Does New Balance Shrink? Athletic Wear Care Explained

New Balance performance clothing — running tops, tights, athletic shorts — is primarily polyester or polyester-spandex blend and has minimal shrinkage risk. Their NB Athletics lifestyle line contains more cotton and cotton-blend items that shrink 3–5% in warm water. The care approach depends on which product category you own.

New Balance Product Lines and Their Fabrics

New Balance categorizes its apparel into distinct product lines, each engineered for different use cases and constructed from different fiber blends. Understanding which line your garment belongs to is the first step in applying the correct care method.

Performance Running (N-Vent, Impact Run, Fresh Foam Apparel)

New Balance performance running apparel — including the N-Vent, Impact Run, and Fresh Foam apparel lines — is engineered from 100% polyester or polyester-nylon blends, frequently with a small percentage of elastane for stretch recovery. Polyester is a thermoplastic synthetic fiber, meaning its structure is heat-set during manufacturing and remains dimensionally stable at home laundry temperatures up to 60°C (140°F). Under normal washing conditions, polyester does not shrink.

Nylon, used in some performance blends, is equally dimensionally stable in laundry conditions. Nylon is hygroscopic — it absorbs and releases moisture without significant dimensional change — and its tenacity and abrasion resistance make it well-suited to high-output athletic use. Both polyester and nylon are hydrophobic fibers that dry quickly and resist water-based shrinkage.

Fabric: 100% polyester or polyester-nylon blend; may include elastane
Shrinkage risk: Very low — synthetic thermoplastics are heat-set during manufacturing and remain dimensionally stable
Care: Machine wash cold (30–40°C / 85–105°F); gentle or sport cycle; air dry or tumble dry low heat

NB Athletics Lifestyle Line

The NB Athletics lifestyle collection takes a different approach to construction, prioritizing comfort and everyday wearability over technical performance. Cotton and cotton-polyester blends predominate in this line. Unlike synthetic fibers, cotton is a cellulosic fiber that absorbs water and swells during laundering. When exposed to heat during drying, the fiber contracts — a phenomenon known as relaxation shrinkage.

Industry testing, drawing on AATCC standard test methods, consistently shows that 100% cotton fabrics shrink 3–5% on the first wash when laundered in warm water (40–60°C / 105–140°F). Cotton-polyester blends exhibit reduced shrinkage — typically 2–3% — because the synthetic component constrains the cellulosic fiber’s movement during laundering and drying.

Fabric: 100% cotton or cotton-polyester blend
Shrinkage risk: 3–5% for 100% cotton; 2–3% for cotton-polyester blends
Elastane note: Heat degrades elastane recovery properties — always air dry compression garments
Care: Machine wash cold first 3–5 washes to control initial shrinkage; then warm wash (40–50°C) acceptable; tumble dry low heat; remove promptly

New Balance NB DRY Technology

NB DRY is New Balance’s proprietary moisture management technology, functionally comparable to Adidas dryCELL or Nike Dri-FIT. The system relies on a hydrophobic polyester base — the same fiber family used across performance running apparel — treated with a hydrophilic finish that pulls perspiration away from the skin and distributes it across the fabric surface for rapid evaporation.

Because the NB DRY system is built on a polyester foundation, it inherits polyester’s dimensional stability: NB DRY fabrics do not shrink under normal home laundering conditions. Polyester is hydrophobic by nature, meaning it repels water rather than absorbing it, which contributes to the technology’s quick-dry performance. The fiber structure is set during manufacturing at temperatures well above any home laundry or drying environment.

A critical care consideration for NB DRY garments is fabric softener. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain cationic surfactants that coat individual fibers with a waxy hydrophobic layer. On standard cotton or cotton-blend fabrics, this produces a softer hand feel. On moisture-wicking performance fabrics, however, the softener coating clogs the microscopic channels between fibers and the fabric’s hydrophilic finish, physically blocking the moisture transport pathway and reducing the garment’s ability to move sweat away from the skin.

Fabric base: Polyester — inherently dimensionally stable, no shrinkage risk
Technology: Hydrophilic finish on hydrophobic polyester base draws moisture outward
Fabric softener warning: Blocks moisture channels; do NOT use fabric softener on NB DRY items
Care: Machine wash cold; no fabric softener; air dry or tumble dry low heat

New Balance product care guide showing performance, lifestyle, and compression lines with shrinkage risk

How to Wash New Balance Activewear

Correct washing methodology varies by product line because each uses different fiber compositions. Applying performance-fabric care to cotton items or cotton-fabric care to spandex garments will either damage the garment or fail to prevent shrinkage. Follow these line-specific guidelines.

Performance Apparel (N-Vent, Impact Run, Fresh Foam, NB DRY)

Turn performance garments inside out before washing to protect the exterior surface from abrasion in the drum. Use cold water (30–40°C / 85–105°F) and a gentle or delicate cycle. Avoid fabric softener entirely — it impairs moisture-wicking performance on all synthetic performance fabrics. If the washing machine has a sportswear or activewear setting, use it. For drying, air drying is preferred to preserve the fabric’s mechanical properties and extend garment lifespan; if tumble drying is necessary, use the lowest heat setting.

NB Athletics Cotton and Cotton-Blend Lifestyle Items

For NB Athletics sweatshirts, joggers, and cotton-blend tops, wash in cold water for the first three to five washes — this controls initial relaxation shrinkage in 100% cotton items and stabilizes the dimensions of blends. After the initial break-in washes, warm water (40–50°C / 105–120°F) is acceptable. Tumble dry on low heat. Remove garments promptly from the dryer to minimize wrinkling.

Sports Bras and Compression Garments

Fasten hooks and close any velcro closures before washing to prevent snagging. Hand washing is ideal but machine washing on a cold, delicate cycle is acceptable in a mesh laundry bag. Never place compression garments in the dryer — the heat progressively degrades the elastane fibers, causing the garment to lose its compression rating over time. Lay flat or hang to air dry. If you must use a dryer in an emergency, use the air-only, no-heat tumble setting.

Product Line	Primary Fabric	Shrinkage Risk	Wash Temp	Dry Method	Special Notes
Performance Running (N-Vent, Impact Run, Fresh Foam)	Polyester or polyester-nylon blend	Very Low	Cold (30–40°C)	Air dry or low heat	No fabric softener
NB DRY	Polyester with moisture-wicking finish	None	Cold (30–40°C)	Air dry or low heat	NO fabric softener — blocks moisture channels
NB Athletics Lifestyle (Cotton items)	100% cotton	3–5%	Cold first washes, then warm (40–50°C)	Tumble dry low	Cold wash first 3–5 washes minimizes shrinkage
NB Athletics Lifestyle (Blend items)	Cotton-polyester blend	2–3%	Cold	Tumble dry low	More dimensionally stable than 100% cotton
Sports Bras and Compression	Polyester-spandex (80/20)	Low	Cold delicate	Air dry only	Heat damages elastane — always air dry

Frequently Asked Questions

Do New Balance running shirts shrink?

New Balance performance running shirts are polyester and do not shrink under normal washing conditions. Cold washing and air drying maintains their moisture-wicking performance.

Can New Balance sweatshirts go in the dryer?

NB Athletics lifestyle sweatshirts (cotton or cotton-poly) can go in the dryer on low heat. 100% cotton sweatshirts may shrink 3–5% in the first wash — cold washing minimizes this.