Nylon was the first synthetic polymer fabric to be mass-produced in history. It’s one of the most readily available materials in the modern world, and because of this, it’s used on essentially anything you can think of. In this article, we will show you some of the nylon’s pros and cons, and we will describe the many features and applications it has.
Nylon is primarily used in leggings, underwear, sportswear, stockings, camping gear, and survival industry.
Table of Contents
Pros and Cons of Nylon
Nylon holds several advantages when used as a bedding fabric. It’s known as a silky polymer plastic, meaning that it has a characteristically soft and silky texture.
Nylon can be made into amazingly soft bedsheets that are static and wrinkle-free. Bed Sheets made from nylon are extremely durable and easy to clean.
However, bedding made from nylon tends to insulate the heat and has a tendency to deform or melt when washed at high temperatures. Let’s have a look below at some of its advantages and disadvantages.
Benefits of Nylon
1. Nylon is very stretchy
Nylon is one of the most stretchy materials within the textile industry. In fact, nylon is regularly blended with other fabrics due to its stretchiness.
Nylon bedding can resist the stretches and pulls of rough sleepers, as well as cocoon you nicely with its soft and stretchy drape. This characteristic is especially valued in the legging and stocking markets, where nylon dominates.
2. Nylon sheets are very durable
If you are looking for a durable wrinkle-free material for your bed sheets, look no further than nylon. This awesome fabric holds up very well when properly cared for.
The tensile and per-fiber strength of nylon is one of the strongest you can find. We recommend you wash your nylon sheets at lower temperatures to avoid possible deformations.
3. Nylon is a very versatile material
Nylon’s versatility is paramount to its success. Being a chemically produced material, many different features can be embedded into the nylon fibers during manufacturing.
It also dyes easily and can be found as a building block for many of today’s plastic products.
4. Nylon fabrics are highly moisture absorbent
As a synthetic fabric, nylons moisture-absorbent characteristics are somewhat of a rarity. This contributes to nylons cleanliness and washing functionality.
Also, this property allows nylon to be a bit more breathable than its synthetic counterparts, like polyester.
5. Nylon bedding is very soft
In bedding, nylon can help you stay warm and comfortable during cold weather. The material was originally created as a silk substitute, and we feel this should tell you a lot about its softness. The material also stays soft and silky reliably after years of use.
6. Nylon threads are very strong
Nylon’s per fiber strength and shock resistance properties are highly valued in the military world. Some of the first parachutes to ever be mass-produced used nylon thread as a primary material.
If you are someone that lives a very active lifestyle, engages in extreme sports, or is an outdoors person, nylon’s sturdy fibers will complement your gear nicely.
7. Nylon is static resistant
Static is an animal lovers curse. Thankfully, nylon is a static resistant material that will help you embrace your animals in bed comfortably.
This feature also helps in especially dry environments, where static can be an uncomfortable nuance. That’s why nylon is a great bedding material for cold dry winters.
8. Nylon products are very reliable
Nylon is one of the most reliable materials you can buy. Products made from nylon are lightweight and relatively cheap.
You don’t have to worry about wear and tear too much when it comes to nylon products, as the material reliably delivers quality and features if properly cared for.
9. Nylon fabrics are stain-resistant
Nylon fibers are great if you are particularly picky about your cleanliness. They can be washed easily, and are resistant to oil spills.
This makes nylon a great choice for furniture sheets or covers. Any liquid or oily spill can easily be removed with a quick washing.
Cons of Nylon
1. Nylon is a pricy synthetic fabric
For a synthetic product, nylon sits on the pricy side. Even though it’s cheaper than other high-quality eco-friendly alternatives, it still sits at a higher price compared to other synthetic fabrics.
If you are looking for a quality synthetic fabric, and you have the means, nylon is an excellent choice.
2. Nylon production isn’t eco-friendly
Nylon is produced using complex chemical reactions, and consequentially, lot’s of chemicals. This can have some very profound environmental impacts attached to its manufacturing process.
In developing countries like those found in South America or Southeast Asia, synthetic fiber production causes significant chemical drainage and pollution to natural ecosystems.
Nylon production also pollutes the air quite heavily. Many of the chemical reactions used to produce nylon and its precursors produce toxic gases.
These gases have to be filtered out of the manufacturing plants because they are considered a health hazard. If you are an environmentally conscious person, you probably won’t go for nylon.
3. Nylon melts and burns
Be especially careful with nylon’s low burning and melting point.
Its thermoplastic nature causes nylon to melt and give off toxic fumes when ignited, which is why nylon is not recommended to be worn or used while making BBQs, campfires, or gas cooking.
Make sure you stay away from open flames with this one.
Is Nylon Good?
Nylon is the name assigned to a family of polyamide synthetic polymers, known as thermoplastics. The material can be melted, molded, and shaped into a variety of different products.
The functional versatility of this synthetic plastic makes it one of the most used materials in today’s apparel, food, and engineering business.
The material can be woven into a fiber that is then used to create nylon fabric. The fabric is used extensively in the leggings, stockings, underwear, sportswear, bedding, camping gear, and survival industries.
It is also very common to find nylon carpets, tires, socks, and packaging films. Nylon is also molded into parts that fit in the car and aerospace industries. Its ability to absorb shock forces without much issue makes it highly valuable in this regard.
Conclusion
There you have it! We have explored some of the advantages and disadvantages of nylon.
It’s a synthetic fabric that has earned a prominent spot in the history books, a fabric that sees uses in yoga retreats and in machines flying at 15000 feet. It’s an essential cog of our modern industrial world and we wouldn’t be the same without it.
We have seen the many uses this material has, keeping you comfy as a bedding material, or helping you run as a sportswear item.
We have also taken a look at its many characteristics and intrinsic properties, allowing you to understand the material better to see if it can fit your lifestyle.
Check out the best selling nylon leggings, underwear, sportswear, stockings, camping gear.
