Spunlace vs Airlaid Wet Wipes Fabric: GSM & Fibre Guide

Short answer

Spunlace is the default fabric for most wet wipes: water jets entangle the fibres, so the sheet is soft, strong and cloth-like without chemical binder. Airlaid is built from short fibres, mostly wood pulp, laid by air and bonded with heat or binder; it is thicker, more absorbent and paper-like, but usually weaker when wet. Choose spunlace for baby, facial and personal care wipes, and consider airlaid for thick cleaning or absorbent wipes. Then fix the fibre blend, pattern and GSM in your specification.

Spunlace vs airlaid: what is the difference?

	Spunlace	Airlaid	Wetlaid
How it is made	Carded web entangled by high-pressure water jets	Short fibres (mostly pulp) deposited by air, then bonded thermally, with binder or both	Fibres filtered from a water slurry onto a screen, then bonded
Feel	Soft, cloth-like, drapes well	Thick, bulky, paper-like	Thin, paper-like
Wet strength	High	Lower; depends on binder	Varies with fibres and bonding
Absorbency	Good	Very high	Good
Typical wipe uses	Baby, facial, makeup, feminine, pet, most cleaning wipes	Thick cleaning, kitchen and absorbent wipes	Some flushable and dispersible wipes
Plastic-free possible?	Yes, with viscose, lyocell, cotton or pulp	Depends on binder or bicomponent fibre	Yes, with cellulose-only constructions

EDANA describes these routes as different ways of forming the web (drylaid carded, airlaid, wetlaid) and bonding it (mechanical, thermal, chemical) (EDANA).

When should you choose spunlace?

Choose spunlace when the wipe touches skin or needs to stay intact while scrubbing. It is the usual choice for:

Baby and sensitive skin wipes — softness and strength without binder.
Makeup remover and facial wipes — low lint and a smooth or textured surface (see makeup remover wipes).
Cleaning and disinfecting wipes — enough wet strength to scrub without shredding.
High-water formulas — spunlace holds liquid evenly (see “99% water” wipes).

When does airlaid make sense?

Airlaid suits wipes where bulk and absorbency matter more than cloth-like softness, such as thick kitchen or spill wipes. Ask how it is bonded: thermal bonding often uses bicomponent synthetic fibres, and some grades use a latex binder. Both affect whether the wipe is plastic-free and how it behaves wet. If you are selling in the UK, check the full composition, because the ban on wet wipes containing plastic covers household cleaning wipes as well as baby and personal care wipes (GOV.UK).

Which pattern or texture should you choose?

Pattern	Effect	Common use
Plain (flat)	Smooth, gentle surface	Baby, sensitive skin, eye-area wipes
Pearl / dot emboss	Raised texture that lifts dirt or makeup	Baby, makeup, cleaning wipes
Mesh / apertured	Open structure that grips and traps residue	Cleaning and facial wipes
Cross-lapped / parallel (spunlace web orientation)	Changes strength balance between directions	Chosen by the mill for strength needs

Texture is a feel decision as much as a performance one. Compare samples side by side with your benchmark (see how to evaluate wet wipe samples).

Which GSM should you choose for each application?

GSM (grams per square metre) is the fabric’s weight. Higher GSM usually feels thicker and uses more fibre, so it costs more. There is no legal standard; the ranges below are common industry starting points, not rules, and blends and textures change how a given GSM feels.

Application	Common starting range (typical)	What to watch
Travel / single-sachet refreshing wipes	Lighter end, roughly 30–45 GSM	Enough strength for one use
Baby and personal care wipes	Mid range, roughly 40–60 GSM	Softness vs thickness vs cost
Makeup remover and facial wipes	Mid range, roughly 40–60 GSM	Low lint, texture
Household cleaning and disinfecting wipes	Mid to heavier, roughly 45–70 GSM	Wet strength, scrub without tearing
Thick or premium wipes	Heavier, 60 GSM and up	Liquid loading rises with weight

GSM is measured with nonwoven methods such as NWSP 130.1 (INDA/EDANA NWSP index). Write the target and tolerance into your specification so each batch can be checked.

How do you write the fabric specification?

Process: spunlace, airlaid or wetlaid.
Fibre blend with percentages, and any binder or bicomponent fibre.
GSM target and tolerance.
Pattern and colour (usually white).
Sheet size and fold.
Required declarations: composition for plastic-free claims, and OEKO-TEX or FSC certificates if you will mention them.

Plastic-free and environmental claims are explained in biodegradable vs plastic-free vs compostable wipes, and fibre types in what wet wipes are made of.

Feel the difference before you decide

Tell us your application and we will send spunlace and, where it fits, airlaid samples in different weights and patterns so you can compare them side by side.

Request fabric samples Browse wipe categories

Frequently asked questions

Is spunlace or airlaid better for wet wipes?

For most wet wipes, spunlace: it is soft, strong when wet and needs no chemical binder. Airlaid is better when you need a thick, very absorbent, paper-like wipe.

What GSM is best for baby wipes?

There is no standard. Many baby wipes sit roughly in the 40–60 GSM range as a common starting point; choose by comparing samples for softness, thickness and cost.

Is airlaid plastic-free?

Not always. Airlaid is often thermally bonded with bicomponent synthetic fibres or uses a binder. Ask for the full composition before claiming plastic-free.

What does pearl pattern mean on wet wipes?

A raised dot emboss on the fabric that helps lift dirt or makeup. Plain sheets feel smoother; mesh patterns grip residue.

Can LX Wipe supply both spunlace and airlaid wipes?

Yes. LX Wipe specifies the fabric with partner factories and their nonwoven suppliers to match your application, including plastic-free options.

Sources

Regulatory information is a summary for buyers and is not legal advice. Check the official sources and your own compliance adviser before launch. Last reviewed 18 October 2026.