What is Bamboo Fabric?

Bamboo fabric is, in most cases, made from regenerated cellulose fiber: bamboo cellulose is dissolved chemically and re-formed into fiber. So it is viscose (rayon), not the plant's own fiber. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) writes that most, perhaps all, of the “bamboo” textile products on the market are rayon. According to the FTC, the name “bamboo” may be used only for products made directly from bamboo fiber. Turkish suppliers write it as bambu or bambu kumaş; in Turkish the plain word bambu also means the plant (the TDK dictionary defines it as a reed of the grass family that grows in warm countries and can be up to 25 meters tall). This entry covers what is sold under the name “bamboo” in textiles and how it should be labeled.

Two different products: mechanical bamboo and bamboo viscose

• Mechanically processed bamboo (bamboo fiber): According to the FTC, the name “bamboo” may be used only for products made directly from bamboo fiber; the term for this fiber is “mechanically processed bamboo”.
• Bamboo viscose: It is made by dissolving bamboo cellulose by the viscose method and re-forming it as fiber. The FTC writes that this product is typically made with chemicals harmful to the environment, in a process that releases air pollutants, and that no trace of the plant remains in the finished rayon product. Competition Bureau Canada likewise says the finished product carries no trace of the bamboo plant or its antimicrobial properties.

These two sources address the US and Canadian markets. No source was found on how much of what is sold as “bamboo” in Turkey is viscose; ask the supplier for a written statement of how the fiber is produced. How viscose is made, and how it differs from modal and lyocell, is explained in the viscose entry.

Bamboo or viscose on the label?

In Turkey, only the names listed in Annex 1 of the fiber-name regulation (Tekstil Elyaf İsimleri ve Tekstil Ürünlerinin Elyaf Kompozisyonlarıyla İlgili Etiketleme ve İşaretleme Hakkındaki Yönetmelik; “the Turkish regulation” below) are used to describe fiber composition on textile labels (article 6/1); the EU regulation sets the same rule (1007/2011, Article 5). The name “bamboo” is not in Annex 1. Regenerated cellulose fiber obtained by the viscose method is listed as “viscose” (no. 25), and the definition does not specify the raw material. So have the composition of fiber made from bamboo pulp by the viscose method written on the label as “viscose”.

The European Commission says brand names and other names not in Annex I are not enough to identify a fiber (FAQ 2.11). Under article 17/2 of the Turkish regulation, other information is always shown separately from the fiber composition; the Commission explains with the example “100% wool – merino” that non-misleading extra information can be given separately from the composition (FAQ 3.1). For the way to give raw-material information such as “viscose – from bamboo pulp” in line with the rules, still consult a specialist. In the US the FTC gives names such as “rayon” or “rayon made from bamboo” as examples, and in Canada Competition Bureau Canada gives names such as “viscose from bamboo”. This section was written on October 11, 2026 against the 2015 regulation text; for the market where you sell bamboo-labelled goods, confirm the current rule with a regulatory specialist.

Properties

The properties of bamboo viscose are determined by viscose. According to a textbook, the moisture regain of viscose rayon is about 13% under standard conditions, the fiber loses almost half of its strength when wet, it absorbs moisture well and dyes easily (INFLIBNET). Annex 9 of the Turkish regulation accepts a 13.00% moisture allowance for viscose when calculating fiber content, against 8.50% for cotton. These are commercial calculation values, not measurement results.

No independent source was found that gives a separate property table for bamboo viscose. Do not accept claims such as “bamboo is softer”, “bamboo cools you” or “bamboo is antibacterial” without a test report: the FTC writes that property claims attributed to bamboo must be backed by competent and reliable evidence, such as scientific tests.

There is a laboratory study on bamboo towels: Sekerden (2012) reports that, in undyed and unfinished test samples, towels with bamboo pile yarn showed shorter sinking time and lower stiffness than towels with cotton pile yarn, while at high abrasion cycles the bamboo towels abraded more. The result cannot be generalized to dyed and finished commercial products; for details, see the terry towel quality guide.

What to specify when sourcing

1. Ask for the label name and percentage: write the composition with the Annex 1 name, such as “100% viscose”; if “bamboo” is given as raw-material information, show it separately from the composition (article 17/2). Article 10 of the Turkish regulation requires fibers to be listed by weight percentage in descending order.
2. Ask about the production method: is it mechanical bamboo fiber or viscose? Ask a supplier who says “bamboo fiber” to document it.
3. Ask for property claims with measurements: cooling, moisture management and antibacterial claims should be supported by a test report.
4. Have dimensional change measured: by ISO 5077, with ISO 6330 procedures; this matters for viscose, whose dimensions can change when wet. For cutting allowance, use the fabric shrinkage calculator.
5. Write the weight in g/m²: for products such as towels and sheets, calculate it from a sample with the fabric GSM calculator.

You can find bamboo and viscose fiber suppliers in the Textile Fibers category and viscose yarn suppliers in the Viscose Yarn category.

Frequently asked questions

Is bamboo fabric breathable?

Bamboo does not stop sweating; no fabric can, because perspiration is the body's cooling mechanism. The claim “bamboo doesn't make you sweat” does not follow from the name: the product is mostly viscose, and Annex 9 accepts a moisture allowance of 13.00% for viscose and 8.50% for cotton. This value is not a measurement; comfort also depends on yarn, structure and weight. For comfort claims, ask for EN ISO 9237 air permeability and EN ISO 11092 water-vapor resistance results. More in breathable fabrics for summer.

Is bamboo fabric natural?

Mostly not. The FTC writes that most, perhaps all, of the “bamboo” textiles on the US market are rayon; under the US rules (16 CFR 303.7) rayon is a man-made fiber produced in a factory from regenerated cellulose. Only products made directly from bamboo fiber can be considered plant fiber.

Is bamboo fabric antibacterial?

No trace of the bamboo plant remains in finished rayon (FTC; Competition Bureau Canada). According to the FTC, a claim that the plant's antimicrobial properties are retained in the product needs evidence; without it, the claim can be misleading. If you want an antibacterial property, ask for a test report.

Does bamboo fabric shrink?

Standard viscose can become unstable when wet, and may stretch or shrink (Zhang et al., 2018); the amount depends on the fabric and the finish. Ask for measurements on a sample washed to ISO 5077 and ISO 6330.