The compressional behaviour of a nonwoven geotextile is an important mechanical property, affecting the tensile and hydraulic properties and it is necessary to characterize the compressional and recovery behaviour of these fabrics when predicting their behaviour in use. Two parameters, α and β, describing the compressional and recovery behaviour of different types of nonwoven geotextiles have been evaluated, and the effects of some processing parameters on the compressional and recovery properties of needle-punched fabrics have been studied. The effect of cyclic loading and ultimate compressional pressure has also been reported. It has been shown that compressibility and percentage energy loss are dependent on the porosity of the fabric, mode of bonding and the characteristics of constituent fibres. Staple needle-punched nonwoven fabrics show a higher percentage of energy loss than continuous-filament fabrics, and needle-punched fabrics are more compressible than thermobonded fabrics. The adhesive-bonded fabrics show higher compressibility.