Mestre® vs Lycra® vs T-800 vs T-400: The Stretch Yarn Comparison Every Textile Buyer Needs
Walk into any yarn trading office in Surat, Tirupur, or Ludhiana and ask about stretch yarn — you will get four names thrown back almost immediately: Lycra®, T-800, T-400, and increasingly, Mestre®. These four products represent different technological approaches to the same problem: how do you add stretch to a fabric while maintaining comfort, durability, and appearance?
The Fundamental Difference: Elastane vs Bicomponent
Chemical stretch (elastane): Lycra®, T-800, and T-400 are based on elastane a polyurethane synthetic that behaves like a rubber band at the fibre level. The polyurethane chains uncoil under stretch and snap back on release. This is powerful, but polyurethane degrades over time through washing, heat, chlorine, and UV light.
Mechanical stretch (bicomponent yarn): Mestre® creates stretch through a three-dimensional coil crimp like a tiny spring embedded in the fibre through co-extrusion. The coil straightens under tension and returns to its coiled state on release. No rubber, no polyurethane. The stretch mechanism is permanent and does not degrade.
This is the most important distinction in the entire comparison. Everything else follows from it.
What Is Lycra®?
Lycra® is Invista's (formerly DuPont's) trademarked brand name for elastane also called spandex in North America. It has been the industry default for stretch fabric since the 1960s, used at 2–10% content in blended fabrics.
Strengths: extremely high elongation (up to 700%), very powerful recovery force, works at very low content. Weaknesses: degrades with washing and heat, not recyclable with polyester, imported into India (forex risk), poor moisture management.
What Is T-400?
T-400 is an Invista-branded bicomponent elastomultiester yarn specifically a PTT/PET side-by-side configuration. It was one of the first commercially successful mechanical-stretch bicomponent yarns, introduced in the early 2000s. T-400 delivers mechanical stretch without the processing complications of spandex.
T-400 is imported into India and carries Invista brand-licensing costs. It is more expensive than equivalent Indian-made bicomponent yarn.
What Is T-800?
T-800 is a newer Invista bicomponent product offering higher stretch levels than T-400, positioning itself in premium stretch applications. Like T-400, it is imported, Invista-branded, and subject to brand premiums and import costs.
What Is Mestre®?
Mestre® is a bicomponent elastomultiester yarn made in India by the Madhusudan Group in Surat, Gujarat. It uses the same PTT/PET conjugate spinning technology as T-400 and T-800, but is manufactured entirely in India providing cost advantages, supply chain reliability, and no import dependency.
Full Comparison Table
Factor
Mestre®
Lycra®
T-400
T-800
Technology
Bicomponent (mech. stretch)
Elastane (chem. stretch)
Bicomponent (mech. stretch)
Bicomponent (mech. stretch)
Made in India
Yes
No (imported)
No (imported)
No (imported)
Forex risk
None — INR pricing
USD exposure
USD exposure
USD exposure
Wash durability
Permanent
Degrades ~50–80 washes
Permanent
Permanent
Recyclability
Yes — polyester stream
No
Yes — polyester stream
Yes — polyester stream
Moisture management
Excellent
Poor
Good
Good
Price
Competitive Indian pricing
High (import + brand)
High (import + brand)
Very high (import + brand)
Which Yarn Should You Choose?
If you are an Indian manufacturer who wants the best stretch performance at the lowest total cost of ownership, with supply chain reliability and no import risk: Mestre® is the answer. It matches or exceeds T-400 and T-800 performance at a fraction of the landed cost, and significantly outperforms Lycra in wash durability, moisture management, and recyclability.
