A new British standard, BS 8479:2008, has been published that provides a method to determine a fabric’s propensity to snagging and other related surface defects. The standard covers knitted and woven fabrics.

In light of this new standard, ASTM D 3939: Standard Test Method for Snagging Resistance of Fabrics (Mace), has been modified to allow the testing lab to consider using BS 8479 instead.

“The new POD snagging testing method provides a test method that is more representative from a real wear test point of view,” said Lee Thompson, technical manager, British Home Stores. “Once fabrics have been benchmarked, it gives a clear and consistent method for determining pass/fail suitability of fabrics.”