Waxed canvas is an old-school classic that has made a huge comeback in recent years. If you've ever made a bag from a Klum House kit, you know that we are big fans of waxed canvas around here.
This versatile, water-resistant fabric has a unique blend of style, functionality, and durability that makes it a favorite for bag making. The waxy finish helps it stay put at the machine, making it a dream to sew with—not to mention that it develops a beautiful, weathered patina over time.
Waxed canvas is a densely woven cotton canvas that has been saturated with wax, giving it an extra layer of protection against the elements. The waxed coating is made from paraffin or beeswax and records folds and creases. The fabric has a unique texture that gives it a vintage, rustic look. With use, waxed canvas becomes softer and more pliable. This means that over time, a waxed canvas bag or jacket becomes even more comfortable to wear.
At Klum House, our waxed canvas is made from 100% Better Cotton Initiative certified cotton canvas and treated with a unique wax blend of petroleum jelly, mineral oil, and paraffin, resulting in a dryer touch to the fabric than other waxed canvases on the market.
Waxed canvas has been used for centuries in a variety of applications, from military tents and sails to outdoor clothing and accessories. It has long been loved for its natural water resistance and rugged character, and it is widely considered to be the original waterproof textile.
It first became popular in the early 19th century with sailors in England and Scotland. Initially, linseed oil was used for waterproofing, but it caused the fabric to stiffen and yellow. Later, paraffin wax was used, which prevented fabric stiffening and yellowing. In , a British brand called J. Barbour & Sons Ltd began manufacturing waxed canvas for a broader audience. To this day, they are widely known for their waxed cotton jackets.
Waxed canvas is known for its durability: Its wax coating makes the fabric more resistant to wear and tear. It is ideal for items exposed to moisture or heavy wear, such as bags, tents, jackets, hats, gloves, and other accessories. You can even turn it into a variety of home decor items, such as curtains, pillow covers, and even upholstery.
When choosing a sewing pattern, look for bag, outerwear, and accessory patterns designed for heavy fabrics, such as canvas or denim. Avoid patterns that have a lot of small pieces or intricate details, as these can be difficult to sew with waxed canvas.
Although waxed canvas is more expensive than plain canvas (three to four times more expensive, reflecting the cost of the paraffin-based wax and the time-consuming process of saturating the canvas), it is less expensive and more environmentally friendly than many other materials with similar properties, including leather. Embrace waxed canvas as a substitute for the ubiquitous synthetics used in bags and outerwear. Your modern-heritage gear will make you stand out in the best way.
Different types of waxed canvas include oilskin dry waxed canvas, which has a drier finish (better for jackets) and traditional waxed canvas, which is shinier and great for bags. Don't confuse waxed canvas with oilcloth, which is printed vinyl with a synthetic backing, often used for tablecloths. Buying swatches first can help ensure you get the product you want.
While waxed canvas has a lot of structure, it is surprisingly flexible. It's not gummy or damp, but soft and pliable. Waxed canvas has a "memory," meaning that it records folds and creases and will hold its shape with a simple finger press. The wax has a slightly tacky feel to it and will probably make your hands feel a little waxy after working with it. Water beads on the surface, too, so your bags and jackets confer protection against the elements.
Rewaxing: The wax coating can wear off your project over time, especially in high-friction areas. This is a natural part of the aging process of waxed canvas and adds to the fabric's character and charm. If needed, you can rewax the fabric to revive the water-resistant coating. (OtterWax.com)
Spot-clean: Waxed canvas doesn't stain easily, and the inevitable scuffs made by daily use blend into the fabric's weathered patina. However, if your waxed canvas does need cleaning, spot-clean it with a damp towel & a soap like this Waxed Canvas Spot Cleaner & never put it in the washing machine or dryer.
Cleaning wax from your machine: When sewing with waxed canvas, the feed dogs scrape wax off the fabric while it moves it through the machine. Over time, this wax builds up on the feed dogs and your needle. We've found that we can make five or six bags before the machine needs a cleaning. It's easy to clean the wax from your machine by giving the feed dogs a light scrub with a toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol.
