By Owais AliReviewed by Lexie CornerApr 14 2025As environmental concerns intensify, the global textile industry faces growing pressure to adopt more sustainable practices. Increasing consumer awareness of the ecological impact of clothing production has driven manufacturers and designers to seek alternatives to conventional materials.
Among these, hemp fabric has emerged as a natural textile, gaining significant attention due to its reduced environmental footprint.
This raises the question: Is hemp fabric better than widely used natural fibers like cotton?
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What is Hemp Fabric?
Hemp fabric is a sustainable textile made from the long bast fibers of the Cannabis sativa plant. It is valued for its high tensile strength, durability, and resistance to environmental degradation.
Archaeological evidence suggests that hemp has been used for over 8,000 years in various applications, including clothing, ropes, sails, and paper. However, its production declined in the 20th century due to its association with marijuana and the rise of synthetic fibers.
In recent years, hemp fabric has experienced a resurgence in the textile industry, driven by growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable materials.1,2
How is Hemp Fabric Made?
Hemp fabric is made through a multi-step process that transforms the raw fibers of the hemp plant into a versatile and durable textile.
1. Harvesting
Hemp plants are harvested at the optimal stage of fiber maturity, typically three to four months after sowing, depending on climatic conditions. The stalks are cut close to the ground and left to dry in the field for 5 to 10 days before being processed in the next stage.
2. Retting Process
It involves the biological degradation of pectin, hemicellulose, and lignin—compounds that bind the bast fibers together. This process separates the fibers from the other stalk materials. Traditionally, water retting was used; however, it has largely been replaced by dew, enzymatic, and osmotic retting methods due to their reduced environmental impact
3. Breaking and Scutching
After retting, mechanical processes such as breaking and scutching separate the fibers from the woody parts of the stalk and divide the technical fibers into smaller complexes.
Breaking crushes the woody core, loosening the fibers, while scutching further removes non-fibrous material, leaving behind long, strong fibers suitable for high-quality textile production.
4. Hackling
This process aligns the fibers and removes any remaining impurities by combing them through metal hackles. It separates the long, smooth line fibers from the shorter, coarser tow fibers.
5. Roving
Once the fibers are aligned, they undergo roving, lightly twisting, and stretching into long, narrow bundles. This strengthens the fibers and holds them together in a continuous strand, preparing them for spinning.
6. Spinning
The spinning process converts the prepared fibers into yarn with two primary methods: wet and dry spinning. In wet spinning, the fibers are soaked in water to soften them, producing a smoother yarn. In contrast, dry spinning involves spinning the fibers without water, producing coarser yarn.
7. Weaving
Once the yarn is prepared, it is woven into the fabric using traditional or modern looms. The weaving process determines the fabric's final texture, density, and pattern, with options including plain weave, twill weave, or herringbone weave, each offering different durability, flexibility, and aesthetic qualities.3,4
Hemp Fiber | An Eco-Friendly, Textile Powerhouse
Applications of Hemp Fabric
Hemp fabric demonstrates exceptional versatility, finding applications across various industries:
- Clothing and Fashion: Used in shirts, pants, jackets, and activewear, hemp fabric is valued for its breathability, moisture-wicking properties, and durability.
- Home Textiles: Its high absorbency and strength make hemp ideal for towels, while its anti-microbial properties enhance the performance of tablecloths and dish towels.
- Industrial Applications: Hemp fabric is incorporated into automotive components, such as those in the BMW i3, and used for ropes, providing strength, mold resistance, and lightweight properties.
- Construction Materials: Hemp-based materials like hempcrete and hemp mortar provide superior insulation and store up to 48kg of CO₂ equivalent per square meter over 100 years.
- Eco-friendly Packaging: Hemp paper and bioplastics, known for their high tensile strength and environmental benefits, are sustainable alternatives to conventional materials, reducing reliance on toxic chemicals.3,5,6
Properties of Hemp vs Cotton Fabric
Durability and Longevity
Hemp fabric outperforms cotton in durability and longevity due to its higher cellulose content (55–72 %) and lower lignin content (2–5 %), which enhance its tensile strength and water resistance.
