What Is Pilling?
The pilling test is the visual grading of pills and pills formed as a result of exposing the fabric surface to controlled friction. Beads occur when the fibers emerging from the surface become entangled and form a lump, and this lump remains attached to the surface. It affects the appearance and perceived quality of the product, not its durability.
Purpose of Pilling
The aim is to predict how well the fabric will maintain its surface appearance throughout use and to verify the pilling note specified in the customer specifications.
Which Products Is Pilling Applied To?
- Knitted clothing products and knitwear
- upholstery fabrics
- Home textiles
- Fleece and fleece fabrics
- Automotive interior textiles
In Which Sectors Is Pilling Used?
Standards Related to Pilling
- TS EN ISO 12945-1 (pilling box method)
- TS EN ISO 12945-2 (Martindale method)
- TS EN ISO 12945-3 (random tumble method)
- TS EN ISO 12945-4 (visual evaluation guide)
- ASTM D4970 (Martindale)
- ASTM D3512 (random tumble)
Pilling Conditions
- Conditioning
- 20 °C ± 2 °C, 65 ± 4% relative humidity (ISO 139)
- Number of cycles
- It is determined by the specification; Evaluation can be made at intermediate stages
- Assessment
- Comparison with reference photo set in standard lighting booth
Equipment for Pilling
- Pilling box (ICI box) device
- Martindale wear and pilling device
- Random tumble pilling tester
- Standard-illumination assessment booth
- Reference photo sets
Sample Requirements for Pilling
- The number of samples prescribed by the standard (varies depending on the method)
- Samples should be cut to include different warp and weft threads
- Surface direction (pile direction) must be marked
- An untreated reference sample should be reserved for evaluation.
Duration of Pilling
The number of cycles determines the duration; Specifications may require very different levels between 125 and 7000. High-cycle experiments wait a long time in the device.
Pilling Procedure
- 1The samples are conditioned and prepared according to the method.
- 2It is placed on the device and the defined number of cycles is applied.
- 3Samples can be removed and evaluated at specified intermediate stages.
- 4The samples are compared to the reference set in a standard lighting booth.
- 5At least two evaluators give independent grades.
- 6The result is reported between 5 (no change) and 1 (severe pilling).
Pilling Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is the minimum grade in the customer specification — most retail chains require 3-4 or more in a certain number of cycles. The standard does not define a passing grade.
Evaluation of Results
Assessment is visual and subject to individual bias; therefore, multiple evaluators and reference sets are used. In addition to pilling, pilling and discoloration are also noted because these are appearance defects independent of pilling.
Pilling Report
- Sample description and fabric structure
- Applied method and number of cycles
- Grade and average for each sample
- Number of raters and lighting conditions
- Additional observations (feathering, color fading)
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- EU 1007/2011 (textile fibre names and labelling)
- EU 1907/2006 REACH Annex XVII (restricted substances in textiles)
- Regulation on the Naming of Textile Products
Tekstil Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Pilling test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Textile testing answers two questions separately: does the fabric hold up physically over its service life, and does it carry any substance restricted for human health? These two axes require different laboratory infrastructure and different decision mechanisms.
On the physical side, breaking and tear strength, abrasion resistance, pilling, dimensional change, colour fastness and water and oil repellency are measured. Most of these tests depend on the USE SCENARIO: Martindale abrasion cycles are decisive for an upholstery fabric, while dimensional change in washing and colour fastness come to the fore for a shirting fabric. The same fabric goes through a different test set for a different use.
Colour fastness is a body of work of its own in this field and is not a single test. The fastness of the same fabric to light, washing, rubbing, perspiration, saliva, chlorinated water and ironing is measured separately; each represents a different moment of use. Results are rated from 1 to 5 on the grey scale and the specification gives a separate minimum rating for each agent.
On the chemical side, aromatic amines released from azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals, phthalates, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, alkylphenols and PFAS compounds are screened. These items come from REACH restrictions, brand restricted substance lists (RSL) and voluntary schemes such as OEKO-TEX. Brand lists are often stricter than legislation; the target customer is decisive.
There is NO CE marking on consumer textiles. The obligation has three legs: fibre composition and care labelling, compliance with chemical restrictions, and general product safety. Textiles claiming a protective function (workwear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility clothing) fall under personal protective equipment legislation, where CE is mandatory — this distinction is commercially critical.
Verifying the label declaration is the most routine work in the field. Quantitative fibre analysis confirms the blend ratio stated on the label; tolerance ranges are defined in legislation. An incorrect fibre declaration both misleads the consumer and affects customs classification.
Sustainability claims have added a new body of work to the field in recent years: verification of recycled content (GRS, RCS), organic content (GOTS), restriction of harmful chemicals and water/energy footprint declarations. These claims now require auditable evidence.
Method groups in this field
Strength and durability
Strip and grab breaking strength, tearing by the Elmendorf and tongue methods, seam strength, bursting strength.
Abrasion and surface
Martindale and rotary platform abrasion, pilling and fuzzing, fabric mass and thread density measurements.
Dimensional stability
Dimensional change in washing and drying, wrinkling behaviour, appearance after ironing.
Colour fastness
Fastness to light (xenon), washing, rubbing, perspiration, saliva, water and chlorinated water; rating on the grey scale.
Functional properties
Water repellency (spray test), oil repellency, waterproofness, air permeability, effectiveness of antibacterial finishes, UV protection factor.
Chemical analyses
Aromatic amines from azo dyes, formaldehyde, pH, heavy metals, phthalates, chlorinated phenols, PFAS and alkylphenols.
Commonly confused in this field
- A brand restricted substance list (RSL) may be stricter than legislation; REACH compliance does not mean compliance with the customer specification.
- Textiles claiming a protective function fall under PPE legislation and require CE; an ordinary textile test report does not satisfy that file.
- Colour fastness is not a single number; a rating cannot be interpreted without stating which agent it relates to.
- A result obtained for a fabric does not cover the whole garment made from it; lining, sewing thread, print and trims are assessed separately.
- Performance claims after washing are valid together with the stated number of wash cycles; the word "permanent" on its own is not verifiable.
Which decisions these results support
- Compliance with the brand restricted substance list (RSL)
- Verification of label declarations: fibre composition and care instructions
- Determining the performance class of upholstery and technical textiles
- Pre-import shipment inspection and lot acceptance
- Supporting sustainability and recycled content claims
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Pilling
Can scores from different methods be compared?
Incomparable. Pilling box, Martindale and random tumble create beads with different mechanisms; The same fabric may grade differently in three methods. The specification should clearly state which method and how many cycles are required.
Is the pilling fabric defective?
Pilling is not a strength defect, but an appearance feature. Whether it is acceptable depends on the product category and specification; In some fabrics such as fleece, a certain level of pilling is a natural result of the structure.