Swatches, Samples & Testing Before You Buy

Why Order a Fabric Swatch First

Swatches are hand-cut from the most current production roll in the Wazoodle warehouse, giving you the closest possible representation of available fabric before committing to larger quantities. All sales are final on all Wazoodle products — swatch testing is the essential pre-purchase step.

What Swatches Reveal That Screens Cannot

True color: Monitor displays vary significantly across phones, tablets, and computers — physical fabric is the only reliable color evaluation method
Weight and drape: GSM specifications convey technical data, but handling the fabric reveals how it behaves — stiffness, drape, and hand-feel can only be assessed in person
Texture and surface: Photos cannot convey softness, smoothness, or surface characteristics — especially critical for fabrics used against skin
Stretch and recovery: Specification percentages describe capacity, but physical testing shows how fabric responds to pulling and how quickly it recovers
Performance characteristics: Test absorbency rate, waterproof barrier feel, wicking speed, or cooling sensation directly with physical fabric

A swatch investment prevents purchasing yards of unsuitable fabric that cannot be returned.

How to Order Individual Swatches

Each swatch is a hand-cut 4″ × 4″ piece (sometimes slightly larger), individually labeled with the fabric SKU and name for easy reordering.

Ordering Steps

Navigate to the product page by searching for the fabric name or SKU (W-### or AK-####)
Select your desired color from the color options
Open the Length dropdown and select "Swatch"
The price updates to the swatch price
Click "Add to Cart"
Repeat for additional fabrics or colors, then proceed to checkout

Account registration recommended: Create a Wazoodle account before ordering swatches. Registered accounts provide order history showing exact SKUs and fabric names — making it easy to reference which fabrics you've sampled when placing future yardage orders.

Free Swatch Policy

Wazoodle offers free swatches on select fabrics during limited-time promotions. Free swatch orders follow specific rules to ensure fair access for all customers.

Free Swatch Rules

One free swatch per order — if multiple free swatches are added to cart, only one will be shipped
Free shipping on 5+ paid swatches — this benefit does not apply to orders consisting solely of free swatches
Policy enforcement: Orders of 5 or more free swatches combined with free shipping will be cancelled

To stay updated on free swatch promotions, sign up for the Wazoodle newsletter.

Swatch Kits — Brand, Variety & Color

Swatch Kits provide multiple fabric samples in one package, available in three types designed for different evaluation needs. Kits are listed as separate products on the website — search for "Swatch Kit" or browse within fabric collection pages.

Brand Swatch Kits

Overview of different fabric styles within a brand family
Example: A Zorb Brand Swatch Kit might include swatches of Zorb Original, Zorb 3D Bamboo Dimple, Zorb 3D Stay Dry Dimple, and Zorb Microfiber Loop Terry
Best for: Exploring the full range of options within a fabric brand when you haven't narrowed down which style you need

Variety Swatch Kits

A mix of fabric styles across different characteristics and brands
May not include every color available in each style
Best for: Broad exploration when you're still narrowing down which fabric type suits your project

Color Swatch Kits

All currently available colors within one specific fabric style
Example: A ProSoft 1 mil ECO-PUL Color Swatch Kit includes every color option in that PUL weight
Best for: Final color selection after you've already chosen your fabric style

Review Swatch Kit contents on the product page before ordering to confirm the kit includes the samples you need.

How Swatches Are Shipped

Swatch orders are shipped using lightweight mail services appropriate for small, flat packages.

Shipping Methods

Domestic (USA): USPS First Class Mail or stamped envelope
International: FedEx International Mail Service or USPS First Class International

Most swatch-only shipments do not include tracking due to the small package size and low shipping cost. If you order swatches together with fabric yardage in the same cart, the entire order ships together via the carrier selected at checkout, which does include tracking.

Will My Swatch Match Production Yardage?

Swatches are cut from the most current roll in the warehouse and closely represent the production fabric available at the time of your order. This is the best available representation — not an exact-match guarantee.

Why Slight Differences Can Occur

New production lots are manufactured continuously — the roll your yardage is cut from may be a different lot than the roll your swatch came from
Lot-to-lot differences in color, weight, or texture are normal and remain within the ±10% industry manufacturing standard
If precise matching is critical, order all needed yardage from the same production lot simultaneously

For full details on production lot variation and what the ±10% standard means, see Specifications, Variation & Shrinkage.

Ordering Sample Yardage for Prototyping

For testing beyond what a 4″ × 4″ swatch provides, order sample yardage through the standard Yards option on any product page. Select "Yards" from the Length dropdown and enter the number of yards needed in the Quantity field.

When Sample Yardage Makes Sense

Pattern-making and fitting: Full product prototype construction requires more fabric than a swatch provides
Wash testing: Run fabric through multiple wash-and-dry cycles to evaluate shrinkage, color retention, and performance durability
Production trials: Test sewing behavior, seam strength, and manufacturing workflow before committing to full rolls
Performance stress testing: Evaluate absorbency under saturation, waterproof durability under pressure, or stretch recovery over repeated use

Recommended progression: Order swatches to evaluate options → purchase 1–2 yards for prototyping → order full project yardage or rolls after confirming suitability. This staged approach minimizes risk since all sales are final.