Fabric Guide: What GSM & Blend For Football Jerseys vs. Training Kits.
GSM and blend are the two specs that actually determine how a kit performs — here's what they mean and how to choose.
Published — True Fit Sportswear Team
Short answer: for a football match jersey, a 100% polyester, moisture-wicking knit in roughly the 130-170 GSM range is the usual starting point. For training kits, most clubs move a little heavier, roughly 150-200 GSM, for durability. These are typical industry ranges rather than fixed rules, and your climate, fit preference and budget move them, so the sample confirms the final choice.
What GSM Actually Means
GSM (grams per square meter) measures fabric weight. A lower GSM fabric is lighter and more breathable; a higher GSM fabric is heavier, more opaque, and generally more durable under repeated washing. Neither is "better" — the right GSM depends on what the garment is for. Our broader fabric GSM guide covers every garment type; this post focuses on football.
Match Jerseys: Lighter, Breathable, Built For 90 Minutes
A match football jersey is usually built from a lighter, moisture-wicking polyester — enough weight to hold sublimated color and graphics cleanly, but light enough not to add heat load over a full match. Many match jerseys use a mesh or perforated knit (often called birdseye) for extra airflow, because the surface of the fabric is open rather than solid. Sublimation also works best on white or light-colored polyester, since the dye is transparent and mixes with whatever base color it lands on, so a dark base fabric limits the colors you can print. Decide your colors with that in mind, and read our decoration methods guide for the trade-offs against screen print and embroidery.
Training Kits: Heavier, More Durable, Built For Repetition
Training wear gets washed and worn far more often than a match kit, so a slightly heavier, more durable fabric blend usually makes more sense — trading a little breathability for a garment that holds its shape and color across a full season of daily use. Look at how the fabric handles repeated washing: a tighter knit usually resists snagging and pilling better than an open mesh, and a slightly heavier weight keeps its shape after many cycles. Training tops are also where cost matters most, because you often need more of them per player than match shirts.
Blend Matters As Much As Weight
A 100% polyester fabric sublimates cleanly and dries fast, which is why it's the standard for match and training kits. Blends with a small percentage of spandex or elastane add stretch, which some clubs prefer for a closer, more athletic cut — worth discussing if fit is a priority. Keep the percentage small on a jersey: a few percent of elastane adds comfortable give, while a high percentage turns the garment into compression wear and changes how it sublimates and sizes. Cotton and cotton-rich blends are rarely used for match jerseys because they hold sweat and dry slowly, and they do not take sublimation dye the way polyester does.
What To Tell Us
- Match kit, training kit, or both
- Climate you're playing in most (hot/humid vs. cool/wet)
- Preference for a closer athletic fit vs. a standard cut
- Budget range, since heavier or blended fabrics cost more per meter
- Whether the design is sublimated, and how dark the base colors are
- Your quantity and sizes (bulk starts at 20 pieces per style, see our MOQ guide)
Send those and we'll recommend a specific fabric and GSM rather than a generic "premium polyester" answer. See our full football kit range and teamwear for what we build from it.
Goalkeeper Kits Are A Separate Fabric Decision
A goalkeeper jersey isn't just an outfield jersey in a different color — it is often made in a heavier fabric, and padded elbow or forearm areas are common, since goalkeepers take more repeated ground contact than outfield players. Ask what is possible for your design when you send your brief. If your kit includes a goalkeeper set, treat it as its own fabric conversation rather than assuming it should match the outfield jersey weight exactly.
How Fabric Choice Feeds Into Price
Heavier GSM and stretch blends both cost more per meter than standard lightweight polyester, which is one of the biggest levers in your final per-player price — see our cost breakdown guide for how fabric stacks up against the other four cost drivers.
Climate Should Drive The Decision More Than Preference
A club playing primarily in a hot, humid climate genuinely needs a lighter, more breathable fabric than one playing in a cool, wet one — this isn't a marketing distinction, it affects player comfort and how much the fabric shows sweat over 90 minutes. Tell us your climate honestly rather than defaulting to whatever fabric weight looks premium in photos.
How To Check The Fabric At Sample Stage
A swatch or a photo cannot tell you how a jersey behaves on a player, so use the sample (no minimum, 8–10 days) to test the fabric properly:
- Hold a light-colored area up to a window or lamp to check it is not see-through, especially if the jersey is white or pale.
- Stretch it gently in both directions and see whether it springs back.
- Rub the sublimated area and check the color does not mark or change feel.
- Wash it once following the care label and compare color, shape and surface with an unwashed piece.
- Wear it and move: sprint, bend, pull at the shoulders, and see how it feels once it is damp.
Our samples guide explains how to review and approve a sample, and our quality control checklist covers what is inspected on the finished kit.
