There are hundreds of different types of elastic bands. It usually differs in their stretchability, width, and durability. Dealing with it and choosing the perfect elastic band for your need is quite intimidating, especially if you are new in the world of elastic. This post is meant for beginners to help them better understand everything about elastic bands.
What is an Elastic Band?
An elastic band is composed of rubber or any stretchable material, like spandex that are tightly bonded together with either cotton, nylon, polyester, or a mix of any of three mentioned. It has remarkably massive importance and used mainly by the textile industry because of its particularly unique, unusual elongation and recovery attributes. To make an elastic band, the thread components are either tightly braided, knitted, or woven together. It is available in a variety of sizes and different thicknesses. The different types of elastic bands – woven, braided, and knitted elastic differ on their stretch. Each type may vary in its stretch (one may have more stretch than the other) depending on its fiber content and composition.
Most Common Types of Elastic
An elastic band differs mainly on its components, fiber content, and how it is manufactured. Each of its components plays a crucial function in determining how an elastic band will behave and how it should be used.
Braided Elastic Band
A braided elastic band has lengthwise and parallel ridges. These ridges will cause the elastic to produce grip. However, the ridges will also cause the braided elastic to narrow once it is stretched. Additionally, braided elastic bands can roll more easily than that of a woven or knitted elastic bands, and ends up losing stretch when sewn through. Thus, a braided elastic band is generally advised to be used in casing, not for direct sewing to the fabric. However, the use of braided elastic bands is not the best option in some casings like waists, due to its nature to roll. It can be used, though, in sleeves, necklines, and other areas where rolling is not a significant concern.
Knitted Elastic Band
A knitted elastic band is manufactured by tightly knitting the fibers. This type of elastic is a lot softer than that of the braided and woven elastic, and it also goes back to its original length and width even when stretched. It also does not contain much fiber or rubber, which largely contributes to why this type of elastic band is much cheaper than braided and woven elastic. It is also the preferred type of elastic band for sewing applications because it would not lose its stretch even when pierced with a needle. Although it will still roll, it is less than that of a braided elastic. Furthermore, since a knitted elastic band is softer, it is ideal to be used in light fabrics, but not with heavier fabrics because it does not have the appropriate grip.
Woven Elastic Band
Also known as the non-roll elastic band, the woven elastic is generally the firmest of the three major types of elastic. Because of its components, this elastic band is deemed a material of high-strength and will never narrow even with daily use. It retains its width even when stretched, and is best suited for direct sewing applications and when used in casings. It also is ideal for heavyweight fabrics, as it is very firm and sturdy.
Other Special Types of Elastic Bands
Lace Lingerie Elastic Band
As its name implies, this elastic band is used in lingerie. It is pretty soft and usually has finish details.
Fold Over Elastic Band
This type of elastic band is intended to be folded over an edge in order to finish it. It can be used for outer garments and underwears. This is also the elastic band most popularly used for hair ties and headbands.
Buttonhole Elastic Band
This is the type of elastic band that is widely used for waistbands. There are buttonholes that are purposefully made so that one can adjust the tightness of the waistband by merely looping an interior button over the desired buttonhole.
Clear Elastic Band
This is also called as transparent polyurethane. It can return to its original size even when fully stretched up to three times its length. A clear elastic band has two primary uses: to help a specific area in an article of clothing to stay in place when worn and is used to gather or stabilize knits. This elastic can be stitched directly to the fabric and is commonly used for lingerie and swimwear to keep the cloth in place. It causes more friction with the body than the above mention elastic band types.
It can be quite stressful when choosing the appropriate elastic band to use so below are the top two things to consider when choosing one:
Fiber Content
The fiber content of an elastic band is the most vital factor to consider when deciding on what elastic to use. It should always be put in mind that the higher the content of the rubber in an elastic band, the higher would be its stretch capacity.
An elastic band is made from polyester and rubber, in general. These materials are appropriate for most uses except that of swimwear because when subjected to excessive chlorine, sunscreen, heat, and salt, the polyester will break down. The best elastic band to use for swimwear would be the lear elastic because it is based on polyurethane. Cotton elastic can also be used for swimwear, which is a blend of cotton/rubber and will tolerate more heat than with poly blends and can also hold up longer when exposed to chlorine.
Width
Another important factor to take into consideration when choosing an elastic band would be the width. Elastic bands come in a wide array of widths, with inch being the smallest. It would really depend on what the elastic band will be used for; but for reference, a thin elastic band is generally used for swimwears or for making necklines while the wider ones are used for making waistband of pants and skirts.
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