What's the Best Geotextile Landscape Fabric for Draining Water?

Author: Ada

Jul. 14, 2025

What's the Best Geotextile Landscape Fabric for Draining Water?

What's the Best Landscape Fabric for Draining Water?

Geotextile Landscape Fabrics: Non-Woven VS. Woven

Woven Geotextiles are strong, finely spun strips of linen, polypropylene, or polyester material. It is typically impermeable, and water drainage through the material is minimal.

Goto Glory Tang New Material to know more.

This geotextile’s durability (pull strength) and warp resistance is ideal beneath high load capacity surfaces, including gravel/rock footpaths, highways, and parking lots. 

Below are the benefits of woven and non-woven geotextile products to help you make an informed decision.

Non-Woven geotextile fabric explained

Needle-punched and poly-spun varieties of non-woven geotextile fabric allow water to easily flow through and are both sturdy and versatile for landscaping drainage. The non-woven geotextile fabric is most commonly used as a landscape material to support adequate drainage, filtration, and ground stabilization.

Available as lightweight, medium weight, and heavy weight, these fabrics feel like felt to the touch.

Fabric Weight Categories:

Light weight (2 oz. to 3 oz.)

High flow rates, substrate cushioning, and drain-field type applications. The 3 oz weight is often used behind retaining walls to act as a barrier between the dirt and gravel.

Medium weight (4 oz. to 6 oz.)

A medium weight non-woven fabrics allows water penetration without displacing existing soils. It also helps in controlling soil erosion, separation and drainage functions (French-drains). Additionally we see these weighted fabrics utilized beneath gravel paths acting as a separation barrier between the gravel and the dirt below.

Heavy weight (8 oz. to 16 oz.)

Heavy weight non-woven fabrics are great for applications requiring strength and permeability. They are more resistant to puncturing and their durability makes them a good choice underneath large rip-rap, geomembrane cushioning when applied to retention barriers and artificial lakes. Please note that toward the upper end of the weight spectrum (10 oz +) the water flow rate diminishes significantly due to the thickness of the material.

Heavy non-wovens are also used as a separation layer for sand under volleyball courts (8 oz), and to prevent the mixing of ballast and soil under railroad tracks (16 oz).

Note: If you are installing artificial turf, or pavers we have a Drainage mat roll available in multiple sizes and types.

View our full selection non-woven fabric by weight and size >

Woven Geotextile Fabric Explained

Woven Geotextiles also called driveway matting are processed by pressing and cutting polypropylene layers and then weaving them into high tensile sheets. The result is a premium filter that is resistant to foreign particle clogging from dirt, sand, or other debris.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Non Woven Geotextile Fabric.

The woven geotextile fabric can bear heavy loads, tolerate road rut, extend pavement life, and act as a significant sediment barrier.  

It should be noted that this fabric’s low permeability is not ideal where drainage is necessary. Woven geotextile fabrics work best when a tightly wound, nonporous, uniform material is needed. 

Woven geotextiles are an excellent choice for projects requiring water to flow over a subsurface. 

Advantages of Woven Fabrics:

  • Strength and durability
  • Ground stabilization
  • Woven ground cover fabrics resist UV decay
  • Retains tension

Three categories of woven fabric:

Woven geotextiles are versatile and are manufactured in three varieties: slit film woven geotextiles, monofilament geotextiles, and combination woven geotextiles.

Woven Geotextile Fabrics

The Bottom Line

The best type of fabric for a drainage project such as a drain field or french drain is non-woven geotextile landscape fabric.

If you're project requires high strength and also good drainage then a high end combination woven fabric could be suitable for your application. If you're looking for a particular model/brand of fabric that you don't see on our site then please contact us and let us know what you're looking for as we likely supply the fabric or offer an equivalent product.  

Note: We also offer Curlex erosion control products as well.

Eastgate Supply Sales and Support - (800) 583-

Resources:

DOWNLOAD FULL GEOTEX INSTALL GUIDE HERE > 

NONWOVEN FABRIC APPLICATION SHEET >

Non-Woven Geotextile Fabric - Various Weights and Sizes Available

Size: Various
Square Feet Per Roll: Varies by Roll Size

Drainage & Filtration Non-Woven fabrics allow high water flow and provide dimensional stability. They will not rot or mildew.

Benefits
- Allows high water flow
- Soil separation for added stability
- High strength/dimensionally stable

Applications
- Drainage protection
- Erosion control
- Filtration
- General landscape
- Stabilization/separation

Looking for landscape staples? Click here>

Staples are sold separately.



When choosing between the different weighted fabrics (example 2oz vs 3oz) within a series it is important to first identify whether fabric strength or water flow rate is the most important factor in your installation. Lighter fabrics will flow more water but will be more prone to tearing and deteriorate faster over time. Heavier fabrics will last longer but will not pass water quite as quickly.

The company is the world’s best Building Non Woven Fabric supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

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