Best Heat Transfer Vinyl For T-shirts

Ian Mutuli
Updated on
Ian Mutuli

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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If you’re a beginner planning to transfer a design that you've been having to a T-shirt or an entrepreneur planning to start a Tshirt printing business, then you'll need to get the best heat transfer vinyl to help you get the job done.

A heat transfer vinyl (HTV) is a type of vinyl that helps you transfer your designs to various things, including T-shirts, mugs, etc. Also known as iron-on vinyl, the HTV mostly comes in a sheet or a roll.

However, with a vast number of options for heat transfer vinyl in the market, it can be challenging to find the best ones in terms of affordability, efficiency and also comes in a broader range of colors.

To make the HTV search easier for you, we have reviewed the 5 Best options for HTV based on durability, quality ad performance. Furthermore, below you'll find a buying guide with features to consider before choosing a heat transfer vinyl.

Best Heat Transfer Vinyl Reviews

1. YRYM Heat Transfer Vinyl Bundle

Heat Transfer Vinyl Bundle : 42 Pack 12" x 10" Sheets -...
  • EASY to USE & CUT & TRANSFER :Our heat transfer vinyl is thick...
  • ECO &USING WIDELY:Our strong iron on vinyl is SGS certified...
  • SERVICE& MACHINE WASHABLE:Unlike other iron on vinyl with...
  • PERFECT GIFT IDEA: Do it yourself personalized customization has...
  • GREAT SERVICE:We stand by the quality and versatility of our heat...

The YRYM bundle is the best HTV in the market because it has excellent features that make it easy to cut and weed effortlessly. They make transferring the project faster and practical without compromising the quality.

This quality heat transfer vinyl is temperature and pressure-sensitive and will transfer well and also allow easy take off. It comes in a pack of 42 sheets, with each sheet having a size of 12 x 10 inches. The sheets come in 27 vibrant colors, ten white and five black.

The dimensions and wide range of colors allows one to create any design with no troubles. Compared to other heat transfer vinyl brands, this one is stickier and durable, such that it remains intact even after a lot of washing.

Pros:

  • It transfers very well in most fabrics.
  • Easy to cut
  • Easy to manage sizes
  • Great stretching ability.
  • Easy to weed
  • Waterproof and crack proof
  • Machine washable

Cons:

  • It might require high heat for some materials

2. JANDJPACKAGING Heat Transfer Vinyl Bundle

Sale
HTV Heat Transfer Vinyl Bundle - 43 Pack 12" x 10" PU...
  • 2020 UPDATED HTV VINYL -Our heat transfer vinyl sheets is thin...
  • EASY & SAFE TO USE - Quickly and easily apply the adhesive backed...
  • DURABLE& MACHINE WASHABLE - PU HTV Vinyl bundle is easy to handle...
  • VIBRANT COLORS - 12” X 10” 42 pack htv heat transfer vinyl...
  • 【GREAT SERVICE】We stand by the quality and versatility of our...

JandJPackaging boasts 32 different vibrant colors, five black, five white and 1 Teflon sheet, with all of them measuring 12 x 10 inches. It is one of the best heat transfer vinyl for beginners because of its ease of use with a hot iron or heat press machine.

The durability of the sheets is unmatched, such that they will hold up well in the washing machine without being damaged. They are also very thin, making them easy to cut with most cutting machines, including a Cricut machine.

The JandJPackaging cheap heat transfer vinyl also features a backing that is white to make it easy to layer and differentiate the cutting side. Furthermore, this product is SGS certified and environmentally friendly, making it perfect for use with children's clothing.

Pros:

  • Heavy-duty and durable
  • Environmental friendly
  • Easy to weedSoft elasticity
  • Thin, making it easy to cut
  • Machine washable

Cons:

  • It may peel off when you wash in high temperatures

3. MiPremium PU Glitter Heat Transfer Vinyl

Glitter Heat Transfer Vinyl HTV - Iron On Vinyl Starter...
  • ►THIN BUT STRONG & HIGHLY DURABLE: MiPremium Polyurethane...
  • ►WIDE RANGE OF USE: Our eco-friendly vinyl is suitable for...
  • ►EASY TO CUT PRESS & APPLY: Cut through our iron on vinyl with...
  • ►PRE CUT SHEETS – READY TO CUT: Our PU Heat Press Vinyl...
  • ★★★GET MORE FOR YOUR MONEY★★★ MiPremium glitter...

Are you a fan of glittery designs? Then, the Mipremium PU Glitter heat transfer vinyl will, for sure, blow your mind. It features ten glitter sheets in the color Red, Green, Black, Pink, Gold, Black gold, Cherry, Lavender, Copper and Dark Purple.

