<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000910680-03-000666
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030728
<FILING-DATE>20030729
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>JACLYN INC
<CIK>0000052969
<ASSIGNED-SIC>3100
<IRS-NUMBER>221432053
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>0630
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>635 59TH STREET
<CITY>WEST NEW YORK
<STATE>NJ
<ZIP>07093
<PHONE>2018689400
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5801 JEFFERSON STREET
<CITY>WEST NEW YORK
<STATE>NJ
<ZIP>07093
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>CHESTNOV ROBERT
<CIK>0001052475
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-05863
<FILM-NUMBER>03807606
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>C/O JACLYN INC
<STREET2>635 59TH STREET
<CITY>WEST NEW YORK
<STATE>NJ
<ZIP>07093
<PHONE>2127046393
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>635 59TH STREET
<CITY>WEST NEW YORK
<STATE>NJ
<ZIP>07093
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>primary_doc.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-07-28</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000052969</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>JACLYN INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>JLN</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001052475</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CHESTNOV ROBERT</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>635 59TH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WEST NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NJ</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>07093</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>

        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, $1 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-07-28</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>1.65</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>104941</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>

    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>

        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Option to Purchase</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>1.65</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-07-28</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-07-08</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2012-07-07</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>

    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">46,652 shares are also held indirectly by the Reporting Person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Indirect shares include 372 shares owned by the undersigned's wife and 6,906 shares held by the undersigned's wife as custodian for their children.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Indirect shares include 27,423 shares owned by a trust in which the undersigned is a co-trustee and 10,951 shares allocated to his account under the ESOP.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Indirect shares exclude 93,404 additional ESOP shares and 22,654 shares owned by the Jaclyn, Inc. Employees Pension Trust as to which the undersigned acts as co-trustee.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Indirect shares exclude 3,500 shares owned by a charitable trust as to which the undersigned acts as co-trustee.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">The filing of this statement should not be deemed an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of these securities for purposes of Section 16 or otherwise.</footnote>
    </footnotes>


    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Jaclyn Hartstein, Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-07-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
