The Next Level 3600 and Comfort Colors 1717 are two premium T-shirts that have become staples in the custom apparel industry, each with its own distinctive character. While both are popular choices for custom printing, they create completely different looks.
The Next Level 3600 is built around a lightweight fabric, a modern athletic silhouette, and a smooth, retail-quality finish. It’s a favorite for fashion brands, company apparel, events, and anyone looking for a sleek T-shirt that feels soft and lightweight.
The Comfort Colors 1717 takes a different approach. Its heavyweight garment-dyed fabric, relaxed silhouette, and vintage-inspired colors have made it a go-to choice for university apparel, breweries, coffee shops, boutiques, and lifestyle brands where the character of the shirt is just as important as the printed design.
If these two shirts are at the top of your shortlist, the decision isn’t about which one is better. It’s about choosing the style, fit, and feel that best matches your project. Here’s how they compare.
At a Glance: Next Level 3600 vs Comfort Colors 1717
| Next Level 3600 | Comfort Colors 1717 | |
| Fabric Weight | Lightweight, 4.3 oz. | Heavyweight, 6.1 oz. |
| Construction | 100% combed ring-spun cotton | 100% ring-spun cotton |
| Dye Process | Piece-dyed | Garment-dyed |
| Fit | Semi-fitted, side-seamed | Boxy, tubular |
| Color Options | 23 colors | 67 colors |
| Sizes* | Adult XS-3XL, Youth YXS-YXL | Adult S-4XL, Youth YXS-YXL |
| Pricing** | $10.25 per shirt | $13.70 per shirt |
*Size availability varies by color
**When ordering 50 shirts with one color screen printed
Brand Comparison
Although both brands produce premium-quality apparel, they appeal to different aesthetics.
Next Level Apparel
Next Level Apparel has built its reputation around lightweight retail-inspired basics with exceptionally soft fabrics and contemporary fits.
The 3600 is one of the company’s flagship styles, offering a modern silhouette that feels more like a fashion T-shirt than a traditional promotional tee. It’s a popular choice for retail merch, company apparel, fitness brands, and event shirts that people will likely keep wearing long after the occasion is over.
Comfort Colors
Comfort Colors has become synonymous with garment-dyed apparel. The brand is known for heavyweight cotton T-shirts that arrive with a soft, broken-in feel and slightly faded colors that resemble a favorite shirt that’s been worn for years.
The 1717 has become especially popular for college merch, band shirts, outdoor brands, breweries, and businesses looking for a relaxed, vintage-inspired look.
Garment-Dyed vs. Piece-Dyed
One of the biggest distinctions between these two shirts is how each shirt is dyed.
What is Garment-Dyeing?
The Comfort Colors 1717 is garment dyed, meaning the shirt is sewn together before the entire garment goes through the dyeing process. This technique softens the fabric even further while producing the subtle shade variations that have become a signature part of the Comfort Colors aesthetic.
Rather than looking perfectly uniform, the finished shirt has a naturally washed appearance that gives it a vintage feel right out of the package.
What is Piece-Dyeing?
The Next Level 3600 uses the more traditional piece-dyeing process. The fabric is dyed before it’s cut and sewn into a shirt, creating consistent, even color from garment to garment. This is particularly useful for businesses, organizations, or brands that need reliable color consistency across larger orders or repeat purchases.
Neither approach is inherently better. Garment dyeing creates personality and character, while piece dyeing delivers clean, uniform colors. The right choice depends entirely on the style you’re trying to achieve.
Fabric Weight, Composition, and Feel
Fabric Weight
The difference in the fabric weight is immediately obvious the moment you pick up either shirt.
At 4.3 oz., the Next Level 3600 is a genuinely lightweight tee. That makes it comfortable to wear in warmer conditions and easy to layer without adding bulk.
The Comfort Colors 1717 is nearly 50% heavier at 6.1 oz. That extra weight gives the shirt a substantial, durable feel that holds its shape well and resists stretching. It’s also warm enough to wear comfortably on its own in cooler weather.
