diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 6c7a13f97..4fd34067e 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -168,6 +168,12 @@ pub use {
     crate::primitives::{Bech32, Bech32m, NoChecksum},
 };
 
+// Write to fmt buffer, small during testing to exercise full code path.
+#[cfg(not(test))]
+const BUF_LENGTH: usize = 1024;
+#[cfg(test)]
+const BUF_LENGTH: usize = 10;
+
 /// Decodes a bech32 encoded string.
 ///
 /// If this function succeeds the input string was found to be well formed (hrp, separator, bech32
@@ -276,11 +282,26 @@ pub fn encode_lower_to_fmt<Ck: Checksum, W: fmt::Write>(
 ) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
     let _ = encoded_length::<Ck>(hrp, data)?;
 
+    let mut buf = [0u8; BUF_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = data.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     let chars = iter.with_checksum::<Ck>(&hrp).chars();
+
     for c in chars {
-        fmt.write_char(c)?;
+        buf[pos] = c as u8;
+        pos += 1;
+
+        if pos == BUF_LENGTH {
+            let s = core::str::from_utf8(&buf).expect("we only write ASCII");
+            fmt.write_str(s)?;
+            pos = 0;
+        }
     }
+
+    let s = core::str::from_utf8(&buf[..pos]).expect("we only write ASCII");
+    fmt.write_str(s)?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -296,11 +317,25 @@ pub fn encode_upper_to_fmt<Ck: Checksum, W: fmt::Write>(
 ) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
     let _ = encoded_length::<Ck>(hrp, data)?;
 
+    let mut buf = [0u8; BUF_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = data.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     let chars = iter.with_checksum::<Ck>(&hrp).chars();
+
     for c in chars {
-        fmt.write_char(c.to_ascii_uppercase())?;
+        buf[pos] = c.to_ascii_uppercase() as u8;
+        pos += 1;
+        if pos == BUF_LENGTH {
+            let s = core::str::from_utf8(&buf).expect("we only write ASCII");
+            fmt.write_str(s)?;
+            pos = 0;
+        }
     }
+
+    let s = core::str::from_utf8(&buf[..pos]).expect("we only write ASCII");
+    fmt.write_str(s)?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -331,11 +366,23 @@ pub fn encode_lower_to_writer<Ck: Checksum, W: std::io::Write>(
 ) -> Result<(), EncodeIoError> {
     let _ = encoded_length::<Ck>(hrp, data)?;
 
+    let mut buf = [0u8; BUF_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = data.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     let chars = iter.with_checksum::<Ck>(&hrp).chars();
+
     for c in chars {
-        w.write_all(&[c as u8])?;
+        buf[pos] = c as u8;
+        pos += 1;
+        if pos == BUF_LENGTH {
+            w.write_all(&buf)?;
+            pos = 0;
+        }
     }
+
+    w.write_all(&buf[..pos])?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -352,11 +399,23 @@ pub fn encode_upper_to_writer<Ck: Checksum, W: std::io::Write>(
 ) -> Result<(), EncodeIoError> {
     let _ = encoded_length::<Ck>(hrp, data)?;
 
+    let mut buf = [0u8; BUF_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = data.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     let chars = iter.with_checksum::<Ck>(&hrp).chars();
+
     for c in chars {
-        w.write_all(&[c.to_ascii_uppercase() as u8])?;
+        buf[pos] = c.to_ascii_uppercase() as u8;
+        pos += 1;
+        if pos == BUF_LENGTH {
+            w.write_all(&buf)?;
+            pos = 0;
+        }
     }
+
+    w.write_all(&buf[..pos])?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/src/primitives/encode.rs b/src/primitives/encode.rs
index 88a7ca66d..4790143d1 100644
--- a/src/primitives/encode.rs
+++ b/src/primitives/encode.rs
@@ -113,6 +113,14 @@ where
         CharIter::new(self.hrp, witver_iter)
     }
 
+    /// Returns an iterator that yields the bech32 encoded address as field ASCII characters, as
+    /// byte values.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn bytes(self) -> ByteIter<'hrp, I, Ck> {
+        let char_iter = self.chars();
+        ByteIter::new(char_iter)
+    }
+
     /// Returns an iterator that yields the field elements that go into the checksum, as well as the checksum at the end.
     ///
     /// Each field element yielded has been input into the checksum algorithm (including the HRP as it is fed into the algorithm).
@@ -237,6 +245,43 @@ where
     }
 }
 
