Elastane vs spandex

Elastane and spandex name the same fibre in different legal systems

Direct answer. Elastane and spandex are the names two legal systems give the same manufactured fibre. In the consolidated text of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, CELEX 02011R1007-20180215 (EN, 15.02.2018; reference line 02011R1007 — EN — 15.02.2018 — 004.001), Annex I entry 43 is the name “elastane” and the description “elastofibre composed of at least 85 % (by mass) of a segmented polyurethane, and which, when stretched to three times its original length and released, recovers rapidly and substantially to its initial length.” In the United States, 16 CFR § 303.7(k) (2025 annual Code, title 16) is headed “Spandex” and defines a manufactured fiber whose fiber-forming substance is a long chain synthetic polymer comprised of at least 85 percent of a segmented polyurethane. The FTC’s Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts says the ISO standard uses “elastane for spandex. You may use either name.” This page is not legal advice.

FibreLedger Textile Labels (Shopify App Store · Write a review): “Check EU textile fibre names, record French origin and environmental-impact information, and retain EPR registration and audit records.” Lycra is a trade mark, not the Annex I name. That job is Flag Lycra and Tencel trade names.

Related: EU Food Info Guard — EU food information — allergens, origin, and nutrition before purchase.

Free check first: Textile fibre composition checker runs in your browser and sends nothing. Paste a composition line and see which fibre names it finds.

Checklist before you print either name

EU: Annex I entry 43

Article 5 is titled “Textile fibre names.” Article 5(1) says: “Only the textile fibre names listed in Annex I shall be used for the description of fibre compositions on labels and markings of textile products.” Article 5(2) says use of the names listed in Annex I shall be reserved for textile fibres the nature of which corresponds to the description set out in that Annex, and that those names shall not be used for other fibres, whether on their own or as a root or as an adjective.

Annex I entry 43 prints the name “elastane” and this description: “elastofibre composed of at least 85 % (by mass) of a segmented polyurethane, and which, when stretched to three times its original length and released, recovers rapidly and substantially to its initial length.” That sentence is the legal description of the name in the consolidated English text. It is not a performance claim about a product. How a composition line is written, including percentages and the language of the market, is EU textile fibre composition labels and language of the market. The manufacturing tolerance is Article 20.

United States: 16 CFR § 303.7(k)

Section 303.7 of the 2025 annual Code of Federal Regulations, title 16, is “Generic names and definitions for manufactured fibers.” Paragraph (k) says: “Spandex. A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is a long chain synthetic polymer comprised of at least 85 percent of a segmented polyurethane.” The annual Code is printed in columns, so line-end hyphens in the PDF are not part of the words “comprised” and “segmented.”

The FTC’s Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts says: “A few common fibers recognized by the Commission have different names in the ISO standard. For example, the ISO standard uses the name viscose for the predominant form of rayon, and elastane for spandex. You may use either name.”

Lycra is a trade mark

Lycra is not entry 43 and it is not paragraph (k). Putting a trade mark in place of the fibre name is the job on Flag Lycra and Tencel trade names. Great Britain’s fibre-content rules are UK clothing label requirements. This page does not state how a fabric performs.

What this page is not

Related pages

Not legal advice. Confirm Annex I entry 43 on the live consolidated text, and 16 CFR § 303.7(k) on govinfo, before you treat elastane and spandex as interchangeable on a label. The app checks fibre names you enter. It does not test a fabric.