What is Pongee Fabric? All Technical Specs Including Application and Advantage

When it comes to outdoor fashion including an umbrella or a jacket, it becomes obvious that you are going to talk about nothing but pongee fabric. This is because pongee is widely used in outerwear, and you cannot even imagine outdoor fashion and styles without pongee fabric. Today, in this article articles, I will reveal some hacks of pongee fabric based on my practical experience that you never knew. Let's continue to learn all about pongee fabric.

What is Pongee Fabric?

Pongee is a plain woven fabric with an irregular filling yarn and a satisfactory standard warp that is moderate in weight and balanced. Although earlier pongee was made of silk, now it refers to a polyester-made fabric with distinctive filling yarns and fine warp yarns. The most popular kind of pongee fabric is a lightweight silk-like polyester plain weave fabric with a slubbed effect.

When compared to acetate and other heavier-weight linings, the fabric is completely washable, making it the better option. The fabric is long-lasting, sturdy, and tightly woven, making it ideal to use in a variety of clothes, including jackets, coats, suits, caps, bags, umbrellas, swimwear, and lining of formal blazers and outdoor jackets.

What is Pongee Fabric Made of?

Pongee fabric is a kind of slab-woven fabric made by weaving file polyester DTY yarn at different intervals. Starting with the appearance of satin, the cloth is typically made of silk but now it's made of polyester and has a textured, "slabbed" appearance. It is matte and not unpainted. 

The Pongee was originally produced from wild silk and some other variety of materials including cotton, linen, and wool, but now it’s often made of polyester. The two most common types of pongee used in shell and lining are 240T and 300T polyester pongee where “T” refers to the number of threads per square inch used to make the fabric per unit area. 

Types of Pongee Fabric:

Based on materials used, there are three types of pongee available on the market as below

1. Silk Pongee

2. Polyester Pongee

3. Poly/spandex Pongee

Pongee can be classified based on its thread density expressed in “T” which indicates the total number of yarns used per square inch of the fabric. The higher the number of T, the more dense the fabric is.

1. 190T Pongee

2. 210 Pongee

3. 240T Pongee

4. 260T Pongee

5. 300T Pongee

6. 350T Pongee

7. 380T Pongee

8. 450T Pongee

9. 480T Pongee

Here it is to be mentioned that usually low-density pongee like 190T and 210T is used as lining whereas higher-density pongee is used as shell fabric.

Pongee Fabric Properties

Characteristics of Pongee Fabric

1. A medium-weight, smooth-lining fabric. Because of its flexibility can be used as a lining for a wide range of garments, including jackets, trousers, coats, and lightweight spring suits.
2. Extremely abrasion resistant, which makes it less prone to bubbling during friction. This fabric is very durable and long-term usable.
3. Usually waterproof and dries relatively quickly. This fabric is used in umbrellas as rainwater cannot penetrate them easily.
4. Pongee Fabric is used in the lining of various garments as it is resistant to mildew and mold. Moreover, this fabric is easy to clean, and you can dry it without hassle.
5. Pongee Fabric can hold color well. So, this fabric prevents fading even after long-term use. Moreover, another advantage of this fabric is that it is recyclable.

Advantages of Pongee Fabric

Pongee fabrics are often used interchangeably. However, since it delivers high-grade consistency, this fabric emerges as the most superior alternative to Nylon and polyester taffeta. Compared to Nylon and polyester taffeta, pongee is naturally heavier, thicker, and denser. Pongee is a finer yarn, allowing manufacturers to weave with a higher thread count, resulting in a more potent finished product.

Nowadays pongee is made of recycled polyester, making it environment friendly. Pongee fabric has now emerged as a superior choice for various applications including outerwear jackets, rainwear jackets and coats, outdoor tents, and so on.  

What is pongee fabric used for?

Pongee fabrics are very similar to taffeta and are used to make a variety of items such as bags, umbrellas, and clothes. They also produce excellent linings for various garments, including shirts, suits, caps, and coats.

Pongee may be used as a plain but colorful table runner or fabric, as well as window dressings and drapes. With so many beautiful colors to choose from, you'll be able to add anything you want to the list. Compared to acetate and other heavier-weight linings, the fabric is completely washable, making it the better option. The material is long-lasting, sturdy, and tightly woven, making it ideal for use as a lining for finished goods.