“How does Windpro Fleece compare with 300 wt Malden Mills fleece? Is it better or the same?”
The Malden Mills 300 wt is considered to be in Malden Mills’ “Insulation Fabrics” line. ” These fleece fabrics are designed to provide warmth without weight. They are easy to care for, do not pill or shrink and dry quickly. They come in a wide variety of weights, widths, color and finishes. ” The 300 wt specifically is the “heaviest of their thermal products, these fabrics provide all-purpose insulation and breathability required for cold-weather wear. ” (200 wt fleece is also used by some cloth diaper makers and is the “middle” weight of the thermal fabrics.)
Windpro is considered to be in Malden Mills’ “Weather Protection Fabrics” line, “designed to give you maximum protection against the elements.” WindPro specifically is “A revolution in thermal fabrics allows you to forgo the use of a shell in all but the most extreme wet or windy conditions. The tight knit construction of the Polartec® Wind Pro blocks 95% of the wind, yet is highly breathable.”
(all quotes from the MM wholesale website) (And keep in mind that of course Malden Mills fleeces are milled for sports apparel, not for diapers, of course, so that’s why all of their descriptions sound like you’re planning a mountain climbing expidition.)
I prefer Windpro for diaper covers because it’s designed to be waterproof, and is more tightly knit than the materials in the Insulation line. Both come in a variety of colors (though mostly subdued) and a very limited number of prints. For a diaper cover, either one would be preferable to just regular fleece, such as you could buy at a fabric store. Regular fleeces are available in a wide variety of prints, which makes them appealing, but they just don’t have the performance I’ve come to expect out of a fleece cover.
(I have made, custom order, covers from two layers of regular fleece and have heard back that the customers are happy with their items because they were able to get the print they wanted, but that the custom covers have underperformed the ones made from Malden Mills Windpro.)
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