+/// Iterator adaptor which takes a stream of ASCII field elements (an encoded string) and yields a stream of bytes.
+///
+/// This is equivalent to using the `CharsIter` and the casting each character to a byte. Doing
+/// so is technically sound because we only yield ASCII characters but it makes for ugly code so
+/// we provide this iterator also.
+pub struct ByteIter<'hrp, I, Ck>
+where
+    I: Iterator<Item = Fe32>,
+    Ck: Checksum,
+{
+    char_iter: CharIter<'hrp, I, Ck>,
+}
+
+impl<'hrp, I, Ck> ByteIter<'hrp, I, Ck>
+where
+    I: Iterator<Item = Fe32>,
+    Ck: Checksum,
+{
+    /// Adapts the `CharIter` iterator to yield bytes representing the bech32 encoding as ASCII bytes.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn new(char_iter: CharIter<'hrp, I, Ck>) -> Self { Self { char_iter } }
+}
+
+impl<'a, I, Ck> Iterator for ByteIter<'a, I, Ck>
+where
+    I: Iterator<Item = Fe32>,
+    Ck: Checksum,
+{
+    type Item = u8;
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<u8> { self.char_iter.next().map(|c| c as u8) }
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) { self.char_iter.size_hint() }
+}
+
 /// Iterator adaptor for a checksummed iterator that inputs the HRP into the checksum algorithm
 /// before yielding the HRP as field elements followed by the data then checksum.
 pub struct Fe32Iter<'hrp, I, Ck>
@@ -344,4 +389,19 @@ mod tests {
         let checksummed_len = 2 + 1 + 1 + char_len + 6; // bc + SEP + Q + chars + checksum
         assert_eq!(iter.size_hint().0, checksummed_len);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+    fn hrpstring_iter_bytes() {
+        let hrp = Hrp::parse_unchecked("bc");
+        let fes = DATA.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
+        let iter = fes.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(Fe32::Q);
+
+        let chars = iter.clone().chars();
+        let bytes = iter.bytes();
+
+        for (c, b) in chars.zip(bytes) {
+            assert_eq!(c as u8, b)
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/segwit.rs b/src/segwit.rs
index ff543da9f..9a0d33ff6 100644
--- a/src/segwit.rs
+++ b/src/segwit.rs
@@ -156,19 +156,30 @@ pub fn encode_lower_to_fmt_unchecked<W: fmt::Write>(
     witness_version: Fe32,
     witness_program: &[u8],
 ) -> fmt::Result {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; MAX_STRING_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = witness_program.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     match witness_version {
         VERSION_0 => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).chars() {
-                fmt.write_char(c)?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src;
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
         version => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).chars() {
-                fmt.write_char(c)?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src;
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
     }
+
+    let s = core::str::from_utf8(&buf[..pos]).expect("we only write ASCII");
+    fmt.write_str(s)?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -185,20 +196,30 @@ pub fn encode_upper_to_fmt_unchecked<W: fmt::Write>(
     witness_version: Fe32,
     witness_program: &[u8],
 ) -> fmt::Result {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; MAX_STRING_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = witness_program.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     match witness_version {
         VERSION_0 => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).chars() {
-                fmt.write_char(c.to_ascii_uppercase())?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src.to_ascii_uppercase();
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
         version => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).chars() {
-                fmt.write_char(c.to_ascii_uppercase())?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src.to_ascii_uppercase();
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
     }
 
+    let s = core::str::from_utf8(&buf[..pos]).expect("we only write ASCII");
+    fmt.write_str(s)?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -229,19 +250,29 @@ pub fn encode_lower_to_writer_unchecked<W: std::io::Write>(
     witness_version: Fe32,
     witness_program: &[u8],
 ) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; MAX_STRING_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = witness_program.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     match witness_version {
         VERSION_0 => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).chars() {
-                w.write_all(&[c.to_ascii_lowercase() as u8])?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src;
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
         version => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).chars() {
-                w.write_all(&[c.to_ascii_lowercase() as u8])?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src;
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
     }
+
+    w.write_all(&buf[..pos])?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -259,20 +290,29 @@ pub fn encode_upper_to_writer_unchecked<W: std::io::Write>(
     witness_version: Fe32,
     witness_program: &[u8],
 ) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; MAX_STRING_LENGTH];
+    let mut pos = 0;
+
     let iter = witness_program.iter().copied().bytes_to_fes();
     match witness_version {
         VERSION_0 => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).chars() {
-                w.write_all(&[c.to_ascii_uppercase() as u8])?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32>(&hrp).with_witness_version(VERSION_0).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src.to_ascii_uppercase();
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
         version => {
-            for c in iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).chars() {
-                w.write_all(&[c.to_ascii_uppercase() as u8])?;
-            }
+            let bytes = iter.with_checksum::<Bech32m>(&hrp).with_witness_version(version).bytes();
+            buf.iter_mut().zip(bytes).for_each(|(dst, src)| {
+                *dst = src.to_ascii_uppercase();
+                pos += 1;
+            });
         }
     }
 
+    w.write_all(&buf[..pos])?;
+
     Ok(())
 }