A series of nonionic waterborne polyurethanes (WPU) based on hydrogenated methylene diphenylene diisocyanate, polybutylene succinate diol, polybutylene adipate diol, polyethylene glycol, and diethylene glycol as chain extender were synthesized with a polyether, MPEG-(OH)(2), as side chain. The physical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, hardness, molecular weight, kinetic viscosity, and so on were detected. The WPUs made with polyesters have the best tensile strength but the lowest elongation. Because of the hydrophilic property of MPEG-(OH)(2) grafted on the WPUs, they have obvious increases of solid contents and water absorptions with the ratio of MPEG-(OH)(2). The functional group ratio of NCO/OH is another reason affecting the hydrophilic properties of the WPUs. In addition, the water ratios of the dispersions dramatically affect the stability of WPU systems. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013