What is combed cotton?
Combed cotton is cotton yarn with the short fibers and impurities combed out, making it smoother, stronger, and softer than carded cotton.
Combed vs carded
All cotton yarn is carded, meaning the fibers are brushed roughly parallel. Combed cotton goes one step further: fine combs remove the shortest fibers and remaining impurities, leaving longer fibers aligned in the same direction.
Longer, aligned fibers spin into a yarn that is:
- Smoother, with fewer fiber ends poking out, so it pills less.
- Stronger, so the sock keeps its shape through more washes.
- Softer and more even, which also makes knitted logos and stripes look cleaner.
Carded cotton is cheaper and perfectly usable for budget lines and samples. Combed cotton costs more because of the fiber lost in combing.
When to choose it
Combed cotton is the usual base for premium cotton socks, crew socks, and custom logo socks where color definition matters. For an even more refined finish, combed cotton can be mercerized. Blend it with polyamide and elastane so the sock recovers its shape after wear.