Polyester Bedding Fabric GSM and Width Guide for Importers

Most arguments about fabric quality between a buyer and a mill are really arguments about two specifications that were never written down precisely. This guide covers what each number actually controls, the ranges that work for common bedding products, and how to write them onto a purchase order so there is nothing left to interpret.

What GSM actually measures

GSM is grams per square metre — the weight of the fabric, not its thickness and not its quality. A 90 gsm plain weave and a 90 gsm twill weigh the same but behave completely differently, because the yarn count and the weave density are different. This is why GSM alone is a weak specification: two mills can both quote 90 gsm and deliver fabric that looks and feels nothing alike.

When you specify fabric, pair GSM with three other values: composition, construction, and usable width. If a supplier quotes only GSM, ask for the construction and a physical sample before comparing price.

Typical GSM ranges by end product

These are starting points, not rules. A market that expects a heavy, substantial handle will push the upper end; a market competing on price will sit at the lower end. The mistake is to specify the lightest weight that passes and then wonder why returns mention "thin" and "see-through".

Width: full width versus usable width

Full width includes the selvedge. Usable width is what remains after trimming, and it is the number your cutting room needs. The gap is usually 4–8 cm, and on a wide-width order that gap decides whether a king duvet cover can be cut without a side seam.

Always ask for both numbers in writing. Then check them against the finished panel dimensions rather than the fabric width — a 280 cm roll sounds generous until you find the usable width is 272 cm and your panel needs 274 cm.

How the two numbers drive cost

GSM is close to linear in cost: 20% more weight is roughly 15–20% more yarn, so the fabric price moves with it. Width is less obvious. A 280 cm loom produces more square metres per hour than a 150 cm loom but consumes more weft, and wide looms are less common — so wide-width capacity is tighter around peak season and the premium is as much about availability as about material.

The counter-effect is downstream. A seam-free cover saves sewing labour, thread, and rework. On a 20,000-piece programme that saving frequently exceeds the width premium. Buyers who compare only the fabric price per metre miss this.

What to write on the purchase order

• Composition — 100% polyester, virgin or recycled, stated explicitly.
• Construction — plain weave, twill 2/1, brushed peach skin. A weave diagram or reference sample is better than words.
• GSM with tolerance — for example 90 gsm ±5%. Without a tolerance the mill will aim for the middle and you will argue about 3 gsm.
• Full width and usable width — both, in centimetres.
• Finish — dyed, printed, brushed, or any combination, plus which side.
• Colour standard — Pantone reference plus an approved lab dip number.
• Packing — roll length, tube diameter, bag type, label position.

The three specification mistakes we see most

1. Copying a GSM from a competitor's product card. Product cards rarely state construction, so the number is not transferable. Send a physical sample instead and ask the mill to match weight and handle.

2. Specifying width but not usable width. This is the single most expensive mistake in bedding sourcing, because it is only discovered at the cutting table.

3. Leaving the tolerance open. "About 90 gsm" invites a shipment at 82 gsm that is technically compliant. Write the tolerance down.

If you are building a new programme and want a starting specification, send us the finished product dimensions and target market. We will come back with a construction, a GSM and a width that fit — and a sample in the production width so your cutting room can test the layout before you commit.