What Products Need Specialist Medical Fabrics?

Published 21st October 2026

As one of the UK’s leading medical fabric suppliers, Redwood knows that you expect more from our specialist medical fabrics. So we make sure that they deliver, meeting and exceeding your expectations at every turn. 

In this article, we’ll take a look at exactly what is a medical fabric, what properties are required from medical fabrics and what equipment and products medical fabrics are used for. We’ll also show you how Redwood has responded to the challenges of acute care with industry leading innovations like Xtreme.

Whatever clinical performance you require, you can count on the experience and expertise of Redwood to provide the perfect medical fabric solution.

What Properties Do Medical Fabrics Have?

Specialist medical fabrics differ from standard fabrics in their properties and performance. They are designed to cope with the intense demands of modern clinical settings, from hospitals and clinics to nursing and care homes. 

Medical fabrics are designed to deliver safety and comfort for patients, convenience for staff, compliance for management and cost-effectiveness for administrators. They achieve this through a number of properties, including:

• Fluid resistance – for incontinence use and infection control

• Breathability – for comfort and moisture control

• Flame retardance – to protect staff and patient safety

• Easy to clean – resisting even the harshest cleaning regimes

• Durability – for lasting performance and value 

• Friction control – slip and non-slip for safe manual handling

• Hygienic – with built-in anti-bacterial properties

What Products Require Medical Fabrics

Redwood supplies a wide range of medical fabrics and finished medical products, each individually designed to meet a specific need, or multiple needs in clinical settings. These include:

• Medical mattresses – Redwood produces its own range of Verituss pressure control mattresses, as well as supplying many of the leading equipment brands with finished medical mattresses and components. 

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) – as one of a small number of companies trusted by the UK government during the pandemic, Redwood have produced over 800,000 units of PPE to the highest standard to protect front line NHS workers

• Patient handling equipment – Redwood understands the challenges, and risks, of manual handling and can provide a range of patient handling equipment with specialist slip and no-slip properties to keep your team and your patients safe. This includes hoists and slings and slide sheets

• Seating and wheelchair cushions – extending our performance and protection beyond the hospital bed

Xtreme Fabrics from Redwood

In response to the demand for high-performance medical fabrics to help in the fight against heath care acquired infections, or so-called superbugs, Redwood has developed the industry leading Xtreme fabric. This innovative PU coated fabric raises the bar for medical fabric performance, delivering complete protection for patients and peace of mind for you.

Xtreme fabrics have been independently tested and proved to be:

• Bleach cleanable – at 10,000ppm of active chlorine to withstand the most aggressive cleaning regimes

• Durable – with extended life compared to traditional formulations, even when deep cleaned

• Flame retardant – to Crib 5 standards for healthcare settings (with Crib 7 available)

• Waterproof and breathable – for hygiene and comfort

• Anti-microbial – resistant to viruses, bacteria and fungi, and weldable to create sealed seams

• Pressure relieving – reducing friction with anti-decubitus stretch

Where Can You Find the Medical Fabrics You Need?

Xtreme is just one of the many specialist medical fabrics on offer at Redwood. Our research and development team are at the forefront of medical fabric innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries to bring you the best protection, the best performance and the best value for money, without ever compromising on patient care or comfort.

And if we don’t have exactly what you need, our fabric sourcing team will find it for you. Redwood is part of a global network of technical textile manufacturers, giving you access to a world of solutions from a single, local medical fabric supplier.

So whether your needs are clinical or care based, standard or highly specific, talk to the expert Redwood team today and find the medical fabrics you need fast.

Frequently Asked Questions