Five Chinese functional knit fabric makers highlighted in 2026 review

A 2026 sector review names five Chinese manufacturers of functional knit fabric and frames them against rising demand for performance, recycled and PFAS-free textiles. The review says buyers now need mills that can document finish chemistry, support custom development and meet export-market compliance rules.

Why it matters: - Functional knit fabric is becoming a bigger sourcing priority for sportswear, outdoor apparel, underwear and close-fit garments. - Buyers are looking for moisture management, stretch, quick-dry performance and documented compliance, not just fabric supply. - PFAS rules in Europe and the U.S. are forcing brands to reformulate water-repellent and stain-resistant finishes. - Mills that can prove performance and traceability have an edge in export markets.

What happened: - A 2026 sector review named five manufacturers of functional knit fabric in China. - The five companies are ZHANGJIAGANG E-KING TEXTILE CO.,LTD. (EKING fabric), Fujian Unitex Textile Technology Co., Ltd., Haining Hengdian Textile Co., Ltd., Xiamen Fairfine Textile Co., Ltd. and Changshu Xunda Yizhen Textile Co., Ltd. - The review assessed suppliers on product focus, manufacturing location, functional finishing coverage and export-oriented development capability. - The review focused on mills serving sportswear, outdoor apparel, underwear and other close-fit garments.

The details: - ZHANGJIAGANG E-KING TEXTILE CO.,LTD. was established in 2011 in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, about 100 km from Shanghai. - EKING fabric operates an 8,600 square metre facility with about 80 employees and annual production capacity of 6,000 tons, or roughly 24 million yards. - The company has a 10-person R&D team and develops more than 100 new knitted fabric products each season. - EKING fabric runs a full chain from weaving to dyeing to finishing, and its own dyeing factory started production in March 2022. - Export business accounts for 95% of sales, with the European Union and the United States as the main markets. - The company’s material partners include Hengli Group, Shenghong Group, Invista, Creora Group, Huafeng Group and POLYGIENE. - EKING fabric’s product scope includes functional knit fabric for yoga, sports, underwear and swimwear in cotton, chemical fiber and modal. - The company lists 20ETW1028-DSP as a poly/spandex fabric with UV protection, water-repellent and easy-wash properties for sports, outdoor and recycled functional uses. - The company lists EKWP1912-DSP as a nylon spandex or recycled nylon spandex knit for sports, outdoor and casual use. - The company lists EKWP2270-D6 as a nylon/spandex knit designed for moisture-wicking, 4-way stretch and breathable, quick-dry performance. - EKWP2270-D6 can also include antibacterial and anti-odor, UV protection, water-repellent, easy-wash and wrinkle-resistant options, recycled content, and cool-touch or warming treatments. - EKWP2270-D6 is intended for sports and activewear, outdoor apparel, casual and fast fashion, underwear, functional close-fit garments, workwear and uniforms. - EKING fabric’s finishing processes include peaching, brushing, fuzzing, transfer printing, dispersed printing, acid printing, digital printing, foil and emboss. - The company offers antibacterial and odor control, moisture wicking and quick drying, UV protection, anti-static, waterproof, stain and oil prevention, thermal storage, warmth preservation and cooling treatments. - Fujian Unitex Textile Technology Co., Ltd. is based in Fujian Province and focuses on knitted fabrics and related textile products. - Fujian Unitex Textile Technology says its fabric range includes functional knitted fabric solutions for sportswear, casualwear and other products that need comfort and performance. - Haining Hengdian Textile Co., Ltd. is located in Haining, Zhejiang Province, within an established textile manufacturing base. - Haining Hengdian Textile focuses on knitted and functional fabric products for sportswear, apparel and other textile products. - Xiamen Fairfine Textile Co., Ltd. is based in Xiamen, Fujian Province, and supplies textile fabrics for apparel and other textile uses. - Xiamen Fairfine Textile serves fabric sourcing needs across different markets, supported by Xiamen’s textile and international trade environment. - Xiamen Fairfine Textile’s product direction includes knitted and functional textiles for apparel, sportswear and casualwear. - Changshu Xunda Yizhen Textile Co., Ltd. is based in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, in the Yangtze River Delta. - Changshu Xunda Yizhen Textile focuses on knitted and functional fabrics for different apparel requirements. - Changshu Xunda Yizhen Textile has access to an integrated supply chain covering yarns, knitting, dyeing and garment manufacturing. - The review says the most common buyer specs are moisture wicking and quick dry, 4-way stretch, breathability, antibacterial and anti-odor finishing, UV protection, water repellency, recycled content, easy-wash and wrinkle-resistant finishing, cool-touch or warming treatments, and PFAS-free processing. - Fact.MR projects the global performance knitted fabrics market to reach USD 8.58 billion in 2026. - Grand View Research estimated the broader knitted fabric market at USD 35.7 billion for 2025, with a 6.0% CAGR. - Ken Research estimated China’s knitted fabric exports at about USD 21.2 billion in 2024. - Research and Markets expects the global moisture wicking fabrics market to reach USD 3.99 billion by 2030, at a 6% CAGR. - SNS Insider projects the recycled textiles market at USD 6.32 billion in 2025, growing at 4.70% CAGR to 2035. - EKING fabric says its production combines made-to-order manufacturing with custom development, and sample approval happens before bulk production begins. - EKING fabric says planning runs on an ERP system. - EKING fabric says it can customize functional properties for brands, including PFAS-free processing, specified antibacterial agents and recycled materials. - EKING fabric says technical specifications and defined testing standards are required to develop and validate each custom function. - OEKO-TEX set a new limit value for Total Fluorine of 100 mg/kg under STANDARD 100, effective Jan. 1, 2024, to address PFAS compliance. - California’s AB-1817 bans regulated PFAS in textiles at a total organic fluorine threshold below 100 ppm from Jan. 1, 2025, with the threshold dropping below 50 ppm in 2027.

Between the lines: - The review separates functional knit fabric from general textile sourcing because knitted constructions offer stretch, breathability and moisture transfer that woven fabrics do not match as well for next-to-skin use. - Public disclosure is uneven among privately held Chinese mills, so the review does not rank the five companies by revenue, capacity or certification volume. - The market signal is that performance and sustainability are rising together, not replacing one another. - For buyers, documentation is becoming as important as the fabric itself. - Test reports, finish chemistry declarations and recycled-input traceability are increasingly part of supplier selection.

What’s next: - Global buyers are likely to keep prioritizing documented performance, verified finish chemistry and the ability to validate custom specs before bulk production. - Chinese mills with integrated dyeing and finishing may compete more on process control and documentation than on headline capacity. - The 2027 tightening of California’s PFAS threshold will put more pressure on water-repellent and stain-resistant textile finishes. - Demand for moisture-managed, recycled and easy-wash knits is expected to keep expanding.

The bottom line: - The five named manufacturers sit in a growing segment where the winners will be the mills that can prove performance, meet PFAS limits and support brand-specific development quickly.