Due to its protective wax coating, waxed canvas will not stain easily, and the inevitable scuffs made by daily use will most likely blend into the weathered patina of the fabric. However, if your waxed canvas does need cleaning, only spot clean with a damp towel, never put it in the washing machine or dryer. We recommend this Waxed Canvas Spot Cleaner.
Over time, the wax coating on the fabric will weather and fade, making it less water-resistant. Depending on how you use your bag, you might want to ‘re-wax’ it every year or two to freshen it up. You can do this yourself.
Some of the best clothes and gear you can get rely on one of the most reliable improvements: fabric wax. Improve durability and waterproofing in canvas, denim, twill, and more with a fabric treatment that has been proven for the better part of a millennium. There are many brands and types of fabric wax to pick from and they don’t all perform the same.
This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best fabric wax, tested them, and now the results are in: the overall best, a budget option, and a wax you can make at home. If you need to upgrade or retreat your cotton gear, one of our suggestions will have you covered.
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Otter Wax offers plenty of options when it comes to fabric treatments, but their heavy-duty fabric wax gets the job done easily and effectively. It’s one of the few waxes you can apply without heat, but it still impregnates the cotton weave remarkably well. Without heat you can ‘overapply’ it though, leaving small chunks of wax.
That’s why I prefer using heat with any wax treatment- it’s much more forgiving. Otter Wax leaves a nice waterproofing sheen after heat treatment and doesn’t dry to a crunchy texture. You can also steer any wax into seams or hard-to-reach areas with a heat gun or blow dryer.
Here is what you get with this wax bar:
This simple and dependable wax is easy to use and all-natural- so it’s not hard to see how Otter Wax tops our review.
This traditional wax is inexpensive for starters, but it also performs well and really works into the fabric when you use the correct application technique. You’ll need a hair dryer or heat gun on hand, as it is heat-activated once you apply it in bar form.
Here is how the wax measures up:
If you need to wax your gear and not break your budget, the Cobbler’s Choice Canvas Wax is what you’re looking for.
There are many ways to make your own fabric wax, but almost all of them start with beeswax. You can blend various ingredients to change the properties of beeswax, like to make it more flexible. Some of the more popular ones include:
If you are getting started and want to try an initial recipe, start off with 60% beeswax pellets, 40% paraffin pellets, and a dash of pine tar.
In order to melt the wax blend without starting a fire, you’ll want to make a double boiler. Put your wax mixture inside of a metal tin and float it in a pot of water that you bring to a boil. After all of the mixture is melted you can pour it into a rectangle mold from about 6″ high to prevent bubbles, letting it set overnight.
Our research narrowed the field down to a few brands and types of wax that we compared: Otter Wax, Cobbler’s Choice, Fjallraven, Buffalo Jack, Trilanco, Frost River, Canvak, and more.
You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.
We considered a wide range of waxes but focused on those meant for treating fabric for durability and waterproofing. We did not get too far with industrial wax treatments, since they are highly toxic. Those may be great for outdoor tarps since they are easy to apply (brush on liquid) and don’t need heat, but we just weren’t comfortable trying to treat wearable items with them.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Huayan.
We’re always looking for new and better gear, so if you have a canvas wax you love, let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested gear annually so we can try to get it in the next roundup round and see if it will beat out our top picks.
The best fabric wax has a few features to look for:
When you get the right blend of these, you can find a wax that performs well on a variety of material weights and weaves. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the waxes that truly set themselves apart.
The amount of money you spend on something as simple as a fabric treatment shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. Unless your budget is really strapped, wax shouldn’t set you back much. If you are getting gear that can benefit from wax, it’s best to adjust your budget to ensure you can properly care for it at regular intervals by applying wax.
You never want to spend too much money on one tool when it comes to clothing care. It’s better to diversify your spending to make sure you are covered for a wide range of gear.
