Choosing the right nonwoven material is one of the most important decisions in a wet wipes project — it drives softness, strength, absorbency and cost. Riway Group supplies wet and dry wipes on an OEM/ODM basis: NINGBO RIWAY NONWOVENS TECH CO., LTD. is the entity named on this website, manufacturing is carried out by NINGBO RIWAY INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., which holds our management-system certificates (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 13485, GMP (COSMETIC) / ISO 22716 and FSC), and export trading is handled by Ningbo Riway Imp & Exp. Co., Ltd. With 20+ years of experience in the category, we work with bamboo fiber, wood pulp, viscose, cotton and plant-based options. This guide compares the main materials to help you brief your supplier clearly.
Short answer: decide the application first, then the fibre, then how the fabric is bonded. Bamboo and cotton are the usual starting points for baby and sensitive-skin wipes, viscose for facial and makeup wipes, wood pulp and dispersible cellulose for flushable and moist toilet tissue, and wood pulp or blends for household and industrial cleaning. Bonding matters as much as fibre — the same fibre behaves very differently as spunlace, airlaid or spunbond — so treat the two as separate decisions. The tables below map common applications to a starting point, and the compliance section explains which materials are now restricted in the UK.
Materials Compared
| Material | Key Characteristics | Common Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Bamboo fiber | Soft, breathable, naturally smooth; plant-based | Baby wipes, personal care wipes, beauty wipes |
| Wood pulp | High absorbency, good wet strength; plant-based | Household cleaning wipes, flushable wipes |
| Viscose | Soft, smooth, drapes well; plant-derived | Personal care, beauty & makeup wipes |
| Cotton | Ultra-soft, gentle on skin, high absorbency | Baby wipes, sensitive-skin wipes, facial wipes |
| Plant-based blends | Mix of plant fibers tuned for cost and performance | General wet wipes, private label programs |
| Polyester blends | Durable, strong, good for heavy-duty cleaning | Industrial wipes, household cleaning wipes |
Which material for which wipe? Application decision table
Most material questions are really application questions. Use the table below as a starting point for your brief, then confirm the exact construction, GSM and claim evidence with your supplier.
| Application | Fibre to start with | Bonding | What it buys you | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby & sensitive skin | Bamboo, cotton | Spunlace, low lint | Softness and skin tolerance; works with 99% water and fragrance-free formulas | “Biodegradable” evidence is construction-specific, not fibre-specific |
| Flushable & moist toilet tissue | Dispersible wood pulp, cellulose blend | Dispersible cellulose-based nonwoven | Breaks down in the sewer; GD4 / IWSFG test support | Do-not-flush labelling is still required, and plastic-free does not make a wipe flushable |
| Facial & makeup removal | Viscose | Spunlace | Smooth drape, low abrasion, works with micellar and oil-based formulas | Heavy embossing can raise lint levels |
| Household cleaning | Wood pulp, plant-based blends | Spunlace | Wet strength and absorbency for surfaces, spills and kitchen use | Polyester blends are plastic — restricted for UK consumer supply (see compliance below) |
| Industrial & workshop | Stronger blends | Spunlace, higher GSM | Durability and resistance in heavy-duty wiping | Usually a professional channel — confirm your end-user route |
| Medical & clinical | Viscose, cotton | Spunlace; SMS where drapes or gowns are involved | Low particle shedding; barrier performance where required | Standards and exemptions differ by market |
| Dry wipes, towels & pads | Viscose, cotton, bamboo | Spunlace | Absorbency without a wet formula; towel and pad formats | A separate product family from wet wipes |
| Pet care | Viscose, bamboo | Spunlace | Gentle on coat and paws; works with deodorising formulas | Fragrance and ingredient rules differ by market |
Fibre and bonding are two separate decisions
“Bamboo versus spunlace” is a common way to frame the question, but the two words are not the same kind of thing. Bamboo, viscose, cotton, wood pulp and polyester are fibres — they decide what the wipe is made of, whether it contains plastic, and how it feels. Spunlace, airlaid, spunbond and meltblown are bonding processes — they decide how the fibres are held together, and therefore strength, bulk, lint and how the sheet drapes. The same viscose fibre can be made into a very different wipe depending on the process.
| Bonding process | How it holds fibres together | Where you typically see it |
|---|---|---|
| Spunlace (hydroentangled) | Fine high-pressure water jets entangle the fibres — no chemical binder needed | Most wet wipes, cotton pads, facial and dry towels |
| Airlaid | Air-formed pulp web bonded with a latex or thermal binder | Highly absorbent dry wipes and some dispersible products |
| Spunbond, meltblown and SMS laminates | Extruded filaments, sometimes laminated together | Medical drapes, gowns and protective textiles rather than wipe substrates |
In practice we work mainly with spunlace nonwoven plus bamboo fibre, cotton, wood pulp and plant-based blends — the same list shown in the customization section below. SMS appears in our medical disposables, such as drapes and gowns, rather than as a wet wipe substrate. If your brief specifies airlaid or a spunbond construction, tell us early so we can confirm fit before you build a specification around it.
