In the world of plastic strapping, there are two types of materials used. The first is polypropylene which is usually a dull finish and most of the time has a waffle-like embossed design on it. Polyester on the other hand has a very glossy and shiny finish.
If you can’t tell from plain sight, simply try to tear the strapping in half. In other words if the strapping is ½” wide, try to tear it so you have two ¼” pieces. Simply put if you can tear it, you are holding polypropylene. If you can’t tear it at all by hand, it’s polyester.
Not surprising, polyester then is the stronger of the two styles. It can handle much heavier loads without breaking.
Polypropylene isn’t as strong but unlike Polyester, it can be fastened together with buckles which require no tools. So not only is polypropylene less expensive per foot but it also can be less costly to use since no strapping tools are needed. Polypropylene strapping is also commonly found in inexpensive kits for small one-time jobs.
