Difference between a Fleece and a Zoodie
Many people confuse a zipper hoodie for a fleece. First things first, what exactly is a fleece? Well, Polar Fleece usually referred to simply as “fleece,” is a soft napped insulating synthetic fabric made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other synthetic fibers. Other names for this fabric are “Polar Wool,” “Vega Wool,” or “Velo Wool.” Basically a fleece is a fabric with a fluffy texture. And not a garment.
What causes this misunderstanding is actually a type of a jacket that is made from this fabric. The jacket is so familiar that it took the name of the fabric. This is no strange tale, Growing up we knew another name for a Flask is “Thermos”. But thermos is actually a brand not a product. I know some of you also just found that out right now. Haha.
These are the culprits.
On the other hand the Zoodie familiarly known as zipper hoodie. Is as the name suggests a hoodie with a zipper. This product is usually made from different materials including fleece and cotton.
Most common is cotton zoodie, which is what we stock and print on using our DTG technology.
A Cotton zoodie is made from… well… cotton. Regular cotton and Ring-spun cotton.
Regular cotton is made from soft vegetable fibers that are twisted together to make yarn, which is then woven to make material. Ring-spun cotton is completely different. Ring-spun yarn is made by twisting and thinning the cotton strands to make a very fine, strong, soft rope of cotton fibers. Ring-spun cotton garments are more durable and last longer than their regular counterparts.
Whats the difference?
Fleece feels softer than cotton when new, but gets coarser as it ages and can accumulate lots of pills. It retains heat better than cotton, but doesn’t breathe as easily, meaning it will trap moisture and sweat. As a petroleum-based fiber, grease and oil (greasy foods, sweat, etc) will easily stain polyester, usually permanently.
Cotton on the other hand might feel coarser than polyester at first, but it becomes softer as it ages. It doesn’t retain heat as well, but breathes well and is more versatile for temperate weather. Cotton will always age more gracefully than synthetics, often becoming better over time. In the end it really comes down to permanence and long-life wearability.
