Most fleece on the market, including most wool fleece, is knitted - a faster, cheaper process. PureFleece® is woven, which takes longer and costs more to produce, but results in a denser fabric with better loft, better durability, and a more structured drape than knitted alternatives.
Part of our series on wool performance - start with The New Performance Standard: Why Wool Wins.
What's the actual difference between woven and knitted?
Knitted fabric is built from a single continuous yarn looped through itself repeatedly, the way a jumper is hand-knitted, just done on an industrial machine. Woven fabric interlaces two separate sets of yarn - a warp and a weft - at right angles, the way a basket is woven. That interlaced structure is inherently more stable and holds its shape under stress in a way a looped structure doesn't.
Why does weaving take longer?
Weaving requires setting up two yarn systems and running them through a loom, which is a slower and more precise process than knitting's continuous loop. It's also less forgiving of inconsistent yarn, so it demands a higher-quality raw material to begin with. PureFleece® fabric is woven at one of the world's finest mills, in Yorkshire, on the latest Rapier looms, specifically because that level of precision is what the process requires.
Does woven fabric last longer?
Generally, yes. A knitted structure can run - a single snagged loop can unravel a line of stitches, the way a jumper ladders. A woven structure doesn't run in the same way, because each thread is locked in place by the perpendicular thread crossing it. That gives woven fabric better resistance to snagging and a longer working life under repeated wear.
Does it feel different to wear?
Noticeably. Woven fabric tends to have more body and structure, sitting with a cleaner drape rather than clinging or stretching out of shape over a day's wear. It also typically carries more loft for the same weight of yarn, which is where a meaningful share of a garment's warmth comes from.
Why don't more brands weave their fleece?
Cost and speed. Knitting machines run faster, use less precise yarn, and are cheaper to operate, which is why the overwhelming majority of fleece - synthetic and wool alike - is knitted. Weaving is the harder, slower, more expensive route, which is exactly why most brands don't take it.
Related reading: The New Performance Standard: Why Wool Wins · Merino Wool vs Synthetic Fleece: What's Actually Warmer? · Is Merino Wool Itchy? The 20-Micron Difference Explained