Although these may seem quite fancy, the quality and effectiveness of these glitter vinyl are not compromised. They are thin, durable and weeding is easier compared to other glitter vinyl. It has a film that makes the weeding of the finer and smaller details even easier.

It also features a high degree of elasticity and is durable to withstand washing without fading or cracking. Furthermore, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can depend on this heat transfer vinyl to get excellent results.

Pros:

  • A range of attractive colors
  • Easy to cut and transfer on different fabrics
  • Highly durable
  • Precut and ready to use
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Flexible and can stretch easily
  • Fade and crack-proof

Cons:

  • As with most glitter vinyl, weeding can be tough

4. Siser EasyWeed Heat Transfer Vinyl Sheets

Sale
Siser EasyWeed HTV Sheets 12 inch by 15 inch - 12 Pack...
  • 12 most popular Siser EasyWeed colors on the market
  • Easy and Ready-to-cut material designed for custom garment...
  • Pressure sensitive carrier allows you to weed small letters and...
  • Much thinner than other film materials
  • EasyWeed offers excellent durability, even after repeated...

Siser EasyWeed Heat Transfer Vinyl Sheets is an excellent option for a beginner because it has one of the best packages for starters, providing everything you need.

It features a bundle of up to 12 sheets, with each sheet measuring 12 inches by 15 inches. The sheets come in a range of 12 different colors, including silver, orange, brown, red, grey, navy, black, lemon, ochre, lime, forest green and fuchsia.

The Siser Easyweed HTV is lightweight and thin for easy cutting and transferring of the t-shirt designs. You can trust this quality vinyl to efficiently transfer vinyl designs for more extensive details and even smaller and finer details.

The sheets feature a carrier at the back that is highly sensitive to pressure to prevent the finer details or smaller letters from getting ripped. The durability of this vinyl is exceptional, such that washing the shirts won't fade the vinyl.

Pros:

  • Has vibrant colors
  • Pressure-sensitive carrier
  • Easy to cut
  • Highly durable
  • Thinner compared to other types
  • Easy to weed

Cons:

  • The material is stiff and also see through

5. Fame Crafts Heat Transfer Vinyl Bundle

Fame Crafts Heat Transfer Vinyl Bundle 12"x10"- 20 Pack...
  • Personalizing apparel such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies,...
  • Easy to Weed is a durable polyurethane which is used to design...
  • Our transfer vinyl is thin, lightweight and sensitive to...
  • Every heat transfer (HTV) bundle by Fame Crafts contains a total...
  • 20 Colors Each one of these PU vinyl sheets measure 12"x10". They...

Fame Crafts Heat Transfer Vinyl allows you to permanently transfer the design in a wide range of materials at the comfort of your home. It comes with up to 20 sheets on each package, with each measuring 12 inches by 10 inches.

The sheets have different attractive colors that include blue, pink, red, purple, pink, brown, yellow, gold, white, orange, green, black, deep orange, neon pink, light green, neon green, sky blue, neon blue, ocean blue, neon yellow and brown silver.

The wide range of colors will help implement all your designs on the Tshirts. Also, the Fame Crafts HTV is thin and very sensitive to heat or pressure, which makes weeding easier, even for the smallest letters or details. The material is exceptionally durable and can withstand regular washing and drying a number of times.

Pros:

  • 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • A wide range of attractive colors
  • Very durable
  • High sensitivity to heat and pressure
  • Easy to use
  • A significant number of sheets
  • Lightweight and thin

Cons:

  • It comes with no instructions.
  • Some users find the colors not very bright.

6. PrimeCuts 12" x 12"Permanent Adhesive Backed Vinyl Sheets.

PrimeCuts USA - 65 Sheets - Permanent Adhesive Backed...
  • ✔ ULTIMATE MONEY-SAVER PACKAGE: Nowhere on Amazon will you find...
  • ✔ SUPERIOR ADHESIVE BACKING & LINER Quality is truly...
  • ✔ MULTIPLE & VERSATILE USES: What good are self-adhesive vinyl...
  • ✔ FLAT & READY TO USE: Our product comes flat and ready to use,...
  • ✔ 100% RISK FREE PURCHASE– PrimeCuts is a truly remarkable...

If you're looking for the best heat transfer vinyl for shirts that promises permanent, you can count on the Permanent Adhesive Backed Vinyl Sheets by PrimeCuts. This vinyl bundle comes with 65 sheets that contain 32 different mixtures of beautiful colors. The permanent self-adhesive vinyl sheets can cut, weed and peel designs to the best details. Moreover, the adhesive comes with these sheets to help you replicate the designs and create the most desired sheets.

