The Jerzees 996M NuBlend Pullover Hoodie is one of those wholesale fleeces that's been on the order sheet for so long, in our experience, it almost defines what a "budget hoodie" should look like. 8 oz of pill-resistant NuBlend fleece, a roomy front pouch pocket, a two-ply hood with metal grommets and a tipped drawcord, and a printing canvas dense enough to hold a real screen print without breaking through. At around $26 MSRP for an 8 oz hoodie, it earns its spot through fabric technology rather than premium construction, which is the right tradeoff for buyers who need to outfit a lot of people without burning the budget.

What "NuBlend" actually does

Plenty of budget hoodies are 50/50 cotton/poly, and most of them pill badly. Pilling is the small, fuzzy bumps that form on the surface as the cotton fibers fray and tangle through wear and wash cycles. It's the visual cue that says "this hoodie is old" even when the rest of it is fine, and it's the single biggest reason cheap fleece looks worse over time than it should. NuBlend is Jerzees' fabric technology specifically engineered to resist pilling: the fibers are constructed differently from a generic 50/50 so they don't fray and tangle as readily. The practical effect, on a t-ball team's hoodies or a brewery's staff fleece, is that the decorated garments still look sharp after a full season of wear and laundering, instead of going fuzzy and dated by month three. For a budget-tier hoodie, that's the fabric story that matters.

What "high stitch density for a smooth printing canvas" actually means

The other spec worth understanding on the 996M is the stitch density. The fleece is knit at a tighter, denser stitch count than the lower-end budget hoodies in the same price range, which produces a smoother, more uniform surface. For decoration, that smoother canvas matters. Screen-printed ink lays flatter, edges hold sharper, and small details (small typography, fine lines, half-tone fills) don't get distorted by the texture of a looser knit. It's the kind of feature you don't notice until you compare a print pulled on a 996M against the same print pulled on a generic budget fleece, but it's a real durability and quality difference for any decoration-heavy order.

The construction in plain language

The 996M is 8 oz/yd² in a 50/50 cotton/polyester NuBlend fleece. The hood is two-ply (lined with a second layer of fleece for warmth and a more finished interior look), with metal grommets at the drawcord ports and a tipped, knotted, dyed-to-match drawcord. The body has a front pouch pocket (the classic kangaroo pocket). The cuffs and waistband use 1x1 rib knit for shape retention. The neck, armholes, and waistband are double-needle coverseamed, which is the construction term for stitching that loops through the fabric twice for added durability at the high-stress seams. The label is tear-away. Adult sizing runs S through 5XL. Ash is the same color formerly known as Birch (the color name shift happened a while back, but worth knowing if you're matching an older order). One decoration note from the spec: 50/50 cotton/poly neon fabrics require extra care through the printing process. If your order includes neons, flag it with your decorator.

Who actually buys the 996M

The honest positioning: this is the call for buyers who need quantity at a fair price without the fleece looking cheap. Think a school's intramural sports league outfitting six teams in coordinated colors. A brewery doing a giveaway batch for a beer launch. A summer-camp staff order that needs to look reasonably sharp at first day and survive the summer. An office holiday gift run where the boss didn't want to spend $50 a piece. The 996M will not feel like a $90 retail hoodie when you put it on. What it will do is print cleanly, resist pilling through repeated washes, and hold its shape long enough that the order still looks like a real uniform six months later. For a step up in fabric weight and feel, the heavier ITC IND4000 or the Jerzees 4997 Super Sweats Hoodie are the next tiers up. For everything else, the 996M holds its slot.

