Discover our premium swimwear fabric collection engineered for both recreational and competitive swimwear needs. These performance swimwear textiles are specially designed to withstand harsh pool and beach conditions while maintaining comfort and style. From sleek nylon LYCRA® swim fabric for fashion bikinis to advanced poly spandex swimwear blends for competitive training, our range covers all types of swim material. Each fabric in this collection offers four-way stretch, vibrant color retention, and chlorine-resistant durability to ensure your swimwear designs look great and last longer.
Types of Swimwear Fabrics
Our collection includes various swimwear fabric types to suit different applications and preferences:
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Nylon LYCRA® Swimwear Fabric: A nylon-spandex knit known for its soft, supple feel and excellent stretch. This type of swim fabric offers a smooth fit and comfort, making it ideal for fashion swimsuits or occasional swimmers. However, keep in mind that nylon blends are not as chlorine-proof as polyester – they may degrade faster with frequent pool use.
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Polyester Spandex Swimwear Fabric: A poly-spandex blend prized for its chlorine resistance and colorfastness. Polyester fibers ensure vibrant, long-lasting colors that won’t easily fade, even with repeated sun and water exposure. These fabrics are perfect for performance swimwear and printed designs, combining durability with a comfortable four-way stretch.
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Swimwear Tricot Fabric: A specific type of warp-knit tricot (often made of nylon or polyester with spandex) that offers a balance of strong stretch and support. Tricot swimwear fabric has a fine, smooth texture and excellent recovery, which is why it’s commonly used in competitive one-piece swimsuits and athletic swimwear. It provides a secure fit that moves with the body during training or racing.
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Woven Polyester Swimwear Fabric: Unlike the stretchy knits above, this is a woven polyester swimwear fabric typically used for boardshorts, swim trunks, and rash guards. Woven swim fabrics (often microfiber polyester) are lightweight, quick-drying, and UV-protective, making them ideal for surf and swim shorts. Traditional boardshort fabric has little to no stretch, but some modern versions include a small percentage of spandex (e.g. 4–8% LYCRA®) to add two-way flexibility. These woven options deliver superb durability and a water-shedding finish for activities both in and out of the water.
Key Benefits of High-Performance Swimwear Fabrics
Choosing the right fabric is crucial for durable, high-performance swimwear. Here are the key benefits our quality swim fabrics provide:
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Chlorine Resistance & Durability: Pool chlorine and saltwater can quickly deteriorate inferior materials, but our fabrics are built to resist chemical damage. Polyester-based swimwear textiles are more chlorine-resistant than nylon blends, which means suits will last much longer without losing elasticity or strength. Many of our textiles (including PBT polyester blends) are engineered to be 100% chlorine-proof for extended pool life. This durability also extends to resistance against salt, sand abrasion, and repeated wear.
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Four-Way Stretch & Shape Retention: All our swimwear materials feature four-way stretch, enabling them to flex both across the width and length. This ensures a responsive fit that moves with the body—crucial for swimmers’ mobility. Quality four-way stretch swim material also recovers its shape after stretching, helping garments avoid sagging or bagging out over time. The inclusion of high-grade spandex (LYCRA®) gives the fabric excellent elastic recovery, so your swimsuits maintain a snug, supportive fit swim after swim.
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UV Protection (UPF): Many of our swim fabrics come with built-in UV protection, rated UPF 50+ for sun safety. A UPF 50 textile can block about 98% of harmful UV rays, shielding the wearer’s skin during outdoor use. This sun protection is inherent to the fabric’s tight knit or special treatments, and it does not wash out. For swimwear that will see a lot of sun, UV-resistant material is a must-have benefit to prevent fabric breakdown and protect skin.
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Quick-Drying & Colorfast: Our performance swimwear fabrics are designed to be fast-drying and fade-resistant. The polyester content in particular ensures quick evaporation of water and excellent color retention even under harsh sunlight and chlorine exposure. Vibrant prints and colors stay true over time without dulling. Quick-dry properties also mean swimwear made from these fabrics spends less time waterlogged, enhancing comfort once out of the water.
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Superior Comfort & Support: Beyond just technical specs, these fabrics offer a comfortable feel against the skin. They are smooth and often feature soft finishes or linings for extra comfort. The combination of stretch and medium-weight support gives wearers confidence that their swimsuit will stay in place during activity. Additionally, high-quality swim textiles have good breathability for hot days and are engineered with anti-pilling and snag-resistant surfaces so the fabric stays smooth over time.
Applications of Swimwear Fabric
Our swimwear fabrics are versatile and used across a range of swimwear styles and athletic applications:
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One-Piece Swimsuits & Competitive Swimwear: For training suits, competition one-pieces, jammers, and racing bikinis, durability and stretch are paramount. Chlorine-resistant polyester blends or tricot fabrics are commonly used here, as they can endure daily laps in the pool. These materials provide a compressive fit that enhances performance for competitive swimmers, while retaining color and shape all season.
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Bikinis & Fashion Swimwear: For bikinis, tankinis, and trendy beach swimwear, nylon LYCRA® and poly-spandex fabrics offer the ideal mix of style and comfort. The four-way stretch allows for body-hugging designs and creative cuts, while the soft handfeel keeps swimwear comfortable for lounging or resort wear. Our collection features swimwear tricot fabric in bold colors and prints perfect for fashion-forward designs, with the strength to handle summer fun and sun.
