I manage fabric sourcing for a mid-sized apparel line—roughly $180,000 annually across 8 mills and finished goods suppliers. Polartec comes up a lot. Specifically, the debate: is it worth the premium for our product lines, or is generic fleece good enough for most applications?
Everything I'd read said Polartec is always the superior choice. In practice, after sourcing for different price points and end-uses, I've found it's more nuanced. Here's my breakdown for anyone wrestling with this decision.