If you’re looking for a T-shirt that feels substantial and structured, the Comfort Colors 1717 has the advantage. If lightweight comfort is higher on your list, the Next Level 3600 is likely to be the better fit.
Fabric Composition and Feel
Both shirts use premium cotton and are known for their softness in two different ways.
The Next Level 3600 is made from 100% combed ring-spun cotton (with some color variations using cotton-poly blends). Combing removes shorter fibers and impurities before the yarn is spun, creating a smoother, finer fabric with an exceptionally soft hand feel. The 32 singles construction also contributes to the shirt’s refined texture, giving it the polished feel commonly associated with retail apparel.
The Comfort Colors 1717 is made from 100% ring-spun cotton across all colors. Ring-spun cotton is naturally softer than standard open-end cotton, but much of the shirt’s signature comfort comes from the garment-dyeing and washing process rather than the yarn itself. The result is a heavyweight fabric that feels relaxed and broken in from the first wear.
Although both shirts are comfortable, they offer very different experiences.
The Next Level 3600 feels smooth, lightweight, and refined. The Comfort Colors 1717 feels thicker, softer in a worn-in way, and noticeably more substantial in your hands. The choice comes down to whether you prefer a modern lightweight tee or a heavyweight shirt with vintage character.
Fit and Silhouette
Fit is where these two shirts really part ways, and it’s often the deciding factor for buyers who’ve already tried one or the other.
The Next Level 3600 is side-seamed, which means the front and back panels are sewn together along the sides rather than knit as a single tube. That construction lets the shirt taper slightly through the body for a semi-fitted, modern silhouette.
For many people, this is one of the shirt’s biggest selling points. It offers a more contemporary look that works well for retail merch, company swag, and brands looking for a polished presentation.
The Comfort Colors 1717 uses tubular construction instead, with the body knit as one continuous tube and no side seams at all. That’s what gives the 1717 its signature boxy, straight-cut shape. Combined with its roomier sleeves, the shirt reads as relaxed and oversized rather than tailored.
It’s worth noting that some buyers find the 1717 runs a little shorter in the body than its oversized reputation suggests, so sizing up is common if you want that fuller, streetwear-style drape. The 3600, by contrast, is designed to be pre-laundered to help minimize shrinkage and fits closer to true to size for its intended semi-fitted cut.
If your project calls for a sleek, body-conscious shape, the 3600 wins this category. If you want a relaxed, oversized silhouette with a straight drop, the 1717 is built for exactly that.
Print and Embroidery Compatibility
Screen Printing
Both shirts print well for different reasons. The Next Level 3600’s smooth, combed cotton surface is excellent at holding fine detail and crisp linework, which makes it a strong option for designs with small text or intricate artwork.
The Comfort Colors 1717 offers a sturdier, heavier surface that handles bold graphics and larger areas of ink coverage with ease, and its garment-dyed colors add an extra layer of character that complements vintage-inspired artwork particularly well.
Direct-to-Garment
The Next Level 3600 is an excellent candidate for DTG. Its piece-dyed combed ring-spun cotton provides a clean, predictable printing surface that allows pretreatment and inks to perform consistently. The smooth fabric also helps reproduce fine details and vibrant colors with excellent clarity.
The Comfort Colors 1717 isn’t a great option for DTG printing because its garment-dyed fabric can make pretreatment and ink absorption less consistent, resulting in prints that may appear less vibrant than on standard piece-dyed shirts.
If DTG is your preferred decoration method, the Next Level 3600 has a clear advantage.
Embroidery
Both shirts can be embroidered successfully, although the heavier Comfort Colors 1717 provides a slightly more forgiving surface for larger stitched designs.
Its 6.1 oz. fabric offers additional support beneath the stitching, helping embroidered logos sit flatter while reducing the chance of puckering, particularly on larger or denser designs.
