Silicone and TPE components
These two cover most of the soft, skin-contact parts of a set.
- Silicone: stable, low odour, tolerant of repeated cleaning; the reference choice for skin contact.
- TPE: lighter and more recyclable than PVC, with slightly lower grip unless tuned.
- Specify hardness (Shore A) for any moulded part — it decides how the product feels.
- For coloured parts, specify masterbatch colour so it cannot rub off.
Foam, EVA and textile parts
Support components fail differently, so specify them differently.
- EVA foam: specify density, not just thickness; low-density foam collapses quickly.
- Closed-cell foam resists moisture and odour better than open-cell.
- Textile components: confirm whether the fabric is pre-shrunk before cutting and stitching.
- For textiles, OEKO-TEX certification is widely accepted as evidence of safe textile content.
Compliance documentation
Buyers and customs increasingly ask for the same set of documents.
- Material safety data sheets for each polymer and foam component.
- EU REACH statements for the European market.
- Migration and extractables testing for skin-contact parts.
- Independent test reports from bodies such as SGS.
Specifying for durability
Durability is set at specification stage, not by the factory afterwards.
- State the expected number of use cycles or the warranty period you intend to offer.
- Specify abrasion and tear resistance for parts used with equipment.
- Agree cleaning instructions that match the material — mismatched advice causes early failure.
- Request a signed golden sample and keep it for reorder comparison.
Next step
Send your specification and target quantity and we will come back with pricing, tooling notes and a production timeline.
