We’ve taken a large Catalog of Retail Quality Blank Hoodies and narrowed them down to The Top 5 Blank Hoodies to use when screen printing.

We ranked these pullover hoodies by going through 10+ brands of hoodies to see how they print and shrink after washing.

In searching for the best fitting, most comfortable pullover hoodie we wore, printed, and washed these hoodies we will go into the details.

Out of the 10 pullover hoodies we went through, we found the 5 best hoodies that maintained the look, feel, and comfort of a quality hoodie and what brand got low marks after washing. If you’re looking for the best t-shirts to print, check out this review.

Quality Bonus Hoodie for 2020

Bella Canvas Unisex 3719 Sponge Fleece

The Top 5 Quality Blank Hoodies to Use for Printing

1. Gildan – Heavy Blend Hoodie 18500

With super soft and comfy inside, the Gildan Heavy Blend 18500 is a warm and thick hoodie.

At 8 ounces the Gildan Heavy cotton is a 50/50 blend, of polyester/ cotton, and is the 2nd heaviest hoodie out of the 4 hoodies listed, with the Independent Hoodie coming in at 8.5 ounces.

The Gildan Heavy Cotton Blend is perfect for those cold early morning workouts where a long sleeve shirt just won’t cut it. 

The hood of the Gildan 18500 is the thickest in terms of the feel of the material, out of all these hoodies.

This makes the Gildan the perfect hoodie for keeping your head and ears warm when pulled over your head on extremely cold days.

My only complaint about the Gildan 18500 is that it’s too short for me and rides up on to my waist area, which is not bad but I don’t like my clothes to sit above my front jean pockets or to show my full belt.

After The Wash Update.

The Gildan 18500 is the hoodie that most pleasantly surprised me after the wash. First thing is that it’s soft and comfortable even more so after the wash.

The length remained practically the same even though the Gildan 18500 was the shortest length out of all the hoodies I would say its a great hoodie for the quality and price.

I prefer my hoodies a bit longer than the Gildan at about an inch or two below the top parts of my jean pockets.

However, I understand that people have different tastes and might not like a longer hoodie, if this describes you then the Gildan 18500 might be the right fit for you.

Aside from having what seems the shortest length out of the other 4 hoodies, the Gildan Heavy Blend 18500 is a great quality hoodie at a good price.

With over 25 different Colors to choose from the Gildan Heavy Blend Hoodie can accommodate any print color combination for your brand and logo design.

We would recommend this hoodie for sports teams, schools and corporate clients that are looking for a thick yet comfortable gift for employees or for promotional and marketing use when branding.

Inside of the Gildan 18500 Hoodie.

2. JERZEES – NuBlend  Hoodie 996MR

The Jerzees Nu Blend 996MR Hoodie is the middle-of-the-road hoodie meaning it’s a safe bet when you buy the Jerzees Nublend.

The length in both sleeves and torso is the best fitting for my medium-size frame out of all 4 hoodies.

This Hoodie wears comfortably at around 2 inches below the top part of your pants pockets just right to make the human frame look proportionate.

With a Seamless body and set-in sleeves you are able to print along the side of the hoodie for a custom side print, the Jerzees NuBlend is also has a high stitch density that makes for a smooth screen print.

The size is a Standard American Athletic fit, with the sleeves at a perfect length for my Medium size.

The material feels good to the touch, a bit more texture on the body compared to the Gildan but I would say on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best the Jerzees Nublend gets a 7.5 on the soft scale.

After The Wash Update.

The Jerzees 996MR remained pretty much the same as far as the sleeve and body length, however, the only complaint is the pilling that happens on the sleeves and on the front pouch area.

Aside from pilling the quality remained the same, with no extreme shrinking or color fading.

The Nublend is a 50/50 cotton, polyester blend Hoodie. The Jerzees Nublend Hoodie weighs around 8.0 oz, depending on the size of the hoodie, larger sizes use more material and come in a bit heavier than average sizes.

As a Preshrunk Cotton Hoodie, you don’t have to worry about shrinkage when you wash it.

With over 30 different colors to choose from the Jerzees Nublend has the most amounts of colors from all 4 hoodies mentioned in this post. We recommend the Jerzees Nublend if you’re looking for a basic good quality hoodie to print on.

3. Independent – Midweight Hoodie SS4500

 

If your main concern is finding a quality hoodie with a modern swaggy look, the Independent Mid-weight SS4500 will be the one to look at.

The Independent Midweight Hoodie’s exterior material is very soft cotton. The mid-weight is perfect for those cool nights out on the town.

The Length of the Independent mid-weight SS4500 was by far my personal favorite because when it was new it was the longest in the sleeves and torso.

But after I washed it shrunk a bit too much for my personal comfort.

It felt and fit more like a sports hoodie after the wash which was fine, I would have liked this hoodie more if it held its original length. 

Not too thin and not too thick, a true midweight hoodie that you can wear for more style and fashion points.

After The Wash Update.

The Independent SS4500 shrunk a bit more than I was expecting it the first time I washed it.

After the second wash, I felt it shrunk even more. Or I may be getting fatter and shrinking myself as I get older, lol.

The fit on the Independent SS4500 was a bit tighter and shrunk considerably after washing the second time around.

Having said that. The fabric maintains the feeling of a quality garment, however, it was to thin for my personal taste.

It is still soft and comfortable when worn but I would say this is more of a California fall weather thin. 

Soft and a bit tight might be your type but if you’re looking for a baggy fit we suggest going up 1 or 2 sizes higher for that loose fit.

The style of the hoodie is a modern tailored fit with a wide front pouch and a wide hood that sits well when thrown over your head for those extra windy days.

