Specs at a glance
- Brand
- Shaka Wear
- Style
- Max Heavyweight
- Fabric
- 100% cotton (US-grown); Heather Grey 90/10 and Charcoal Grey 50/50 cotton/polyester
- Weight
- 7.5 oz / 245–255 GSM
- Yarn
- 16 singles (spinning method not stated)
- Fit
- Classic boxy fit, slightly oversized in chest and length
- Sizes
- S–5XL, plus L Tall–5XL Tall
- Colors
- About 22 colors on the maker's page
- Construction
- Rib collar knit with 3% Lycra for recovery; Slightly oversized sleeves; Tall sizes from L to 5XL
Specs per Shaka Wear 7.5oz Max Heavyweight Short Sleeve product page, checked 2026-10-04. Makers change colors and details; check the current spec before ordering.
Decorating it
| Method | What to know |
|---|---|
| Screen Printing | A thick, stable 7.5 oz body holds big front and back prints without the fabric puckering under the ink. Heavy shirts take longer to reach cure temperature, so dryer settings need checking. |
| Screen Printing | Charcoal Grey is half polyester and Heather Grey carries some too. Plan for low-bleed inks on those two colors when printing white or pale designs. |
| DTG Printing | Thick 16-singles yarn leaves a more textured face than fine-gauge tees. DTG works on the cotton colors with thorough pretreatment and pressing, but expect slightly softer detail. |
| Embroidery | Few tees take embroidery as well as a 7.5 oz jersey. Chest logos and even moderate fills stay flat with a cut-away backing. |
Shaka Wear's Max Heavyweight is a thick, boxy tee that the maker ties to the 1990s streetwear scene. Weight is the whole point: the shirt holds its shape, hangs straight off the shoulders and feels substantial in the hand, which is why it turns up as the base of so many heavyweight basics.
Who the Max Heavyweight suits
It suits clothing brands building a heavyweight basic, bands and artists who want merch that feels like a product rather than a souvenir, skate shops, and gyms selling oversized pump covers. It is a poor match for hot outdoor events where people want something light, and for orders where shipping weight matters, since a 7.5 oz shirt adds up fast in a box.
Fabric, weight and feel
Shaka Wear lists 7.5 oz and 245–255 GSM, in cotton grown in the US. Heather Grey is 90/10 cotton/polyester and Charcoal Grey is 50/50. The yarn is 16 singles, which is thick for a T-shirt; coarser yarn builds weight and stiffness, and gives a sturdier, slightly rougher face than the 30 to 32 singles used in lightweight retail tees. The maker does not say whether the yarn is ring-spun or open-end.
The collar is a rib knit with 3% Lycra mixed in so it snaps back rather than stretching into a wavy neckline after a few wears. Shaka Wear describes the fit as a classic boxy shape that runs slightly oversized in the chest and length, with slightly oversized sleeves. At this weight the body does not cling, so the shape stays boxy on most people.
The maker's production notes list dyeing and washing before cutting and sewing, so this standard version is not garment dyed. Expect less shade drift between lots than on a garment-dyed shirt, although any dyed fabric can vary slightly.
Decorating the Max Heavyweight
Screen printing
A thick, stable body is an easy shirt to print on: it lies flat on the platen and does not pucker under a heavy plastisol deposit, so large front and back prints are a good fit. Heavier garments take longer to reach full cure in the dryer, so ask your printer to check cure on a test piece with a wash test. White on dark colors still needs an underbase. On Charcoal Grey and Heather Grey, the polyester raises the risk of dye migration into light inks.
DTG
DTG prints well on the cotton colors, though the coarser yarn can show through as a slight texture. Even pretreatment and a firm press help lay the surface flat; photographic detail will look softer than on a fine 32-singles tee.
Discharge
Discharge is possible on cotton if the colors respond to it, and the maker does not publish dye details. Test before planning a run.
Embroidery
This is one of the best tees for embroidery. A chest logo or a moderate fill sits flat with a cut-away backing, and the weight hides the backing outline better than thin jersey does.
Sizing notes
Sizes run S to 5XL, and the tall sizes run from L Tall to 5XL Tall, which helps tall customers who like the boxy width but need more length. The maker suggests your normal size for its intended boxy fit; customers chasing an exaggerated oversized look usually size up. Shaka Wear also makes a separate Max Heavyweight Oversized Tee and a garment-dyed version, so check which style your quote names. Boxy, oversized and streetwear fits explains how to describe these cuts on a product page.
Alternatives
- Heavy, garment-dyed and made in Los Angeles: the Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD.
- Lighter, washed and relaxed rather than boxy: the Comfort Colors 1717.
- A budget midweight for volume: the Gildan 5000.
Heavyweight vs midweight vs lightweight T-shirts puts these weights side by side.
Sources
- Shaka Wear Max Heavyweight Short Sleeve product page, checked 2026-10-04
Useful for: clothing brands, bands, skate and surf shops, gyms.