The adhesive vinyl sheets are designed to meet indoors and outdoors uses, meaning it can last you nearly four years for outdoor use and five years for indoor use. The vinyl sheet cuts well and holds itself perfectly. Also, with this sheet, you can weed small letters easily because they're sticky and secure perfectly. Moreover, this sheet works well with Cricut and usually ensures that the grid lines are always straight, plus the thirty-two mixture of appealing colors comes packed in a ziplock bag.

Pros:

  • Comes with a variety of beautiful colors to chose from
  • Designed to meet indoors and outdoors purposes meaning it can last you nearly five years
  • You can weed small letters if you want
  • You can easily replicate designs and create desirable sheets

Cons:

  • Weeding and cutting are not easy.

7.HTVRONT Glitter 12"x10" Heat Transfer Vinyl- Iron On Vinyl for T-Shirt (Teflon Sheet Included)

HTVRONT Glitter Heat Transfer Vinyl HTV - 13 Pack...
  • 【GREAT VALUE HTV GLITTER VINYL BUNDLE】Each Iron-on Glitter...
  • 【AVAILABLE THICKNESS & EXCELLENT DURABILITY】 Premium Glitter...
  • 【PROFESSIONAL – SUPER-EASY TO CUT, WEED, and...
  • 【CUSTOM DECAL CRAFTS and a WIDE RANGE OF OTHER USEs】 This...
  • 【SATISFACTIED SERVICE】We truly believe that our PU Glitter...

The Heat Transfer Iron-on Vinyl from HTVRONT Glitter works for all machines besides Cricuts. It's easy to cut and weed and transfers reliably onto diverse materials. Also, it's easy to use; it weeds easily and cuts cleanly, without sticking or tearing to the backing. Moreover, it comes with clear instructions on how to transfer the vinyl to the fabric as well as how to care for your shirts after application.

This HTV bundle provides vibrant sparkle, suitable for various fabrics like polyester, cotton, cotton/poly blends, rayon, and viscose. Also, you can personalize your custom T-shirts, caps, pillows, aprons, tote bags. It comes with different colors and patterns option s to choose from. You can as well find colors and patterns with some of your favorite characters from Star Wars, Disney, Marvel, and Sanrio.

Furthermore, this Vinyl Bundle is designed to provide flexibility without compromising the strength and durability of the vinyl. It guarantees you to last more than fifty washes. Also, it's SGS certified environmental-friendly and ideal for decorating children's clothing and other accessories. However, it's thicker, so it needs deeper cut settings and takes time to transfer.

Pros:

  • Comes with clear instructions on how to transfer the vinyl to the fabric so you're can high-quality results
  • Comes in various colors and patterns
  • It's SGS certified eco-friendly; don't worry about toxicity
  • Super durable and last you 50 plus washes

Cons:

  • It May take a long transfer time

Features To Consider Before Buying a Heat Transfer Vinyl

1. Simplicity of transfer

The best heat transfer vinyl needs to have a fast and effortless transfer. There are many HTV brands that are easy to transfer, but some of them may require a lot of effort.

Investing in the wrong HTV could mess up your transfer process, give you a hard time and complicate this simple process. It is essential to get one that is easy to transfer. Some of the features that make the transferability of HTV easier are heat and pressure sensitivity, thin and a lightweight design.

2. Quality

The quality of a heat transfer vinyl really matters since, with the rise of HTV brands in the market, there are some with terrible quality. Needless to say, the best heat transfer vinyl should be among the high-quality types of vinyl, especially if you're in business and don't want to incur loses.

A good quality vinyl means that it is durable, doesn't peel easily, and no fading no many the number of times you wash. To determine how good an HTV vinyl is, you can check the reviews from the buyers, as they are in the best place to know the quality.

The best heat transfer vinyl should be thin because the thinner it is, the easier cutting and t-shirt transfers will be, without damages.

3. Color diversity

The best vinyl for shirts needs to come with a wide variety of colors to cater for all your printing needs. Find vinyl packs that come in a wide range of colors because you will have many options to create any design you have in mind.

Apart from ensuring the product has a range of colors, you also need to ensure you pick a set of colors that are vibrant and trendy to meet all your needs for the HTV transfer project.

4. Heat Application

You need to know the heat source you're planning to use, whether a household iron or a heat press. For example, if you're planning to use a household iron, we recommend you find the best iron-on vinyl.

However, if you're planning to use a heat press, then there are a wide range of brands that you can use. For heat application on vinyl, we highly recommend using a heat press because it can be used on most vinyl brands.

