In 2016, the U.S. apparel market was worth $315 billion. By 2025, the market is expected to grow to a value of $385 billion. The global clothing and textile industry is currently worth an estimated $2.5 trillion for good reason as the average consumer spends an average of $1,700 on apparel and related services annual and with billions of people in the world, the clothing and textile industry is booming.
If you’re in the clothing business, a hat heat press can be a great addition to your business. With a hat heat press, you’ll be able to do inkjet transfers and heat transfer vinyl (HTV) transfers onto hats to give customers what they’re looking for.
A hat heat press usually comes in two forms: multifunction heat press machine or stand alone machine.
Multifunction presses can be purchased for a reasonable price and allow users to do a lot of other pressing functions. Stand-alone machines are easier to use and take up considerably less space. With each type of hat heat press, there are several pros and cons to consider:
Multifunction presses usually come with multiple attachments, sometimes as many as seven or eight, giving users multiple pressing options. These options can include a t-shirt press, a plate press and a mug press.
Pros of the multifunction press include:
- Multiple press attachments
- It takes up less room compared to getting all the same stand-alone alternatives
- Cost effectiveness; they’re not much more than a stand-alone machine
Cons of the multifunction hat heat press include:
- The hat heat press can sometimes be of a lower quality than the stand-alone machine
- It can be difficult to change the attachments
- Using the different attachments can make the multifunction machine deteriorate quicker due to the constant plate and plug changes
- Holding the cap and transfer in place by yourself can be challenging
A stand-alone hat heat press is designed specifically for hats. It can be sometimes used for other functions, but as a stand-alone it is first and foremost a hat heat press.
Pros of the stand-alone include:
- There’s no need to constantly be changing plates
- It is a higher quality press and ultimately produces a better heat press transfer
Cons of the stand-alone machine include:
- It takes up more space than a multifunctional machine
- While it is higher quality, it can be more expensive
- Since its main function is as a hat heat press, you may need to use it a lot to justify getting it
When trying to decide which press machine might work best for your needs, keep the following factors in mind:
- How much space do you have?
- What are you using the machine for?
- What’s your budget like?
The answers to these questions will give you what you’re looking for. If you’re on a budget and want to try pressing things like t-shirts, mugs, caps and plates, then you need a multifunction press. If you’ve got money to spend, want something of higher quality and are primarily looking for a hat heat press, then a stand-alone machine is the way to go.