Custom Hoodie GSM Explained: Picking the Right Weight and Fit

Choosing a custom hoodie comes down to three decisions: fabric weight in GSM, the fit, and how your artwork gets applied. For most Australian clubs, schools and gyms, 290 to 350 GSM in a regular or relaxed fit is the right answer. Heavier fleece has its place, but it is a deliberate choice rather than an automatic upgrade.

That last point is worth sitting with, because the instinct when ordering club hoodies is to go as heavy as the budget allows. In practice, the heaviest option is often the wrong one, and the reasons have very little to do with warmth.

What GSM actually means on a custom hoodie

GSM stands for grams per square metre. It measures how much a square metre of the fabric weighs. That is all it measures. It is not a warmth rating, it is not a durability rating, and it is not a quality rating, though all three loosely track upward with it.

A working guide for fleece:

• 280 to 300 GSM. Mid weight. Comfortable indoors, layers cleanly under a jacket, dries fast after a wet Tuesday night session.
• 320 to 350 GSM. Mid-heavy. Noticeably more substantial in the hand, holds its shape through repeated washing, still practical as daily wear.
• 450 GSM and above. Heavy. Structured, warm, slow to dry, and it feels expensive because it is.

Here is the bit the spec sheet does not tell you. Two hoodies at identical GSM can feel like completely different garments depending on construction. A brushed CVC fleece with a cotton facing has a soft, dense hand. French terry at the same weight has visible loops on the inside and a flatter, drier face. Same number, different experience.

The Empulse custom hoodie range, compared

Every body below is live in the custom apparel range. Prices shown are per unit before decoration.

Hoodie	GSM	Fabric	Fit	Price	Best for
Custom Supply Hoodie 5101	290	80% cotton, 20% polyester anti-pill CVC fleece	Regular, raglan sleeve	$85.00	Bulk club and staff orders, tight budgets
Custom Relax Hoodie 5161	320	80% cotton, 20% recycled polyester CVC fleece	Relaxed, drop shoulder	$99.00	The default pick, 18 colours
Custom Relax Half Zip Hoodie 5164	320	80% cotton, 20% recycled polyester CVC fleece	Relaxed, drop shoulder	$99.00	Sideline layer you need to get on and off
Custom Box Hoodie 5171	350	80% cotton, 20% recycled polyester anti-pill CVC fleece	Relaxed, boxy, drop shoulder	$99.00	Streetwear cut, big back prints
Custom Half Zip Crew 5125	350	80% cotton, 20% recycled polyester anti-pill CVC fleece	Regular, mock neck	$99.00	Coaches, corporate, anyone who dislikes hoods
Custom Made Hoodie 5151	500	100% cotton French terry	Relaxed, drop shoulder	$99.00	Presentation night, life members, keepsakes

Note what the pricing does. Five of the six sit at the same $99.00 price point, which means weight is not what you are paying for. You are choosing a feel and a silhouette, not buying more grams.

Which custom hoodie suits which job

Skip the spec comparison and start from the use case instead.

• Squad training kit, 30 or more units. Supply Hoodie 5101. The regular raglan fit sizes predictably across a mixed squad, and 290 GSM dries fast enough to wear twice in a week.
• General club merch you want people to actually wear. Relax Hoodie 5161. The 18 colour range is the widest we stock, so you can match club colours without compromise.
• Junior and school orders. Relax or Box. Both have hoods with no drawcord, which is worth flagging if your school has a policy on cords. Confirm with your uniform coordinator before ordering.
• Sideline and warm-up layer. Relax Half Zip 5164. A half zip comes off over a jersey without dragging the collar. Pullovers do not.
• Coaching and admin staff. Half Zip Crew 5125. The mock neck reads tidier than a hood in a clubroom or a photo.
• End-of-season gifts and life member presentations. Made Hoodie 5151. This is where 500 GSM earns its keep, on a garment worn twenty times a year rather than twice a week.

What Australian weather says about your GSM choice

Long-term Bureau of Meteorology figures for the Melbourne Regional Office site put July, the coldest month, at a mean daily maximum of 13.5 degrees and a mean minimum of 6.0 degrees. That is the low end of the Australian mainland. Brisbane and Perth clubs are training in considerably milder conditions again.

Thirteen degrees is jumper weather, not expedition weather. A 290 to 350 GSM fleece over a training top handles it comfortably. The genuine argument for going heavier is not insulation, it is feel and longevity, and those are legitimate reasons. Just be honest about which one you are buying.

