What Is Acrylic Fabric?
Acrylic fabric is any cloth made wholly or mainly from acrylic fibre, a synthetic fibre made from the polymer polyacrylonitrile. By the usual textile definition, an acrylic fibre is made of at least 85 per cent acrylonitrile units; fibres with a lower share are classed separately as modacrylic, a different fibre with different properties. It was developed as a soft, bulky, warm and inexpensive fibre that looks and feels somewhat like wool.
Acrylic is usually made as short staple fibre, crimped and cut so it can be spun into yarn the way wool is. That yarn is then knitted into sweaters, hats, scarves and socks, or used in fleece, blankets and pile fabrics such as faux fur. It is rarely used on its own in woven garments, and it is less common in everyday jersey and t-shirt fabrics.
The rest of this guide covers what acrylic is good and bad at, how to compare it with other fibres, how to avoid pilling, and where it sits against Ruhrose's core range. It also links to our guide to polyester fabric, the other synthetic fibre most often compared with acrylic.
How Acrylic Fabric Is Made and Where It Is Used
At a high level, acrylic fibre is made by dissolving the polymer in a solvent and forcing the solution through fine nozzles into a bath or hot air stream, where it solidifies into filaments. The filaments are crimped to give bulk and cut into staple lengths. The staple is then spun into yarn, often blended with wool, cotton or polyester, before knitting or weaving.
Common acrylic fabric forms
| Form | What it is | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|
| Knitted sweater fabric | Acrylic or blended yarn knitted flat or circular | Sweaters, cardigans, beanies, scarves |
| Acrylic fleece | Knit with a brushed or napped surface | Blankets, throws, linings, loungewear |
| Faux fur and pile | Acrylic or modacrylic pile on a knitted or woven base | Collars, trims, linings, coats |
| Socks and hosiery | Fine-gauge knit, often blended | Winter socks, thermal wear |
| Woven and upholstery | Solution-dyed acrylic in outdoor woven fabrics | Awnings, cushions, outdoor furnishing |
| Blends | Acrylic with wool, cotton or polyester | Sweaters, hats, casual knits |
General forms. Particular constructions vary by mill and product.
Acrylic yarns are often brightly coloured, because acrylic takes strong dyes and holds colour well. In outdoor woven use, solution-dyed acrylic is valued for colour retention in sunlight, which is quite different from the knit garment use described in this guide.
Acrylic vs Wool vs Polyester vs Cotton
Acrylic is nearly always compared with wool, because it was designed to imitate it. It is also compared with polyester, the other synthetic staple, and with cotton, the usual mass-market alternative. The ratings below turn typical characteristics into a simple five-point scale. They are indicative and describe a typical knit made from each fibre, not test results.
Four fibres on a five-point scale
1 dot = low, 5 dots = high
| Acrylic | Wool | Polyester | Cotton | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warmth for weight | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Softness against skin | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Breathability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Moisture absorption | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Pilling resistance | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Ease of care | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Typical cost level | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Indicative ratings based on typical fibre characteristics, not laboratory results. Cost level: 1 = lower, 5 = higher, and varies with market and mill.
The picture is balanced. Acrylic is warm, light and easy to care for, but it absorbs little moisture and feels less comfortable than wool when you sweat. Wool offers superior breathability and moisture handling but needs more careful care. For the premium end of the natural comparison, see our merino wool fabric guide.
Moisture, Warmth and Static
Moisture behaviour is the clearest way to see why acrylic feels different from wool. The standard measure is moisture regain, the percentage of water a fibre holds at standard conditions relative to its dry weight. Acrylic holds very little, so sweat is not absorbed into the fibre and the cloth can feel clammy in activity. Wool holds a great deal and can feel dry even when it carries moisture.
Moisture regain of common fibres
% of dry fibre weight
Approximate published reference values for moisture regain at standard conditions. Exact figures vary slightly by source and test method.
Low absorbency has two practical results. Acrylic dries quickly after washing, which suits easy-care knitwear, and it builds static charge, which causes cling, crackle and lint attraction in dry conditions. Antistatic finishes and blending with a fibre that absorbs more can reduce it, but the fix is partial and often wears off with washing.
Pilling in Acrylic Knits
Pilling is the best-known fault of acrylic fabric. Staple acrylic fibres are strong and slippery, so loose fibre ends work out of the yarn with wear, tangle into small balls on the surface and are held there by fibres that do not break away. Acrylic knits made with short, low-twist staples, loose gauge and brushed surfaces are especially prone. Our fabric pilling guide explains the mechanism and the test families.
- Ask for low-pill acrylic fibre variants, which are made to reduce the tendency to pill.
- Specify a tighter knit structure or a finer gauge where the design allows.
- Choose higher yarn twist and well-controlled spinning, and avoid very hairy yarns for high-friction areas.
- Control brushing and napping on fleece and pile surfaces.
- Write a pilling requirement into the brief, giving the test method, the number of cycles and a minimum grade after washing.
- Advise customers to wash inside out, avoid rubbing against rough surfaces, and remove pills carefully with a fabric shaver.
Pills can be removed but not prevented entirely, so set expectations for the knit and the end use. A sweater worn under a backpack strap will pill sooner than a hat. Test results on the actual yarn and knit give a better indication than fibre content alone.
