There is nothing better than curling up into a teddy fleece duvet cover in the cold winter nights. With the dropping temperatures, these teddy fleece duvet covers will help you fight off the cold weather by keeping you wrapped and toasty warm so you can get a relaxing night's sleep in the frosty winter season. As you snuggle up in your bed it feels like a giant, soft teddy bear just cuddled you. By selecting the right duvet cover, you can add a touch of sophistication to your bedroom’s interior. When it comes to deciding which teddy duvet cover is best in cool weather, it can be a stressful and painstaking process. However, just like there is a tool for every job, here at OLIVIA ROCCO we have teddy duvet covers to cater to all your needs with no compromise on quality. Our new Teddy Fleece bedding range creates an ambiance of warmth perfect for chilly winter nights and transforms your room into a snug sanctuary.

In this guide, we will discuss the fleece, main fabric used to make teddy duvet covers so you will have all the essential information about where you are investing your money. Let’s get started!

 

What is Fleece

Fleece is also known as polar fleece. It is an incredibly versatile fabric that is warm when get wet, highly breathable, and perfect for winters and other outdoor pursuits. It is made from hydrophobic fibres that repel water. This gives fleece its water-resistance properties and means fleece holds less than 1% of its weight in water. It can be made from a variety of materials most commonly made of polyester blend or cotton. Fleece is also made with recycled materials. The fleece was originally invented to imitate wool.  It has thin channels that allow moisture to transfer outside which increases breathability. In its various forms and textures, the high-tech fabric protects you against the forces of nature, and with the recycled content, it also gives nature a bit of a break.

 

How Fleece Is Made?

The polyester fleece was invented in the 1980s and since then has been excessively used in making winter bedding essentials such as sheets, comforters, and duvet covers. Instead of heavy and constricting comforters and blankets, we can now layer our duvet with lightweight teddy fleece duvet covers which are a perfect fit for winters. The texture of fleece gives that warm, fuzzy feeling and so does the philosophy behind it because it is often woven with recycled yarn. From trash to textile, today’s fleece offers warmth from waste because it is partly knit with yarn made from soda bottles and other discarded plastic. The recycled yarn looks and feels exactly the same as the virgin kind. They both unwind into a huge circular knitting machine that knits a lot faster than grandma. Hundreds of tiny needles grab and stitch the recycled and virgin yarns together to create a perpetual tube of material. The machine generates nearly a meter of polyester every two minutes. Big metal brackets flatten the knitted tube so it can be taken up by a spool.

After manufacturing, major flaws and quality of fleece are checked by inspectors and if necessary, they halt the production until the problems are fixed. Afterward, fleece is sent to the laundry department where cylindrical machine washes and dries the material. The fabric is then dyed under pressure and a water repellent chemical is added to the fabric. After another wash and dry, equipment funnels the polyester into a holding bin. The long polyester tubing is then put into the twister which squeeze out the remaining water. As the knitted tube exists the twister, a circular cutter slits it turning it into a sheet. The sheer fabric is thin and not fleecy at that point. It’s one side is smooth while the other side is rougher with thousands of tiny loops. Cylindrical wire brushes are used to transform the polyester into fleece in a process called napping. During the process, each brush spins at a different speed and all the movements are carefully calculated to break the knitted loops without tearing the fabric. After the process is finished the napped side of the material becomes fuzzy and fleecy. The other smooth side of the fabric winds around the second set of spinning brushes and pull fibres from the fleecy side to evenly distribute them to both sides. The double brushing increases the fabric’s thickness by five-folds and builds air pockets into the fleecy pile for insulation. A spiralling blade then shears the fibres to a uniform length to prevent pilling looks bad and can compromise those insulating air pockets in the fabric. Each production then run undergoes a battery of tests to check water repellence, flame resistance, and wear and tear test to determine the chances of potential pilling of the fabric. Once the fleece batch passes all the tests production resumes. The fabric is stretched to the desired width to its new measurement and then the fleece batch is finally ready to get sewed and transported to the factories in which it is converted into your favourite teddy fleece duvet cover sets.

 

Types of Fleece

There are several types of fleece made from different materials and can vary in plushness and range of thickness. Here are some common types:

Polyester Fleece

It is one of the most prevalent types of fleece which is immensely popular. It is smooth on the outside and plushy from inside. The smooth side has a glossy appearance and it is great for wicking moisture away from the body. 

