Bear Grips vs Bella+Canvas and Next Level: Choosing the Right Tee for Your Shop

A vendor picking a first tee for a new shop usually narrows the choice to three names inside the Pro Shops catalog: Bear Grips, Bella+Canvas, and Next Level. All three are legitimate options, priced within a few dollars of each other, and the right pick depends more on fabric feel and fit than on any real quality gap. Here is how the three compare on the pieces that overlap most.

Bear Grips vs Bella+Canvas vs Next Level: VIP Base Prices

Piece	Brand	VIP base
Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee	Bear Grips	$19.88
Women's Favorite Tee	Bella+Canvas	$19.88
Premium CVC Jersey Tee	Next Level	$24.88
Premium Cotton Crew Tee	Next Level	$23.88
Premium Cotton V-Neck Tee	Bear Grips	$23.88
Women's Premium Cotton Tee	Next Level	$23.88

At the entry level, the Bear Grips Airlume tee and the Bella+Canvas Women's Favorite Tee sit at the same $19.88 VIP price, both below the Next Level premium tees in the $23.88-$24.88 range.

Fabric and Fit Differences That Actually Matter

Bear Grips builds its Airlume tee as a straightforward 100 percent cotton athletic fit, aimed at daily wear and printing durability rather than a specific hand-feel. Bella+Canvas and Next Level pieces frequently run triblend or CVC (cotton-poly) blends, which tend to feel softer and drape closer to the body than a straight cotton tee. Neither approach is objectively better; a gym selling to a hardcore-training crowd may prefer the more durable cotton feel, while a studio or lifestyle-leaning shop may prefer the softer triblend hand.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Why Pro Shops Runs a House Brand Alongside Licensed Names

Running a house brand alongside licensed lines like Bella+Canvas and Next Level lets the platform control price and fit on specific pieces without waiting on a licensed manufacturer's pricing or sizing changes. It also fills categories, like the full legging and sports bra range, where licensed brands in the catalog have thinner coverage. The full Bear Grips category breakdown is in the complete Bear Grips blanks lineup.

When to Pick Each Brand for a New Shop

• Bear Grips. Lowest-priced entry tee, plus the only single-brand path to a full top-to-bottom activewear shop including leggings and a sports bra.
• Bella+Canvas. Softer triblend or jersey feel, strong for a lifestyle or streetwear-leaning shop.
• Next Level. A middle-ground premium cotton or CVC feel, popular for shops that want a slightly dressier tee than a basic cotton build.

Most working shops do not pick just one. A common pattern stocks the Bear Grips Airlume tee as the value entry point and a Bella+Canvas or Next Level piece as a softer premium option in the same shop.

Testing More Than One Brand in the Same Shop

Since there is no minimum order and no upfront inventory cost on any brand in the catalog, a shop can list a Bear Grips tee and a Bella+Canvas tee side by side and let actual sales decide which one customers prefer, rather than guessing ahead of time. The mechanics of that no-minimum model are covered in Bear Grips blanks with no minimum order and zero inventory. Get started at shops.beargrips.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bear Grips cheaper than Bella+Canvas or Next Level?

At the entry-tee level, Bear Grips and Bella+Canvas both price at $19.88 VIP, below the Next Level premium tees at $23.88-$24.88 VIP.

Which brand has the softest feel?

Bella+Canvas and Next Level pieces commonly run triblend or CVC blends that feel softer than the Bear Grips straight cotton build. Preference varies by customer base.

Does a shop have to pick one brand for everything?

No. Nothing in the catalog requires single-brand exclusivity. Most shops stock pieces from more than one brand.

Which brand covers leggings and a sports bra?

Bear Grips is the only one of the three with a full legging range, three cuts, plus a padded sports bra in the same brand family.