Microfiber is any synthetic fiber finer than 1 denier per filament, which is finer than silk. In practice it's almost always polyester, nylon (polyamide) or a polyester-nylon blend, woven or knitted into fabric. That fineness is what gives microfiber its soft hand, dense surface and dirt-grabbing ability, and it is also why the material performs differently in cleaning cloths, apparel, bedding, upholstery and towels.
This guide explains the basics of microfiber materials, split vs non-split construction, common fabric types and weights, how microfiber compares with cotton and standard polyester, where it performs well or falls short, and what MH supplies.
Key Takeaways
Microfiber means filaments under 1 denier (1 g per 9,000 m). Divide yarn denier by filament count to check: 75D/144F is about 0.52 denier per filament.
Split vs non-split is the big divide. Split polyester-nylon (80/20 or 70/30) grabs dust and water for cleaning; non-split polyester is for apparel, bedding and upholstery.
Typical weights: 75–120 GSM for bedding, 100–130 GSM for peach skin apparel, 200–600 GSM for cleaning towels.
Fine filaments take more dye to reach the same shade, so lot-to-lot shade control matters.
MH (Ningbo, est. 1999) supplies nylon and polyester microfiber in 150 cm widths, including 20D×20D nylon and 120 GSM twill peach skin.
What Is Microfiber Fabric?
Microfiber fabric is a synthetic fabric made from ultra fine fibers finer than one denier, typically with a diameter of less than ten micrometers. Denier is the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of fiber, so a lower number means a thinner filament; by comparison, human hair is much thicker at roughly 5 denier. Standard polyester apparel yarns run above 1 denier per filament. Split microfibers go much further, often down to about 0.1-0.2 denier once separated.
The fastest way to read a spec sheet is to divide yarn denier by filament count (D/F):
Yarn spec | Denier per filament | Microfiber? |
|---|---|---|
75D/36F | ~2.1 | No, standard filament |
75D/72F | ~1.04 | Borderline, not true microfiber |
75D/144F | ~0.52 | Yes |
150D/288F | ~0.52 | Yes |
170D/288F | ~0.59 | Yes |
Split 16-segment bicomponent | ~0.1–0.2 after splitting | Yes, ultrafine |
Denier per filament = yarn denier ÷ filament count. Values rounded.
What is microfiber made of? Mostly polyester. Cleaning grades blend polyester with polyamide (nylon), usually 80/20 or 70/30, because nylon holds water better and feels softer, and these microfiber materials are often split during production to increase absorbency.
Split vs Non-Split Microfiber: What's the Difference?
Split microfiber has been chemically or mechanically opened into wedge-shaped filaments, so it grabs dust, grease and water. Non-split microfiber keeps round, smooth filaments, so it feels silky but doesn't clean much better than any other smooth cloth. Nearly every sourcing mistake with microfiber traces back to mixing these two up.
Factor | Split microfiber | Non-split microfiber |
|---|---|---|
Fiber | Polyester/polyamide, usually 80/20 or 70/30 | Mostly 100% polyester, sometimes nylon |
Filament shape | Wedge-shaped edges after splitting | Round, smooth |
Water handling | Soaks up water between filaments (capillary action) | Moves water over the surface, dries fast |
Dust and grease pickup | High | Low |
Feel | Grabby; catches on dry skin | Smooth, silky |
Typical products | Cleaning cloths, mops, towels, glass cloths | Peach skin, bedding, apparel, upholstery, linings |
Quick check | Drags on a dry palm, wipes a water spill clean | Slides across skin, pushes water around |
Which should you specify? If the product wipes, dries or dusts, specify split, and state the polyester/nylon ratio. If it's worn, slept on or sat on, non-split polyester is normally the right and cheaper choice.
What Types of Microfiber Fabric Are There?
Microfiber types split by construction and finish more than by fiber. The same polyester or polyester-nylon yarn can end up as a thin glass cloth, a plush towel or a suede-look sofa fabric, depending on how it's woven, knitted and finished.
The different types are engineered for different uses, from cleaning supplies to apparel and upholstery, and the performance shifts with various weaves and finishes rather than other fibers alone; where more stretch is needed in garments, mills often turn to polyester spandex stretch woven fabric instead of standard microfiber.
