What Are Technical Fabrics (and What Can They Do)?

Published 24th April 2026

We talk a lot on the Redwood website about ‘technical fabrics’ – in fact, technical textiles are even in our full company name. But what exactly are technical fabrics? What can technical fabrics do that other fabrics can’t? And why should you choose Redwood as your first choice technical fabrics supplier?

In this article, we’ll take a look at what makes a fabric a technical fabric, and examine the properties and performance of some of our leading fabric lines, including:

• Reliance, Advance and Xtreme medical fabrics

• High slip and non-slip technical fabrics

• Proban flame resistant fabrics 

Redwood technical fabrics can help to make your facilities safer and more hygienic, protect staff and users, and look after your budgets too through enhanced durability, productivity and performance.

What makes a fabric a technical fabric?

Technical fabrics are fabrics with added features that enhance their performance. These include:

• Antibacterial properties

• Breathability

• Moisture resistance and waterproofing

• Flame resistance

• Chemical resistance (such as aggressive cleaning regimes)

• Antidecubitus (or pressure relieving) properties

• Low friction or non-slip surfaces

Redwood’s expert team understands the composition of technical textiles, including the combination of different properties and layers. The unique properties of technical fabrics can be created in a variety of ways, including:

• Intrinsic properties – selecting fabrics that have natural properties built into the fibres, such as flame resistance. Often found in flame resistant technical fabrics

• Impregnation – treating the fibres during fabric manufacturing to lock in a desired property. Often used in infection control technical fabrics

• Coating – adding a chemical layer to the surface of the fabric, such as a TPU coating and transfer coating, to enhance its performance. Often used to create waterproof technical fabrics and fabrics for specialist medical equipment.

What technical fabrics does Redwood make?

Redwood is an industry leader in technical fabric design and production. We have a wide range of core fabrics that are used in both medical and contract bedding, including:

• Reliance – polyurethane coated nylon for basic, low risk healthcare settings, designed for stitched seams

• Advance – a premium polyurethane coated fabric for medium healthcare settings, designed for welded seams

• Xtreme – a chemically resistant, polycarbonate coated fabric for high risk, heavy use healthcare settings. Can withstand 10,000ppm chlorine disinfection.

• Proban – a certified flame-resistant treatment for cotton and cotton rich fabrics used in healthcare and high-risk industries such as offshore oil and gas.

In addition to our specialist medical and contract bedding clients, Redwood also supplies a broad range of manufacturers with technical fabrics. From industrial and military applications to camping and sports gear, from motor manufacturing to recreation and soft play equipment, Redwood technical fabrics can be found across a wide range of industries, right across the world.

It is this unrivalled experience and expertise that make Redwood your first choice for technical fabrics.

Can Redwood make bespoke technical textiles?

At Redwood, we have worked for many years refining our core range of technical fabrics. Our aim is to make it easy to match the product to the performance you need. But it doesn’t stop there. 

Our in-depth understanding of fabric technology means our textile scientists can also produce bespoke technical fabrics to match even the most precise specifications. We will combine decades of research and development to deliver a fabric that meets and exceeds your expectations. 

We love a challenge, and we thrive on collaboration, so talk to our team today. We’ll work with you to develop technical fabrics that tick all the boxes. The answer is yes, now what’s the question? 

Talk to the technical fabric experts

Our fabrics may be highly scientific and technical, but our service couldn’t be more down to earth. The Redwood team are friendly, customer-focused, solution-driven and always happy to help. We work with you, not for you, to deliver the right technical fabrics every time.

Whether you need an off the shelf solution, proven on the relentless front lines of medical care, or a bespoke fabric specifically designed for your unique circumstances, there’s only one team to turn to.

Frequently Asked Questions