Commonly known as HTV, iron-on vinyl, heat press vinyl, heat transfer vinyl and t-shirt vinyl. It can be hard to know what type of vinyl is the best HTV vinyl to buy.
So you want to buy heat transfer vinyl, but you don't know where to start.
With countless options of heat transfer vinyl on the market in 2024 it can be overwhelming to find a quality brand that is not only affordable and reliable, but one that also come in a range of colors.
We share our favorite HTV brands below in our best heat transfer vinyl review guide.
If you wish to save time, you can simply grab the best selling heat transfer vinyl by clicking the link below.
Comparison Table of the Best Heat Transfer Vinyl Brands & Bulk Buys
Whilst I'm a BIG fan of Siser Easyweed HTV, there are also some incredible HTV bulk packs available on Amazon which work nearly just as well but comes at a much cheaper price tag.
Below is a comparison chart of the top 10 HTV brands and bulk buys, which are mentioned in this article. You can then read my craft HTV reviews below featuring the best heat transfer vinyl 2024 has to offer.
What is the Best HTV Vinyl Brands to Use?
So which heat transfer vinyl is really truly the best of the best? It depends! It depends on how you will be applying heat.
What is the best brand of HTV vinyl? For us the best HTV brand overall is Siser.
Best HTV Vinyl to use with an Iron
What is the best HTV vinyl to use with a normal household iron?
If you are using a household iron, the best iron on heat transfer vinyl for you would be Siser.
Siser EasyWeed is a thinner HTV and it applies at a low temperature and with little pressure - which makes it perfect for iron application!
Whilst you can try the other brands and packs on our list, you might not have the same success as you would with Siser EasyWeed.
Best Vinyl to use with a Heat Press
If you are applying heat with a heat press, I'm happy to say that any of these vinyl brands or packs mentioned in this article will work brilliantly for you.
The best heat press vinyl is Siser and their Siser Easyweed HTV always sells like hot cakes.
You can read our Siser heat transfer vinyl reviews a bit lower on the page for more info on this brand.
Best T Shirt Vinyl
Looking for the best heat transfer vinyl for blank T-shirts? Once again Siser is the clear winner. They offer the best HTV Vinyl.
EasyWeed HTV applies at a low temperature (which means you can use either an iron or heat press), backing can be peeled hot or cold (so pretty hard to stuff it up) and doesn’t lift during weeding.
EasyWeed is thinner than others on the market and offers a one-second tack application that’s great for multiple layers.
Their vinyl can outlast 1000 washes and tumble dry sessions. We find them durable and fade resistant.
Best HTV Vinyl for Cricut
We personally don't mind using the Cricut brand of HTV, however we have read so many Cricut HTV reviews from other crafters who hate the Cricut brand's vinyl.
So what is the best iron on vinyl for Cricut then? We probably would suggest you stick to the popular Siser brand that we keep mentioning. Honestly their vinyl is just superior to other brands.
For more information on all of these types of vinyl, hop down to the bottom of the post where we review each in detail.
What Is Heat Transfer Vinyl?
The best heat transfer material that you can use is vinyl. Simply put, heat transfer vinyl (or HTV), is a special type of material that allows you to transfer any design to fabric or other surfaces.
As the name suggest you will need to apply heat (via an iron or heat press) in order to permanently adhere it to the surface.
- Further Reading: Read more about whether to use an iron or heat press here.
Ultimately HTV consists out of layers. You will get the vinyl layer and there will be a protective clear carrier layer.
The carrier sheet is sticky and holds the vinyl in place while you cut. It also aids in transferring the vinyl to your project surface.
You can purchase heat transfer vinyl sheets or in heat transfer vinyl rolls. You can either purchase HTV in single colors or you might prefer to save some money by purchasing a variety color pack.
Apart from finding solid colors, you can also find plenty of speciality type vinyl, from flocked, glitter, metallic, glow in the dark and more.
Whilst most crafters use HTV for t-shirt designs, you can apply it to other surfaces such as hats, mugs, glass, wood, metal etc. as well.
