Fabric Pilling Calculator

Pilling tendency from fiber content and yarn construction.

Fiber type

Yarn twist level

Fabric density

Number of wears

Care method

Tab to move between fields

Martindale pilling rating (1-5)

4.3

Estimated pills per 10cm²3

Pilling resistance (%)83

Wears until noticeable pilling999

Fabric shaver effectiveness (%)36

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Fiber type, Yarn twist level, and Fabric density.
Set Number of wears and Care method.
Review the Martindale pilling rating (1-5) result.
Use Estimated pills per 10cm² and Pilling resistance (%) to inform your decision.

What each input means

Fiber type: 0=Cotton, 1=Polyester, 2=Poly-cotton blend, 3=Acrylic, 4=Wool, 5=Nylon, 6=Silk, 7=Cashmere.
Yarn twist level: 0=Low twist (soft, fluffy), 1=Medium twist (standard), 2=High twist (crisp, tight).
Fabric density: 0=Loose knit, 1=Standard weave, 2=Tight/dense weave.
Number of wears: How many times the garment has been or will be worn before assessing pilling.
Care method: 0=Machine wash & tumble dry, 1=Gentle cycle & hang dry, 2=Hand wash.

Martindale pilling rating (1-5): Industry standard rating: 5=No pilling, 4=Slight, 3=Moderate, 2=Severe, 1=Very severe.
Estimated pills per 10cm²: Approximate number of visible pills per 10 square centimeters.
Pilling resistance (%): Overall resistance to pilling as a percentage (100% = completely resistant).
Wears until noticeable pilling: Estimated number of wears before pilling becomes visually apparent.
Fabric shaver effectiveness (%): How effective a fabric shaver will be at removing pills from this fiber type.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Fiber type = 0, Yarn twist level = 1, Fabric density = 1, Number of wears = 50 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Martindale pilling rating
Martindale pilling rating = max(1, min(5, round((5 - clampedSeverity * 0.4) * 10) / 10))
4.3 = 4.3
Calculate Estimated pills per 10cm²
Estimated pills per 10cm²
3 = 3
Calculate Pilling resistance
Pilling resistance
83 = 83