Why, anything cozy, really!
If it’s designed to be soft, snug, and insulating, chances are there will be some fleece involved.
Specifically, you’ll find fleece in winter sports jackets (often as a liner for those with a more weather resistant exterior), sweaters, midlayer pullovers, thermal base layers, sustainable sweatpants, winter accessories (like fair trade scarves, vegan gloves, and sustainable hats) and snuggly fair trade blankets.
Speaking of blankets, fleece is actually just a blanket term for the many different types of similar fabric, all of which are made with slightly different types of fibers and used in different ways. Let’s touch on each (literally and proverbially).
Polar Fleece
Polar fleece is generally what we think of when we think of “fleece.” It’s breathable, soft, durable, and easy to care for.
Polar fleece is designed to keep you warm, which it accomplishes by incorporating air pockets between the fibers that help to trap your body heat and keep you nice and toasty when you’re skiing or out for a winter walk.
It’s commonly found in ethical outdoor clothing and jackets for cold-weather adventures.
Sometimes, polar fleece can also be a hard fleece.
What is hard fleece?
Well, it’s just polar fleece that’s been backed or treated with another material / substance that makes it wind resistant.
Sherpa Fleece
If you’re thinking super puffy and fluffy, you’re thinking sherpa fleece, or blizzard fleece. Often referred to as a “high pile” fleece, it resembles wool more than standard fleece.
That’s why Patagonia has named any of their sherpa fleece products “woolyester fleece”.
Despite that, it’s still made from 100% polyester…This stuff will keep you warm and, as such, it’s commonly found as a lining in jackets, sweatshirts, and cardigans.
Berber Fleece
If you’ve ever seen fleece that appears to be nubby, you’re likely looking at berber fleece (no, it has nothing to do with Berbers from North Africa). Berber fleece was designed with a fur-like texture to keep you warm and insulated without packing on a lot of extra weight.
Great for high-performance sports wear, berber fleece helps to wick moisture away and is commonly found in coat liners, vests, socks, hats, and other wintertime apparel.
French Terry Fleece
French terry fleece is a lightweight fleece. Unlike other types of fleece, it’s not fluffy and instead looks woven. It’s also absorbent and repels moisture. In terms of thickness, it’s somewhere between a t-shirt and a sweatshirt.
The sustainability of french terry fleece varies. It’s not 100% polyester as most other fleece types, but is instead typically made of a rayon and polyester or polyester and spandex blend.
New sustainable alternatives, however, manage to mimic the French Terry feel using a number of different blends of organic soy, cotton, and bamboo.
Coral Fleece
Coral fleece, sometimes called raschel fleece, is another high pile fleece that’s not quite as it’s puffy as sherpa fleece but not as tight knit as french terry fleece. It looks similar to polar fleece, but is fuzzier. In fact, it’s almost like a silky faux fur. What is coral fleece of made to achieve this? The same PET as regular polar fleece.
Coral fleece is very soft and generally ends up in more expensive fleece jackets, shirts, blankets, and baby items. It’s great because it doesn’t pill like other fleece (which we’ll define just shortly under the disadvantages of fleece).
Sponge Fleece
Sponge fleece is a soft cotton-polyester fleece blend. It’s warm and cozy and as one sweatshirt brand summarizes it perfectly — “it’s like rolling around in a field of marshmallows and pug ears.”
Micro Fleece
Micro fleece is like the fabric’s favorite daughter, the ‘special’ type of fleece. Compared to all the other types of fleece listed here, microfleece is the thinnest and lightest option.
Micro fleece is the classification fleece receives when it weighs 200 grams per square meter (gsm), or less.
It’s commonly found in sweaters, shirts, lightweight jackets, throw blankets, and bathrobes. It may not be as warm as other types of fleece, but micro fleece is one of the best options in terms of breathability, which is also commonly found in outdoor sports pullovers and baselayers too.
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