Snag Resistant or Snag Proof

Snagged fabric isn’t a look anyone can make work. No one wants their clothing riddled with tiny holes and loose threads, after all; it looks unkempt and unprofessional, a bad look for any occasion. Luckily, there are many products on the market today that help prevent clothes from coming undone in such an unsightly way. Sports gear, women’s nylons, and polo shirts are some of the clothing that has become snag proof in recent years, and with good reason; activewear and thinner fabrics are the most likely clothing items to become easily damaged, so they need a little extra protection.

What makes a snag-proof fabric snag-proof? First, it’s best to understand what exactly causes clothing to become snagged. A snag happens when something—usually a sharp object of some sort—is able to pull a thread or group of threads away from its place in the fabric pattern, breaking the thread in the process. This leaves behind a small hole, usually with the offending thread still attached; get enough snags in the right material, and the whole thing could potentially unravel. Even one or two little snags could become bigger holes if left without mending, destroying an otherwise perfectly good piece of clothing.

Snag proof fabrics seek to remedy these issues by being made of durable, tightly-woven threads. Sometimes, snag proof fabrics are woven in a warp knit; these fabrics’ fibers are woven at a more diagonal angle than the straight-across weft weave that other fabrics utilize, creating a tighter weave pattern that’s less prone to snags.

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 Snag-proof fabrics tend to be made of polyester, a strong and long-lasting fiber made of different synthetic compounds. Clothing made of polyester is generally strong enough to stand up to more repeated wear and tear than other, more natural fibers, while staying just as or even more comfortable. Polyester fibers, being strong, are difficult to break under regular use. Polyester fabric, being tightly woven yet slightly elastic, is difficult to put holes in; coupled with the strong polyester fibers, this makes snagging the fabric tough to impossible. For sportswear, which often gets a more rough-and-tumble treatment than everyday clothing, this tougher fabric is a much better alternative than others available. Nylons and other women’s legwear also benefits from a fabric that won’t tear or snag easily, lasting longer and requiring fewer replacements to be bought.

Even if you don’t play sports or wear nylons, snag-proof polos are quickly becoming a popular choice for everyday or business-casual clothing. After all, even the most usual actions can cause an accidental snag here and there, and a snagged shirt is an annoyance no matter where you are and what you’re doing. Many companies are quickly adopting these new snag-proof shirts. One of our vendors, for example, carries a variety of their own snag-proof polos in a special tricot weave, which must undergo vigorous snag-testing to make sure it’s ready to ship out.

Snag proof fabric must be tested for resistance in a special “beanbag” machine that rolls a fabric sample in the hook-and-needle lined cylinder for one hundred revolutions. This should leave the fabric with minimal snags, if any. Tested fabric is rated on a standard scale of 1-5; 1 is the lowest grade possible with the most snags, while 5 is the highest and has minimal to zero snags after testing. Typically, any fabric with a rating between 1 and 3 is unacceptable to be shipped out, as it will snag too easily to be called snag resistant; 3-4 is a standard rating, and denotes an acceptable fabric; 4-4.5 is excellent, and 4.5-5 is an optimal fabric that is just about as snag resistant as it could be. Pique knits and jerseys must test at a 3.5 to a 4 rating before they can be acceptable to ship, and tricot weaves must be between 4.5 and 5. Typically, a pique knit shirt made of 100% cotton is a solid 5 on the scale, making it an ideal choice when considering an apparel purchase.