Look, I'll be honest with you. I got tired of the guessing game.
Every time I'd order a basic tee from a different CNFans spreadsheet vendor, it felt like spinning a roulette wheel. Sometimes I'd get this buttery-soft, substantial fabric that felt like it cost three times what I paid. Other times? Tissue paper masquerading as a shirt.
So I did what any reasonable person with too much time and a spreadsheet addiction would do: I ordered the same style t-shirt from five different popular vendors and put them through the wringer. Literally. We're talking fabric weight measurements, wash tests, the whole nine yards.
The Vendors I Tested
I'm not going to name names outright because vendor quality can shift, but I tested what I'm calling Vendor A through E. These are all frequently mentioned sellers in the CNFans spreadsheets with solid ratings. The shirt? A basic heavyweight cotton tee, supposedly 220gsm, in black. Same style code across all vendors.
Here's the kicker: only two of them actually delivered what they promised.
Fabric Weight: The Numbers Don't Lie
I grabbed a kitchen scale (yeah, I'm that person now) and measured a 10cm x 10cm square from each shirt. Then I did the math to extrapolate the GSM (grams per square meter).
Vendor A came in at 228gsm. Solid. Felt substantial in hand, had that nice drape you want from a quality tee. This matched their listing almost perfectly.
Vendor B? 186gsm. They advertised 220gsm, but what I got was noticeably thinner. Not see-through thin, but definitely that awkward in-between where it's not quite a summer tee but not substantial enough for layering.
Vendor C surprised me at 235gsm. Actually heavier than advertised, which I'm not complaining about. The fabric had this slightly textured feel, almost like a premium retail tee.
Vendor D clocked in at 198gsm, and Vendor E was the worst offender at 172gsm. That's nearly 50 grams lighter than advertised. At that point, you're basically paying for a different product entirely.
The Feel Test: Beyond the Numbers
Now, GSM isn't everything. I've felt 200gsm shirts that felt more premium than some 240gsm ones because of the cotton quality and knit construction.
Vendor A's fabric had a tight, even knit. Running my hand across it, I couldn't feel any loose threads or inconsistencies. It had that slight stretch you want without feeling flimsy.
Vendor C, despite being the heaviest, actually felt a bit stiff out of the package. Not cardboard stiff, but it definitely needed a wash to soften up. After three washes though? Honestly became my favorite of the bunch. It developed this lived-in softness while maintaining structure.
Here's where it gets interesting: Vendor B's lighter fabric actually felt nicer initially than Vendor D's, even though D was slightly heavier. B used what felt like a softer cotton blend, while D's fabric had this almost rough texture, like it was a lower grade cotton or had more synthetic content.
Vendor E's shirt felt exactly like what you'd expect from a 172gsm tee. Thin, a bit slippery, and I could see my hand through it when I held it up to the light. Not terrible for a summer undershirt, but not what was advertised.
The Wash Test: Where Things Got Real
I washed each shirt five times on a normal cycle (cold water, tumble dry medium) to simulate a few months of regular wear. This is where the quality consistency really showed itself.
Vendor A maintained its shape beautifully. Minimal shrinkage (maybe 2% in length), no pilling, color stayed deep black. The neckline kept its structure, which is huge because that's usually the first thing to go on cheaper tees.
Vendor C had some initial shrinkage after the first wash (about 4%), but then stabilized. The fabric actually got better with each wash, softening up without losing that substantial feel. By wash five, this was competing with Vendor A for top spot.
Vendor B started showing wear by wash three. Not catastrophic, but I noticed some slight pilling under the arms and the fabric started feeling a bit looser, like the knit was relaxing. The neckline also stretched out noticeably.
Vendor D was a disaster. The rough texture I mentioned? It got worse. The shirt also shrank unevenly – the body shrank more than the sleeves, giving it this weird boxy fit. Color fading was noticeable too, going from black to more of a dark charcoal.
Vendor E held up better than I expected given the thin fabric, but it definitely looked worn after five washes. The kind of worn where you'd relegate it to gym shirt status.
Durability: The Six-Month Follow-Up
I've been rotating these shirts in my regular wardrobe for about six months now. We're talking 15-20 washes each at this point, plus regular wear.
Vendor A is still going strong. There's a tiny bit of fading, but the fabric integrity is solid. No holes, minimal pilling, still fits the same as day one (after that initial wash shrinkage).
