The Problem With Cheap Softshell Fabrics

Why the price tag on your fabric is often the most honest thing about it.

May 2026 · 5 min read · The Fabric Lab

Every fabric buyer and garment maker has been tempted at some point.

The specification looks perfect: softshell, 300 g/m², 4-way stretch, bonded fleece, water-repellent finish. The price is half of what your usual supplier charges.

What could possibly go wrong?

In practice: almost everything.

Cheap softshell fabric has quietly become one of the most misleading categories in the technical textile market. The name sounds technical, the weight sounds right, and the hand feel in a small sample can be convincing. But the real problems usually appear later — after cutting, sewing, washing, and wearing.

A good softshell is an engineering system. A cheap one is often just a jacket waiting to fail.

What Softshell Fabric Actually Means

Softshell is not one single fabric. It is a construction category.

A true performance softshell fabric is usually built from two or three functional layers:

• Outer face fabric — usually a woven or tight-knit textile with a DWR finish
• Membrane or laminate — used for wind resistance, water resistance and breathability
• Inner backer — often fleece, jersey or brushed knit for comfort and moisture movement

Each layer has a job. The outer face helps repel rain and snow. The membrane controls wind and moisture vapour. The inner side keeps the wearer comfortable.

Cheap softshells cut corners on one of these layers — and sometimes all three.

The Five Most Common Problems With Cheap Softshell

1. Weak DWR Finish

Many budget softshell fabrics use a very light spray-on water-repellent finish. It may look good when new, but after a few washes the water no longer beads on the surface.

This is one of the fastest ways a garment starts to feel cheap. The customer does not see “DWR failure”. They see a jacket that gets wet too easily.

A better technical softshell should have a durable water-repellent finish that can survive repeated washing and, in many cases, be reactivated with heat according to care instructions.

2. Delamination

Delamination is the death of a softshell.

It happens when the bonded layers begin to separate. First it may feel slightly loose. Then bubbles or wrinkles appear. Eventually the garment becomes uncomfortable or unwearable.

Cheap adhesive bonding often breaks down under repeated washing, heat, body movement and stress points such as elbows, shoulders and backpack contact areas.

3. Poor Stretch Recovery

Stretch is not the same as recovery.

A cheap softshell may stretch nicely when pulled by hand, but that does not mean it will return to shape after months of wear.

Low-quality elastane blends often lose their snap. A jacket that fits well on day one can begin to feel loose, tired and shapeless after repeated use.

For technical outerwear, recovery matters as much as stretch.

4. Low Breathability

One of the biggest softshell mistakes is buying fabric that looks technical but behaves like a plastic raincoat.

If the membrane has poor moisture vapour transmission, the garment traps sweat during movement. The outside may look like a premium softshell, but the wearer feels wet from the inside.

This is especially bad for hiking, cycling, ski touring, climbing and active outdoor use.

5. Pilling on the Inner Backer

The inside of the fabric is where many manufacturers hide cost savings.

Short-fibre fleece or low-quality brushed backers can pill quickly under arm movement, seat belts, backpack straps and repeated washing.

Pilling does not just look bad. It makes the finished garment feel old long before it should.

Why Cheap Softshell Looks Good at First

The problem with cheap softshell fabric is that it often performs well in the wrong test.

On a small swatch, it may feel soft, stretchy and substantial. It may even have a nice surface texture. But a swatch does not show long-term bonding, recovery, breathability or abrasion resistance.

Softshell quality is not proven by touch alone.

It is proven by washing, wearing, flexing, stretching and using the fabric in real conditions.

What To Check Before Buying Softshell Fabric

A specification sheet is useful, but it is not enough. Before choosing softshell fabric for jackets, hoodies, trousers or technical outerwear, ask better questions.

Wash Test

Wash a sample several times before committing to a larger order. Check if the surface still repels water and whether the layers remain firmly bonded.

Breathability Information

For a real performance softshell, breathability matters. If there is no information about moisture vapour transmission, treat that as a warning sign.

Stretch and Recovery

Do not only test how far the fabric stretches. Test how well it returns. Recovery is what keeps a garment fitting properly after use.

Bonding Quality

Ask whether the fabric is thermally bonded or adhesive bonded, and whether there is any information about delamination testing.

Inner Backer Quality

Look closely at the fleece or knit backing. If it already looks loose or unstable on the roll, it may perform poorly after wear.

The Real Cost of Saving Money on Fabric

A customer who buys a jacket made from cheap softshell usually does not know what fabric was used.

They only know that the sleeves stretched out, the inside started pilling, the water beading disappeared, or the jacket felt sweaty during movement.

They will not blame the fabric supplier.

They will blame the brand.

The price difference between a mediocre softshell and a genuinely good technical softshell may only be a few euros per metre. On a finished jacket, that can be a relatively small part of the total cost.

But the cost of a return, a bad review, or a lost repeat customer is much higher.

Cheap fabric is never actually cheap. The customer pays for it later — and so does the maker.

When Cheap Softshell Might Still Be Acceptable

Not every project needs elite performance fabric.

A lower-cost softshell may be acceptable for costumes, prototypes, casual sewing tests, display samples or garments that will not face heavy outdoor use.

The problem begins when cheap softshell is presented as serious performance fabric.

If the garment is meant for real weather, real movement and repeated wear, the material needs to be better.

The Better Way To Choose Softshell

Instead of asking only “What is the price per metre?”, ask:

• Will this fabric still look good after washing?
• Will the layers stay bonded?
• Will the stretch recover after repeated movement?
• Will the wearer stay comfortable during activity?
• Will this fabric protect my reputation as a maker or brand?

Good softshell fabric should not only look technical. It should behave technically.

Final Thought

Softshell is one of those fabric categories where the difference between cheap and good is not always obvious on day one.

But after cutting, sewing, washing and wearing, the truth appears quickly.

For makers, small brands and serious DIY outdoor projects, fabric quality is not a luxury detail. It is the foundation of the garment.

Knowing your materials — really knowing them — is one of the clearest signs of craft.

Choose the softshell that protects the person wearing it — and the reputation of the person making it.