What is Napping (Napped Fabric)?

Napping is a mechanical finishing process in which fabric is run continuously over rotating rollers covered with steel wire points, which raise the fibers on its surface into a fuzzy pile (Cotton Incorporated, CottonWorks). A fabric that has been through the process is called napped. Turkish suppliers call the process şardon (also şardonlama, tüylendirme or fırçalama) and the fabric şardonlu (Fersan; Altunkaya, 2024). The best-known napped products are fleece-type knits: two-thread fleece, three-thread fleece and polar fleece.

How napping is done

The fabric passes over a series of rotating rollers covered with wire points (up to 30 in CottonWorks’ description). Two kinds of roller work on it, depending on how the wire points meet the fabric:

The speed ratio of the two roller types and the type of wire decide the result. The more counter-pile action, the more random and irregular the fibers; the more pile action, the flatter and smoother the surface (CottonWorks). An article on fleece production describes the same step as rotating cylindrical brushes that split the loops into a fluffy layer, after which spiral blades shear the surface to even out the thickness (Hossain et al., 2021).

In knits, napping is usually done on the reverse. Turkish producers describe it as combing and raising the thick backing yarn on the back (Fersan; Altunkaya, 2024). CottonWorks adds that in two-thread (two-end) fleece the yarn floating on the back is thicker and lower in twist, so it can be napped more efficiently.

Napped fabrics

• Fleece family (knit): According to CottonWorks, what separates French terry from fleece is whether the inside loops are napped. Napped two-thread fleece suits cold-weather and active garments, three-thread fleece suits cold-weather garments that need extra warmth, and unnapped two-thread fleece, which is French terry, serves all seasons.
• Polar fleece: Polartec presents fleece as a knitted material converted into a soft, fuzzy pile structure (manufacturer’s statement).
• Flannel (woven): CottonWorks defines flannel as a woven fabric whose surface fibers are brushed up, giving it more cover and softness.

Suppliers do not agree on which constructions can be napped: Altunkaya (2024) writes that three-thread can be napped and two-thread cannot, while Fersan offers napped two-thread. The two-thread fleece entry covers brushed and unbrushed versions.

How napping differs from similar processes

What to specify when buying napped fabric

1. State the reverse: Next to the composition, write “napped” or “unnapped.” The same name, two-thread or three-thread, can cover both. Fersan says the depth of the nap can be adapted to the pattern, so approve the depth on a sample.
2. State the weight together with the state of the reverse: Supplier weight ranges differ for napped and unnapped versions (see fabric weight by product). To calculate weight from a sample, use the fabric GSM calculator; the measurement method is EN 12127.
3. Set the pilling method: In the ISO 12945 series, Part 1 is the pilling box method and Part 2 the modified Martindale method. Write which one you want and the acceptance grade in the specification.
4. Have dimensional change measured: By ISO 5077, with washing and drying to ISO 6330 procedures. Work out the cutting allowance from the result with the shrinkage calculator.

Mills that do napping can be found among dye houses and polar fleece suppliers, and knitters of the base fabric among French terry (two-thread) and three-thread fleece manufacturers.

Frequently asked questions

What does napped fabric mean?

Napped fabric is fabric that has been through napping: its surface fibers have been raised into a fuzzy pile, on the face or, in knits, usually on the reverse. Fleece and flannel are typical examples.

Is napping the same as brushing?

Not always. Fleece-production literature describes the napping step as rotating cylindrical brushes (Hossain et al., 2021), and Turkish suppliers also say fırçalama. In denim finishing, however, CottonWorks uses brushing for abrading the surface to a worn look, which is not napping.

Is napped fabric warm?

Napped constructions are used for cold weather: CottonWorks places two-thread fleece in cold-weather and active garments and three-thread fleece in garments that need extra warmth, and Polartec says the raised pile traps body heat in air pockets (manufacturer’s statement). To put a number on insulation, ask for thermal and water-vapor resistance measured to EN ISO 11092.

Is napped fabric breathable?

Brushed fabrics cannot stop sweating; the body relies on it to cool down. Napped fabrics are made to keep heat in: Altunkaya recommends napped three-thread for winter and unnapped (diagonal) three-thread for the in-between seasons. Academic literature links two- and three-thread fleece fabrics with good thermal comfort, low air permeability and protection against cold (Uyanık, 2023). No independent study isolating the effect of napping alone on air and water-vapor permeability was found. For a decision, ask for the fabric’s EN ISO 9237 air permeability and EN ISO 11092 water-vapor resistance. How fiber, structure and weight affect moisture management is covered in breathable fabrics for summer.

Does napped fabric pill?

Pilling on a fuzzy surface needs to be measured, and it changes markedly with finishing. In a study of a polyester-cotton blend three-thread fleece, untreated fabric scored grade 1 (the worst) and fabric with singeing and heat setting together scored grade 4; the study tested those two treatments, not napping itself (Hossain et al., 2021).

Are napping and polar fleece the same thing?

No. Napping is a process; polar is the name of a fabric, usually polyester, whose surface is napped. Napped two-thread or three-thread fabrics are also often not called polar. The boundary is not sharp, as the polar fleece entry explains.