Vendor C developed a small hole near the bottom hem around month four, which was disappointing given how much I liked the fabric. Could've been a fluke, or maybe the heavier weight puts more stress on the stitching. Hard to say.
Vendor B is now officially a house shirt. The fabric has thinned out noticeably, there's pilling in high-friction areas, and the neckline is stretched beyond salvation. It's comfortable, but it looks tired.
Vendor D got donated after month three. The uneven shrinking and rough texture just made it unwearable for me. Someone else might have better luck, but I couldn't deal with it.
Vendor E actually surprised me by lasting this long, though it's definitely showing its age. It's become my painting/yard work shirt. For the price difference, if you know you're getting a lighter weight tee, it's not the worst option for tasks where you don't care about the shirt.
Price vs. Quality: The Real Calculation
Here's where things get interesting from a value perspective. Vendor A charged about ¥45, Vendor C was ¥52, Vendor B was ¥38, Vendor D was ¥42, and Vendor E was ¥35.
At first glance, Vendor E seems like a deal. But when you factor in that it's basically a disposable shirt after six months, you're actually paying more per wear than if you'd bought from Vendor A or C.
Vendor A at ¥45 has given me six months of solid wear with plenty of life left. That's probably 30+ wears so far, making it about ¥1.50 per wear and dropping. Vendor E at ¥35 for maybe 20 wears before it became a work shirt? That's ¥1.75 per wear, and it never looked as good.
The bottom line is that the extra ¥10-15 for consistent quality pays for itself pretty quickly.
What I Learned About Vendor Consistency
The biggest takeaway? Vendor consistency matters more than finding the absolute cheapest option. I've since ordered three more shirts from Vendor A, and all three have been identical in quality to the first. Same weight, same feel, same construction.
I tried one more order from Vendor C to see if the hole was a fluke, and that second shirt has been perfect so far (three months in). So I'm chalking that up to bad luck rather than a systemic quality issue.
Vendor B is inconsistent. I've seen other people rave about their tees, so I think they might source from multiple factories or their quality control is just loose. It's a gamble.
What really surprised me was how much the fabric weight discrepancies mattered in real-world use. That 50gsm difference between advertised and actual weight on Vendor E translated to a completely different product. It's not just about being picky – it affects how the shirt drapes, how it layers, how long it lasts.
Red Flags to Watch For
Through this process, I've identified some warning signs that a vendor might not deliver consistent quality:
- Vague product descriptions that don't list specific fabric weights or cotton percentages
- Stock photos only, no customer review photos showing the actual product
- Wildly varying reviews mentioning different fabric feels or weights
- Prices that seem too good to be true compared to other vendors selling the same style
- No mention of fabric composition (100% cotton vs. cotton blend makes a huge difference)
I also learned to check if vendors mention their factory sources. The ones who are transparent about where they're sourcing from tend to have more consistent quality because they're not hopping between suppliers based on whoever's cheapest that week.
My Current Buying Strategy
These days, I stick with vendors who've proven consistent. I'll pay the extra ¥10-15 per shirt because I know what I'm getting. For basics like tees, consistency is worth more than saving a few yuan.
That said, I'm not completely opposed to trying new vendors. But now I order one piece first as a test, put it through at least three washes, and see how it holds up before committing to a bigger order.
I also pay way more attention to the actual GSM listings now, and I've learned to spot when a vendor is being vague about specs. If they won't list the fabric weight, there's usually a reason.
For t-shirts specifically, I won't go below 200gsm anymore unless it's specifically for summer and I know that's what I'm getting. That 180-200gsm range is just awkward – not substantial enough for most situations, but not light enough to be a proper summer tee.
The Verdict
If you're serious about getting consistent quality from CNFans spreadsheet vendors, you've got to do your homework. The spreadsheet ratings help, but they don't tell you everything about fabric quality and durability.
My advice? Find a vendor who delivers consistent fabric weight and quality, then stick with them for your basics. It's worth paying a bit more to know exactly what you're getting every time. The time and hassle you save not dealing with returns and disappointments is worth way more than the ¥10-15 price difference.
And honestly, after six months of testing, I'm convinced that fabric weight consistency is one of the best indicators of overall vendor reliability. If they're cutting corners on something as basic as fabric weight, they're probably cutting corners elsewhere too.