Comparative analysis of traditional and smart antibacterial textiles for wearable technology; a comprehensive review

The growing use of wearable technologies in healthcare, athletics, and defense has created a strong demand for textile materials that are durable, safe, and capable of providing long-term antimicrobial protection. Conventional antibacterial fabrics typically depend on passive agents such as metal ions and synthetic biocides. Although effective initially, these systems often suffer from rapid activity loss due to uncontrolled release, limited wash durability, and concerns related to environmental burden and potential toxicity. To address these limitations, next-generation smart antibacterial textiles have been developed using stimuli-responsive polymers, nanofibers, hydrogels, and conductive materials that enable on-demand antimicrobial activity in response to pH, moisture, heat, or mechanical strain. This review compares conventional and smart antibacterial textiles in terms of activation strategy, working mechanism, durability, fabrication routes, antibacterial performance, and sustainability. Traditional approaches, including pad-dry-cure and sol-gel methods, can provide effective antimicrobial action but are often constrained by poor wash fastness and uncontrolled leaching of active agents. In contrast, smart systems fabricated through electrospinning, microencapsulation, or conductive coating generally offer improved durability, adaptive response, and reduced environmental impact. A key advantage of smart textile design lies in the combined engineering of the textile matrix and the incorporation of stimuli-responsive components, enabling multifunctional materials with intelligent behavior toward external triggers. These systems also support integration with sensing and energy-harvesting functions, which is essential for advanced wearable platforms. However, challenges remain in large-scale reproducibility, cytotoxicity assessment, and the lack of standardized protocols for evaluating dynamic antibacterial performance. Overall, this review provides a comparative framework that highlights the shift from passive antibacterial coatings toward multifunctional, responsive textiles for next-generation wearable applications.