look to the plushies due to its shortness. The short-plush plushies will also wear out from prolonged usage and hugging, which can lead to the impression that they have been used before.
Long Plush
Pros: Plushies have a much more luxurious and appealing appearance with the long plush. With its velvety texture and three-dimensional look, it works well with big, soft plushies such as large stuffed animals.
Cons: The long plush is not suitable for creating detailed plushies. It easily gets dustier and dirtier than the short plush, being harder to clean.
Felt
Pros: Felt is a kind of non-woven fabric usually classified in two types: ordinary polyesters and acrylic. Ordinary polyesters are more commonly used in making plushies. Made of compressed fibers, polyester felt is relatively rigid with a thickness of about 1.5mm so it has excellent shape retention and gives a very velvety feeling to the plushies. Polyester felt is the perfect fabric for cutting and stitching, ideal for producing plushies in 3D animals or any movie characters. Acrylic felt is relatively loose and fragile so it is often used for gifts instead of plush toys.
Cons: Cleaning, however, is not a very easy task as it attracts a lot of dust and dirt. Also, it may not be strong enough to support the plushies.
Velvet & Velour
Velvet
Pros: The velvet fabric is very shiny and smooth, ideal for making very soft plushies. Since it has a fluffy surface and is soft, it fits for making plushies where the texture matters.
Cons: The velvet is bendable in one direction exclusively, and this leads to its very poor smoothness. Secondly, it is very challenging to clean due to its texture and weave since the velvet attracts a lot of dust and dirt quickly.
Velour
Pros: Velour is velvety fabric featuring a soft surface and excellent stretch. It is similar to sheared fabric but the plush length is about 1.5-2mm. Velour is also known for its great affordability, making it ideal for plushies where comfort and cost-effectiveness matters.
Cons: On the other hand, Velour may tend to pill, and its informal look makes it not suitable for making luxurious and elegant plushies.
Faux Fur
Pro: Faux fur looks and feels like a real animal's fur coat. Hence, it suits the manufacture of fake animal plushies that can provide natural textures. There is no actual animal fur in the manufacturing process, which is very beneficial for animal protection. Moreover, various colors and patterns available in faux fur make it possible to create unique plushie designs of every kind. Second, faux fur retains the heat, which allows it to be ideally used for making winter plushies.
Cons: One of the critical disadvantages of faux fur is its high cost. Besides, faux fur may also cause some environmental problems as artificial fibers are used in the manufacturing process.
Flannel
Pros: Flannel is a warm fabric that gives you the feeling of warmth and comfort. This is very beneficial in making all-season plushies, particularly soft plush toys that require slight warmth.
Cons: The long plush flannel renders it inappropriate for some very intricate and detailed plushie designs. Flannel wears out very quickly because it is manufactured using artificial components.
Minky
Pros: Minky fabric is the best material for making soft toys that small children and infants can play with because of its super-soft, luxurious feel, and fluffy look. The fabrics are very soft in texture and appearance, which makes the plushie more convenient and also comfortable to cuddle. Furthermore, Minky fabrics come in several different colors and patterns, which makes them very suitable for creating a wide range of plushie designs that meet the needs of various people.
Cons: All minky fabrics tend to accumulate a lot of dust and dirt, which makes them hard to do away with. Secondly, static electricity issues may occur when using Minky fabrics, and this generally results in a horrible user experience during the winter.
Other Specific Types of Fabric
Synthetic Fabric
- Velboa:Velboa is a kind of synthetic plush fabric featuring excellent versatility and is widely used for making bean bags. The plush length can vary from 2.5-3.5mm, normally 3.00mm, and the curled-sheared one is about 5-10mm. The main weakness of Velboa is that it lacks softness and provides limited structural support for plushies.
- Nylex: Nylex is also a synthetic fabric made of heavy polyethylenes. It is usually for outdoor applications because of its excellent waterproof quality and wear resistance. However, nylex lacks softness because of its rough surface and hard texture, which make it unsuitable for making soft plushies.