Type | Typical weight | Construction / finish | Common uses |
|---|---|---|---|
Flat-weave microfiber | 150–250 GSM | Tight plain or twill weave, smooth face | Lens and screen cloths, glass, garments, accessories |
Waffle-weave microfiber | 250–400 GSM | Split yarn in a honeycomb weave | Glass cleaning, kitchen and bar towels |
Terry / plush microfiber | 300–600+ GSM | Warp-knit loops, split yarn | Bath and gym towels, car-detailing cloths |
Peach skin microfiber | 100–130 GSM | Woven polyester, sanded to a fine nap | Blouses, dresses, workwear, casual trousers, athletic wear |
Brushed microfiber | 75–120 GSM | Woven or knit, brushed face | Bed sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers |
Microfiber suede | 200–400 GSM | Islands-in-the-sea fibers, sanded face | Upholstery, shoes, bags, faux suede garments |
Typical ranges. Yarn denier, weave density and finish shift the weight for any style.
Flat-weave microfiber is closely woven, so it's the most durable and least fluffy. Waffle weave glides over glass and doesn't leave streaks. Terry and plush grades are highly absorbent and often engineered to be soft, absorbent, durable, or especially good at trapping tiny particles. Peach skin is also popular where moisture-wicking comfort matters.
For sofas and bags, suede upholstery fabric is the microfiber look most furniture buyers recognize, and it holds up well among durable upholstery fabrics because microfiber upholstery is valued for durability and stain resistance, while tightly woven polyester options such as 190T polyester pongee fabric are common in lightweight jackets, linings and outdoor gear.
What GSM Should Microfiber Be for Each Use?
GSM tells you how much fabric is in the product, but for towels it also signals pile height and water capacity. For apparel and bedding, GSM mostly decides drape and opacity. The table below gives working ranges buyers use when writing specs for each material, and microfiber towels and cloths are lightweight, which makes them practical for travel and everyday cleaning kits.
End use | Typical GSM | Split? | What else to specify |
|---|---|---|---|
General cleaning cloth | 200-300 grams per square meter | Yes | Blend ratio, edge finish, size |
Glass and window cloth | 250–400 waffle, or thin flat weave | Yes | Low pile, lint-free edge; dries faster than cotton or wool alternatives |
Car detailing towel | 350–600+ | Yes | Pile length, edgeless or satin-bound edge |
Bath and sports towel | 300–450 | Yes | Loop density, drying speed; can absorb water up to seven times its weight and dry quickly |
Bed sheets and pillowcases | 75–120 | No | Brushing level, width (often 230–280 cm for sheeting) |
Apparel (peach skin, twill) | 100–130 | No | Yarn D/F, weave, coating |
Upholstery suede | 200–400 | No | Rub test, backing, flame retardancy |
Edge finish matters more than most buyers expect. Overlocked edges are cheapest. Satin-bound edges protect car paint. Ultrasonic or laser-cut "edgeless" cloths seal the cut, so they shed less.
Microfiber vs Cotton vs Standard Polyester: How Do They Compare?
Microfiber is usually polyester, so the real difference from standard polyester is filament fineness, not chemistry. Against cotton, microfiber dries faster, lints less and resists stains better, while cotton, a natural fiber derived from the cotton plant, is prized in cotton sheets for breathability and softness and microfiber is one of the synthetic textiles. Moisture regain shows the gap clearly: about 8.5% for cotton, about 4% for nylon and about 0.4% for polyester.
Factor | Microfiber (polyester / poly-nylon) | Cotton | Standard polyester |
|---|---|---|---|
Filament fineness | Under 1 denier | Staple fiber, roughly 1.5–2 denier equivalent | Usually above 1 denier |
Moisture regain | ~0.4% (polyester), ~4% (nylon) | ~8.5% | ~0.4% |
How it holds water | Split grades trap it between filaments | Absorbs into the fiber | Barely absorbs |
Drying speed | Fast | Slow | Fast |
Lint | Very low from filament yarn | Sheds lint | Low |
Feel | Soft, dense, silky or peachy | Crisp to soft, matte | Smoother, can feel slick |
Heat tolerance | Low; melts, glazes under a hot iron | High | Low |
Breathability in bedding | Tightly woven microfiber bedding can feel warmer | Natural fibers like cotton and silk are usually more breathable | Warmer than many other fabrics |
Relative cost | Low to medium | Medium | Low |
So when does microfiber win? For cleaning, quick-dry towels, stain-resistant bedding and peachy apparel shells at a low price, and microfiber sheets also wrinkle less than cotton sheets. Cotton still wins for hot-sleeper bedding and garments that need to breathe. For mid-point options, see polyester-cotton blends such as TC 65/35 twill fabric, and for a full take on the base fiber, is polyester a good fabric.
