Polar fleece is polyester made of soft fleece, insulating fabric.
Polar fleece is used in jackets, hats, sweaters, sweatpants, diapers, activewear, hoodies, blankets, and high-performance outdoor apparel. It can be made partly from recycled plastic bottles and is very light, soft, and easy to clean. Polar fleece can stretch more easily in one direction than the other.
The characteristics of polar fleece
Wool is lightweight, warm, and soft, with some of the good qualities of wool, but only the lightest of wools. Fleece is classified by weight - gsm or grams per square meter. Polar fleece garments usually come in different thicknesses: 100, 200, and 300 microns, with 300 microns being the thickest and least soft.
It is hydrophobic and has less than 1% of its weight in water. It retains most of its insulating quality even when wet. It's machine washable and dries quickly. It is a good substitute for wool for those allergic or sensitive to wool. It can also be made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles or even recycled wool.
Regular fleece isn't windproof and doesn't absorb moisture (though it's often cited above as a benefit). Wool is prone to static electricity, which can cause lint, dust, and pet hair to build up. High-temperature washing, tumble drying, or ironing can also easily cause damage under abnormal conditions. The lower-quality polyester polar fleece material is also prone to pilling.