Swimwear Fabrics
Elevate Your Swim Line with Quality Fabrics
For swimwear brands, choosing the right fabric ensures that swimsuits can withstand immersion in pool water, exposure to sunlight, and erosion from waves, while remaining comfortable and healthy!
Joy Sportwear is able to offer OEKO-TEX® certified quality swimwear fabrics that offer superior durability and environmental performance.
Located in Dongguan, China, near China’s largest fabric market, we are able to source fabrics quickly for your needs. With a strong supply chain, we can provide you with the latest sustainable and innovative fabrics to increase your competitiveness in the market.
Table of Contents
Common Swimwear Fabric Components
When choosing swimwear fabric, the main considerations are elasticity, chlorine resistance, saltwater/sunscreen resistance, quick-drying properties, UV protection (UPF), and durability. The following are the swimwear fabrics we commonly use.
1.Nylon / Polyamide
Advantages:
- Soft and skin-friendly: Comfortable to the touch with excellent body-hugging properties.
- Excellent elasticity: When blended with spandex, it offers superior stretchability and allows for free movement.
- Quick-drying: With relatively low water absorption, it dries quickly after getting wet.
Disadvantages:
Weak chlorine resistance: Prolonged exposure to chlorinated pool water may cause hardening, brittleness, and fading (choose the ‘chlorine-resistant treated’ option).
Applicable scenarios: Casual swimwear, fashionable swimwear
2.Polyester
Advantages:
- Top-tier chlorine resistance: Exceptionally strong resistance to chlorine corrosion, with a lifespan 2-3 times longer than nylon.
- High strength & resistance to deformation: Resists stretching and sagging, maintaining its shape over the long term.
- UV protection (high UPF): The fibres themselves have excellent sun protection properties.
- Quick-drying & lightweight.
Disadvantages:
- Rigid feel: Slightly less comfortable than nylon (new blended fabric technology has improved this).
- Poor elasticity: Relies on blended spandex for elasticity.
Applicable scenarios: Swimming pool training, high-frequency swimwear for long-term use
3.Spandex / Lycra/ Elastane
Advantages:
Core function: Provides elasticity! (Typically accounts for 15%-25% of the fabric)
Note: Pure spandex is not used in swimwear, but rather as an ‘elastic fibre’ blended with nylon or polyester.
Disadvantages:
Not resistant to chlorine/salt/sunscreen: Prone to ageing and breaking, causing swimwear to become loose.
Recycled Fabric for Sustainable Swimwear
Looking to build an eco-conscious swimwear line? At Joysportwear, we offer premium recycled fabrics that help you reduce your environmental footprint without compromising on performance or style.
Our sustainable swimwear fabrics include:
🌿 Recycled Nylon
Made from regenerated materials like ocean waste, fishing nets, and industrial plastic. It offers the same softness, stretch, and durability as virgin nylon—perfect for high-end bikinis and one-pieces.
🌱 Recycled Polyester
Derived from post-consumer plastic bottles, this fabric is strong, colorfast, and chlorine-resistant—ideal for printed swimwear and everyday wear collections.
✅ MOQ
For eco-friendly fabrics, we support customized colors and prints, but the MOQ will be higher than normal fabrics, for each color 100 pcs.
Join the growing wave of sustainable swimwear brands and make a positive impact on both your business and the planet. Start your eco collection with our recycled fabrics today!
Need to Add Printing?
At Joy sportwear, we specialize in
for swimwear, helping swimwear brands turn creative ideas into vibrant, high-quality pieces. Whether you’re designing bikinis, one-pieces, or full collections, our advanced printing technology ensures your artwork looks stunning on every garment.
We offer two professional printing methods tailored for swimwear fabrics:
1. Heat Transfer Printing
Ideal for bold colors and detailed patterns. This technique delivers long-lasting prints with excellent color fastness and minimal fading, perfect for polyester-based swimwear fabric.
2. Digital Direct Printing (Direct-to-Fabric)
Great for complex, multi-color designs. It prints directly onto the fabric, producing soft, breathable results with rich color depth—perfect for small-batch or custom collections.