Nylon microfiber is worth its own note. It's softer and stronger than polyester microfiber and takes acid dyes in rich shades, but it costs more and yellows under strong UV. Its sheen is closer to nylon satin than to matte polyester, while other durable polyester apparel fabrics like mini matt give a more matte, workwear-ready look.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Microfiber?
Microfiber's main strengths are softness at a low weight, strong cleaning performance in split grades and good durability. Its weak points are heat sensitivity, static and fiber shedding. Here's the short list buyers weigh.
Strengths
Soft, dense hand: from very fine filaments; takes sanding and brushing well.
Cleaning power: in split grades: picks up dust, grease and water without chemicals in many uses.
Quick drying: because polyester barely absorbs water into the fiber.
Durability: filament yarns resist abrasion and hold color, and high-quality microfiber can withstand hundreds of wash cycles without losing effectiveness, which is why it features among fabrics that last the longest .
Stain resistance: highly durable and resistant to stains on non-split grades, since spills sit on the surface before they soak in.
Weak points
Heat: melts and glazes under high-temperature ironing, pressing or drying, and burned microfiber textiles can emit toxic gases.
Static and lint pickup: attracts hair and lint in dry conditions.
Heat retention: in bedding compared with cotton percale.
Fiber shedding: part of microfiber's environmental impact, since it is not biodegradable, can fill landfills after use, and adds to plastic pollution; it is not an eco friendly option in disposal terms.
Microfiber Fabric from MH: Specified by Filament, Not by Name
MH (Ningbo MH) works the other way round, quoting microfiber by composition, yarn count, weave, weight, width and finish. On the shelf are a 20D×20D nylon microfiber fabric at 150 cm (from 3,000 m per color), a 240T twill peach skin in 100% polyester, 75D×150D, 120 GSM and 150 cm with a double PU coating for water resistance, and a 105 GSM polyester microfiber peach skin for blouses and dresses.
Those fabrics sit in a catalog of roughly 10,000 tailoring materials and fabrics, so the thread, zipper, interlining and label for the same garment can come from one supplier backed by a global tailoring materials manufacturer. MH has run since 1999 under the "Kingdom of Sewing" name. It has 9 factories on about 350,000 m², more than 3,000 employees and 2,000+ partner manufacturers, and ships to buyers in 150+ countries, supplying everything from microfiber to 100% polyester Dri-Fit sportswear fabric. Browse the peach skin and microfiber range or send the fiber, D/F, GSM, width, finish, color, MOQ and lead time you need.
Request a microfiber fabric quote →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is microfiber made of?
Most microfiber is 100% polyester or a polyester-polyamide (nylon) blend, usually 80/20 or 70/30 for cleaning products. These blends are also common in cleaning applications and microfiber cloth use.
Is microfiber the same as polyester?
Not exactly. Most microfiber is made of polyester, but not all polyester is microfiber. Microfiber means each filament is under 1 denier. Standard polyester filaments are thicker, so they feel slicker and less dense.
What is the difference between split and non-split microfiber?
Split microfiber is polyester-nylon that's been separated into wedge-shaped ultrafine filaments, so it grabs dust and soaks up water. It's used for cleaning cloths, mops and towels. Non-split microfiber keeps smooth round filaments. It feels silky and suits apparel, bedding and upholstery but cleans no better than ordinary cloth.
What GSM is good for microfiber towels and cloths?
General cleaning cloths usually run 200-300 GSM. Glass cloths are thinner or waffle-woven. Bath and sports towels run about 300-450 GSM, and plush car-detailing towels go to 350-600 GSM or more. Higher GSM means longer pile and more water capacity, though blend ratio and edge finish matter too.
Is microfiber better than cotton?
It depends on the job. Microfiber dries faster, lints less, resists stains and cleans better in split grades. Cotton breathes better, handles high heat and absorbs moisture into the fiber (about 8.5% moisture regain vs about 0.4% for polyester). Microfiber suits cleaning, quick-dry towels and budget bedding; cotton suits hot sleepers and breathable garments.