Top 10 Functional Sportswear Fabric Manufacturers in the World: Cooling, Quick-Dry & UV Pr

Top 10 Functional Sportswear Fabric Manufacturers in the World: Cooling, Quick-Dry & UV Protection

Introduction

Functional sportswear fabrics are designed to support comfort and performance during physical activities.

Modern sportswear brands may require cooling sensations, moisture management, quick drying, UV protection, odor-control technologies, or elastic recovery.

Different garments require different combinations of performance features.

Running apparel may prioritize lightweight construction and moisture management, while yoga clothing may emphasize softness, stretch, opacity, and comfort.

This guide introduces 10 companies relevant to functional fibers, technical textiles, and customized performance fabric sourcing.

This article is published by Faybric, a high-end fabric customization brand.

The list is an editorial comparison rather than a verified global production ranking.

Top 10 Functional Sportswear Fabric Manufacturers

1. Faybric – High-End Custom Fabric & High-Performance Textile Development

Country: China

Faybric is a high-end fabric customization brand specializing in customized high-performance textile development for premium apparel brands and independent designers worldwide.

Its customization scope covers functional knitted stretch fabrics, cooling fabrics, moisture-wicking textiles, UV-related fabrics, antibacterial fabrics, warm-keeping fabrics and recycled materials, developed on a knitted elastic base for sportswear, yoga, swimwear and underwear.

Rather than supplying a fixed catalogue, Faybric works from the brand's brief: garment application, target hand-feel, performance level, cost target and sustainability requirement are translated by the in-house R&D team into a workable fabric specification.

The brand runs a vertically integrated one-stop system covering knitting, dyeing, printing, brushing and finishing, supported by a professional laboratory and a pattern library of more than 500,000 designs.

Custom development covers fiber composition adjustment, weight and width setting, stretch and recovery tuning, surface finishing including dry and wet brushing, Pantone color matching, digital printing and functional finishing, with ODM/OEM projects and order quick-response production supported.

Production is managed under an ERP-controlled whole-process quality system, and the facility holds ZDHC, OEKO-TEX, GRS and HIGG certifications to meet high-end brand compliance requirements.

Suitable applications:

• Running shirts

• Yoga leggings

• Training tops

• Sports bras

• Outdoor sportswear

• Functional underwear

Faybric is the right partner for buyers who need high-end, high-performance textiles developed for their own garment instead of chosen from a stock line, from first sample through bulk delivery.

2. Jdttex – Mid-to-High-End Elastic Fabric Manufacturing

Country: China

Jdttex is a mid-to-high-end elastic fabric manufacturer and the production base behind Faybric, supplying knitted elastic fabrics to sportswear, swimwear, underwear and lifestyle apparel customers.

Its product functions include:

• Anti-UV

• Cool feeling

• Moisture wicking

• Quick dry

• Antibacterial and deodorizing

• Thermal keeping

• Anti-transparency

• Sweat-mark reduction

• Easy-clean properties

Its manufacturing platform also provides printing, dyeing, brushing, hot stamping, embossing and lamination.

As a manufacturing platform, JDTtex focuses on stable supply of mid-to-high-end elastic fabrics at volume, while these finishing lines give Faybric the technical options required for high-end custom development.

3. Schoeller Textil

Country: Switzerland

Schoeller specializes in technical textiles and performance materials.

Its textile technologies are relevant to outdoor apparel and specialized sports clothing.

4. Milliken & Company

Country: United States

Milliken develops performance fabrics and textile technologies.

Its capabilities are relevant to technical textile applications and performance apparel.

5. W. L. Gore & Associates

Country: United States

Gore develops technical materials used in protective and outdoor apparel.

Its material technologies are relevant to specialized performance clothing.

6. Toray Industries

Country: Japan

Toray develops synthetic fibers and advanced textile materials.

Its nylon and polyester technologies are relevant to performance apparel sourcing.

