In China, the issue of counterfeit products continues to emerge. Following the revelation that silk comforters were “blended silk quilts” and down comforters were “flying silk comforters,” now cotton quilts have also been exposed. These cotton quilts contain only between 4.8% to 10% of cotton, with the main component being cheap synthetic fiber leftovers.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media on February 10th, synthetic cotton quilts made from processing waste of cheap fiber products are being sold as “first-grade long-staple cotton quilts,” making it an open “secret.”
In mid-January of this year, an undercover investigation team from the media visited Suzhou in Jiangsu and Huzhou in Zhejiang and found that some small factories were recycling waste fiber yarn and processing it into fibrous material, which was then further processed on assembly lines to produce snow-white “cotton quilts” sold nationwide.
After deducting the shipping costs, the price of synthetic cotton can be as low as 5 yuan per jin, which is less than one-fifth of the price of long-staple cotton. Online sales data show a total of 6.27 million items sold. Students and temporary labor workers are the main buyers.
At the end of December 2024, a consumer named Mr. Yao from Zhuji, Zhejiang, purchased 10 units of cotton quilts of the same specification from the Taobao factory “Daily Special Factory,” claiming to use first-grade long-staple cotton. He paid 403.2 yuan in total, with a cost of around 6.7 yuan per jin including shipping. The sales page showed that this type of product has sold over 500,000 units online.
Upon receiving the goods, Mr. Yao found that the products were poorly made, had a pungent smell, and the core material was significantly different from long-staple cotton in terms of texture. Through a simple burning test, it was preliminarily determined to be synthetic cotton.
Third-party testing results showed that the cotton content in the quilt’s central part was only 4.8%, with the main components being polyester fiber (75.4%), viscose fiber (7.6%), and spandex (6.4%). After complaints were made, the product was removed from the shelves.
“I bought it because I thought the platform was reliable.” Mr. Yao said that upon receiving the synthetic cotton core, he immediately reported the counterfeit situation to the platform, but they insisted that the platform did not sell counterfeit products and that all items passed strict quality audits. They claimed that this cotton quilt contained approximately 95% to 100% cotton and was of “reliable quality.”
The above-mentioned products were said to be shipped from Langfang in Hebei, while they were actually shipped from Deqing County in Huzhou, Zhejiang.
In mid-January, journalists from the media searched for “cotton quilts” on Taobao and randomly purchased three different specifications, all shipped from Huzhou and originating from factories such as “Daily Special Factory,” “Official National Product Selection” and “Good Product Factory,” with a cost of about 8.13 yuan per jin including shipping. The delivery information received by the journalists was consistent with the information provided by Mr. Yao, showing the sender as Chen Moujing.
On January 17th, the undercover investigative team found Chen Moujing in an office building near Feng Qing Street in Deqing County. He was busy with shipping and only had synthetic cotton cores on-site.
Chen Moujing, who has been in the cotton quilt business for many years, frankly stated that long-staple cotton’s high cost makes it difficult to sell, and that the main component of synthetic cotton cores is polyester fiber, with a cotton content ranging from 5% to 10%, mixed with recycled ordinary cotton “residue.” He dismissed the act of selling counterfeits, saying, “Many are already aware, the price determines the quality.”
Chen Moujing claimed, “Most of the sales on Taobao this year are basically from me.” A courier beside him stated, “He is now the ‘Cotton Quilt Emperor,’ probably the best in the entire network.”
The report also mentioned the situation in Suzhou, Jiangsu.
In the factory of “Suzhou Soft Non-woven Fabric Co., Ltd.” in Wujiang District of Suzhou, the undercover investigation team saw a complete set of fully automated cotton quilt assembly lines operating at high speed, producing not only synthetic cotton cores but also processing recycled fiber waste into cotton fluff.
The person in charge frankly admitted that synthetic cotton quilts account for over 70% of the market, and many of his customers sell like cotton quilts on platforms like Taobao factory. If fake products are discovered after sale, either the seller compensates or gives the quilt directly to the complainant, “because the profit is very high.” One of his Taobao factory customers can sell over six hundred units a day.
Taobao Factory is an official operation brand under the Taobao Group, focusing on direct supply from factories and covering 1800+ industrial belts, claiming to be “the national factory chosen by over 300 million people, with good conscience, good quality, and true affordability,” and promising “official selection,” and “one fake, ten-fold penalty.”