Unlike cotton, which degrades with each wash, hemp stabilizes after the initial wash. It resists further shrinkage, softens over time without losing strength, and maintains its integrity through repeated laundering or regular use.
Additionally, hemp is resistant to pilling and wear, allowing it to last up to twice as long as cotton garments, with a lifespan of 20 to 30 years with proper care.3,5,7
Comfort and Breathability
Hemp's porous structure promotes air circulation, enhancing its breathability. Its moisture-wicking properties and high absorption capacity support thermoregulation, cooling the body in warm conditions and providing insulation in cold weather through its hollow fiber structure. Additionally, hemp's inherent anti-microbial properties ensure it remains fresh and odor-free, making it an ideal choice for individuals with sensitive skin.
Cotton is also highly breathable and soft, making it a comfortable option in warm weather. However, it tends to absorb moisture, which can make the fabric damp and uncomfortable, especially in humid conditions.7,8
Color Retention
Hemp fabric demonstrates superior color retention compared to cotton, primarily due to its natural resistance to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This resistance helps preserve dye vibrancy and significantly reduces fading from sun exposure, ensuring that hemp fabric retains its color over time.
Additionally, hemp's high absorption capacity enhances the dyeing process, allowing for quicker, more efficient absorption of natural dyes with fewer treatments, contributing to long-lasting color intensity.
In contrast, cotton fabric fades more quickly than hemp due to its vulnerability to UV radiation, which accelerates the breakdown of dyes. Although cotton can be dyed in vibrant colors, it requires more intensive treatment and tends to lose color intensity over time, especially after repeated washing or prolonged sun exposure.7
Cost and Availability
Hemp fabric is typically more expensive than conventional cotton due to factors such as fiber blends, fabric weight, weave, processing methods, and regional and market demand. For example, in China, 100 % hemp fiber suitable for spinning ranges from $5.88 to $6.18 per kilogram, whereas in the United States, prices average around $0.55 per kilogram.
In contrast, cotton fabric is widely available at varying price points, with basic cotton (such as muslin) costing approximately $0.60 per kilogram. Cotton's affordability stems from its large-scale, well-established production and distribution systems, ensuring consistent availability through major retailers, online marketplaces, and specialized fabric stores.
While hemp fabric's availability was historically limited due to legal restrictions and cultivation challenges, its market presence is steadily increasing through specialized suppliers and online retailers such as Hemp Traders and EnviroTextiles. This growing market presence, supported by increasing consumer interest in sustainable textiles, suggests potential for more competitive pricing as production capacity expands.9
Table 1 Summary of Hemp vs Cotton Fabric
| Feature |
Hemp Fabric |
Cotton Fabric |
| Durability and Longevity |
Very high, softens with use, resistant to wear and tear, mold, mildew, and UV |
Moderate to high and may degrade with washing (depending on quality) |
| Comfort and Breathability |
Good comfort (improves with wear), excellent breathability and moisture wicking, temperature regulating, anti-microbial |
Excellent initial comfort, good breathability, and high absorbency, but retains moisture |
| Color Retention |
Excellent, high UV resistance, less prone to fading |
Good, but more susceptible to fading from washing and sunlight |
| Cost and Availability |
Generally more expensive, availability increasing |
Widely available, broad price range |
Hemp vs. Cotton: Which is More Sustainable?
Water Use
Cotton is one of the most water-intensive crops globally, requiring approximately 10,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of fabric and about 2,500 liters for a single 250-gram T-shirt.
Its prolonged growing season (150–180 days) and cultivation in arid regions necessitate continuous irrigation, leading to substantial freshwater losses through evaporation and inefficient water management.
In contrast, hemp requires only 2,719 liters of water per kilogram—less than one-third of cotton's water footprint. With a shorter maturation period (70–120 days), reduced canopy coverage, and a lower leaf area index, hemp experiences lower transpiration rates. In addition, its deep roots allow access to subsoil moisture, enabling it to grow successfully in drier climates without irrigation.
These characteristics position hemp as a more water-efficient and environmentally sustainable alternative to cotton.10
Pesticide and Herbicide Use
Cotton heavily depends on pesticides to combat insects, fungi, and weeds. According to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), cotton accounts for 4.71 % of global pesticide sales, with 10.24 % of all insecticide sales attributed to its cultivation. It is estimated that over 80 % of the global cotton crop could be lost to pests without chemical intervention.