The Jerzees NuBlend family

The 996M anchors a coordinated NuBlend fleece line. For youth sizing, the 996Y Youth NuBlend Pullover Hoodie mirrors the 996M in fabric and construction, scaled to youth sizing, with a drawcord-free hood (which complies with CPSC youth safety guidelines and is a purchasing requirement for many schools and youth-organization orders). For buyers who want the same fabric without a hood, the 562M NuBlend Crewneck brings the same 8 oz NuBlend into a hoodless crewneck silhouette. For a quarter-zip option, the 995M Quarter-Zip Sweatshirt uses the same NuBlend fabric with a cadet collar for a slightly more polished, layerable look. For the heavier step-up, the 4997M Super Sweats Hoodie uses a more substantial NuBlend build for buyers who want more weight in their fleece. And if you're pairing a hoodie with a matching tee in the same brand, the 29M Dri-Power Active T-Shirt is the matching Jerzees blank tee, both in the same general budget tier.

Decoration

The 996M is built to decorate. The high-stitch-density canvas takes screen print and embroidery cleanly, the seamless body gives a wide front-print area without seams interrupting the design, and the 50/50 blend takes ink reliably across solids. Heat-applied transfers (DTF, vinyl, TPU) work cleanly on the fleece surface. For DTG specifically, the 50/50 blend isn't ideal (DTG works best on 100% cotton substrates), but it's possible with the right pretreatment. The two things to flag with your decorator: first, 50/50 neon colorways need extra care during the cure to avoid scorching and dye migration (mentioned on the spec sheet). Second, on a budget hoodie at this fabric weight, low-bleed or polyester-appropriate inks are worth using for the heather colors specifically. (To hand decoration to us, send your logo for custom screen printing, embroidery, or DTF transfers.)

Questions buyers ask

How does the 996M compare to the Gildan G185?

Closest direct peer in the wholesale market. Both are 8 oz 50/50 cotton/poly pullover hoodies at similar price points. The G185 wins on color depth (Gildan's color palette is broader). The 996M wins on NuBlend's pill resistance versus Gildan's air-jet construction, which makes a real difference in how the garments look after a season of wear. Honest take: if your buyer cares about how the hoodie looks at month 6, the 996M is the slightly better pick. If color availability is the deciding factor and the order is going to be worn lightly, the G185 works fine. Neither is a wrong call; they're competitive enough that decorators often have a preference based on which one their shop has dialed in for print settings.

What does "pill-resistant" actually mean in practice?

Pilling is the surface fuzz that forms as cotton fibers fray and tangle through wear and washing. NuBlend's pill resistance comes from how the fibers are spun and knit, which keeps the surface smoother through more wash cycles than a generic 50/50 hoodie. The practical effect is that a 996M still looks like a real garment three or four months in, where a cheaper budget hoodie often looks visibly worn by then. It's not magic (every fleece will eventually pill given enough wear), but the rate is noticeably slower.

Does the 996Y youth version really have no drawcord?

Right, and that's by design. Drawstrings in children's upper outerwear are a recognized strangulation hazard, and CPSC guidelines plus the corresponding ASTM standard call for youth hoodies to be made without them. The 996Y omits the hood drawcord entirely (the adult 996M has a tipped and knotted drawcord). For schools, camps, and most youth-organization purchasing, drawcord-free is a hard requirement, not a preference. The 996Y is built to meet it.

Will the 996M shrink in the wash?

It'll shrink some on the first wash, but less than a 100% cotton hoodie would, because the 50% polyester content stabilizes the dimensions. Cold water wash and tumble dry on low or medium is the safest setting for a decorated 996M, which keeps both shrinkage and fade in check. NuBlend's construction holds shape better through wash cycles than basic 50/50 fleece, which is part of the reason it's been a workhorse for so long.

Can I order the 996M in tall or extended sizing?

Standard adult sizing runs S through 5XL on the 996M, which is a deeper range than many budget hoodies offer. For tall sizing or extended sizing beyond 5XL, the 996M doesn't currently extend further. A heavier-weight option like the Jerzees 4997 Super Sweats or a different brand in the same tier may have additional sizing options.

Order the Jerzees 996M NuBlend Pullover Hoodie blank or fully custom decorated, with automatic bulk discounts at checkout, 1 to 3 day shipping, and free returns. Browse the full Jerzees collection or all wholesale hoodies and fleece.