Key takeaways
- Polartec is a performance-fabric brand that pioneered modern synthetic fleece.
- It makes fabrics across the whole system: base layers, fleece, insulation, wind, and waterproof-breathable shells.
- Notable lines: Power Grid (fleece), Thermal Pro (fleece), Alpha (active insulation), NeoShell (waterproof-breathable).
- Like Gore-Tex or Vibram, Polartec is a component brand used by many gear makers.
Brand of Polartec, LLC (formerly Malden Mills, which invented synthetic fleece).
What Polartec is
Polartec is a brand of performance fabrics, most famous for inventing modern synthetic fleece (as Malden Mills). It’s a component brand: rather than selling finished jackets, it makes the textiles that many outdoor clothing companies build their garments from — much like Gore-Tex for membranes or Vibram for soles.
Main fabric lines
- Power Grid / Thermal Pro — efficient, breathable fleeces.
- Power Stretch — stretchy base and mid layers.
- Alpha — breathable active insulation (developed for the military).
- Wind Pro — wind-resistant fleece.
- NeoShell — a breathable waterproof membrane.
A shopper notices their new midlayer lists ‘Polartec Power Grid’ — telling them it’s a breathable, quick-drying grid fleece engineered as an active base/mid layer, not just generic fleece.
Why it matters
Because Polartec specializes in engineering fabrics for specific roles across the whole layering system, a named Polartec line on a garment’s spec sheet tells you what that fabric is built to do — from wicking and warmth to wind and waterproofing.
The bottom line
Polartec is a component fabric brand — the company that invented modern fleece and now makes performance textiles for every layer, from base layers and fleece to active insulation and waterproof-breathable shells. When you see a Polartec line named on a garment, it signals a fabric engineered for a specific role, much like Gore-Tex or Vibram do for their categories.
Frequently asked questions
What is Polartec?
Polartec is a brand of performance fabrics, famous for inventing modern synthetic fleece (originally as Malden Mills). Today it makes a broad range of textiles — base layers, fleeces, active insulation, wind-resistant fabrics, and even waterproof-breathable membranes — that many outdoor clothing brands use in their garments.
What are the main Polartec fabric lines?
Key lines include Polartec Power Grid and Thermal Pro (fleeces), Power Stretch (stretchy base/mid layers), Alpha (breathable active insulation developed for the military), Wind Pro (wind-resistant fleece), and NeoShell (a breathable waterproof membrane). Each targets a specific job in a layering system.
Is Polartec the same as fleece?
Polartec invented modern fleece and many of its fabrics are fleeces, but the brand now spans far more than fleece — including insulation and waterproof-breathable shell fabrics. So while 'Polartec fleece' is common, not all Polartec fabrics are fleece.
Sources
- Polartec fabric technologies — Polartec
- Fabrics & layering — The Mountaineers