Materials
NYCO Ripstop Fabric (Nylon Cotton) for Tactical Clothing
NYCO ripstop is a woven fabric that blends nylon with cotton and reinforces the structure with a grid of heavier yarns woven at regular intervals. Nylon contributes tensile strength, abrasion resistance and dimensional stability; cotton contributes hand-feel, moisture take-up at the skin and comfort in dry heat. NYCO type constructions are normally specified where a garment has to survive sustained abrasion and repeated industrial laundering without losing its shape. It sits beside poly cotton ripstop and cotton ripstop as one of the three default options for combat shirts and field trousers, and choosing between them is a trade-off between abrasion resistance, drying speed, hand-feel and cost.
- Composition
- DATA REQUIRED
- Weight range
- DATA REQUIRED
- Best applications
- Desert · Heavy Duty / Field · Hot Weather · Cold Weather
Gallery
NYCO Ripstop in detail
What it is
What is it?
A woven fabric, usually plain or twill, in which a network of heavier yarns is woven into the structure at regular intervals to form a visible grid. The base cloth carries the weight and hand-feel; the grid carries the tear resistance. Because the blend combines a synthetic filament fibre with a natural staple fibre, the finished fabric behaves differently from a single-fibre ripstop in washing, drying and colour development.
Function
How it works
The ripstop grid limits tear propagation. A tear that begins inside one grid square has to break a heavier grid yarn before it can travel further, so damage stays local instead of running the length of a panel. At fibre level, the nylon filament yarns carry much of the tensile load and resist yarn slippage under abrasion, while cotton fibres create inter-fibre friction that gives the cloth body and a less synthetic hand. The two fibres also respond differently to moisture: cotton swells when wet while nylon takes up less water, so weave density, loom tension and finishing have to be controlled together to keep panels dimensionally stable through repeated washing.
Technical data
| Composition | DATA REQUIRED — not published until confirmed |
|---|---|
| Available weight range | DATA REQUIRED — confirmed per programme |
| Best applications | DesertHeavy Duty / FieldHot WeatherCold Weather |
We do not publish composition or weight figures we have not confirmed for a specific programme. Ask for the figures that apply to your product.
Advantages
Advantages
- Nylon content raises tensile strength and abrasion resistance, so elbows, knees, pocket corners and cargo edges survive contact wear longer than in an all-cotton ripstop
- The ripstop grid keeps small tears from running, which protects the garment at high-wear points without adding a heavy reinforcing panel
- Better dimensional stability than all-cotton constructions, so panels are less likely to grow or distort through industrial laundering
- Hand-feel reads less synthetic than a high-polyester blend, which matters for garments worn directly against the skin in dry heat
- Takes solid dyeing, camouflage printing and topical finishes comparably well, so one base cloth can carry a full colourway range
- A well-established construction with a broad supplier base, which supports repeat orders across production batches
Limitations
Limitations
- Wrong choice where drying speed is the priority: nylon takes up moisture and releases it more slowly than polyester, so a NYCO torso panel is a poor specification for sustained hot and humid use
- More expensive than poly cotton ripstop, and the cost difference is difficult to justify if the end use does not involve heavy abrasion
- Nylon and cotton dye differently in the same bath, so shade development and lot-to-lot consistency demand tighter control than a single-fibre fabric
- Nylon is sensitive to heat and to prolonged UV exposure; over-drying and uncontrolled pressing can affect both shade and strength
- Not water repellent or waterproof on its own, and it is not a substitute for a shell fabric in sustained rain
- Higher stretch and growth under load than a tight plain weave, so it is the wrong choice where a garment has to hold a precise printed camouflage register over a long service life
Performance
Performance profile
The same material can be the right choice in one climate and the wrong choice in another; these are the trade-offs as they affect how NYCO Ripstop behaves in a garment.
Hot weather performance
Adequate in dry heat and the traditional choice for desert use, where abrasion resistance and shape retention outweigh airflow. In hot and humid conditions the nylon content works against the wearer: it holds moisture longer than polyester and slows the drying cycle, so the fabric is best confined to sleeves, trousers and outerwear rather than a torso panel worn under a vest.