The beauty of HTV is that you can wash, tumble-dry or send it through the dishwasher and it will come out looking fresh and new.
Things To Consider Before Buying The Best Iron On Vinyl
So you want to whip up some custom heat press transfers, but you are not sure what brands of HTV you can rely on and trust.
Not all vinyl heat transfer brands are the same. They have different features and specification.
Whilst you can get some cheap heat transfer vinyl rolls on Amazon, not all of them would be worth the money.
Let's have a look at some of the things you would need to consider before you make your purchase.
Quantity Needed
Are you looking for a single HTV sheets, an assortment pack or bulk HTV rolls?
You will of course find better value in assortment packs or HTV rolls, but if you are only getting started, you might prefer to purchase single sheets.
Quality Of The Vinyl
High-quality HTV is durable, fade resistant and won't peel or crack. You really want to know that you can keep washing the shirt, ironing it and that your design will still look like new.
Color & Types Available
In my opinion, there is no point in falling in love with a vinyl brand that only has limited colors or prints available.
We love brands that offer a wide range of solid colors, together with speciality types. Look for one that also sells things such as glitter heat transfer vinyl rolls, flocked HTV, metallic colors and more.
Pick a vinyl transfer company that have trendy colors that will make you creative in your design process.
Easy to Weed & Transfer
The vinyl heat transfer application needs to be quick and painless. It is important to choose HTV that is easy to cut and easy to weed.
So look for vinyl transfer material that is thin, lightweight, sensitive to low pressure and requires high heat.
Heat Application
How will you be applying heat? If you are using a household iron, you really should stick to the well-known iron on heat transfers. We recommend Siser and Cricut.
If you are applying heat with a heat press, you can generally get away with a much wider range of brands.
- We highly recommend a heat press. You can find the best heat press for vinyl in our buyers guide here.
Compatibility
It is important to purchase the right type of vinyl to match the surface that you will be adhering it to. So make sure you check out the label on your shirt - is it nylon or polyester?
You can also use HTV on items such as mugs and glassware in order to produce some beautiful custom dishwasher-safe designs. In this situation you would need a mug press to apply heat to your items.
Ensure that the vinyl matches what it will be used for.
Top 10 Heat Transfer Vinyl Reviews
Below you will find the top HTV vinyl on Amazon, and other popular shopping sites such as Cricut and Swing Designs.
We will have a close look at the top 10 heat transfer vinyl reviews. I will outline the top features, the different types available from each brand, as well as look at its application and durability.
1. Siser HTV Review (Best Vinyl for Shirts)
Siser HTV is by far the most popular when it comes to quality and reliability. Not only does this brand offer the best vinyl for T shirts, but they are great for a range of other surfaces as well.
Their high quality heat transfer vinyl is a polyurethane, it is super easy to work with.
They are available in iron on vinyl rolls or iron on vinyl sheets. And it is a great vinyl to use for both iron-heat application as well as heat press application.
The trusted Siser vinyl is so popular due to the fact that it has a pressure sensitive carrier.
This means that weeding small intricate details with precision and accuracy is easy and pain free.
The vinyl is much thinner in comparison to other vinyl brands. Which means that it is easy to cut, easy to weed and heat application is a breeze.
Their EasyWeed type of vinyl is in our opinion the best heat transfer vinyl for shirts, add it the fact that is 100% compatible with all fabrics and you have a winner.
We love using it as our choice of T shirt vinyl, because it is durable and fade resistant and will last really well for over 1000+ washes.
Siser has the following types of vinyl for sale:
- Easyweed
- Patterned
- Stretch
- Glitter
- Holographic
- Ultralite
- Metallic
- Electric
- Stripflock
- Brick
Learn more about the types of Siser Heat Transfer Vinyl here.
Here are three bundles that I can recommend:
Easyweed - it is my absolute favorite vinyl and I find it so easy to work with! No need to even look further on this list. Just purchase, you won't be disappointed!