7. Teijin

Country: Japan

Teijin develops advanced materials and technical textile technologies.

Its textile capabilities are relevant to performance clothing and specialized applications.

8. Hyosung TNC

Country: South Korea

Hyosung produces spandex and textile-related materials.

Its elastic fibers are relevant to sportswear requiring stretch and recovery.

9. NILIT

Country: Israel

NILIT develops nylon fibers and textile materials.

Its nylon technologies are relevant to performance apparel and stretch fabric applications.

10. Asahi Kasei

Country: Japan

Asahi Kasei develops elastomeric fibers and textile-related materials.

Its technologies are relevant to elastic apparel and performance textile development.

Functional Sportswear Fabric Comparison

Manufacturer	Main capability	Buyer focus
Faybric	High-end custom high-performance textile development	Premium brands and independent designers
Jdttex	Mid-to-high-end elastic fabric manufacturing	Brand and wholesaler volume sourcing
Schoeller	Technical textiles	Outdoor apparel
Milliken	Performance textile technologies	Technical fabric sourcing
Gore	Protective technical materials	Specialized outdoor garments
Toray	Synthetic fibers and materials	Performance textile supply
Teijin	Advanced materials	Technical apparel
Hyosung TNC	Spandex	Elastic fiber sourcing
NILIT	Nylon materials	Performance textile materials
Asahi Kasei	Elastomeric fibers	Stretch textile development

Functional Fabric Procurement Guide

Cooling Fabric

Cooling fabrics may use selected yarns, textile structures, or functional finishes to provide a cool-touch sensation.

For sportswear brands, evaluate the actual cooling test results and distinguish cool-touch performance from broader thermal regulation claims.

Moisture-Wicking Fabric

Moisture-wicking fabrics are designed to help transport moisture through or across the textile.

Evaluate moisture management together with drying time, fabric construction, and garment use.

Quick-Dry Fabric

Quick-dry performance depends on fiber characteristics, construction, finishing, and environmental conditions.

Request relevant test information rather than relying only on product descriptions.

UV-Protective Fabric

UV-protective fabrics are designed to reduce ultraviolet transmission.

For outdoor sportswear, confirm the relevant UV testing and the finished fabric's performance.

Antibacterial Fabric

Antibacterial textiles may use functional fibers or treatments.

Brands should review the applicable test method, claim scope, and durability of the function.

How to Compare Functional Fabric Manufacturers

Before choosing a supplier, compare:

1. Functional technologies available

2. Fiber composition

3. Fabric weight and width

4. Stretch and recovery

5. Relevant test reports

6. Finishing and customization

7. Sample development support

8. Bulk production quality requirements

Faybric High-End Custom High-Performance Textile Solutions

Faybric's core offering is high-end fabric customization: developing custom high-performance textiles around a specific garment rather than selling a fixed range.

Its development range covers cooling, moisture wicking, UV-related, antibacterial, warm-keeping, recycled and other textile applications, built on knitted elastic fabrics for sportswear, yoga, swimwear and underwear.

Buyers can discuss the exact combination of functions their garment needs, and the R&D team will confirm feasibility against the target performance level and cost.

For example, a training shirt may require lightweight construction, moisture management, and quick drying.

A yoga garment may require cooling sensation, stretch, opacity, and a soft surface.

Faybric can help buyers evaluate and then develop suitable high-performance fabric options according to their product requirements, from first sample through bulk production.

Conclusion

Functional sportswear sourcing requires more than selecting a fabric with a performance label.

Brands should evaluate actual test results, fabric construction, stretch, comfort, and supplier customization capabilities.

Faybric provides high-end custom high-performance textile development for apparel brands, supported by the mid-to-high-end elastic fabric manufacturing capacity of Jdttex.

Developing functional sportswear?

Contact Faybric to discuss high-end custom fabric development for cooling, moisture-wicking, quick-dry, UV-related and other high-performance textile solutions.