Cold weather performance
Not an insulating material. It functions in cold conditions as a durable outer or mid layer over insulation, blocking wind to a limited degree and resisting abrasion from kit and vegetation. Any warmth comes from the layers beneath, not from this cloth, and it adds little dead air of its own.
Durability
This is the reason the fabric is selected. Resistance to abrasion, tearing and yarn slippage at contact points is high for a woven of its class, and the ripstop grid contains damage once it starts. Repeated industrial laundering is tolerated better than all-cotton, provided wash temperature and drying are controlled.
Drying
Slower than a pure synthetic or a high-polyester blend, faster than all-cotton. Nylon absorbs moisture into the fibre rather than only holding it on the surface, so field washing and line drying take longer than buyers used to quick-dry fabrics expect. Drying speed should be stated in the specification rather than assumed.
Comfort
The cotton content gives a drier, less clammy feel against skin than a pure synthetic, and the nylon keeps the cloth from collapsing. The balance between the two fibres is the single most important specification decision: more cotton improves hand-feel and worsens drying and stability, more nylon does the reverse.
OEM options
OEM options for this material
The 6 points that can be specified when NYCO Ripstop is written into your programme.
- Composition ratio developed against the buyer's reference swatch rather than assumed from a nominal blend
- Weave and grid scale confirmed before bulk so the grid suits the garment's wear pattern
- Solid dyeing to buyer colour targets with lab dip approval before bulk
- Camouflage printing to buyer artwork with an approved print standard and register control through the run
- Topical finishes such as water repellency or a softer hand, subject to confirming the finish specification and its care requirements
- Weight and hand-feel matched to an existing garment the buyer already has in service
Care
Care considerations
- Wash according to the buyer's care label; the label is part of the approved specification and must match the fabric actually supplied
- Control drying temperature, since nylon is heat sensitive and over-drying can affect shade and strength
- Where a topical finish has been applied, the care instruction must protect that finish or the stated performance will drop
- Colour fastness and shrinkage expectations should be stated by the buyer and confirmed on the pre-production sample, not assumed from the swatch
Recommended garments
Where this material is used
Products in our range where NYCO Ripstop is a realistic specification option, drawn from 4 candidate builds.
Product
Ripstop Combat Shirt
Ripstop is not a single fabric, it is a weave construction.
Product
Heavy Duty Field Combat Shirt
This shirt is specified for programmes where the dominant cost is not the garment, it is the replacement cycle.
Product
Ripstop Tactical Pants
A tactical pant is judged by three things: whether the crotch survives, whether the knee holds up, and whether the waist still fits the same after a full day of movement.
Product
BDU Field Shirt
The BDU field shirt earns its place by being the garment a wearer keeps on when conditions change.
FAQ
NYCO Ripstop FAQ
Is NYCO ripstop waterproof?
No. Ripstop describes the weave and the tear resistance it provides. Water repellency or waterproof performance comes from a separate finish or membrane, and if that is required it has to be specified separately and confirmed on a sample.
Should I choose NYCO ripstop or poly cotton ripstop?
Choose NYCO where abrasion resistance and shape retention under hard use are the priority and the budget allows it. Choose poly cotton where cost and drying speed matter more. The deciding factors are the wear pattern of the garment, the climate it will be used in, and what the buyer already has in the field.
Why can the same nominal colour look different between NYCO lots?
Nylon and cotton take up dye differently, so a blend is more sensitive to fibre lot, yarn lot and dyeing conditions than a single-fibre cloth. Consistency depends on approving a retained shade standard and then checking every fabric lot against it.
What weight should I specify?
Weight depends on the garment, the climate and the required abrasion life. We do not quote a weight figure until it has been confirmed for your specific product and compared against a reference swatch or an existing garment.
Can you supply the fabric only, without garment manufacturing?
Fabric supply on its own is a different commercial arrangement from garment manufacturing. Tell us the intended use, the quantity and the specification and we will state clearly what can and cannot be supported.
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Request this material against your specification
Tell us the garment, the climate and the wear pattern. We will confirm what is available for your programme and state clearly which figures are confirmed and which still need data.