Plotter cut flex material, with a soft and very thin finish. Can be hot and cold peeled and offers a one-second tack application that’s great for multiple layers
It’s also extremely durable in the wash.
Available in a wide range of colours.
No need to say more!
Siser makes the best glitter vinyl! We love the quality, the colors and the texture.
You can use it on 100% cotton, 100% polyester and Poly/cotton blends.
- Average thickness: 120 µm
- PU composition
- Cut pressure: 120g
NOTE: not suitable for tumble dry.
The Ultralite HTV is 25% thinner than Siser Easyweed - So thin it feels like ink. This makes it super easy to weed.
It is ideal for soft goods like T-shirts, towels, leather, and other fabrics.
Great range of colors available, as well as the choice of sheets or rolls.
- PU composition
- Pressure sensitive backing
- Semi-gloss finish
- 45°/60° blade
- Can be layered
2. Cricut Iron On Vinyl Review
For those of you looking for honest Cricut heat transfer vinyl reviews, here is ours.
Of course Cricut HTV is the best iron vinyl for Cricut machines. This product has specifically been designed to be cut with Cricut Machines and to be pressed with either an iron or with the Cricut EasyPress.
It cuts beautifully and weeds easily. Their Everyday range works fabulously with the widest variety of base materials, including wood.
Cricut heat press vinyl might not be the cheap iron on vinyl you were looking for as the brand is pretty pricey.
But you know that their products will deliver and if they don't? Well you have their StrongBond™ Guarantee to back you up.
Their StrongBond™ Guarantee means that when the Cricut iron on transfer material is used as directed, you’ll should be completely satisfied with the results. If not, Cricut will replace it for free.
Cricut is our go to for the top choice as an iron on tshirt vinyl due to its low heat temperature threshold. The best heat transfer vinyl for Cricut cutting machines, as well as for household iron application.
Cricut has the following types of vinyl for sale:
- Everyday
- Lite
- Foil
- Glitter
- Holographic
- Patterned
- SportFlex
Here are three of their bestselling types:
1. Cricut Everyday Heat Transfer Vinyl
The go-to iron-on material that can use for any project. It is really easy to use and great for newbies.
You can also use this range to layer your transfers.
Can be used with a wide range of base materials, including wood!
It is easy to weed and durable (will survive 50+ washes).
2. Cricut Patterned Heat Transfer Vinyl
The Cricut patterned HTV packs come with 3 sheets 12" x 17" (30.5 cm x 43 cm). You will receive 3 unique, complementary patterns.
Decorate T-shirts, hoodies, baby clothes, throw pillows, tote bags, and more.
So much uniqueness and so much flexibility!
3. Cricut Sportflex Iron On Vinyl
The SportFlex rang is really all explained in the name. This vinyl has been designed for activewear.
They are thin, lightweight, flexible, stretchable iron-on sheets.
Great for tech fabrics like polyester and nylon
Each sheet measures 11.8" x 24".
3. JANDJPACKAGING HTV Variety Pack Review
JandJPackaging has a fabulous premium heat transfer vinyl bundle on offer. We love the vibrant & glossy colors that are included in this pack.
The starter pack includes 30 different colors, plus 5 black sheets and 5 white sheets. The HTV vinyl accessories include 1 Teflon sheet. The sheets are all 12" × 10" in size.
You can easily apply this brand to cotton, polyester and cotton-blend t-shirts. Also good to know that this brand is SGS certified and Eco-friendly which makes it perfect for decorating children's clothing.
Great quality and you will love the price tag as well!
4. Ohuhu HTV Review
Have you heard of Ohuhu before? It gets consistently awesome reviews from people who have purchased and tried it.
The Ohuhu heat transfer vinyl assorted pack includes 42 assorted colors: white, black, yellow, orange, deep orange, light green, green, sky blue, ocean blue, blue, purple, pink, red, brown, silver, gold, neon green, neon pink, neon yellow and neon blue.
The vinyl included in these packs are thin and sensitive to pressure and heat. The combination of these features means that the vinyl will be easy to cut and weed.
