What is Tencel or lyocell?
Lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood pulp. Tencel is a trademark used for lyocell from Lenzing. The origin is plant cellulose, but the fiber is manufactured, so it is not raw cotton or linen. Call it regenerated cellulose, not a simple natural or a simple plastic.
- Tencel names a branded lyocell, not every wood-pulp fiber.
- The cloth still has a construction and a weight.
- Do not assume a FabStitch page is certified because the fiber is lyocell.
Natural or synthetic
The feedstock is cellulose from wood. The fiber is dissolved and spun. That is why people call it semi-synthetic or regenerated.
Viscose is also regenerated cellulose, but the process differs. See the Tencel and viscose comparison before you treat them as one fiber.
How to use this answer
“What is Tencel or lyocell?” is the only question this page answers. The short answer is: Lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood pulp. Tencel is a trademark used for lyocell from Lenzing. The origin is plant cellulose, but the fiber is manufactured, so it is not raw cotton or linen. Call it regenerated cellulose, not a simple natural or a simple plastic.
The points to keep are Tencel names a branded lyocell, not every wood-pulp fiber. The cloth still has a construction and a weight. Do not assume a FabStitch page is certified because the fiber is lyocell.
Related terms that belong here, and not as a keyword list, are lyocell fabric, tencel fabric. Use them when they describe the same decision.
If the next step is a cloth rather than a definition, open the marketplace or the collection linked below and read the published composition and construction. This page does not add a price, a certificate, or a supplier count.
Care, weight, and sourcing only matter here when they change the answer to what is tencel lyocell. Otherwise leave them on the guide that already owns that subject.
Related questions
Is every lyocell Tencel?
No. Tencel is a brand. Other lyocell may not use that name.