- Nylon:Similar to nylex, nylon is also a fabric made of polyethylenes but it is relatively softer and more stretchable than nylex. It has great resistant properties, withstanding water, abrasion, wear, rubbing, and so on. However, nylon is not commonly used in making plushies because it lacks softness compared to polyester fabric. Besides, it can easily absorb odors, which can lead to health issues.
- Fleece:Fleece is a synthetic fabric widely used in making plushies because it feels soft and comfy, available in a wide variety of colors and designs. Moreover, fleece can provide warmth in winter and requires fewer cleaning tasks as it is machine-washable. However, fleece will pill after a long time use. Furthermore, it may not be as breathable as other natural fibers like cotton.
Blended Fabric
- Heather Fabric: Heather is a soft fabric made of blended colored fibers, so the surface of the fabric usually has speckles. Heather is good for making creative and unique plush products. However, it is not as comfy enough as other fabrics when used for making plushies and is relatively expensive, which limits its application in the production of plush toys.
- T/C Fabric: T/C fabric is a blended fabric made of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. It does not easily wrinkle, is easy to maintain, and can be machine-washed for regular cleaning. Besides, T/C fabric’s excellent color fastness and low cost make it ideal for durable and cost-effective plushies. However, the main disadvantage of T/C fabric is the pilling issue resulting from prolonged use and washing. This will negatively affect the appearance of plushies.
Knitted Fabric
Knitted fabric, as its name implies, is a textile made by knitting. It is known for its flexibility and stretch. Thus, knitted fabric is flexible in making complex plushie designs. Besides, this fabric is also soft and fluffy to the touch, making it ideal for hugging and cuddling.
Nevertheless, knitted fabrics do not have the structural support that other fabrics have. If you need plushies to be in shape for a long time, knitted fabric may not be suitable.
Tricot Fabric
Tricot fabric is a kind of knitted fabric. It is usually more stable and less likely to unravel than common knitted fabric, providing a firmer structure for plushies. With a smooth surface, the tricot fabric fits making a detailed plushie design.
However, tricot fabric typically has less stretch than common knit fabrics, and this may impose some restrictions on the shapes and poses of the plushies. What’s more, tricot fabrics might not feel as plush and comfortable as common knitted fabrics.
What Fabric is Best for Plushies?
In reality, there is no specific type of fabric that could be referred to as the most ideal material for plushies. It is necessary to consider several factors when choosing the right fabric. The appropriate fabric choice is affected by several factors, including many application needs, appearance preferences, safety issues, and material properties.
When a plushie is intended for frequent use, it may need a durable fabric that can withstand tear and wear. A plushie designed for a companion of comfortable sleep may require softer and anti-allergy fabric. The various types of fabric have their respective strengths and also weaknesses; some are useful, while others may not be. Manufacturers must critically evaluate their target customer group's special needs and specifics before deciding which fabric to use for production.
CustomPlushMaker is Your Best Choice
CustomPlushMaker is a manufacturer and supplier of plush toys with experience, specializing in the production of all kinds of stuffed toys, such as stuffed animals, characters, mascots, etc. One of the most featured services we offer is the customization of plush toys. We are passionate about making plushies that 100% embody your brands, your characters, and also anything you desire. We can convert every design into physical plush toys.
We opt for premium fabric and filling materials to ensure the plushies are of high quality and affordable. We ensure that each plushie we create is sturdy, lifelike, and complies with international safety and quality standards.
Additionally, we have been striving to increase customer satisfaction. With an easy ordering process, clients can tailor their plush toys as they wish through our efficient and reliable communication.
CustomPlushMaker is the most reliable plush toy manufacturer and supplier if you are looking for one. For any questions, you are welcome to contact us at toyseei@customplushmaker.com. We are looking forward to your inquiry.