One minor complaint with this hoodie is the bottom section is not very flexible when first trying it on.

I noticed there was a little stretch in the material when pulling the hoodie over my head and shoulders.

But this is how the Independent Midweight hoodie stays down when you walk because of the tapered bottom. However, I’m willing to compromise the snug bottom fit to not have the hoodie rise up when walking.

Overall this Independent Midweight SS4500 is a casual High-Quality Pullover Hoodie that you can wear out the quality will keep you warm and the style looks hip.

The Independent mid-weight hoodie can also serve as your favorite gym hoodie, the quality of material and the fit makes the Independent Mid-weight different from other hoodies in a very good way.

4. Fruit Of The Loom Sofspun SF76R

The Fruit of the Loom Sofspun SF76R is a 7.0-ounce hoodie that feels more like a lightweight Hoodie.

The inside of the hood is a Charcoal Grey Contrast which gives this particular Hoodie a different style and color combination compared to the other 4 hoodies mentioned.

The length of the Fruit of Loom is an American Standard Fitted Hoodie that runs a little below the top of your jean pants pockets.

One of the biggest things that I didn’t like about the Fruit of The Loom Sofspun SF76R Blank Hoodie was the material.

Too lightweight and thin for my personal taste and for the price of the Fruit of the Loom Sofspun you can get the Gildan, Jerzees, and Independent for a comparable price and a higher material quality.

I’m not saying that this hoodie is bad because it’s not, it’s a well-made hoodie that keeps you warm.

However, the materials feel the thinnest out of the other 4 hoodies reviewed in this article.

The Fruit of the Loom Sofspun SF76R is the hoodie with the most texture to the touch, meaning when you run your hand over the garment you’ll be able to feel the fabrics grooves.

If we were to rate the Softest to The Not So Soft, the Independent / Gildan would be the softest and the Fruit of the Loom SF76R would come out to be the least soft.

If you are looking for a lightweight and sporty Hoodie then do consider the Fruit of the Loom Sofspun SF76R as the hoodie for gyms and fitness apparel.

The fit and size of the Fruit of the Loom I think is the one hoodie that got it right with the length and the way it fits on your body because it’s not too short, baggy, loose or long.

The fitting for my body type at 5’8 and 155 lb was the one thing that I liked the best in the SF76R out of the other 4 hoodies reviewed.

Compared to the rest of the hoodies mentioned the Fruit of the Loom Sofspun is my least favorite of the 4 hoodies because of the thinness of the material. The Fruit Of The Loom SF76R is great for bright colors and lightweight material for fitness brands.

After The Wash Update.

The Fruit of the Loom SF76R came out fine after the wash with no major issues with the materials shrinking or tearing away. Overall a solid pullover hoodie.

5. Hanes – Ecosmart Hoodie P170

The Hanes Ecosmart P170 Hoodie is a nice blend of  50% Cotton and 50% Polyester fabric.

As far as quality fabric, style, and pricing the Hanes Eco Smart is the most economical buy if your printing only on the exterior of this hoodie.

If you’re looking to print Custom Size Tags on the neck part of the hoodie, the Hanes Ecosmart wouldn’t be the right choice for Printing private label tags.

This is due to the Hanes Label / Brand already printed on the inside of the hoodie.

Your best options for Printing Size Labels on Blank Hoodies are the JERZEES 96MR , Fruit of The Loom SF76R , Gildan 18500 and the Independent SS4500.

The Hanes Ecosmart Blank Hoodie is lighter in weight than the 4 mentioned brands, however, it will still keep you warm and insulated from brisk winds that come in October.

With more than 20 colors to choose from, printing contrasting colors with creative designs can make for great custom-printed hoodies.

An American Standard Length and Sizes the Hanes Ecosmart Hoodie fits just right not too long and not too short, the sleeve length is long enough to cover your hands comfortably if you’re prone to having cold hand syndrome in the winter months.

Overall the Hanes Ecosmart is the most economical hoodie if budget is your main concern.

Our clients for this type of hoodie are typically schools that want their mascot printed or corporations that have large teams of employees.

After The Wash Update.

The Hanes P170 Pullover came out of the wash with long polyester fabric threads unwinding from the cord string.

One of the strings on the hooded section might have gotten caught in the spin cycle which left the cord string damaged. I’ll remove the cord strings by cutting them off completely.  

Other than that the fit is still comfortable and the fabric is still soft.

The length is about the same after the wash, same sleeve, and body length. Because of the hoodie string coming undone, I placed the P170 as the last in our hoodie option.

If you would like to place an order, we have a minimum sample pack of 12 Blank Hoodies you can purchase before placing a larger order in the future.

The benefit is 12 different colors, sizes, and brands before printing a larger batch and getting stuck with 30 or hundreds of hoodies you don’t like.

Overall this is a good hoodie to wear just not my favorite in terms of quality feel and thickness.

New Product Update:

The Ultimate Utility Hoodie

We recently found a hoodie that is kind of special and wanted to share it with you first.

Here is a quick video on The Ultimate Utility Hoodie called the Quickflip! We’ll do a thorough review of the material quality and the features of this hoodie later on but for now, here is Rener Gracie with the Quickflip demo.

If you’d like to use this hoodie for your printed apparel let us know! You can also order the Quickflip Hoodie through our online catalog.

There are 7 diffrent Quickflip styles to choose from, check them out here!

Our minimum for printed hoodies starts at 45 pieces. For questions about printing services feel free to email us at info@laprintanddesign.com and we will reply within 24 hrs.

Thank you from www.laprintanddesign.com