Many people are surprised when they find out that most of their fleece blanket is made of knit polyester, sometimes with some cotton thrown in. They’re lightweight and warm, and that’s what counts when you want a soft, plush blanket for your bed or your baby.

When shopping online for 100% fleece blankets, throws and baby blankets, here are a couple things you might want to know.

Among the most well-known and respected names in fleece are: •Dralon    •Polartech   •Dyerberg

With these brand names and manufacturers, you can be sure that you have the best fleece blankets available. They go through a lot of extra steps to assure that the blankets are tough, durable and soft.

They’ll actually comb the fleece so the strands stand up, and then shear them off at a uniform height. This assures that your fleece blanket will not ‘pill’ after repeated washings and normal use. Pilling means that small balls form on your fleece blanket when strands of the fabric loosen and wrap together.

It also means that your fleece blanket may not insulate as well as it did at first. This kind of durability may not be important to you when you’re deciding on a fleece blanket, throw or baby blanket. Maybe you just want a nice colorful, warm blanket to throw on the bed and don’t really care about all that.

Maybe you’re fine with a blanket that will last a few years that you can just put in the washer and dryer. That’s fine, I have those too! In fact, one of my favorite blankets is a deep green fleece that I got as a gift. It’s a bit worn here and there after 4 years, but I really like it anyway! But now you know about some things to keep in mind when shopping for fleece.

Either way, you’re sure to find just what you need when shopping online!