5. Compatibility

Compatibility is another crucial factor that shouldn't be ignored. Buying the correct type of vinyl that matches the surface, you're transferring is very important.

Ensure you check the label of your T-shirt before and the product description of the vinyl before buying. It should be compatible with the material and what it will be used for.

6. Size Of The Vinyl

The size of the sheets will also depend on what you're planning to transfer the vinyl to. The standard recommended size of vinyl sheets for t-shirts is 12 inches by 10 inches.

It is also crucial to be aware that there are vinyl rolls and vinyl sheets. The vinyl sheets are easier to use because they come precut and ready to use. The vinyl rolls give you the flexibility to cut your preferred sizes.

7. Adhesiveness

The most annoying thing about vinyl is poor adhesiveness because this makes it useless. It is essential to find the types of vinyl that stick well, or else your project will be unsuccessful.

Most people tend to find the self-adhesive vinyl easier to use, but they require a little more effort than the vinyl with protective liners. This is because these protections keep the stickiness fresh such that when it's time to use it, you simply peel this lining off.

8. Hot Or Cold Transfer

Different types of vinyl require different transfers. For heat transfer vinyl, it is evident that you need to apply heat on them. There are others that have a cold transfer, which basically means you need cold air.

Determine the kind of transfer that works best for you. Read the product description to find out the kind of transfer needed, either hot or cold transfers.

Also, when you buy vinyl, be sure to read the manual to determine the amount of heat the specific product requires because some may require little heat while others high heat transfers.

9. Quantity

This entirely depends on how big or small your project is. As mentioned above, the heat transfer vinyl may come as vinyl rolls or vinyl sheets. The rolls are meant for bulk projects, while the sheets are for smaller projects.

The number of sheets for iron-on heat transfer vinyl ranges from 20 sheets to up to 50 sheets. It is important to note that the more the sheets, the more colors you get.

If you're not worried about the colors, then you can consider buying a vinyl roll because despite you getting only one color, you can complete more projects with it.

The sheets are our recommended choice because you can carry out multi-colored projects at an affordable price. However, it is important to find one with the quantity and colors that match your needs.

Two Simple Steps on Using Heat Transfer Vinyl

Step 1: Organize the artwork.

You can download pre-made graphics or create your own if you're an advanced user. Most vinyl cutters usually feature software that you can use to quickly and easily set up your image so that it's ready to print and cut.

Step 2: Print and cut 

Once you are satisfied with the design you have created or chosen and ensure you have placed it to the right size, it'll be time to get it printed and then cut. Before you can send it to the cutter, endure to mirror-image your design. You'll need to follow your heat press machine instructions to determine how you need to mirror-image the graphic. Also, ensure to read up on what cutting settings the vinyl brand recommends for HTV vinyl. Next, load the HTV into the heat-press, making sure the backing faces up. Then let the heat press to the printing and cutting.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) on Heat Transfer Vinyl

1. Is Siser HTV better than Cricut?

Yes, Siser HTV is better than Cricut because, with Siser, you get more on a roll than Cricut by an entire foot.

2. How well does heat transfer vinyl hold up?

The durability of heat transfer vinyl is excellent. Depending on the quality and the application of heat transfer vinyl, it can last for long and outlast the product without any fading, peeling or cracking.

3. What is the difference between vinyl and heat transfer vinyl?

An adhesive vinyl comes with a paper backing and becomes sticky when the paper is peeled off. However, for a heat transfer vinyl, it doesn't have a paper backing; instead, it comes in a transparent plastic sheet covering the top side of the vinyl. 

4. What is the difference between Everyday Iron-On and Cricut Iron-On Lite?

The Everyday Iron-On is new and enhanced to be more durable and features way more colors, while Circuit Iron-On Lite is the older version of Cricut HTV. However, they're very similar, and you can successfully use them either for shirts, jackets, bags, etc. Besides, the everyday Iron-On has longer rolls and so costs a little more per roll.

5. Do you really require transfer tape with iron-ons?

Standard HTV doesn't require transfer tape for application. It usually comes stuck on a plastic pressure-sensitive carrier sheet, and you flip it over and iron it onto your shirts. Nonetheless, printable heat transfer paper does need a heat transfer mask to help transfer. Since this paper needs to be printed on, it does not come on a plastic carrier sheet. So you usually apply the heat transfer mask to act as a carrier sheet when you transfer it onto your fabric.

6. How long should I expect the vinyl to last on shirts?

With great care hand-wash, a vinyl on shirts can last up to 50 washes. However, even the vinyl is machine wash-friendly, it will not survive more than 40 washes, depending on the quality.

Ian Mutuli

About the author

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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