While applying wax is simple, how you do it can vary between different types of wax, the fabric type you are impregnating, and whether you are reapplying or adding wax for the first time.
The type of wax is important because some are more supple and easier to use. Using sticky or stubborn wax can not only be difficult, but it can also lead to a less-than-stellar outcome on the gear you are treating.
While industrial liquid wax is very easy to apply, we had to penalize hard on versatility due to its toxicity restricting its use on clothing.
Wax makes for a great waterproofing treatment on fabrics because it fills the holes in the weave and makes the fabric very hydrophobic. This is a bit ironic since sailers in the 15th century were treating sails with oil and wax to simulate them being wet, as they would perform better.
Wax takes the place of water, with the drawbacks being that it adds weight to the fabric, flammability (with certain oil and paraffin treatments), and maintenance needs.
Waxed and oiled jackets were first used by fishermen, and are still some of the most trusted waterproofing methods today.
Wax can also help immensely with fabric durability. Waxed fabrics are harder to tear, can shrug off abrasions, and are generally much more durable.
Motorcycle jackets and other high-durability needs are often met with waxed fabrics. As wax can be rubbed out over time, most people re-treat their waxed fabrics annually with regular use, or even more often with heavy use.
We mentioned before that some waxes with oils or non-natural materials can be effective, but are limiting in that they can’t be used to treat clothing. When we compare gear, we typically look at versatility rather than how it performs in a single case.
Those may be great at treating truck canvas or industrial-use fabrics, but I don’t want to be slathered in mineral spirits if I can help it. That’s why all of our choices give you a way to treat a wide range of gear, including clothing.
Most waxes come with instructions that will vary by their content type since they can either be applied in bar form or melted down and brushed in.
You don’t need to apply a ton of wax, even if it’s the initial treatment. One 2+ ounce bar should be able to treat an entire jacket or bag. Depending on the type, you may melt the wax ahead of time and brush it on the fabric or apply it in bar form with friction. The bar method is much more convenient- leave the pouring or brushing to the pros (brushes and wax can be quite frustrating!)
Even the waxes that don’t need heat can still use it and benefit from it. Heat turns the wax into a liquid, letting it permeate the fabric and get further into the seams. It also evens out the coverage and significantly changes the appearance- but most people prefer and recognize that as a ‘waxed canvas look’.
Almost every bar form (even those that don’t need heat) can still be applied using these four easy steps:
Ray shows how to make and apply wax to canvas, using a similar mix as our homemade fabric wax:
If you have canvas or cotton gear that can be waxed, you should consider it. It’s a great way to ‘upgrade’ your gear by giving it even more durability and waterproofing so that you can continue to reapply through the life of it.
People tend to wax canvas gear most, including (but not limited to):
It’s a great way to care for your gear and understand its possibilities and limitations. Putting time and effort into your gear will do more than just give it the benefits of wax- it’ll help you appreciate and care for it more as something you personally ensure that you can rely on.
All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best fabric wax are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience:
Abu-Shosha, M., et al. (). Paraffin Wax Emulsion as Water Repellent for Cotton/Polyester Blended Fabric. Journal of Industrial Textiles. Volume 37. Issue 4. Pages 315 – 325. (Source)
Ibrahim, A. (). Production of Water Repellent Coating Using Beeswax and Soy Wax. International ICIEd Conference. (Source)
Tomasino, C. (). Chemistry and Technology of Fabric Preparation and Finishing. College of Textiles, NCSU. Raleigh, North Carolina. (Source)
Polymer textiles may have replaced Waxed cotton and canvas en-masse, but don’t count them out just yet! Despite being heavier and requiring maintenance, many choose to rely on waxed textiles due to their durability and how easily they can be repaired.
Here are a few other guides and reviews our subscribers have found helpful:
We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our testing found the Otter Wax to be the best option given its value, ease of use, waterproofing, durability, and versatility.
Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website 100%Cotton Wax Fabrics.