fiber · 5 min read
How to judge linen quality beyond the price
Linen is graded less formally than cotton, which means the price tells you less. The differences show up in the hand, the evenness and how the fabric ages.
By Weft Bridge · Reviewed by our Guangzhou sourcing team · Updated 2026-11
What separates good from cheap
- Fibre length: long line fibre spins finer and stronger than short tow.
- Evenness: fewer thick and thin places, and slubs that look intentional rather than random.
- Spinning: wet-spun linen is smoother than dry-spun.
- Finishing: washed and pre-shrunk linen behaves better than raw.
- Colour: natural linen varies by lot; consistent colour costs more.
What you can check by hand
Rub the fabric between your fingers: excessive surface fuzz suggests short fibre. Hold it to the light: uneven density shows as light and dark bands.
Wash a 30 cm square and measure it. Good linen still shrinks, but it should not distort or go limp.
What to put in the spec
- Composition and whether it is pure or a blend.
- Weight and width after washing.
- Shrinkage and the wash method used.
- A slub reference photo and a tolerance.
- Colour: a physical standard, not a Pantone number alone.
FAQ
Is heavier linen better?
Not necessarily. Weight suits different garments; a 120 gsm shirting linen and a 260 gsm upholstery linen are both correct for their use.
Why does linen have slubs?
The fibre is long and variable. Slubs are inherent; the question is how many and how thick.