The Ultimate T-Shirt Buying Guide

By Shirtspace | Dec 29, 2017 | Updated Jan 03, 2020

An extremely common question we hear is “what’s the best t-shirt?” While there isn’t one “right” answer, we’ve come up with a pretty great list of low, mid-range, and pricier shirt options for the 3 most popular fabrics. These are shirts that we prefer in-house, as well as ones that we know our customers love too.

100% Cotton T-shirts

Cotton has been around for hundreds of years and its popularity in the apparel industry is as steady as ever. Cotton is a naturally occurring fiber and is softer than polyester garments. The softest cotton available is ringspun cotton, which is the type of cotton most widely found in retail settings.

Gildan G200

Starts at $2.09
5.3 oz regular cotton
Tubular construction
Standard-fit
Customer favorite

$$:

Gildan Softstyle G640

Starts at $2.50
4.5 oz ringspun cotton
Tubular construction
Standard-fit
Softer than Gildan G200

Anvil 980

Starts at $2.74
4.5 oz ringspun cotton
Tearaway label
Tubular construction
Standard-fit
Softer than Gildan G200

$$$:

Bella+Canvas 3001C

Starts at $4.22
4.2 oz ringspun cotton
Side seam construction
Retail, fashion-fit
ShirtSpace team favorite!

Next Level 3600

Starts at $4.22
4.3 oz ringspun cotton
Side seam construction
Retail, fashion-fit

50/50 Cotton Polyester T-shirts

Shirts made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester are generally less expensive than 100% cotton tees, yet still have the softness that you find in 100% cotton apparel. The polyester is wrinkle resistant, offers increased durability, and fades less than 100% cotton t-shirts.

Gildan G800

Starts at $2.26
5.6 oz
Dryblend and moisture wicking

Heat transfer label
Customer favorite

$$:

Bella+Canvas 3650

Starts at $5.60
3.6 oz
Unisex sizing
Unique color options
Side seam construction
Retail, fashion-fit

$$$:

Bayside 5010

Starts at $8.56
4.2 oz
Unisex sizing
Made in the U.S.A

Tri blend T-shirts

Tri blend fabric is a mix of 50% cotton, 25% polyester, and 25% rayon. The cotton offers breathability and softness, the polyester provides durability, and the rayon offers an ideal drape that lends itself to a flattering fit. Tri blend t-shirts generally have a heathered appearance, but for those in search of solid color tri blend shirts, Bella+Canvas has 30 different shades to choose from.

Anvil 6750