By Tradeindia Team in General — 04 Apr 2023

Lycra Fabrics - Properties, Uses, and Care Tips

Discover the unique properties and versatile uses of Lycra fabrics. Learn how to care for them to ensure they last longer. Read more here!

Elastane, better known by its trade name Lycra, is a very stretchy synthetic fiber. Lycra, elastane and spandex, are all various brand names for the same elastic material that can be stretched to between five and eight times its original size.

The DuPont Company created this material in the '50s, but the Nazi chemical company IG Farben would not exist today without their discovery of polyurethane in the '30s. Lycra, like other polyurethane-based polymers, is produced through the same fundamental chemical synthesis processes used in the production of these other plastics.

Lycra fabrics, like other polyurethanes, is a polymer made up of lengthy chains of monomers linked together by a specific acid. When compared to other synthetic fabrics, Lycra's heat resistance is exceptional; as a result, it was soon recognized as an excellent complement to synthetics that melt at higher temperatures, such as polyester and nylon.

Properties of Lycra Fabrics:

1. Durable

When you shop for a cloth, durability plays a crucial role in choosing the perfect one. This is highly recommended that when you go for a shopping always select the clothing material that made from high quality and appearance.

Particularly, people always get wrong in finding durability in woolen lycra fabric. The Lycra fabric made from high quality materials that are why they are durable and elastic and difficult to deform. The material has quality extensibility and can easily handle daily wash.

The woolen materials get flexibility and straight through the spandex and it prevents the fabric from aging faster. As a Result, the cloth will not easily crumple or torn.

2. Comfortable

We need woolen cloths in winter season to safe the body. Even, we want comfortable cloth for winter and that is the place where we always do mistake in choosing comfortable winter wear. Lycra has bend with limited tensile strength.

Lycra Fabrics are the perfect cloth to stretch with sporting the fabrics revealed by lycra fabrics manufacturers. Lycra has an elastic material that makes cloth comfortable to wear. The fabric also increases your breathability, so you can wear a warmness cloth with stretch ability of lycra at the same time.

This is true the cotton is extremely comfortable than Lycra fabric but in winter, you will need warm fabric and Lycra is the most suitable and comfortable outfit to keep your body warm.

3. Stylish

Everyone wants to look Stylish. New trend is arising regularly in the market; people are getting satisfied and stylish trends. But when it comes to winter wear, it is difficult to choose the perfect style.

Woolen Lycra Fabrics give both stylish and warmth looks for your personality. The fabric made from high-quality materials that serve stylish look. You can get elegant look and fashionable appearance. The fabrics come with vitality, durability, good finishing and perfect fitting.

4. Easy Maintenance

In this era, the market is fulfilled with various kinds of blended fabrics. So, it is hard to choose the perfect pair within the different options. We need a guide, Right? These lycra blend fabric are easily damaged after a single wash as well as it is hard to clean. But the Lycra Fabric is simple to maintain. Because of high quality woolen fabric in Lycra comes with extra maintenance and dry cleaner.

5. Lightweight

In the market, we meet some too heavy clothes which is difficult to wear. It is uncomfortable. However, Lycra Fabric is a woolen material which makes it lightweight to carry. A wearer can simply run, move, walk wearing it. This is why this Lycra fabric property makes it customer’s favorite choice.

6. Flexible

The Lycra fabric is extremely flexible and not easily deform. The elasticity of stretch fabric is really good that is why it is combined with various fibers doesn’t matter natural or synthetic, without transforming the look and the texture of the fabric. Because of its high flexibility, it is easy to use for a long term.

Due to its elastic property, Lycra Fabric is the perfect fit , drape, shape retention, and wearable after washing many type. The cotton Lycra fabric is more form-fitting, supple, and comfortable because it incorporates the cotton's natural air-permeability and softness with Lycra's excellent elasticity and non-deformable properties. Lycra gives garments three distinct benefits: wearability, mobility, and durability.

Uses of Lycra Fabrics

There are multiple customers like to wear Lycra Fabrics. The fabric stretchabiity makes it consumer favorite and that is why it is very well-liked by the textile sector since the starting of the fabric manufacturing. We can say that Lycra has own marketing because of its different advantages.