Plastic content: what changed for material selection in the UK
Material selection now has a regulatory dimension as well as a performance one. From 18 December 2026 it becomes an offence to supply single-use wet wipes containing plastic to consumers in Wales; Northern Ireland (18 May 2027), England (19 May 2027) and Scotland (11 August 2027) follow. The restriction applies to consumer-facing supply, including online sales.
The legal test is whether the wipe contains a polymer as defined in the REACH regulation, with an exception for natural polymers that have not been chemically modified. In practice that puts polyester blends in scope, while cellulose-based fibres — viscose, lyocell, cotton, bamboo and wood pulp — are not treated as plastic. Because the assessment applies to the finished product, including binders, the reliable answer for a given SKU is a written material declaration rather than a fibre name on a data sheet.
Two clarifications matter commercially. First, business-to-business supply is not affected — professional, industrial and institutional channels can continue to receive plastic-containing wipes, and medical and registered-pharmacy routes keep their own exemptions. Second, plastic-free is not the same as flushable: Water UK withdrew its “Fine to Flush” certification in March 2024, and a plastic-free wipe can still block a sewer.
For dates, exemptions and reformulation routes in detail, see our UK & EU plastic wet wipes ban compliance guide. If you need a plastic-free version of an existing polyester construction, send us the current specification and we will propose a cellulose-based replacement.
Environmental Claims: What We Can and Cannot Say
Environmental terms such as biodegradable, compostable and eco-friendly are material-specific. We state these terms only for constructions supported by corresponding test evidence — for example, a specific bamboo fiber or wood pulp construction with applicable material testing. Claims like flushable, septic-safe, GD4 and IWSFG support are tied to material supplier testing reports for the applicable construction. If you need an environmental claim on your packaging, share your target material and we will confirm the evidence we can provide.
How We Customize Materials for Your Wipes
- Material selection: bamboo fiber, wood pulp, viscose, cotton, plant-based blends, polyester blends
- GSM: 30–80+ depending on product type and usage
- Custom size, folding pattern and embossing
- Sheet count: 1–2,000 per pack; sachet 1–2 sheets per pack
- Material + formula + packaging developed together for your target market
Frequently Asked Questions
Which material is best for baby wipes?
Bamboo fiber and cotton are common choices for baby wipes because of their softness and skin-friendliness. The best choice depends on your target price point, softness requirements and packaging claims.
Are bamboo wipes biodegradable?
Biodegradability is material-specific and must be supported by test evidence for the specific construction. We can share applicable material testing support for the bamboo fiber constructions we offer.
Can you mix materials to control cost?
Yes — plant-based blends are commonly engineered to balance softness, strength and cost.
How do I choose the right GSM?
GSM affects thickness, absorbency and durability. Higher GSM suits heavy-duty and facial uses; lower GSM suits general wet wipes. We recommend based on your product type and usage.
Is “bamboo versus spunlace” the right way to compare materials?
No — bamboo is a fibre and spunlace is a bonding process, so they sit on different axes. Compare fibres with fibres (bamboo, viscose, cotton, wood pulp, polyester) and processes with processes (spunlace, airlaid, spunbond). You need one decision from each list.
Which material should I use for flushable wipes?
Flushable products use dispersible cellulose-based nonwoven rather than a standard spunlace wet wipe sheet, and the construction is tested against flushability criteria such as GD4 or IWSFG. Even then, packs carry a do-not-flush instruction, and plastic-free status does not imply flushability.
Can I still use polyester blends?
For professional, industrial and institutional channels, yes. For consumer supply in the UK, single-use wet wipes containing plastic are being banned between December 2026 and August 2027 depending on the nation, so a polyester construction needs a plastic-free replacement or a channel that falls under an exemption. See our UK & EU compliance guide for the dates and exemptions.
What is the minimum order for a custom material?
It depends on the packaging format and the construction, and trial quantities are often possible before a full run. Our MOQ and packaging guide sets out the standard volumes by format and how sampling works.
Related guides
- UK & EU plastic wet wipes ban: compliance guide — which wipes are banned, who is exempt, and how to reformulate
- Wet wipes MOQ and packaging guide — standard minimum order quantities by packaging format
- Quality assurance and QC — how material and finished-product checks are carried out
- Certificates and reports — the system and product certificates we hold, and how to request test reports
Discuss Your Material with Our Team
Tell us your product category and target claims — we will recommend the right material construction and share applicable test support.