The Next Level 3600 also works well with embroidery, especially for smaller chest logos, sleeve embroidery, or lighter stitch counts. Since it’s a lighter-weight shirt, large, dense embroidery designs may require a bit more stabilization to maintain the fabric’s natural drape.
Color and Size Availability
Color Selection
Color choice is another area where these shirts begin to separate.
The Comfort Colors 1717 comes in 67 colors, offering one of the largest garment-dyed color palettes available. The collection includes everything from classic neutrals to muted earth tones, dusty pastels, rich blues, and vibrant seasonal colors. Much of the lineup is intentionally soft and washed in appearance, reinforcing the shirt’s vintage-inspired aesthetic.
The Next Level 3600 is available in 23 colors. While the palette is considerably smaller, it covers the essentials well, including black, white, navy, charcoal, gray heathers, reds, blues, and several other versatile everyday colors. Rather than focusing on dozens of fashion shades, the collection centers around colors that work well for businesses, brands, and promotional apparel.
If matching a very specific color palette or creating vintage-inspired merchandise is important, the Comfort Colors 1717 offers significantly more flexibility. If your design only requires classic staple colors, the Next Level 3600’s selection will meet the needs of most projects.
Sizes
- The Next Level 3600 is available in Adult XS through 3XL, with kids YXS through YXL available as well.
- The Comfort Colors 1717 comes in Adult S through 4XL, with kids YXS through YXL available in select colors.
Considering a lot of customers size up for the oversized fit of the Comfort Colors 1717, this puts the size selection of both shirts pretty much in the same range.
Important: Kids sizes are limited to select colors in both shirts. Adult size availability also varies by color, so always make sure to check availability on the product page or contact us directly before finalizing your order.
Price
At 50 shirts with a one-color front screen print, the Next Level 3600 runs $10.25 per shirt, compared to $13.70 for the Comfort Colors 1717.
Although both fall within the premium blank category, the Comfort Colors 1717 carries a noticeably higher price. That’s largely due to its garment-dyeing process and heavyweight construction, both of which contribute to its distinctive appearance and feel.
For smaller orders, the price difference probably won’t have much impact on your budget, but as your order size grows, the gap becomes much more noticeable. With a few hundred shirts, you could end up spending several hundred dollars more.
If keeping costs under control is a major priority while still choosing a premium retail-style blank, the Next Level 3600 delivers excellent value. If the garment-dyed aesthetic and heavyweight feel are central to your project, many customers find the price difference is worth it.
You can always calculate pricing for your exact quantity and decoration method using our Quick Price tool on the product page.
The Bottom Line
Choose the Next Level 3600 if:
- You prefer a lightweight T-shirt with an exceptionally soft feel.
- You’re looking for a modern, athletic-inspired fit that follows the body more closely.
- Direct-to-garment printing is your preferred decoration method.
- You want a premium retail-style shirt while keeping costs lower than many heavyweight alternatives.
- Your design works well with a classic palette of neutral and everyday colors.
The Next Level 3600 stands out for its lightweight comfort, refined fabric, and contemporary silhouette. These qualities make it an excellent choice for company apparel, fitness brands, promotional merchandise, startup apparel, and retail clothing brands looking for a polished, modern look.
Choose the Comfort Colors 1717 if:
- You want a heavyweight T-shirt with a substantial feel.
- A relaxed, vintage-inspired silhouette better matches your brand.
- You’re after the unique character of garment-dyed colors.
- Your project features embroidery or vintage-style screen printing.
- You want one of the broadest garment-dyed color selections available.
The Comfort Colors 1717 has earned its reputation by offering something few other blanks can replicate. Its combination of heavyweight fabric, washed colors, and broken-in comfort creates a distinctive look that has become a favorite for university apparel, breweries, boutiques, outdoor brands, and lifestyle merchandise.
Ultimately, the decision comes down to the type of finished product you want to create.
Still weighing your options? Reach out and we’ll help you match the right blank to your design, budget, and decoration method.