What’s the difference between Slit Film and Monofilament Synthetic Turf Fibers?

Monofilament or Slit Film?

Published August 17, 2022

Last Updated: October 13, 2023

When shopping for synthetic turf, you may hear the terms “Slit Film” or “Monofilament” (or “Mono”) or read these terms in product specifications.  These terms refer to the type of individual blades that are tufted into the backing of turf, which are designed to resemble real blades of grass.  While both turfs can provide quality playing surfaces for indoor sports facilities and batting cages, they do each have their own unique characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s start with Slit Film Synthetic Turf.   When you examine a brand new Slit Film blade up close, it appears thicker than a Monofilament blade, and can be pulled apart into smaller blades.  These types of fibers are often known to hold crumb rubber in place better than Monofilament and stand up to more wear.  The tips of these fibers will fray over the years and compact, creating a softer, flatter surface yielder a faster ball roll speed. While this is commonly a factor in soccer, it is less of an issue in other sports applications, such as batting cage turf.

Side profile of 6 year old Used Slit Film Football Field.

Check out the ATXTurf Calculator to see total square feet of your area and roll count.

Monofilament Turf fibers on the other hand, are singular blades which are typically thinner than Slit Film Blades and stand up straighter than Slit Film surfaces.  Because they stand up straighter, the crumb rubber is more exposed in the first few years, creating a slower ball rolling surface.  This can often make painting and repainting more difficult as paint coats the infill in addition to the blades.  Some NFL fields have been replaced due to reduced impact attenuation resulting from the constant painting and repainting.  When the paint is washed off, it seeps down into the rubber pellets, dries and hardens the rubber cushion over time.  This is primarily an issue in the end zones, number and logo areas.

Contact a Rep at ATXTurf today to discuss whether Slit Film or Monofilament Turf is best for your application.  866-428-2809