What is Fleece?

Fleece is a soft, lightweight, and insulating fabric made from synthetic materials, most commonly polyester. It is designed to mimic the insulating properties of wool while offering additional benefits such as being more lightweight, quick-drying, and easier to care for. Fleece is widely used in outdoor and activewear, including jackets, hoodies, and blankets. You can find a complete listing of all fleece incorporated products in the NorseTrader.com Everything Fleece collection.

What are a few characteristics of fleece fabrics?

1. Warmth: Fleece traps air within its fibers, providing excellent insulation and warmth, even in cold conditions.
2. Lightweight: Despite its insulating properties, fleece is much lighter than traditional wool, making it ideal for layering in outdoor clothing.
3. Moisture-wicking: Fleece is hydrophobic, meaning it resists absorbing water, which allows it to wick moisture away from the body and dry quickly.
4. Breathable: The fabric allows moisture vapor to escape, which helps to regulate body temperature during physical activity.
5. Softness: Fleece is known for its softness and comfort, making it a popular choice for casual and performance clothing.
6. Durability: Fleece is resistant to stretching and shrinking, though it can be prone to pilling over time.

How do they make fleece? What are the steps?

The process of producing fleece fabric typically involves several key steps, from raw material production to the finished fabric. Most fleece is made from polyester, a synthetic fiber derived from petroleum, though some fleece is now made using recycled plastics like PET bottles. Here’s an overview of the process:

1. Raw Material Production

• Polyester Manufacturing: Fleece is primarily made from polyester, which is a polymer derived from petroleum-based chemicals. The process starts by creating polyester through a chemical reaction between petroleum derivatives (ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid). These substances are heated, causing them to form a molten polymer that can be spun into fibers.
• Recycled Materials: In the case of recycled fleece, plastic materials like PET bottles are collected, cleaned, and shredded into small flakes, which are then melted down and processed into fibers, reducing the environmental footprint.

2. Fiber Spinning

• The molten polyester (or recycled plastic) is extruded through small holes in spinnerets to form fine polyester filaments. These filaments are then cooled, stretched, and spun into continuous threads or fibers. These fibers are wound onto spools for the next step.

3. Knitting or Weaving

• Knitting: The polyester fibers are typically knitted into a fabric, usually in a pattern called a warp knit or circular knit. Knitting gives fleece its characteristic soft, stretchy texture.
• The fabric created at this stage is sometimes referred to as "greige" fabric, which is unprocessed and will need further treatment to gain the desired properties of fleece.

4. Brushing

• The key to fleece's softness and insulating properties lies in a process called brushing. In this step, the knitted fabric is passed through a series of wire brushes that raise the fibers, giving the material a soft, fluffy texture. This process also enhances the fabric’s ability to trap air, increasing its insulating properties.
• Double-brushed fleece is brushed on both sides for extra softness and warmth.

5. Finishing

• Shearing: After brushing, the fleece is often sheared to create an even surface by trimming any uneven fibers.
• Dyeing: If the fleece has not already been dyed, the fabric is immersed in dye baths to add color. The dye is fixed onto the fabric through heat.
• Anti-pilling treatment: Fleece is often treated with chemical agents to reduce pilling (the formation of small fabric balls on the surface), improving its durability.

6. Final Processing

• After all the finishing processes, the fabric is inspected for quality and then rolled into bolts or cut into sheets, depending on its final intended use.

7. Garment Manufacturing

• Fleece fabric is then sent to manufacturers to be cut and sewn into various products such as jackets, hoodies, blankets, and other clothing items.

Key Additions:

• Sustainability Focus: Many manufacturers now incorporate eco-friendly practices, such as using recycled polyester and reducing water and energy use during production.

This process ensures that fleece remains lightweight, durable, and warm, making it a popular choice for outdoor gear and casual wear.

Finally, a long list of products that incorporate Fleece. How many do you own?

