Midweight vs Heavyweight on Hoodies
By The Velocity Wear Team
GSM is grams per square metre, the weight of the fabric. Hoodie fleece runs 280 to 450 GSM. Around 280 is a midweight you can wear indoors all day. Around 350 is the familiar standard hoodie weight. At 400 to 450 the garment is a heavyweight: structured, warm, slower to dry, and the weight most streetwear brands build on.
What does each weight feel like in the hand?
Pick up a 280 GSM hoodie and it hangs from the shoulder, drapes close to the body and packs down small. It is comfortable over a long day and it will not make anyone overheat in a warm office or a busy venue.
A 350 GSM hoodie has some body to it. The hood stands up rather than flopping, the cuffs hold their shape, and the garment keeps its silhouette when you put it down. This is the weight most people picture when they say hoodie.
At 450 GSM the fabric is thick enough to stand almost on its own. The hood is substantial, the ribbing is heavier, the whole garment reads as expensive before anyone looks at the label. It is also warm enough to be genuinely uncomfortable indoors, and it takes a long time to dry.
What does the extra weight cost?
More fabric per garment means a higher unit cost, and there is a second effect that catches people out: heavier garments are bulkier and heavier to ship, so freight rises alongside the piece price. On a large order going overseas that second component is not trivial.
The from-price of $31 a piece applies at the 50-piece minimum, and moving up the bands on the pricing page reduces it by up to 35% at the highest quantities. The weight premium sits on top of whichever band you are in rather than replacing it, so a heavyweight at 500 pieces can still cost less per piece than a midweight at 50.
Which weight decorates better?
Heavier fleece embroiders more easily, because there is more substance to stabilise the stitch and the nap conceals minor puckering. It also carries a large or raised decoration without distorting, which is why puff and big embroidered chest pieces belong on heavier garments.
Midweight prints slightly more cleanly. A smoother, less lofty surface means a thin ink film sits flatter and fine edges stay crisper. Neither difference is dramatic, but if you have hairline type in the artwork it is worth knowing. The full method comparison is on the comparison page.
So which should you pick?
Pick midweight when the hoodie is worn indoors, when it is staff kit that gets washed constantly and needs to dry overnight, when you are shipping a lot of them, or when the budget has to stretch across a large group.
Pick heavyweight when the hoodie is being sold, when it is the piece people choose to wear rather than have to, when it is worn outdoors in winter, or when you want embroidery to be the feature. Many buyers run both: a midweight for the volume order and a heavyweight for the pieces that need to impress. Composition pulls in the same decision, covered in cotton versus poly blend on hoodies, and you can set weight and fit together on the wholesale hoodies page.
