Webbing is an important component of a variety of products, including outdoor gear, pet leashes, and harnesses. Material selection is critical, especially when it comes to water use. It can be helpful to understand how a material performs in wet conditions. In this article, we’ll compare nylon webbing to polypropylene webbing to see which has a lower breakage rate in wet conditions.

What Is Nylon Webbing?

Nylon is commonly used because of its strength and flexibility. It is strong with a tensile strength ranging from 7,000 psi to 15,000 psi, and very rugged, so it is good for load-bearing use such as climbing harnesses, cargo straps, or military gear. Adding comfort to nylon is that it’s smooth to the touch, rendering it that much more enjoyable when made into straps or belts.

Nylon webbing is also about durability. Designed to withstand extreme tension and abrasion, it’s used in situations where reliability is paramount. Whether you use it as a harness or a belt (or both), nylon webbing’s elasticity is long-lasting, making it a high-performance material. It also stretches as the user stretches it, making it tear- and friction-resistant, unlike stiffer fabrics.

What Is Polypropylene Webbing?

Lightweight and inexpensive, polypropylene webbing is known for its all-weather use. A very nice feature of this is that it is very water resistant. It doesn’t absorb water and dries quickly, unlike nylon. It can also float, a big plus if you use it around the water at all. While it may not be as strong as nylon in terms of tensile strength, it performs reliably in many everyday applications.

Comparing Nylon to Polypropylene

In fact, nylon can absorb up to 6-10% of its weight in water. However, this water absorption is only temporary and does not affect its long-term strength. Nylon webbing will dry after exposure to a small amount of air and will be able to return to its original fiber state without losing its shape or durability. What’s more, nylon will not break when exposed to moisture – it will maintain its shape, strength, and vitality.

Polypropylene is often touted for its hydrophobic properties—it doesn’t attract water and floats. However, while it improves water resistance, it also sacrifices strength. Polypropylene has a lower melting point and poorer stretch properties; it also has poor UV stability.

For jobs where splash resistance is more important than an occasional need—such as repeated force, hauling, or weight-bearing—nylon is the smarter, safer choice. Our nylon webbing is designed for real-world conditions where your gear will perform flawlessly even when it gets wet.

Why Nylon Webbing Stands Out in Demanding Applications

Professionals who rely on their gear can count on the strength and versatility of nylon. From outdoor sporting gear and cargo tie-downs to industrial security and heavy-duty lashing, nylon webbing delivers when reliability is needed. It’s trusted in mission-critical applications because it gets the job done.

Our nylon webbing is the best choice due to its excellent stretch resistance, abrasion resistance and durability, even when exposed to moisture. Unlike polypropylene, nylon webbing can be used repeatedly for abrasive jobs without worrying about loss of safety or strength.

Conclusion

When choosing between nylon and polypropylene, it’s all about priorities. If strength, flexibility, and durability are critical – especially in wet conditions – then nylon webbing is always the best choice. Polypropylene is more water-resistant, but in the realm of true high performance, nylon wins where it really counts. Nylon is tested and reliable; our confidence in it as a nylon webbing manufacturer comes from our extensive experience.