Hoodie vs Sweatshirt: What’s the Difference (and Which Should You Customise)?
By The Velocity Wear Team
A hoodie has a hood and usually a kangaroo pocket; a sweatshirt — most often a crewneck — has neither. Both are made from the same fleece family, so the fabric and decoration options are nearly identical. The real question for a brand is not which is "better", but which one fits your season, price point and audience. Here is a clear comparison.
The core difference
Strip away the marketing and the distinction is simple — it is about construction, not material:
- Hoodie — has a hood (single or double layer) and usually a front kangaroo pocket; available as pullover or full-zip.
- Sweatshirt — a crewneck (or sometimes a quarter-zip) with a ribbed round neckline, no hood and no front pocket.
- Everything else — fleece weight, cotton quality, fit and decoration — can be identical between the two.
Warmth, weight and feel
Both are made from looped-back or brushed-back fleece, and both are sized by GSM (grams per square metre). A hood adds warmth and a more casual, streetwear silhouette; a crewneck reads cleaner and more classic, and layers more neatly under a jacket. If you are unsure, the GSM matters far more than the hood: a 400 GSM crewneck feels far more premium than a 280 GSM hoodie.
Price: hoodies usually cost a little more
A hoodie uses more fabric (the hood) and more hardware (drawcords, eyelets, sometimes a zip), so it typically costs a little more to produce than the equivalent crewneck. That also means a hoodie can usually carry a slightly higher retail price. A crewneck is the smart way to offer the same brand look at a lower price point.
Which should you customise?
Match the garment to your audience and use case:
- Streetwear & youth brands → hoodies. The hood is part of the look, and heavyweight pullovers are the hero product.
- Premium minimal or "quiet luxury" brands → crewneck sweatshirts. Cleaner lines suit refined branding.
- Corporate, university or team kit → offer both, so people can choose; crewnecks photograph smartly for staff.
- Co-ord sets → a hoodie or crewneck matched with joggers lifts average order value either way.
“You rarely have to choose. The best-selling drops often launch a hoodie and a matching crewneck in the same colourway, so customers pick their preference and you capture both.”
Decoration works the same on both
Embroidery, screen printing and DTF all sit beautifully on hoodies and crewnecks alike. A small embroidered chest logo plus a large printed back graphic is a premium combination on either garment. The only practical note: a hoodie’s front pocket and drawcords mean very low or wide front prints need positioning above the pocket.
Velocity Wear makes both custom hoodies and crewneck sweatshirts in premium 280–450 GSM fleece, with a 20-piece minimum and tracked delivery to the UK, USA and Europe. Try both in our Design Studio, then request a free, itemised quote.