Tencel: what is it, what are the advantages and why should you wear it?

Tencel, a fabric that we see and hear more and more these days. People use the terms 'eco-friendly', 'sustainable' and 'natural' when they talk about Tencel. But what is actually true? And how is it made? Should you wear it and what are the advantages of this fabric? In this blog we will fill you in on the details!

Tencel is a brand name for the fiber lyocell. So, Tencel is actually a company that produces lycocell fibers made into fabric. This fabric is used for many different end-uses such as clothing and bedding. The reason why this fabric is so loved and used very often in the last years is because of it's exceptional properties and the way it was produced. 

Tencel is produced from wood pulp. The wood pulp is made from wood originated from FSC certified forests based in the south of Africa. The FSC certification means that the wood was grown in a responsibly managed forest. These forests are used specifically for the production of wood for Tencel because this ground is not fertile enough for agriculture. 

Tencel is made from eucalyptus trees and the perk of the eucalyptus is that it can grow on the not so fertile ground. The production process is a closed loop. More than 99% of the used water and solvents is being recycled and reused. Besides, the bleaching of the fibers is done without using chlorine (harmful chemical). 

The eucalyptus trees are made into wood chips and after that into wood pulp. During the process, renewable energy is used, resulting in low CO2 emissions. The wood pulp is transformed into lyocell fibers with a closed loop process and from these fibers the Tencel fabric is spun.

• Tencel is soft and therefore comfortable to wear
• Tencel is a strong fabric which makes it a good active wear fabric as well
• Tencel is a 'breathing' fabric which makes it good to wear in summer and winter
• Tencel absorbs water better than cotton but it dries quicker
• Tencel is very resistant to bacteria, which makes it perfect resistant to sweating or any other bad scents

I can hear you think.. But what is the downside of Tencel? 

There are only a few downsides to Tencel, and one of them is: the price. Tencel is a more expensive fabric than for example cotton. Besides, Tencel is also not resistant to higher temperatures, meaning it is best to wash it at 30 degrees. 

To conclude this blog about Tencel: Tencel/lyocell has many advantages and there are enough reasons why you should invest in Tencel, both for the environment and for yourself.