To achieve the best printing results, please provide high-resolution vector files such as AI, PDF, EPS, JPG, or PNG, with file sizes between 2MB–10MB.
Learn About Our Premium Fabrics
1.Basic Fabric Series
Matte Fabric
Matte fabric refers to a type of material with a non-glossy, soft finish. Unlike traditional shiny swimwear fabrics that reflect light, matte fabric offers a subtle, sophisticated, and natural look—perfect for creating a sleek and understated aesthetic.
Shiny fabric
As the name suggests, shiny fabric features a glossy, reflective surface. Thanks to specialized fibers, weaving techniques, or finishing processes, this fabric shines under light and delivers a bold, fashionable, and eye-catching effect.
Ribbed Fabric
Ribbed fabric is a type of knit material characterized by its vertical textured lines. These ribs add a dimensional and stylish look while enhancing the fabric’s stretch and body-hugging fit—making it both fashionable and functional for swimwear.
2.Fashionable fabrics
Glitter Fabric
Also known as sparkle or sequin-effect fabric, glitter fabric is coated with a shimmering foil or glitter layer over a base material like nylon or polyester. It delivers a dazzling “bling-bling” appearance, perfect for standout swimwear, stage costumes, or party looks.
Velvet Fabric
Velvet is a soft, plush fabric with short, dense fibers on the surface. While traditionally used in gowns or home décor, velvet has gained popularity in high-fashion swimwear—especially in luxury or boutique-style bikini collections for a rich and elegant touch.
Jacquard Fabric
Jacquard is a fabric with woven-in patterns, created directly on the loom rather than printed or embroidered. The intricate design is part of the fabric’s structure, giving it depth, texture, and a premium feel—ideal for adding uniqueness to swimwear designs.
Satin Fabric
Satin isn’t a material but a weave technique that produces a smooth, lustrous surface with a silky sheen. With its sensual, polished look, satin fabric brings a luxurious, high-fashion vibe to swimwear that’s both glamorous and modern.
Metallic Fabric
Metallic fabric has a shiny, reflective surface created by incorporating metallic threads, foil coatings, or metal finishes into a nylon or polyester base. This eye-catching material is perfect for bold, statement-making swimwear, partywear, and performance costumes.
Sequin Fabric
Sequin fabric is made by stitching or heat-pressing layers of small, reflective sequins—typically plastic or PET—onto the surface of a base fabric. The result is a brilliant, sparkling effect that captures attention and exudes glamour.
Terry Fabric
Terry fabric features small loops or pile on the surface, typically made from cotton or a cotton blend. Loved for its vintage-inspired texture and cozy feel, terry fabric has become a trendy choice for retro-style bikinis and loungewear-inspired swimwear.
Important Notes
Highly absorbent: Terry becomes noticeably heavier after swimming, making it less suitable for performance or competition swimwear.
Slower to dry: With a slightly thicker structure, terry is best suited for sunbathing and beach lounging—not for frequent water immersion.
FAQ
If the information below does not answer your question, please feel free to contact us at any time using the form.
The most popular swimwear fabrics are nylon-spandex and polyester-spandex blends. Nylon is softer and stretchier, while polyester is more chlorine-resistant and colorfast—ideal for frequent wear or athletic swimwear.
Yes. Our fabrics are made from recycled materials, reducing environmental impact. They are certified by GRS and OEKO-TEX®, ensuring they meet high environmental and safety standards, dyed using eco-friendly dyes.
For most swimwear fabrics, our MOQ is 50 pieces per color,making it easier for small and mid-size brands to launch sustainable collections.
Yes! We offer custom pantone color dyeing and all-over print customization based on your design files. Our in-house team provides assistance with color matching and print layout.
No waiting time with stock fabrics
Customized fabrics: 3-5 business days
We also support rush orders for much needed collections.
Start Your Swimwear Collection
Whether you’re looking to learn more about our customization services or have any questions about the production process, our team is always ready to assist you.
+86 15812731738
mia@joybikini.com
5th Floor,Heshun Building, No.3 Dongfang Shuiyun Road, Humen Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