Cotton Fleece

It is the most commonly used fleece type made from a cotton blend. It has a plush inner side and a smooth outer surface and unlike polyester fleece, the smooth side does not have a shiny appearance.

Microfleece

Microfleece has become increasingly popular. It is a double-sided and lightweight material great for repelling moisture. It is a bit warmer than cotton and most likely to maintain its shape.

French Terry Fleece

This fleece is not fluffy like most fleeces because it is unbrushed on both sides. It is comparatively thinner and flatter than other fleeces. It is smooth from one side and has loops on the other. It is a lightweight and moisture-wicking fabric. 

Lycra Spandex Fleece

It is knit from cotton along with a small amount of Lycra spandex to create springy fabric. It is highly durable and a popular choice for performance fleece and women's clothing.

Polar Fleece

It is a soft insulating fabric made from polyester. it is easily stretchable, lightweight, and easy to wash. It is an excellent substitute to wool for people allergic to it. It does not absorb moisture and susceptible to damage under unusual conditions.

Sherpa Fleece

Made from polyester it is the plushest and lightweight fleece. One side is smooth while the other feels like a real sheep’s fleece but much lighter and less bulky. It is extremely durable and maintains its fluffiness even after being washed.

Slub Fleece

It is made with slight knots and knobbles and has a textured look with raise threads on the fabric’s surface. It has a smooth and soft texture and provides nice warmth.

 

Advantages of Teddy Fleece

Here are the top Advantages of teddy fleece: 

Water Resistance

Fleece is highly water-resistant than other materials. If it is handled carefully it will maintain its shape and texture for a longer period of time.

Easy to Dry

Fleece wicks away the moisture because it repels the water rather than absorbing it and that’s why water can easily evaporate from fleece material allows it to dry rapidly.

Inexpensive

Fleece is made from polyester which comes from plastic. It can also be made with recycled plastic bottles which give it an eco-friendly edge while being inexpensive.

Tactile Comfort

Fleece fabric feels nice and gentle to the skin. tactile comfort is an important factor that determines consumers' preferences. Fleece does not have a slippery feel like other synthetic fibre and suitable for sensitive skins.

Easy to Wash

When it comes to cleaning, fleece is really easy to wash, you can just throw it in your machine. It is wrinkle-resistant and dries off quickly. It can also be hand-washed with a mild detergent.

Hypoallergenic

Fleece is an ideal option for hypoallergenic people. It will add a warm feel to your bed without irritating the skin. It is lightweight, highly durable, and can withstand frequent washing and drying.

Hydrophobic

Its hydrophobic nature allows sweat to pass through easily and makes it an ideal option for wearing during strenuous activities.

Recyclable

It is made from recycled plastic bottles and can be recycled again to create a new fabric of the same quality.

 

Disadvantages of Teddy Fleece

Fleece also has a few disadvantages like any other fabric though it cannot beat the advantages it has:

• Fleece is highly combustible so it needs to be treated with a fire-retardant.
• Fleece is relatively more susceptible to static electricity than other fabrics.
• Recycling of fleece made from non-renewable petroleum derivates can be detrimental to the environment.
• It can melt near fire or be damaged at high temperatures during warm wash or ironing.
• Fleece has no insulating value if it gets wet.
• Certain styles of fleece are not breathable as others.
• Fleece is a sensitive fabric and a lot more difficult to take care of as compared to other fabrics.
• Low-cost options are prone to pilling and performances depreciate gradually.

 

Fleece Vs Wool

Wool fleece is a naturally occurring fibre that is present on mammals like sheep in the form of fur. The fur is collected by a process called shearing and processed to make wool. Wool has been in use for centuries now to produce garments, sheets, blankets, and other stuff to keep us warm in harsh weather. The major difference between fleece and wool is that fleece is not naturally occurring and is a man-made material whereas wool is natural fabric collected from animals.

Which one is Better: Fleece or Wool?

There is always been a debate about the usefulness of fleece and wool in comparison to each other like which material is warmer for winter and provides better insulation. Both fleece and wool have the ability to retain heat efficiently when there is no wind or water. Generally wool is a better insulator against wind unless you have a fleece with integrated wind-resistant insulation.

Wool provides excellent insulation from water initially because it has a natural water repellent called lanolin, but once it gets soaked completely it takes way more time to dry. On the other hand, fleece absorbs water faster than wool, and its insulating layer is pretty much useless after getting wet, but fleece dries out much faster than wool and keeps your body warm which makes it a winner against wool.