Pick the material to suit the product
Start from how the product is used, then ask for proof of the property that matters most.
Bags and wallets
- Folded and rubbed often: ask about flex and rub resistance.
- Exposed to sweat and rain: ask about water absorption.
Footwear
- Bent repeatedly at one point: flex endurance matters most.
- Direct skin contact: ask about coating and dye composition.
Belts and accessories
- Tensile strength and stiffness decide service life.
Always ask for
- A sample at the thickness you will use.
- Written test results with methods.
- The full composition.
How to compare two materials
The Kora coconut material joins this comparison only once there is test data to compare.
- Ask for samples of the same thickness.
- Test both the same way in your own workshop.
- Record the results with the date and the supplier name.
- Compare the written composition, not the trade name.
What material makers publish, read 22 Oct 2026
- Malai: bacterial cellulose from coconut water, sheet 120 x 80 cm. Thickness and test data are not stated on the page.
- Desserto: cactus-based; its BIO+ line carries a USDA label of 65% biobased. That percentage concerns carbon origin, not strength.
- Modern Meadow: Innovera holds more than 80% renewable carbon. No performance specification is listed.
- Ananas Anam: its main page lists no composition, thickness or test standard.
- Kora: no test data published. Figures across producers are not equivalent and are not a ranking.