The liquid absorption and transport properties of fabrics are critical not only to the success of wet processes such as dyeing, printing and finishing, but also to the performance of products such as sports clothes, performance clothing, disposable hygiene materials and medical products. During wear, moisture in clothing has been found to be the most significant factor contributing to discomfort. The presence of sweat will increase friction between fabric and skin, trigger a clingy sensation and eventually increase the level of fatigue felt by the wearer. This problem will be even more severe for clothing worn under extreme environmental conditions or at high activity levels. Fabrics with excellent water absorption and transport properties have the potential to minimise the wetness sensation on skin, facilitate the evaporation of sweat and aid comfort. Hence, as a product developer or clothing manufacturer, it is essential to choose the appropriate measurement method to characterise the water absorption and transport properties of fabric. This paper reviews different subjective (by people–subjects) and objective (by instruments–objects) evaluation methods for assessing wetness comfort, and determining water absorption and transport properties of fabrics. Since perception of wetness is a complex process with a number of stimuli from clothing and external environments communicated by human sensory receptors, subjective assessment with its better representation of the real wear situation is preferred. The review starts by introducing human physiology, describing hepatic perception of wetness, followed by methods for use in experiments on assessor control, setting of environmental conditions, types of touch, the usual body sites for testing, and a summary of methods for measuring physiological and perception changes using psychological or psychophysical scaling procedures. Despite its advantage of more closely simulating the real wear condition, performing a subjective test is time-consuming and expensive. Its accuracy depends on the reliability of the assessors and the result may vary between assessors. Objective measurement might therefore provide an attractive alternative. In this study, details of objective instrumental measurements are summarised according to the technology applied, and include gravimetric, observation-based, optical, spectroscopic, electrical, pressure-based, magnetic resonance and temperature detection methods. The principles, advantages and limitations of each method are systematically compared and discussed. Practical recommendations are proposed, particularly for enhancing the accuracy, reproducibility and/or simplicity of the methods. The objective of this review is to present an overview of various measurement methods, both subjective and objective. It is intended to form a basis for enabling fabric engineers to choose the most suitable analytical test method(s) when developing new fabric products with respect to performance, the availability of resources, time for testing, the type of fabrics to be tested and the accuracy and precision required. Additionally, the review points to the need for researchers to develop more advanced and accurate measurement methods to characterise the absorption and transport properties of fabrics.

Wetness sensation is a crucial factor affecting wear comfort. In this study, a measurement method that is capable of characterizing the subjective wetness sensation of various textile products, such as sportswear, leisurewear, uniforms and health-care products, was developed. A subjective rating scale was adopted for response measurement and 20 different fabrics varying in fiber composition, yarn type and fabric structure were evaluated by 22 subjects. The testing procedure was standardized, ensuring within-subject reliability and between-subject consistency. This method also displays high sensitivity and the result is rational with barely to slightly wet sensation for the absorbing fabrics and very wet feeling for the hydrophobic ones. In addition, an objective measurement method for evaluating the horizontal wicking area of fabrics utilizing the image analysis technique was developed. Using conventional testing instruments, such as the Gravimetric Absorbency Testing System, Moisture Management Tester, international standard testing methods and the proposed horizontal wicking tester, various objective water absorption and transport properties were measured and their correlation with the subjective wetness rating was studied. Horizontal wicking area and water absorption capacity of fabrics were found to have strong correlation with subjective wetness sensation.

The water absorption and transport properties of fabrics are critical to wear comfort, especially for sportswear and protective clothing. A new testing apparatus, namely Forced Flow Water Transport Tester (FFWTT), was developed for characterizing the transplanar and in-plane wicking properties of fabrics based on gravimetric and image analysis technique. The uniqueness of this instrument is that the rate of water supply is adjustable to simulate varying sweat rates with reference to the specific end-use conditions ranging from sitting, walking, running to other strenuous activities. This instrument is versatile in terms of the types of fabrics that can be tested. Twenty four types of fabrics with varying constructions and surface finishes were tested. The results showed that FFWTT was highly sensitive and reproducible in differentiating these fabrics and it suggests that water absorption and transport properties of fabrics are sweat rate-dependent. Additionally, two graphic methods were proposed to map the direction of liquid transport and its relation to skin wetness, which provides easy and direct comparison among different fabrics. Correlation analysis showed that FFWTT results have strong correlation with subjective wetness sensation, implying validity and usefulness of the instrument.

Water absorption and transport property of textiles is important since it affects wear comfort, efficiency of treatment and functionality of product. This paper introduces an accurate and reliable measurement tester, which is based on gravimetric and image analysis technique, for characterising the transplanar and in-plane wicking property of fabrics. The uniqueness of this instrument is that it is able to directly measure the water absorption amount in real-time, monitor the direction of water transport and estimate the amount of water left on skin when sweating. Throughout the experiment, water supply is continuous which simulates profuse sweating. Testing automation could even minimise variation caused by subjective manipulation, thus enhancing testing accuracy. This instrument is versatile in terms of the fabrics could be tested. A series of shirting fabrics made by different fabric structure and yarn were investigated and the results show that the proposed method has high sensitivity in differentiating fabrics with varying geometrical differences. Fabrics with known hydrophobicity were additionally tested to examine the sensitivity of the instrument. This instrument also demonstrates the flexibility to test on high performance moisture management fabrics and these fabrics were found to have excellent transplanar and in-plane wicking properties.

In sportswear industry, the usage of synthetic material is increasing due to its excellent water transport characteristic. This study aims to evaluate the thermo-physiological comfort properties of different sports fabrics and to investigate the effect of fabric physical property and knitting parameter on comfort-related properties of commercial sportswear fabric. Vertical wicking test, wettability test, dry rate test as well as air resistance test were conducted on 17 types of polyester-knitted fabrics obtained from market. Analysis of variance and multiple-comparison least significant difference test was performed to select the best fabric for sportswear. A single jersey fabric sample No. 16 made of 75D/100f in 145 g/m2 as determined to be the best fabric for sports T-shirt due to its excellent wicking property, faster water absorbency, quicker dry rate, and lower air resistance. It is likely that finer filament, low fabric mass, and proper density are associated with best property. Besides, it is found that higher mass was associated with higher air resistance, higher porosity was associated with faster dry speed, and faster vertical wicking rate was associated with shorter water absorption time for fabrics tested in this study.