This extensive use of pesticides contributes to environmental contamination, including water pollution and ecosystem damage, and may leave pesticide residues in the fabric, potentially affecting consumers and garment workers.
In contrast, hemp exhibits natural resistance to many pests and diseases, substantially reducing the need for chemical interventions. Its rapid growth, dense canopy, and allelopathic properties inhibit weed growth and deter pests, making it a low-maintenance crop that thrives without pesticides or herbicides.10-12
Soil Impact
Hemp improves soil health through its deep root system, which aerates the soil, enhances aggregation, and prevents erosion. It is also an effective rotational crop, suppressing weeds and boosting yields of subsequent plantings. Crops such as corn, soybeans, tobacco, and wheat have shown yield increases of 10–20 % due to improved soil structure and reduced weed pressure.
Additionally, hemp's ability to absorb toxins and heavy metals through phytoremediation makes it valuable for land reclamation, leaving the soil in optimal condition for future cultivation.
In contrast, cotton farming degrades soil quality through continuous monocropping and intensive irrigation, which deplete nutrients and organic matter, damaging soil structure. Despite stable global cotton cultivation areas over the past 70 years, the intensity of its production has caused significant soil depletion, driving expansion into new areas and contributing to habitat destruction.10,11
Final Thoughts
As environmental concerns in the textile industry intensify, hemp offers a promising alternative to conventional cotton. With its low water usage, reduced reliance on pesticides, and ability to improve soil health, hemp is well-positioned as a more sustainable fiber. Its long lifespan, durability, and potential for carbon sequestration further add to its environmental advantages.
As demand for sustainable textiles grows, integrating hemp into mainstream fabric production can significantly reduce the industry's ecological footprint and foster a more sustainable future.
Explore More on Sustainable Textiles:
References and Further Reading
- Lamberti, DD., Sarkar, A. K. (2017, October). Hemp fiber for furnishing applications. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 254, No. 19, p. 192009). IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/254/19/192009
- Bommestudio. (2024). The Ultimate Guide to Hemp Fabric: Everything You Need to Know. https://www.bommestudio.com/fabric-dictionary/hemp-fabric
- Sewport. (2025). What is Hemp Fabric: Properties, How its Made and Where. https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/hemp-fabric
- Zimniewska, M. (2022). Hemp Fibre Properties and Processing Target Textile: A Review. Materials (Basel, Switzerland), 15(5), 1901. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15051901
- Elfaleh, I., Abbassi, F., Habibi, M., Ahmad, F., Guedri, M., Nasri, M., Garnier, C. (2023). A comprehensive review of natural fibers and their composites: An eco-friendly alternative to conventional materials. Results in Engineering, 19, 101271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2023.101271
- DSIAC. (2024). Applications of Hemp Fibers for Textiles. https://dsiac.dtic.mil/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TI-Response-Report_DSIAC_Applications-of-Hemp-Fibers-for-Textiles_12122024.pdf
- Lawrence. (2024). Hemp Fabric Vs. Cotton: Exploring Pros and Cons. https://www.hemptraders.com/article-a/266.htm
- Dugarco. (2025). What Is Hemp Fabric? Salient Features And Applications. https://dugarco.com/en/what-is-hemp-fabric/
- HempCBD. (2025). How Much Does It Cost to Grow Hemp Fiber and/or Hemp Grain? https://hempcbdbusinessplans.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-grow-hemp-fiber-and-or-hemp-grain/
- Textile Exchange. (2023). Growing Hemp for the Future A global fiber guide. https://textileexchange.org/app/uploads/2023/04/Growing-Hemp-for-the-Future-1.pdf
- Piotrowski, S., Carus, M. (2024). Ecological benefits of hemp and flax cultivation and products. https://eiha.org/media/attach/643/11-05-13_Ecological_benefits_of_hemp_and_flax.pdf
- Brooke. (2021). 'Silenced Data' Means We Don't Know Global Impacts Of Cotton Pesticides. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookerobertsislam/2021/12/06/silenced-data-means-we-dont-know-global-impacts-of-cotton-pesticides/
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