We love how light and durable the vinyl is. The brand proclaims that their vinyl will be able to withstand 1000 washes and drying sessions.
Highlighted Features:
- Pack contains 42 sheets of vinyl in assorted colors and finishes
- Comes in 12” by 10” sheets that are ready for use
- Each vinyl is thin compared with other vinyl, great for easy cutting and transfers
- Easy to weed after cutting
- Compatible with the Silhouette and other cutting machines
- Strong and durable vinyl.
5. Firefly Vinyl Review
We love Firefly Craft's vinyl. They have a wide range of colors including my favorite teal heat transfer vinyl. They also have different sizes available in sheets, T shirt vinyl rolls, as well as variety packs!
We love how easy they make it to use their vinyl on both Silhouette and Cricut Machines.
Not only that, but it is one of the few brands that can be used on materials such as burlap and jute products (including all the normal Nylon and Polyester applications as well).
Their vinyl is gorgeous, easy to cut, easy to weed and delivers premium results.
Firefly Craft has the following types of vinyl for sale:
- Regular
- Glitter
- Flocked
- Foil
- Holo
- Neon
- Reflect
Here are three bundles that I can recommend:
1. Firefly Craft Regular Heat Transfer Vinyl
We loved the massive range of colors in the Firefly Craft regular range.
The vinyl comes in lovely and large sheets: 12 x 20" and you can either purchase it in sets or in individual glitter vinyl rolls!
2. Firefly Craft Flock Heat Transfer Vinyl
Firefly's fuzzy flocked HTV has a furry surface. It gives great depth and texture to designs.
The vinyl comes in lovely and large sheets: 12 x 20. Single sheets and packs available.
Cold peel recommended.
3. Firefly Craft Glitter HTV
Absolutely in love with the color range of the Firefly Craft high-quality glitter vinyl.
The vinyl comes in lovely and large sheets: 12 x 20" and you can either purchase it in sets or in individual glitter vinyl rolls!
6. FANSGUAR Heat Transfer Vinyl Bundle Review
The FUNSGUAR HTV variety glotter pack comes in a nifty size: 12 x 12".
What we love about this pack is that it comes with a 100% guarantee that if you aren't fully satisfied with the vinyl pack, they will give you your money back.
We love the range of vinyl that are included in this pack: 13 solid glitter color bundle includes Grass, Radiation Saphire, Sky Blue, Brown, Champagne, Royal blue, Silver Confetti, Black, Red, Peach, Radiation Silver, Pink, Emerald htv sheets.
Their vinyl is made with high quality polyurethane. Their brand offers flexibility without compromising the durability and strength of the vinyl.
On top of all of this, their vinyl is off course easy to cut, weed and apply.
It does a fabulous job of preserving its shape and vibrancy even after 50+ washes.
Suitable for a wide range of fabrics such as: Cotton, Polyester, Viscose, Rayon and Cotton/Poly Blends.
Highlighted Features:
- Includes 13 solid colors
- Each sheet measures 12'' x 12''
- Durable polyurethane fade-resistant material that is durable enough to withstand 100 washes.
- Comes with 100% satisfaction guarantee
7. Caregy HTV Assorted Pack Review
The Caregy range of high quality durable vinyl is another popular brand that you can try out.
They have beautiful sheets of HTV that are made from polyurethane (PU). They are soft and perfect for detailed design transfers.
Caregy heat transfer vinyl are easy to cut and easy to weed. Their vinyl has an adhesive layer which holds the design in place on the receiving garment.
We love that once you have applied the Caregy standard HTV will allow fabrics to stretch through natural movement while maintaining excellent durability.
They are also durable and fade resistant and has the ability to withstand frequent washing.
Caregy has the following types of vinyl for sale:
- Solid Colors
- Flock
- Glitter
- Metallic
- Glow in the Dark
- Hologram
Here are three bundles that I can recommend:
1. Caregy Solid Vinyl Packs
I love these Caregy vinyl packs.
Each pack comes with 45 sheets of high-quality heat transfer vinyl. They are all 10 x 12" in size.
