What makes waxed canvas the best backpack material?

We think waxed canvas is a great material for making bags. The organic, GOTS-certified dry-waxed cotton canvas we use for making our bags is the best waxed canvas we’ve found. But what makes it such a great material for backpacks, totes and roll top bags? Read on to find out.

It has a great history.

Waxed canvas has been used for hundreds of years. Originally used to make sails that could stand up to the elements, sailors started using offcuts to make waterproof capes, coats and accessories. The way it’s made has changed a bit in the past 500 years, but we’re proud to continue such a long tradition of using waxed canvas to make outdoor gear.

It’s super durable and hard-wearing.

Waxed canvas can stand up to almost anything. There’s a reason it’s been in use for centuries! The thick cotton weave of the canvas is durable enough on its own, but adding a layer of wax just adds to its durability. Perfect for a backpack that you use every day.

It’s weatherproof.

Our waxed cotton canvas doesn’t just have a layer of wax on top - it’s dry waxed, which means that the wax is baked into the fibres of the fabric at very high temperatures. This makes it almost totally waterproof. As long as you don’t fully submerge your waxed canvas backpack for long periods of time, your stuff is guaranteed to stay dry.

It’s sustainable, plastic-free and biodegradable.

Cotton is a natural material that breaks down easily, but adding wax to cotton canvas can complicate this. Fortunately, our waxed cotton canvas from British Millerain is plastic- and PFC-free, which means it doesn’t release harmful chemicals or compounds into the environment. Add this to the durability of waxed canvas, and you’ve got a super sustainable backpack that will last a long time and have a smaller impact on the environment.

You can chuck it in the washing machine.

We don’t recommend doing this more than once or twice a year, but all of our waxed canvas bags are machine-washable. Waxed canvas is also easy to re-proof, using a spray from British Millerain, to help your weatherproof rucksack last even longer.

It’s dyed and proofed in the UK.

Our waxed canvas is dyed in Leeds and weatherproofed in Rochdale. We love that our British bag brand can support British industry. The less our bags travel during the manufacturing process, the more sustainable they are, which is why we chose a waxed canvas made so close to home.

It tells a story.

Waxed canvas ages naturally, softening over time, which makes it a super comfortable material for an every day bag. It also means it tells the story of where it’s been - every crease, mark and scuff adds to the personality of a waxed backpack.

That’s why we think waxed canvas is the best material for our British made bags.

Not quite convinced? Read what other people have said about our canvas bags in the reviews.