GSM (fabric weight)
Grams per square metre — the standard measurement of how heavy a fabric is. Football shirts typically run 130–180gsm; Peaq uses 140gsm performance polyester.
What GSM measures
GSM stands for grams per square metre — literally, how much one square metre of the fabric weighs. It's the standard way of describing how heavy and dense a fabric is, used across the entire textile industry from t-shirts to upholstery.
Higher GSM means heavier, thicker, warmer, more opaque. Lower GSM means lighter, thinner, cooler, more breathable.
Typical football kit weights
- 120–140gsm — lightweight performance shirts. Modern, breathable, prioritises movement and ventilation. Most pro and semi-pro match shirts sit here.
- 150–170gsm — mid-weight. Standard for grassroots league shirts and training tops.
- 180–220gsm — heavyweight. Used for cold-weather training kits and goalkeeper outers.
- 250gsm+ — t-shirt territory, not match-fit football fabric.
What 140gsm performance poly feels like
Peaq's base kit uses 140gsm performance polyester — light, breathable, built for movement. Comparable in weight and feel to mid-tier replicas you'd buy in a club shop, with the difference that ours is custom-cut to your colours and badges.
It's not the very lightest fabric on the market (some pro kits drop into the 100–120gsm range with engineered mesh), but it's the best balance we've found between weight, durability for weekly wash cycles, and how cleanly it sublimates.
Why GSM matters when comparing kit suppliers
Two kits at the same headline price can have very different fabric weights. Some suppliers cut costs by using a lighter, lower-quality fabric (sometimes under 110gsm) that washes badly and feels papery in the hand. Others use heavyweight 200gsm+ fabric that's durable but hot to play in.
If a supplier doesn't tell you the GSM up front, ask. It's the single most useful spec for comparing match-shirt fabric across quotes.