A passenger conveyor handrail (30) includes a sliding layer (40) that is non-woven in some examples and non-fabric in other examples. A first polymer material is used to establish a body portion (32) of the handrail (30) to provide, for example, a gripping surface (34). The sliding layer (40) is secured to a surface (38) of the handrail (30) to cover at least a portion of that surface to meet the needs of a particular situation. Disclosed examples include a variety of configurations and a variety of techniques for applying such a sliding layer (40) to a handrail (30).