Easy to cut and weed. You can peel it whilst hot or cold.
2. Gradient Chameleon HTV
For something very different, grab some fun gradient HTV. This unique material gives the impression of different colors when viewed at different angles.
Gradient Colors: purple to blue, purple to cyan-blue, green to purple, purple to green, purple to red, gold to purple red, gold to purple, bronze to purple, blue to purple, gold to green.
3. Caregy Glitter HTV Vinyl
We are in-love with these glitter vinyl packs from Caregy. Each pack contains 18 sheets (10 x 12" in size).
Fabulous colors range and great sparkly glitter!
8 . MiPremium PU Glitter Review
If you love glitter vinyl, you will love this divine glitter HTV pack from MiPremium.
The MiPremium HTV vinyl is a polyurethane, ready-to-cut material. As with all the vinyl on our list, their vinyl is easy to cut and weed. The vinyl has a film that makes fine detail weeding easier!
Their vinyl is thin and it also offers a high degree of elasticity and stretch. It is durable to withstand frequent washing and is guaranteed to not crack, peel or fade (when applied correctly).
The pack comes with a 30-day money back guarantee which is truly fabulous!
Package Content:
- 10 sheets of 10” x 9.8” pre-cut sheets of MiPremium vinyl in glitter. Colors included in your pack: Gold, Red, Pink, Dark Purple, Black Gold, Lavender, Green, Cherry, Black & Copper.
- 1 x detailed instructions guide with graphic illustrations on how to apply the vinyl.
MiPremium has solid color standard vinyl, as well as neon colored vinyl for sale.
9. YRYM HTV Pack Review
We love the YRYM vinyl, we also love their transfer tape. They come in sheets of 10 x 12".
The high quality heat press vinyl sheets are of course easy to cut, weed and press. Bonus that it is made from SGS certified material.
Highlighted Features:
- Includes 20 vibrant colors
- 4 Glitter Sheets in Silver, Gold, Black and Rose Red
- Each sheet measures 10'' x 12''
- 1 Teflon Sheet
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
10. HTVRont HTV Bundle Review
Looking for the best heat transfer vinyl for your Silhouette Cameo or Cricut machines?
HTVRont's HTV vinyl sheets are a film material which has a heat-activated adhesive backing, so it can bond permanently onto fabric.
It is fabulous for various fabric surfaces, from t-shirts, to jerseys to bags.
We love that that vinyl is also easy to weed due to the thickness of the sheets.
The other great fact about the HTV sheet thickness is that once applied to your fabric is withstands washing quite well and does not result in cracking or peeling.
HTVRont has the following types of vinyl for sale in rolls or sheets in a variety of colors:
- Smooth
- Glitter
- Neon
- Puff
Supporting Information
Find below more helpful information that you will need to know before you start using vinyl for the first time.
1. Why should you use heat transfer vinyl?
- Heat transfer vinyl is fabulous for creating custom-made high-quality transfers.
- Think beyond using HTV to customize t-shirts, you can also use it to customize hats, bags, jerseys, wood panels, metals, mugs, glassware and more!
- Heat transfer vinyl are fabulous because they come in such a wide range of vibrant trendy colors. They also come in wide range of options- like opaque vinyl, metallic vinyl, glitter vinyl, holographic vinyl, glow-in-the-dark, reflective vinyl etc. So much fun!
- Another reason why you should use quality HTV is because they permanently bond to your fabric. If you purchase top heat transfer vinyl brands, you should be able to wash your tees and tumble dry them without having to compromise on color fading, cracking or peeling.
- Heat transfer vinyl is easy to use and you don't need very expensive equipment in order to apply it properly.
- Heat transfer vinyl is more affordable in comparable to similar t-shirt printing methods, such as screen-printing and/or printing directly onto garments.
- But mostly, because it is an affordable way to create some truly unique custom made items.
2. What do I need to get started?
Here is a list of heat transfer tools that you need to get started.
