Understanding Technical Fabric Suppliers
Published 21st April 2025
Fabrics and textiles may have been around for thousands of years, but they’re still changing constantly. As one of the UK’s leading technical fabric suppliers, Redwood is constantly developing new technical textiles that push the boundaries of performance for our clients.
But what exactly are ‘technical textiles’, and what sets them apart from the standard fabrics that have been around since ancient times?
The fascinating history of fabrics
Fabrics have been made and used since the dawn of man. It was only with the protection of the earliest clothing that our ancestors were able to first migrate out of Africa around 170,000 years ago.
Sewing needles have been found dating back 50,000 years, and dyed flax dating back 36,000 years. The Ancient Egyptians produced linen around 5500 BC, while at the same time, the Chinese were busy weaving exotic silks. In Europe, wool was the primary fibre for fabrics, with the earliest known wool textiles dating back to the same period.
However, despite all the advances in fabric creation, these textiles were always limited by the features of the threads themselves. The treatment of fabrics to deliver specialist performance, beyond their natural properties, is a relatively recent idea.
Taking textiles to the next level
As leading technical fabric suppliers, Redwood is constantly changing how we view technical textiles and what they can achieve. Redwood’s technical textiles are at the forefront of care in Britain’s hospitals, clinics and care homes, as well as healthcare settings across the world. Our innovations help our customers to protect patients from infections, prevent fires and make transfers simpler and safer.
While we’re proud of what we have achieved as technical fabric suppliers, we’re always striving for more. Redwood’s technical textiles are not only innovative, but are constantly evolving through ongoing research and development. We invest in leading labs and testing facilities, so that our clients don’t have to.
Meeting the most demanding standards
As trusted technical fabric suppliers, Redwood understands the demands of the healthcare market. We ensure that all our products meet and exceed the stringent standards laid down by national health bodies. This means that you can buy certified, quality-compliant products with confidence.
Our branded technical textiles deliver industry-leading performance where it matters most, including:
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Proban flame retardant coatings that give cotton and cotton-rich woven alongside knitted textiles flame retardant properties
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Xtreme fabrics are designed to meet stringent anti-bacterial requirements while also withstanding high concentration chlorine cleaning
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High-slip and anti-slip textiles are made to support staff in the transfer of patients within the medical environment
A wide range of industries
Although Redwood is primarily known as technical fabric suppliers to the medical sector, we’re also known across a huge range of other industries, including automotive, aerospace, defence and heavy industry. Our TPU films and coated fabrics can be found in cabins, cockpits, valves and vapour seals worldwide.
We are technical fabric suppliers to some of the biggest names in manufacturing. They rely on Redwood for our unrivalled experience and expertise in technical textile sourcing and manufacturing. They know that when they need something new and innovative, the Redwood specialist design and development team will work with them to create exactly what they need, without compromise.
Fabric has come a long way since the first cloth was woven thousands of years ago, and here at Redwood, we know that as technical fabric suppliers, there’s still so much more we can achieve.
To see what our technical textiles can do for your patients and products, contact the textile experts at Redwood today.
