Berber fleece is a textile material which is very lightweight, warm, and soft. It is often compared to fur, because of the incredibly soft texture when it is well cared for, along with the insulating properties. Many household items are made from Berber fleece including wraps and throws, jackets, and warm socks to wear around the house. Many people use Berber fleece garments for layering, since the textile is lightweight, but very insulating.

To make Berber fleece, yarn is knitted into fabric, which is brushed with wire brushes to pull the material together and to fluff it up. The resulting material has a looped, soft pile, with large air pockets, which improve the insulating properties of the fabric. The pile is sheared to create an even length, and the Berber fleece is ready for use. Synthetic materials such as polyester are most frequently used to create Berber fleece, which tends to be strong, stretchy, and colorfast.

Like all textiles, Berber fleece will ultimately form small “pills,” or clumps of fibers on the surface of the garment. Pills form due to friction, and the fibers used to make Berber fleece are engineered to resist pilling. Even the best engineering cannot defeat the tendency to pill, but the pills can periodically be sheared away if they do not drop off naturally. You can also refresh the pile of a Berber fleece garment by gently brushing it with a bristled brush.

In addition to being warm, Berber fleece is also designed to wick moisture away from the surface of the wearer. It will also not absorb moisture as readily as some natural fibers, since synthetics are water resistant. Although a Berber fleece garment cannot be used as a rain coat, it can be worn under one to pull moisture away from the body and prevent garments underneath it from becoming saturated.

Care directions for Berber fleece vary. As a general rule, it can be machine washed in cold or lukewarm water with gentle soaps. It can usually be tumble dried on a low setting, or hung to dry. Berber fleece should not be left hanging, because it will stretch the knit and pull the garment out of shape. Folding and storing flat is advisable. Not all fleece fabrics are Berber fleece, and care directions for different fleeces vary. Make sure to follow the instructions of the manufacturer, as they may deviate depending on materials used to make the fleece and manufacturing technique.