Fleece is made of synthetic fibers and has a thick pile which allows it to hold onto warmth a bit better than flannel. In contrast, flannel is all-natural cotton or wool fabric and has a loose weave. This allows it to provide better breathability.
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Crochet Turtleneck Sweater | FREE Pattern AvailableFleece and flannel products come to mind whenever the temperature starts dropping and you feel the need for some warm clothes. But choosing a comfortable and warm set of clothes can be often challenging. This article will give you an insight into what you will be getting if you have set your sights on either of these two types of fabric.
There are some big differences between fleece and flannel. The differences may not be apparent, but you can tell them apart easily when you get to know about their unique characteristics.
Fleece is a fabric made from mostly synthetic fibers with a small mixture of cotton fibers in it. Synthetic fibers such as polyester or recycled plastic play a huge part in it.
On the other hand, the fabric of flannel is mostly made of wool or cotton. The cotton plant, sheep’s fleece, and some silk are the materials used for making flannel.
To cut it short, fleece is warmer than flannel. This is because fleece is better at trapping heat and it simply does not allow air to pass through the other end. If you find your fleece clothing too much warm for your comfort, you may want to look at temperature-regulating flannel clothing.
Flannel has a decent heat-trapping ability. However, the problem is that it has easy breathability which allows the heat to escape through its natural fibers.
Durability is a factor that everyone looks out for whenever fleece and flannel are concerned. Fleece will outlast flannel always as the polyester fibers of the fleece cannot biodegrade. The positive points about fleece are that it does not pill or shrink in the laundry.
In contrast, flannel will collect annoying bobbles over its surface with time and shrink in laundry. It also wears out more quickly. Although with proper care, flannel can beat fleece in terms of long-term quality.
As mentioned before, flannel has more breathability than fleece. The loose weave and highly permeable cotton fibers of flannel aid the airflow between the threads. This trait of fleece allows your body heat from the inside to flow outside of your clothing.
As for fleece, it is made of polyester fibers that only let a limited amount of air pass through. Therefore, you may sometimes feel smothered by your body heat that gets trapped inside your cloth.
Fleece may feel softer than flannel, but often the sensitive skin of the user may have trouble with the plasticky feel of the fleece. If you look into it, both fleece and flannel feature a decent soft texture on one or both sides of the material.
However, for fleece, the thickness of the pile is usually more and you will feel it if you rest your hand on top of it. Although, flannel made with silk fibers can be a better choice sometimes in terms of softness.
Normally it is well known that synthetic materials cost less to produce. Therefore, the consumers have to spend less to buy them. Whereas, cotton is a natural product and so, flannel costs more to produce. Some other factors such as brand names and current trades also play a role when determining the prices of fleece and flannel products.
You can simply cut the fabric to know whether it is fleece or flannel. Usually, fleece is not woven and it is not supposed to unravel on you. However, flannel is most likely to unravel right after you cut it.
This happens because the flannel is woven loosely. As fleece is not woven at all, it is given a plain or twill weave to make it hold itself together.
Another way to tell them apart is their appearance. You will see that fleece has more pile to it and will be pretty fuzzy to look at. On the contrary, the flannel looks smooth and brushed. It also has a nice soft texture. Moreover, fleece is supposed to have a smooth side and a nubby side while flannel is the same on both sides.
Fleece is warmer than most flannel fabrics. The numerous tiny and raised polyester fibers do a good job in trapping and holding heat in the loose surface of its pile. The resultant products are quite warm even when woven into thin fabrics.
Although, flannel is quite warm in its own right. It feels good on the skin and extremely cozy. If the flannel is made of wool, you can expect it to be warmer than fleece. However, if the flannel is made of cotton, it will be cooler than most fleece fabrics.
There is no need to pre-wash the fabric made from fleece as it does not shrink, fade, or run. However, you cannot iron it. You can simply press a seam flat, use a low setting with the steam on, and a cloth for pressing. Also, do not tumble dry as it might cause the fibers to melt.
The best practice is to let your flannel fabrics air dry. However, if you must use the dryer, set the dryer on the lowest heat setting, and remove the clothes as soon as they are dry. Make sure you do not overdry the flannel by applying medium or high heat. This will cause the flannel fabric to weaken and shrink.
Fleece and flannel, both materials will give you a cozy, soft, and warm feeling under cold weather. There is no best among these two, it all depends on what you prefer and need. You may prefer all-natural fabric like flannel and would not want the chemically made fleece on your skin. Either way, it is important to be able to differentiate between them to know what you will be buying.
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