Lycra fabrics use in loungewear, Sweatpants, underwear, Shirts, Pants, Waistbands, Bike Shorts, Bras, Socks, Motion Capture Suits, Hiking Apparel, Yoga Pants, Sports Bras, etc. Even, mostly socks are made from Lycra especially for winter season. The cotton lycra fabric is importantly added in socks otherwise users may be face hard time putting them on and removing them due to poor elastic.

Lycra fabric is widely used to give a shape-fitting to clothes. Men and Women underwear are made from this highly usable Fabric. There are numerous garments that fitted perfectly with your body is just because of the good quality fabric of Lycra.

Even, the boxer briefs are manufactured from Lycra. The Waistbands of these undergarments added with Lycra gives them tightly in the abdominal area.

The question is how Lycra used in Sports Wear? Basically, most of sporting gears come with Lycra added fabric to strong grip. Sportswears made from Lycra are widely used in Biking, hiking, Swimming, or climbing because it is close to the skin.

Caring Tips of Lycra Fabric

Avoid using cloth dryer sheets and softener while washing Lycra. However, detergents are safe to wash Lycra Fabrics, but it is better to never use product that is mixed with fabric softener and detergent. The latter can dull spandex's finish and draw bacteria, leading to unpleasant odors.
Never use Chlorine Bleach, as it harms the elastane fibers. But you can use Oxygen bleach to remove stains and brighten white clothing.
Wash the fabric in Lukewarm water (30 Degrees Celsius).
Elastane Clothing is the best way to clean Lycra Fabric but it depends on your habit, if you prefer, then use elastane clothing to the dry cleaners.
Leggings and other form-fitting Lycra garments, if they have loosened over time, can be easily pulled back into shape. Carefully drying the item in a dryer set to medium to high heat for 20-30 minutes will tighten the fibers without damaging the clothing.
Don’t use iron when the clothing is high in Lycra Fabric otherwise the heat can ruin the cloth. The good news is Lycra fabrics don’t easily wrinkle. Iron it on the lowest temperature if it’s a blend. Never stop the iron on a place, instead keep the iron moving.
As I mentioned the clothes dryer heat can ruin Lycra Fabric quality. Hang the cloth in your storage where it protects from sun or direct heat.

Even though elastane clothing isn't typically thought of as fragile or heirloom quality, it's still important to clean it thoroughly before putting it away for an extended period of time. However, keep lycra fabrics price out of direct sunlight or excessive heat to prevent color loss. Fabrics that combine Lycra with other materials, like nylon, may degrade if left in the sun for an extended period of time.

We often confuse to choose the right type of Lycra fabric for underwear, Bras, Pants, Shirts, Hiking Apparel, Yoga Pants, Sports Bras, etc but this above mentioned post will guide you how Lycra Fabric is the perfect fabric for you, what are the uses and how to take care of it.

We have seen some best advantages of the selecting woolen Lycra Fabrics as compared to other woolen fabrics for winter. From Children to Adult, any age group can easily wear this fabric because it has a long life. It is the perfect fitted fabric for any age group. It is most comfortable and relax fabric while wearing. There are multiple manufacturers of Lycra offer high quality, durable, drape and affordable fabrics to their customers.

FAQs: Lycra Fabrics

Q. What kind of fabric is lycra?

Ans- Synthetic Elastic Fibers are used to make Lycra. It is the well known fabric for making Lycra. Lycra is a completely synthetic fiber, meaning that it is manufactured in a factory from scratch. There are a number of organic components used in the production of the chemicals that go into Lycra cloth, but by the time these chemicals are transformed into Lycra fibers, they no longer have any resemblance to their original forms.

Q. Is Lycra better than cotton?

Ans- Both has different features such as Cotton is pure comfortable but it has many disadvantages like lack of elasticity, drying difficulty, and easy wrinkling. On the other hand, Lycra has superior stretchability due to strong elastic. It is wrinkle resistance, durable, and drape. But the only drawback is that it is not comfortable like Cotton.