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Boardshorts & Swim Trunks: Men’s boardshorts, surf trunks, and swim shorts typically use the woven polyester fabrics in our collection. These textiles are quick-drying, lightweight, and tough – exactly what’s needed for surfing, laps, or beach sports. The woven polyester swimwear fabric we supply for boardshorts has superb resistance to UV rays and chlorine, so colors won’t fade and the fabric won’t break down after exposure to pool chemicals. Whether you need classic non-stretch surf boardshort material or a modern stretch woven with a bit of spandex, we have options to suit your design.
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Specialty Athletic Swimwear: Our high-performance swim fabrics are also used in rash guards, competitive swim caps, water polo suits, and aquatic fitness apparel. The materials can handle exposure to sunscreen, perspiration, and rough use. With moisture-wicking and quick-dry technology, they are ideal for any water sport or activity where both comfort and reliability are needed.
Wholesale Sourcing – Your Swimwear Fabric Supplier
As a leading wholesale swimwear fabric supplier, we offer flexible options for designers, brands, and manufacturers looking to source top-quality materials. Sportek International is renowned as “the largest importer and distributor of spandex, functional, and technical fabrics in North America,” providing an extensive in-stock selection. For B2B clients, this means you can count on consistent stock, bulk pricing, and expert support for all your swim textile needs.
In this Swimwear Fabric collection, we have dozens of in-stock varieties (solid colors, prints, recycled options, and more) ready for wholesale purchase. Whether you’re creating a new swim line or need reliable fabric replenishment for bestselling styles, our team can help. We offer wholesale orders with reasonable minimums, so both emerging swimwear labels and large-scale producers can get the yardage they require. For smaller sampling or prototyping needs, check out our retail partner (SpandexByYard) for convenient purchasing by the yard.
Why source your swim fabrics from us? We combine deep textile expertise with a focus on innovation. You’ll find eco-friendly swimwear textiles made from recycled polyester or nylon (helping you create sustainable swim collections) alongside the latest technology in chlorine-proof and UV-blocking fabrics. Our quality control ensures that every roll of fabric has consistent stretch, weight, and color, critical for bulk production. Plus, we can provide fabric data sheets, samples, and technical support so you know the exact specifications (like weight, composition, and test ratings for UPF or chlorine resistance) of each material.
Partnering with Sportek means you have a one-stop supplier for swimwear fabric, from luxe Italian tricot for high-end swim couture to cost-effective performance blends for team uniforms. We pride ourselves on fast shipping and responsive customer service – helping your business stay on schedule. In short, our wholesale program allows you to source premium swimwear fabrics with confidence, backed by a supplier with decades of experience in performance textiles.
Swimwear Fabric FAQ
Q: What types of fabric are best for swimwear?
A: The best swimwear fabrics are stretchy, quick-drying synthetics that can withstand sun and chlorine. Most quality swimsuits use either nylon-spandex (LYCRA®) blends or polyester-spandex blends. Nylon blends are very soft and have great stretch, while polyester blends are more chlorine and UV resistant (so they last longer in pools). Some competitive swimwear also uses PBT polyester (a special chlorine-proof polyester) with little or no spandex for maximum durability. In general, look for fabrics labeled “swimwear tricot” or “swim fabric” with four-way stretch and a fiber content of either nylon 80%/spandex 20% or polyester 80%/spandex 20% (those ratios can vary). These combinations give the best mix of comfort, fit, and longevity for swimwear.
Q: What does four-way stretch mean and why is it important?
A: Four-way stretch means the fabric can stretch in both dimensions – across the width (horizontal stretch) and along the length (vertical stretch). This is opposed to two-way stretch which usually stretches in one direction. Four-way stretch is very important for swimwear because it allows the garment to move with your body in all directions (for example, when you bend, reach, or swim) without restriction. It also ensures a snug fit that bounces back and doesn’t become baggy. High-quality swim fabrics with four-way stretch maintain their shape and elasticity over time, whereas inferior two-way stretch materials might sag or chafe during active use.
Q: How can I tell if a swim fabric is chlorine resistant?
A: Chlorine resistance often comes down to the fabric’s fiber content and any special treatments. Polyester swimwear fabrics are generally much more chlorine-resistant than those with high nylon content. If you need a suit for very frequent pool swimming or chlorinated water, look for tags or descriptions that mention “chlorine resistant” or fabrics like PBT polyester. For instance, suits marketed for training or fitness swimming often use polyester/PBT blends that can endure hundreds of hours in chlorinated water without degrading. Also, certain branded fibers (like Xtra Life Lycra® or Creora® HighClo) are spandex fibers engineered to resist chlorine damage, extending the life of the stretch in swimwear. When buying fabric, check the specs: a chlorine-resistant swim fabric will typically note its tested resistance or intended use in pools. And regardless of the material, rinsing swimwear in fresh water after each use helps prolong its life.
By understanding these materials and their properties, you can select the perfect swimwear fabric for your project – one that balances comfort, style, and performance.
