<p>The precise construction of anti-electromagnetic interference composites with highly efficient absorption capability, superior self-cleaning, and excellent thermal conductivity is still challenging since the incompatibility of multi performances. Herein, FeNi@C/ZnO array nanostructures are decorated on a flexible carbon cloth backbone to solve this challenge. The carbon cloth grown with hierarchical ZnO arrays not only possesses high dielectric loss capability, but the magnetic loss also can be modulated via controlling the depositing content of FeNi@C nanoparticles (NCs). This approach effectively fulfills the appropriate impedance matching and broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, the reflection loss &lt; −10&#xa0;dB). Our prepared FeNi@C/ZnO/CC composite can achieve a minimum reflection loss value of -39.36&#xa0;dB, and the corresponding EAB can cover the entire X-band. Moreover, it exhibits excellent self-cleaning performance with a water contact angle as high as 155°. In addition, benefiting from the exquisite nano/micro structural design, the fabric composite also possesses superior thermal management property, with a thermal conductivity of 0.23&#xa0;W m⁻¹&#xa0;K⁻¹. This study has the potential to be applied in the field of electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) materials and multifunctional electrical devices.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>