What's The Verdict Between Fleece and Wool?
Let’s not deny that there is a bit of confusion between fleece and wool, like how one differs from another and which gives more comfort and warmth.
The significant difference between fleece and wool is that fleece is synthetic, while wool is a natural fabric. Yet there are other contrasts between the two with regard to warmth, weight, softness and cost, in addition to other things. The distinctions eventually comes down to how the fabric is made.
Both fleece and wool fulfill the purpose of keeping you warm in the cold season. In any case, the differences between the two might impact your choice with regards to which one you believe is the
better fit to your comfort.
In this post, we’ll tackle fleece vs wool and their pros and cons. That way, you can choose for yourself whether fleece or wool is the better choice for you.
What is Fleece?
Fleece is referred to the wool of alpacas and llamas. Be that as it may, in the realm of textiles, the term “fleece” is all the more generally used to portray synthetic fabric and made from plastic materials. Synthetic fabric is entirely man-made, not from any natural fiber like wool or cotton that comes from animals or plants.
Fleece isn’t synthetic wool, yet it was originally designed to imitate it. A sturdy fabric, fleece can have various textures like being fluffy to the touch or rough and wooly, depending upon how it is made. Fleece is regularly produced using polyester, however it can have different fibers mixed in to give it a specific texture.
Fleece fabric is made by first making polyester or a blend. Polyester is a type of plastic that is produced using petroleum and different chemicals. Whenever polyester is made, it is turned into yarn. The yarn is woven together with a particular goal in mind to make the fabric. Various kinds of weaves can make different sorts of fleece fabric.
Being synthetic gives fleece a great deal of adaptability. There are such countless various kinds of fleece, however they are all intended to be truly durable and keep you warm.
What is Wool?
There are around 1 billion sheep on the planet, so that implies that sheep’s wool is the most well-known kind of wool utilized for textiles. There are various breeds of sheep, implying that even sheep’s wool can have various assortments, with some being more costly than others.
Different sorts of wool include cashmere, which comes from a cashmere goat and qiviut wool, which comes from the musk oxen. These are both more exotic types of wool.
Fleece vs Wool
Fleece Pros:
• Softer than wool
• Not itchy
• Lightweight
• Affordable
• Durable
• Quick-drying
• Easy maintenance
Fleece Cons:
• Synthetic fabric, may not be environmentally-friendly
• Low absorption rate
• Not as warm as wool gram-for-gram
• No insulation properties when wet
Wool Pros:
• Natural fabric
• Warm
• Sustainable
• Odor-resistant
• Breathable
• Water and moisture repellant
• Thermal-insulation properties
Wool Cons:
• High maintenance, can get funky quick if not properly dried out
• Itchy – sometimes
• Expensive
• Not quick-drying
The Final Verdict on Fleece vs Wool
It depends!
Even though they serve the same purpose, for the most part, fleece is often favored over wool since it is softer and a lot lighter in weight. Certain people may find themselves bothered when they wear some types of wool due to a bit of scratchiness.
However, wool enjoys the benefit of being absolutely natural and harmless to the ecosystem, while fleece is only eco-friendly whenever created from recycled plastics.
Now that you have a better understanding of the difference between fleece and wool, you can experiment and wear these two to see which one is right for you. Don’t forget to really torture test your stuff, your life might depend on it some day!