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Canvas vs Non-Woven vs RPET: Which Bag Should You Choose?
Three materials cover most promotional and retail bag programmes. Here is the honest trade-off between them — what you are buying, what you are giving up, and how to decide.
The short answer
| If you want… | Choose |
|---|---|
| The bag kept and reused for years | Canvas / cotton |
| Maximum units for a fixed budget | Non-woven |
| A credible recycled-content story | RPET |
Canvas / cotton: the keeper
What it is: woven cotton fabric, specified by weight in ounces — 8 oz up to 14 oz and beyond.
Why people choose it: it feels substantial, takes embroidery beautifully, ages rather than degrades, and a 10–12 oz tote can genuinely last years. For brand merchandise and retail, it is the default because the bag itself carries a quality signal.
What it costs you: more per unit than non-woven, heavier to ship, and it can shrink unless pre-shrunk fabric is specified. Fine detail in a one-colour screen print can clog — the fabric texture eats small type.
Non-woven: the volume workhorse
What it is: spun-bonded polypropylene, specified by grams per square metre — 80 g, 100 g, 120 g are the common promotional weights.
Why people choose it: unit cost. For a conference, a retail promotion or a giveaway at scale, non-woven delivers the most bags per pound spent, and it prints in full colour well.
What it costs you: it feels thinner and more disposable, and it will not survive years of daily use the way canvas does. The laminated version (a film layer bonded to the fabric) looks noticeably more premium and takes sharper print — if your budget allows one upgrade, this is usually the one worth taking.
RPET: the recycled option
What it is: fabric made from recycled PET — the plastic in drinks bottles — spun into a bag fabric that behaves much like non-woven.
Why people choose it: it lets a brand make a recycled-content claim that is actually true, which matters for corporate ESG reporting and for retail customers who read the label.
What it costs you: a higher unit price, and a documentation burden. If you are going to say "recycled", be ready to back it up — ask your supplier for the recycled-content documentation and keep it with the order.
Do not claim what you cannot document. Sustainability claims that cannot be evidenced are a regulatory risk in the EU and a reputational risk everywhere. It is better to say nothing on the bag than to print a claim you cannot defend.
How to decide in five minutes
- Is it a keeper or a giveaway? Keeper → canvas. Giveaway → non-woven.
- Does a recycled claim matter to your audience? If yes, and the budget allows → RPET.
- How much weight will it carry, regularly? Over ~5 kg → go heavier and reinforce base and handles.
- How detailed is the artwork? Small type or gradients → heat transfer or digital, not screen print.
- What is the deadline and quantity? Tight and small → digital print. Large and relaxed → screen print.
Frequently asked questions
Is non-woven cheaper than canvas?
Yes, typically by a significant margin per unit, which is why non-woven dominates high-volume promotional giveaways. Canvas costs more but is expected to be kept and reused, so the cost per impression can be lower.
Is RPET worth the extra cost?
It is worth it when a genuine recycled-content claim supports your brand or your client's ESG reporting, and you can obtain the supporting documentation. If the claim is not important to your audience, the money is usually better spent on a heavier non-woven or a laminated finish.
Which material prints best?
For full-colour, photographic or all-over artwork, RPET and laminated non-woven give the sharpest result. Canvas suits bold, solid-colour screen prints and embroidery better than fine detail.
Browse our bag ranges
Need a quote for a specific bag?
Send your spec — material, size, print, quantity and destination — and we will come back with pricing and options. In-house sampling, so you approve the real thing before the bulk run.
Tell us what you need
Send a drawing, a photo or a rough idea, with the quantity and the destination country. You get a quotation and a sampling plan.
- Contact
- Howard Xu
- Company
- Wenzhou Qiyou Trading Co., Ltd.
- Address
- No. 80 Anfeng Village, Chixi Town, Cangnan County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- [email protected]
- WhatsApp / Phone
- +86 137 3695 1266 · call