French Terry vs Fleece: Which Fabric Should Your Hoodie Blanks Be?
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French terry and fleece start life as the same fabric. Both are knitted with a smooth face and extra loops on the back. The difference is one finishing step: fleece has those back loops brushed into a soft, fluffy pile, while French terry leaves them intact.
That one step changes warmth, breathability, how the garment wears and, if you're building a brand, how it takes garment dye. The short answer:
- Choose French terry for structured, year-round streetwear hoodies, layering pieces, tour merch and anything you want to garment dye.
- Choose brushed-back fleece for maximum warmth and a soft, cosy inside on winter crewnecks and hoodies.
Below, we break down how each fabric is made, how they compare, and which one suits your next drop. We've been knitting fabric in the UK since 1972, so this is the stuff we deal with every day.
What is French terry?
French terry is a knitted fabric with a flat jersey face and rows of soft, uncut loops on the reverse. You'll also hear it called loopback, because those loops are exactly what you see when you turn a French terry hoodie inside out.
Because the loops are left alone, French terry:
- breathes well and handles moisture better than fleece
- has a clean, slightly dry hand feel
- holds its shape, which suits boxy, structured streetwear fits
- resists pilling on the inside better than a brushed fabric
French terry isn't automatically "lightweight". Weight comes from yarn and knit density, not the loop finish. Our 500 GSM heavyweight hoodies are French terry, and they're the heaviest hoodies in our range.
What is brushed-back fleece?
Brushed-back fleece (often just "fleece" or "sweat fleece") starts as the same loopback fabric. It then goes through brushing, also called napping. Wire rollers tease the back loops apart, breaking them into a raised, fuzzy pile.
That pile traps air, which gives fleece its main advantages:
- noticeably warmer at a similar weight
- a very soft, cosy feel against the skin
- the familiar "classic sweatshirt" inside
The trade-offs come from the same brushing. A raised surface is less breathable, it can flatten over many washes, and loose fibres are more likely to pill on the inside.
Fleece is also commonly knitted in cotton/polyester blends, because polyester helps the brushed pile hold up and reduces shrinkage. As you'll see below, the blend matters as much as the brushing.
Brushed-back fleece is not polar fleece
This catches people out. Polar fleece is a different fabric altogether. It's typically 100% polyester, brushed on both sides, and used for outdoor layers, linings and blankets. It's not what clothing brands mean by a fleece hoodie. When a blank supplier says "fleece", they almost always mean brushed-back sweat fleece: a jersey face with a brushed inside.
French terry vs fleece at a glance
| French terry (loopback) | Brushed-back fleece | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside | Soft uncut loops | Brushed, fluffy pile |
| Warmth | Moderate (rises with GSM) | Higher at a similar weight |
| Breathability | Better | Lower |
| Hand feel | Clean, structured | Soft, cosy |
| Shape and drape | Holds structured, boxy fits well | Softer, more relaxed |
| Inside pilling | Less prone | More prone (brushed fibres) |
| Typical fibre | Often 100% cotton | Often a cotton/poly blend |
| Garment dyeing | Excellent when 100% cotton | Muted or uneven on poly blends |
| Best for | Year-round streetwear, layering, tour merch, garment-dyed drops | Winter crewnecks and hoodies, loungewear |
Which is warmer: French terry or fleece?
At a similar weight, fleece is warmer, because the brushed pile traps more air. But weight matters more than most buyers think. A heavyweight French terry hoodie will feel warmer and more substantial than a thin fleece one.
So don't compare the fabric name on its own. Compare construction plus GSM. If you're unsure what different weights feel like, our GSM guide explains how to read garment weights.
French terry vs fleece for printing and embroidery
Most decoration happens on the face of the garment. Both fabrics have the same smooth jersey face, so the loops or pile on the inside rarely decide print quality. What does matter is fibre content:
- Screen printing: Both work well. On darker cotton/poly blends, the polyester dye can migrate into lighter inks during curing, so ask your printer about low-bleed inks.
- DTG: It generally performs best on high-cotton surfaces. On blends, always run a sample first.
- DTF: It's forgiving across both fabrics and blends, which makes it a safe choice for small runs.