Weights, Knit Gauge and Hand
Acrylic knits are usually described by yarn count and knit gauge rather than by fabric weight alone, because the structure of the knit decides handle and warmth. Even so, GSM bands are useful as a rough guide. The ranges below are typical for the main forms of acrylic fabric.
Typical weight bands for acrylic fabrics
Typical, varies by product and factory. Treat as a starting range for a brief, not a mill specification.
Hand depends strongly on fibre fineness and finishing. Soft acrylic can feel very wool-like, while cheap, coarse versions can feel harsh and plasticky. Ask for a swatch and feel it against the skin, ideally after a wash, because softness often changes. Blends with wool or cotton are a common way to improve the feel, and blended content must be stated clearly on the label.
Care and Heat Sensitivity
Acrylic is generally easy to wash and dries quickly, which is why it appears in easy-care knitwear. It is more sensitive to heat than cotton. High temperatures can glaze, shrink or permanently relax the knit, and steam can flatten the structure. Care instructions should be set from testing the specific yarn and knit, not from fibre content alone.
- Wash at a low temperature on a gentle cycle, turning the garment inside out.
- Avoid hot tumble drying, which can set creases and shrink the knit.
- Use a low iron setting if ironing is needed, over a cloth, and avoid direct steam on the surface.
- Dry flat or hang away from direct heat to keep the shape.
- Check colour fastness for bright shades before the first wash.
Common acrylic fabric problems and responses
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pilling | Loose short fibres tangle and are held on the surface | Low-pill fibre, tighter structure, higher twist, pilling test after wash |
| Static and cling | Low moisture absorption | Blend with an absorbent fibre, antistatic finish, care advice |
| Glazing or shine marks | Heat or pressure from an iron or press | Low temperature, pressing cloth, test on offcuts |
| Shrink or relaxed knit | Heat or steam in washing, drying or finishing | Shrinkage test, care label from test results |
| Harsh handfeel | Coarse fibre or poor finishing | Specify fibre fineness, ask for a washed swatch |
| Colour transfer | Bright dyes releasing in the wash | Colour fastness test, wash separately at first |
General guidance. Causes and fixes depend on the yarn, the knit structure and the finish.
Request dimensional change after washing and colour fastness on a swatch, and a pilling grade after laundering. Our garment testing guide lists the test families to ask the factory or a test house about.
Sustainability: A Balanced View of Acrylic
Acrylic is a fossil-based synthetic made with a chemical process that uses solvents, and like other synthetic fibres it sheds microfibres when washed. Recycling of acrylic textiles is limited, and blended garments are harder to recycle than single-fibre ones. These are real concerns, and brands should not ignore them or hide behind vague green wording.
There are also arguments in its favour. Acrylic is durable when well made, light to ship and easy to care for at low temperatures. A long-lasting garment that is worn many times and washed gently usually has a lower impact per wear than a short-lived one. Recycled acrylic exists in some markets; if a claim is made, ask for verification such as Global Recycled Standard documentation. Our sustainable fabrics guide explains how to evaluate such claims. If you are comparing acrylic with natural alternatives, remember wool has its own footprint depending on farming and processing.
How to Specify Acrylic Fabric
A good brief names the fibre content exactly, the yarn, the knit structure and the end use. Acrylic knit quality varies enormously, and the price differences between suppliers often reflect fibre quality, spinning and finishing, which are invisible in a photograph. Cost is driven by fibre grade, yarn quality, knit gauge, finishing, dyeing and order size, so compare like with like.
What to include in an acrylic knit brief
- Fibre content as a percentage of each fibre, with any wool, cotton or polyester blend stated.
- Fibre type, such as low-pill acrylic, if pilling matters.
- Yarn count or weight and knit gauge or GSM.
- Pilling requirement: method, cycles and minimum grade after wash.
- Colour references and colour fastness requirements for bright shades.
- Shrinkage tolerance after the wash and care label wording.
- Hand: a physical reference swatch to match.
- Static and finish requirements, if the end use is sensitive.
Use as a prompt list for a knit brief to a knitwear specialist.
Make sure the label shows the correct fibre names and percentages. Our knitwear manufacturer guide explains where flat-knit specialists fit into the supply chain, and the boucle fabric guide shows another textured knit often made with acrylic yarn.
The route from first brief to approved fabric is similar for most knits, and it helps to see the order in which decisions are made.
From brief to approved acrylic knit
- 1Define the end useSweater, hat, scarf, blanket or pile trim, and how it will be worn and washed.
- 2Choose the fibre mixPure acrylic or a blend, balancing handfeel, warmth, pilling and cost.
- 3Set yarn and structureYarn count, gauge or GSM, and the finish.
- 4Order swatches and testWash, measure shrinkage, check pilling and colour fastness.
- 5Approve a sampleFit, handfeel and wash performance approved before bulk.
Skipping the testing step is the usual reason acrylic knits disappoint, because pilling and shrinkage show up only after washing and wear.
How Ruhrose Approaches Acrylic
Ruhrose develops hoodies, jersey, denim and woven casualwear for UK buyers, with production in Bangladesh. Acrylic knitwear is outside that core, because flat-knit knitwear is a specialist process with its own machinery and yarns. If you want acrylic or acrylic-blend sweaters, hats or scarves, a specialist knitwear manufacturer is the right route, and we would say so at the first conversation. Acrylic content within a jersey or fleece blend can be discussed case by case, and any fabric is sampled and tested before bulk.