Fleece is an excellent choice for backpacking and winter camping. It is estimated that eight plastic bottles are kept out of landfill sites for every square meter of fleece made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate. It was first manufactured in 1979 by Malden Mills, now called Polartec LLC, but the company did not patent the product, with the result that there are now many different makers of polar fleece. Micro fleece has excellent moisture wicking properties. Required fields are marked *. Last, fleece is very breathable, which makes it a useful choice for fitness and outdoor activities, however, it is not wind or waterproof. If you’ve spent any time adventuring outside in your life, chances are you’ve worn a fleece jacket. If you don’t have the time or space to hang dry your fleece, you can tumble dry your garments on a low heat to prevent them from getting damaged by the heat. It is knitted using fine acrylic fibers. She has written for newspapers, magazines, online publications and sites. It is a soft fabric option for clothing or use as a liner. Black Friday is a bit early late this year, with the big day landing on November 27, the day after American Thanksgiving. As a result of this, it may enter the food web. In contrast, microplush is a trademarked material created by Monterey Mills. Fleece is a synthetic fabric made from polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, fibers. Unnatural or non-organic fleece is generally made from polyester fibers that come from plastics. I created Gear Signal because I was sick of having to search in 20 different places to figure out what gear to buy. Some microfleece products are made using recycled plastic drink bottles. Fleece is considered to be a “pile” fabric, which means it has a layer of cut fibers on both sides. Polar fleece and microfleece are the most commonly used fleece textiles, so we’ll take a look at them here. Fleece fabrics are used to make everything from cozy blankets to socks and jackets. A pill, also known as a fuzz ball, lint, or bobble, is a tendency of synthetic spun fabrics. This will help prevent that pesky piling in your fleece and keep your jackets soft for years to come. (Source). Let’s look at some of the benefits of fleece for outdoor enthusiasts: Since fleece is generally worn in cold environments, it should be no surprise that it’s a great insulating fabric. Warm water generally encourages piling, so it’s best avoided. A denier is a unit of measurement for the linear density of fibers, typically man-made. So what’s the deal with the bad for the environment comments? Fleece and microfleece are often used as interchangeable terms. There is a very clear right and wrong side to most micro-fleece. Microfleece, on the contrary, is the finest and the thinnest one. Microfiber (or microfibre) is a synthetic fabric made from polyesters and polyamides, or a conjugation of polyester, polyamide, and polypropylene. Click here for more information. Fleece and micro-fleece fabrics also come from man-made materials, generally 100 percent polyester, or with a manufacturer's proprietary brand name. If the material is exposed to a flame, it will melt. Generally speaking, microfleece is thin, which makes it great for layering under other jackets. link to Help! Have a ton of microfiber inserts and now are wondering if you can’t use them? It’s worth noting here, especially for those hoping to DIY themselves some liners out of fleece they have at home, that microfleece has different properties than polar fleece. Here are a few: As we mentioned earlier, fleece is made from petroleum. Fleece is susceptible to damage from heat. But I’ll explain all of that later, first, let’s get back to comparing microfiber to microfleece for the non-environmentally focused folks (’cause we love you too). This fabric is a popular choice for every-day wear, for high-energy activities, or in conditions where you require ease of movement and flexibility, such as climbing and mountaineering.