Side by side
Lyocell vs Cotton
Lyocell and cotton are both cellulose, but cotton grows that cellulose as a seed hair while lyocell is wood-pulp cellulose dissolved and respun into a smooth filament. The everyday upshot: cotton is the familiar, breathable, durable natural staple, while lyocell is silkier, more drapey, often more absorbent, and made in a closed-loop process that gives it a smaller environmental footprint than conventional cotton or ordinary rayon.
Lyocell
No. 150regenerated cellulose, closed-loop solvent-spun · first documented 1972
Cotton
No. 126the seed-hair fiber, woven into countless cloths · first documented Antiquity
The differences
| Aspect | Lyocell | Cotton |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Wood-pulp cellulose, dissolved in a recovered solvent and respun. | The natural seed-hair fiber of the cotton plant. |
| Hand and drape | Silkier and smoother, with a fluid drape. | Soft but crisper, with more body. |
| Moisture | Highly absorbent and good at wicking; cool against the skin. | Absorbent and breathable, but holds damp longer. |
| Strength | Strong, and unusually strong when wet for a regenerated fiber. | Strong, and slightly stronger wet than dry. |
| Care and wrinkles | Resists wrinkles better; often needs gentle washing. | Wrinkles, and can shrink unless pre-shrunk; easy to wash. |
| Environment | Closed-loop solvent process recovers nearly all chemicals; biodegradable. | Biodegradable, but conventional cotton is water- and pesticide-intensive. |
Which to choose
Choose cotton for familiar, durable, breathable everyday cloth at low cost. Choose lyocell for a silkier drape, better moisture management, fewer wrinkles, and a smaller environmental footprint, at a higher price. They are often blended to combine cotton's body with lyocell's softness.
Common questions
- Is lyocell more sustainable than cotton?
- Generally yes, on water and chemicals. Lyocell is made in a closed-loop process that recovers almost all of its solvent and uses fast-growing wood, while conventional cotton is water- and pesticide-intensive. Both are biodegradable. Organic cotton narrows the gap.
- Is lyocell just a fancy rayon?
- It is a type of regenerated-cellulose fiber, the same broad family as rayon, but made by a cleaner closed-loop solvent process that yields a stronger, silkier fiber with far less pollution than ordinary viscose rayon.
- Which is better in hot weather?
- Both are breathable, but lyocell's superior moisture-wicking and smooth, cool hand often make it feel cooler and drier in heat, while cotton can hold sweat longer once damp.