The counter-argument matters too. July also averages close to ten rain days in Melbourne, and a 500 GSM cotton hoodie that gets soaked at a Saturday morning fixture will not be dry by Sunday. If a hoodie is going into a kit bag week after week, lighter wins on practicality every time. You can check the Bureau of Meteorology climate averages for your own location before you commit.

Print, placement and the details buyers forget

The Supply, Relax, Box and Relax Half Zip each include one single-colour or full-colour DTF print up to A4, applied to the back or scaled above the pocket on the front. Minimum order is ten units, and production runs up to ten business days from artwork approval.

Three things worth deciding early:

• Surface texture. The CVC bodies have a cotton facing on the fleece, giving a smooth, consistent print surface. The Made Hoodie is French terry, which reads flatter and drier. Neither is a problem, but they finish differently, so ask for a sample if the look matters to you.
• Boxy cuts change print scale. A back print sized for a regular fit will look undersized on the Box Hoodie. Scale it to the garment, not to a spec you used last year.
• Sponsor and name work adds complexity. Pricing shifts with logo size, finish, colour count and whether player names or numbers are included, so we quote it rather than list it. Send through your artwork and we will come back with a figure.

If you are weighing hoodies against lighter club merch, our breakdown of cotton versus Sorona in custom tees covers the same decision logic on a warm-weather garment, and the guide to choosing the right AS Colour blank explains why the base garment does more work than the print.

Recycled content: what the labels actually certify

Four of these bodies use 20 percent recycled polyester. On the Relax Hoodie and Relax Half Zip that works out to roughly eight 500ml plastic bottles diverted per garment.

Worth knowing what the certifications cover. The Global Recycled Standard, run by Textile Exchange, verifies recycled content and chain of custody, and adds social, environmental and chemical requirements on top. It applies to products with at least 20 percent recycled material, though consumer-facing GRS labelling requires 50 percent or more.

Separately, amfori BSCI is a social auditing system, not a certification. It grades production sites on working hours, wages, safety and labour rights against a shared code of conduct. Two different things, often mentioned in the same breath, measuring completely different aspects of a garment. If sustainability claims matter to your committee, our piece on organic versus conventional cotton unpacks where the real differences sit.

What about branded hoodies?

Not every club wants a blank body. The Nike Park 20 Hoodie at $64.95 is genuine Nike teamwear supplied through accredited vendors, in an 82 percent cotton blend with a brushed fleece interior, a drawcord hood and a kangaroo pocket, across four colours. It sits alongside the rest of the Nike teamwear range.

It is a strong buy as-is. If you want club marks added to branded teamwear, ask us for a quote before ordering so we can confirm what is possible on that specific garment. We cover the branded side in more detail in our Nike hoodies guide.

Frequently asked questions

What GSM is best for a custom hoodie in Australia?

For most clubs and schools, 290 to 350 GSM. It handles Australian winter conditions, dries in reasonable time and holds a print well. Go to 500 GSM only when the hoodie is a keepsake rather than working kit.

Is a heavier hoodie better quality?

No. GSM measures fabric weight, not construction, yarn quality or finishing. A well-built 290 GSM anti-pill fleece will outlast a poorly made heavy one. Look at pilling resistance, preshrinking and ribbing before you look at the number.

How many hoodies do I have to order?

Minimum order is ten units on the custom hoodie bodies that include a DTF print. Production runs up to ten business days from artwork approval, plus shipping, so allow three to four weeks for a comfortable timeline.

How much does custom hoodie printing cost?

It depends on logo size, decoration method, colour count and whether you are adding names or numbers, so we quote each job rather than publish a flat rate. Send your artwork and squad numbers through and we will come back with a figure.

Which hoodies do not have a drawcord?

The Relax 5161, Box 5171, Made 5151 and Relax Half Zip 5164 all have hoods with no drawcord. The Supply 5101 has a tonal drawcord. Check your school or club policy if cords are a consideration.

Ready to order

Pick your body, send your artwork, and we will confirm sizing, colours and lead time before anything goes into production. Browse the full custom apparel range to compare colours and sizing, or read our breakdown of the Made Crew and half-zip drop if you are deciding between hooded and crew options.

Empulse has been supplying and personalising teamwear for Australian clubs, schools and gyms since 2021, covering everything from grassroots soccer squads to corporate staff kit. We print in-house, which means the person quoting your job is the person who knows how the garment behaves under a press.