Bamboo, viscose and rayon: what the fabric label means

Distinguish feedstock from fibre

Textile Exchange defines viscose or rayon as regenerated cellulose from plant sources. The plant supplies the cellulose; the finished textile fibre has its own name.

The US FTC’s bamboo guidance distinguishes actual bamboo fibre from rayon or viscose made using bamboo. This is US labelling guidance, but the distinction is useful when comparing product descriptions anywhere.

Read the whole composition statement

Compare the front-of-pack phrase with the sewn-in label. A hypothetical description of 95% viscose made from bamboo and 5% elastane tells a more complete story than the single word bamboo.

Keep both the fibre percentages and the original wording in your notes. A second-hand listing or a material study should retain that detail rather than shortening a regenerated-cellulose blend to pure bamboo.

Treat performance claims as separate questions

A plant-origin story is not a complete description of a finished garment. For a claim about care, antibacterial performance or environmental impact, look for information about the actual product and the basis of that claim.

You can compare softness, drape and construction directly, but record those as observations. They do not establish the cellulose feedstock or the manufacturing process used for an unlabelled sample.

Create a useful Materium reference

Photograph the surface and composition label in even light, then explore the textile in Materium. Use the report to organise the material question and the label to retain product-specific wording.

Save the scan alongside your own source note. When comparing another bamboo-labelled item, revisit the fibre name, blend and care instructions first. This gives your collection a consistent vocabulary without flattening different textiles into one category.

Keep exploring

• Wool, acrylic and blends: reading knitwear composition
• Linen vs cotton: compare the label, weave and finish
• How to identify materials from a photo with Materium