Essential:
- Computer
- Vinyl Cutting Machine
- Heat Press/Household Iron/Cricut EasyPress
- Heat Transfer Vinyl
- Weeding Hook
Additional tools that is useful to have:
- Transfer tape (only really used with adhesive vinyl, but useful to have on hand)
- Light Table/Cricut Brightpad - helpful for weeding
- Adhesive remover
- Pressing pillow
- Heat Tape
- Teflon Sheets (only required for printable & digital heat transfer vinyl)
3. What is transfer tape, and do I need it?
Essentially transfer tape is used to move vinyl from the paper backing to the surface that you want to transfer it to.
You will typically only use transfer tape with adhesive vinyl - not with heat transfer vinyl.
Most HTV vinyls already have a clear carrier sheet that is used to protect the vinyl during the cutting process.
You will then heat up the vinyl to get it to stick to your fabric before slowly lifting off the plastic carrier sheet.
It is important though to read up about the vinyl you will be using, as not all HTV has the clear carrier.
You will also need transfer tape if you plan on using printable HTV, digital or inkjet transfers.
4. How To Use Heat Transfer Vinyl
Here are some quick instructions on how to use your heat transfer vinyl.
Step 1: Prepare the artwork
You can either download pre-made graphics (we call them SVG - see our list of FREE SVG files here) or you can create your own (only recommended for advanced users).
Most vinyl cutters comes with software that you can use to quickly set up your image so that it is ready to print and cut.
Step 2: Print & Cut
Once you are happy with the design you chosen/created, and you have set it to the correct size, it will be time to get it printed and cut.
Before you send it to the vinyl cutter, make sure to mirror-image your design. You will need to follow your machine instructions to find out how to mirror-image the graphic.
Also make sure to read up on what cutting settings the brand recommends for HTV vinyl.
Load the HTV into the machine. Make sure the backing of the HTV faces up.
And simply let the machine to the printing and cutting!
Step 3: Weed your design
After the design is cut, you will need to weed your graphic. Essentially weeding is just the process of removing all the vinyl that we don't want/need.
You can easily pull away the large part of the vinyl that you don't want, leaving the main design behind.
Use your weeding hook to lift up all the smaller intricate pieces that is left in the design.
Step 4: Apply Heat
Preheat your item (eg. your T-shirt) by applying heat for around 10-15 seconds. This will remove moisture and wrinkles from the fabric.
Place your design on the shirt (with the plastic facing up) and place your iron or heat press on the design.
Using firm pressure, hold it in place for the required length of time (check the packet instructions of the HTV that you are working with).
Flip over your fabric and repeat on the other side.
- Further Reading: Click here to learn more about how a heat press machine works.
Carefully peel away a corner of the backing to make sure that the HTV stuck the fabric. If you need to, you can apply more heat to the HTV to ensure that it bonds porperly with the fabric.
Check the packet instructions of the HTV you are using to see whether it is a hot- or cold-peel vinyl. All that means is that you should remove the plastic whilst the vinyl is still hot, or should you wait for it to cool down first.
And you now have your first completed custom HTV item! Hooray!
For one last handy tip: Here is a List of the Best Places to Buy Iron-On Vinyl!
Please let us know in the comments if you found our guide to the top 10 heat press transfer vinyls useful. Thanks!
Thanks for this great info! I have an intricate multi-color design that I’m printing on heat transfer vinyl and would like to use transfer tape and my Cricut Heat Press. What do you recommend for heat resistant transfer tape in this situation? Thank you!
Hi, I often use Cricut Heat Tape because I buy from Cricut a lot – it is currently on sale. But of course you can pick up heat tape for cheaper on Amazon, this is a good buy – https://amzn.to/2JYsTxe.
Thank you! I’m actually looking for something like transfer tape that you’d use with adhesive vinyl. The design has a few “parts” to it and I can’t pick it up with tools and place it on the t-shirt without it losing shape or falling apart. So I’d like to pick it up in its entirety (8×8) and then place it down on the shirt. Then use the heat press. Does that make sense? It’s multi colored so I can’t reverse the image and go directly onto the shirt.