Fleece is a versatile fabric used in a wide range of products and garments due to its warmth, softness, and durability. While we do not have all of these product types available in the NorseTrader.com Everything Fleece collection. We are adding to our catalog regularly as we locate great new products. Here’s a list of the many products and types of garments made from fleece:

Clothing and Garments

1. Jackets:

   • Fleece jackets
   • Full-zip jackets
   • Half-zip pullovers
   • Hooded fleece jackets (hoodies)
   • Softshell jackets (fleece-lined)

2. Sweaters & Pullovers:

   • Fleece pullovers
   • Quarter-zip or half-zip fleece sweaters
   • Fleece vests
   • Sweatshirts (including crewneck and hooded)

3. Hoodies:

   • Traditional hooded fleece sweatshirts
   • Zip-up hoodies
   • Pullover hoodies

4. Pants & Bottoms:

   • Fleece joggers
   • Sweatpants
   • Leggings with fleece lining (especially for cold weather)
   • Fleece-lined jeans or trousers
   • Lounge pants

5. Thermal Layers:

   • Base layers and thermal underwear (fleece-lined)
   • Mid-layers for outdoor wear (used for layering in hiking or skiing)

6. Hats & Headwear:

   • Fleece beanies
   • Fleece ear warmers or headbands
   • Balaclavas
   • Fleece-lined caps

7. Gloves & Mittens:

   • Fleece gloves
   • Fleece mittens
   • Touchscreen-compatible fleece gloves

8. Scarves & Neckwear:

   • Fleece scarves
   • Fleece neck gaiters
   • Fleece neck warmers

9. Vests:

   • Fleece vests (popular for layering)
   • Reversible fleece vests

Outdoor and Activewear

10. Hiking & Skiing Gear:

    • Fleece jackets and pants (used as mid-layers)
    • Fleece neck gaiters and balaclavas
    • Fleece-lined gloves and mittens
    • Performance fleece for moisture-wicking in cold weather

11. Camping & Outdoor Accessories:

    • Fleece sleeping bags
    • Fleece sleeping bag liners (adds warmth to sleeping bags)
    • Fleece blankets (for camping, picnics, etc.)

12. Sportswear & Training Gear:

    • Fleece athletic jackets (often used for warming up)
    • Fleece track pants
    • Fleece-lined sports hoodies

Home and Casual Wear

13. Loungewear:

    • Fleece lounge sets (tops and bottoms)
    • Fleece robes
    • Fleece pajamas
    • Fleece slippers or slipper socks

14. Blankets:

    • Fleece blankets
    • Throw blankets
    • Weighted blankets with fleece lining
    • Baby blankets

15. Children’s Clothing:

    • Fleece onesies
    • Fleece pajamas for babies and toddlers
    • Fleece snowsuits and bunting bags for infants
    • Fleece-lined hooded tops and pants for kids

Footwear

16. Fleece-lined Boots:
    • Fleece-lined winter boots
    • Fleece-lined rain boots
    • Fleece-lined slippers
    • Fleece insoles for shoes and boots

Pet Products

17. Pet Clothing:

    • Fleece dog coats and sweaters
    • Fleece-lined pet booties for dogs

18. Pet Beds & Blankets:

    • Fleece pet blankets
    • Fleece-lined pet beds

Accessories

19. Car Accessories:

    • Fleece car seat covers
    • Fleece steering wheel covers
    • Fleece travel blankets for the car

20. Baby Gear:

    • Fleece baby bunting bags (for car seats or strollers)
    • Fleece-lined stroller covers
    • Fleece swaddle blankets

Specialty & Custom Items

21. Promotional Items:

    • Fleece blankets or throws as giveaways
    • Fleece hats, scarves, or gloves with custom logos
    • Fleece jackets or vests with corporate branding

22. Military & Tactical Gear:

    • Fleece tactical jackets and pants (as layering gear)
    • Fleece-lined hats and gloves for cold-weather operations

23. Fleece Crafts:

    • DIY fleece blankets (e.g., no-sew fleece blankets)
    • Fleece fabric used for crafting projects (such as soft toys)

Workwear & Industrial Applications

24. Workwear:
    • Fleece-lined work jackets
    • Fleece-lined bib overalls
    • Fleece hats and neck gaiters for workers in cold environments

This range of products highlights fleece’s versatility, making it a go-to material for everything from outdoor gear to cozy home essentials.

We would love it if you shopped NorseTrader.com for your Fleece.

We understand that we do not have every item listed above in our catalog but NorseTrader.com is adding to it's catalog regularly looking for quality Fleece incorporated imports. We love fleece's durability, comfort and warmth. If we have a fleece product listed in the NorseTrader Everything Fleece collection, just know it is intended to be of the highest quality fleece that is available at it's lowest possible price. We appreciate your patronage and hope you will continue to trust NorseTrader.com for your unique imported products.