- Embroidery: Heavyweight French terry and fleece both carry embroidery well, because a dense base stops puckering. Our guide to embroidery on heavyweight blanks covers stitch counts and placement.
Garment dyeing: where French terry pulls ahead
If your brand runs on custom colourways, this is the deciding factor.
Garment dyeing colours a finished, sewn garment, usually with reactive dyes that bond to cotton. On a 100% cotton garment, the whole piece takes the colour evenly. You get rich, saturated shades with that lived-in, slightly washed character.
Polyester doesn't take those dyes. So when you garment dye a cotton/poly fleece, only the cotton fibres change colour. The result is a muted or heathered shade, and it's hard to match precisely to a Pantone.
Our custom Pantone garment dyeing is available on our 500 GSM French terry hoodies and 100% cotton relaxed fit hoodies. If you want a hoodie in your exact brand colour, start with French terry. You can see what garment dyeing does in our garment dye vs pigment dye guide.
Shrinkage and long-term wear
- 100% cotton French terry can shrink when first washed hot. Garment-dyed pieces are largely pre-shrunk by the dye process, which is why garment-dye base blanks are often cut slightly larger.
- Cotton/poly fleece usually shrinks less, but the brushed pile can flatten and pill over time.
- For both, wash cool and inside out, and avoid the tumble dryer if you want the garment to look new for longer. Put that advice on your care labels, because it protects your brand's reputation.
Which should you choose for your brand?
| If you're making… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A premium streetwear hoodie with a boxy, structured fit | Heavyweight French terry | Holds shape, feels substantial, ages well |
| A drop in a custom brand colour | 100% cotton French terry | Garment dyes evenly to Pantone |
| Tour merch worn in hot venues | French terry | More breathable |
| A cosy winter crewneck or loungewear | Brushed-back fleece | Warmest, softest inside |
| Something that layers under jackets year-round | Mid-weight French terry | Warm without overheating |
A common approach is to build your core hoodie in heavyweight French terry, then add fleece for seasonal winter pieces where warmth is the selling point.
Sample before you commit
Fabric is a feel decision. Order one of each and wear them for a week before you place a production order. With zero minimum order quantity on our heavyweight blank clothing, you can sample a single hoodie, then scale up when you're sure. In-stock blanks are dispatched the next working day from our UK warehouse.
- 500 GSM French terry hoodie in black
- 500 GSM French terry hoodie in grey marl
- 350 GSM relaxed fit hoodie in ecru, a 100% cotton base for garment dyeing
Still deciding between styles? Read pullover vs zip-through hoodies next.
FAQ
Is French terry or fleece better for hoodies?
Neither is better in every case. French terry is more breathable, holds structured fits and garment dyes well, so it's the usual choice for premium streetwear hoodies. Fleece is warmer and softer inside, which suits winter pieces and loungewear.
Is French terry warmer than fleece?
Not at the same weight. Fleece's brushed pile traps more air, so it's warmer. A heavyweight French terry hoodie can still feel warmer than a lightweight fleece, though, so compare GSM as well as fabric type.
Is loopback the same as French terry?
Yes. Loopback is another name for French terry, describing the uncut loops on the reverse of the fabric.
Does French terry pill?
It can, as any cotton knit can, but it's less prone to pilling on the inside than brushed fleece. Brushing breaks the loops into loose fibres, and loose fibres are what form pills.
Can you garment dye fleece?
You can garment dye 100% cotton fleece. Many fleece blanks are cotton/polyester blends, though, and the polyester won't take cotton garment dyes. The result is a muted, heathered colour. For accurate custom colours, choose 100% cotton French terry.
What's the difference between polar fleece and sweatshirt fleece?
Sweatshirt fleece (brushed-back fleece) has a smooth jersey face and a brushed inside, and it's used for hoodies and crewnecks. Polar fleece is usually 100% polyester, brushed on both sides, and used for outdoor layers, linings and blankets.
Ready to feel the difference? Browse our premium blank clothing, with heavyweight hoodies, tees and long sleeves, zero MOQ and next-working-day UK dispatch on in-stock blanks. Want your hoodies in your own Pantone shade? Get in touch and we'll talk you through garment dyeing.