The use of nanomaterial enabled yarns and fabrics have greatly increased in recent years with the declining cost of commercially available nanomaterials. Unfortunately, effective integration still presents significant technical and economic barrier to the more general use of nanoenabled textiles. This paper compares three strategies for the synthesis and integration of Ag nanomaterials into synthetic and non-synthetic polymer systems; thermoplastic resin masterbatches for yarns and laminates, dye-like nanomaterial formulations for synthetic/non-synthetic polymers and nanomaterial enhanced finishes. Specifically, we examine differences in the material impact of nanoparticle incorporation, ion release profiles, antimicrobial performance and the permanence of Ag nanoparticle delivery vehicles associated with these integration methods. Additionally, this paper will address end goal, nanomaterial design processes and the regulatory frame work for the use of nanomaterial based antimicrobials.