Welcome to the Sheltered Co. Fabric Glossary! This is by no means a universal index of fabrics, but it can give you a good idea of the kind of fabrics we use and have used to create our weighted blankets. 

We like to think about our fabric in terms of material (i.e. what is the fabric made of? is anything added to the dominant fabric, making it a blend?) and appearance (referencing the way the material is made in order to affect texture and overall look). 

Cotton

The one everyone knows... our most popular fiber! We love Cotton for how versatile it is and, because it's such a well-known and popular fabric, we come across it frequently in our deadstock searches. 

Cotton tends to be sturdier than other fabrics—in its purest form it's often crisp. Cotton is a natural fiber, making it the most breathable. Like a fine wine, it gets better and softer with age aka wash and wear. You can think of our Cotton blankets like a classic tee! A brand new tee (think something in the Hanes-universe) is stiff, crisp, and clean straight out of the package but with time becomes broken-in and dang near perfect. 

Form/Variation*: 

• Jersey
• Slub
• French Terry

Tri-Blend

Made up of 50% Cotton / 25% Rayon / 25% Poly. The Rayon and Poly work in tandem with Cotton for a silky texture that remains sturdy and textured. Tri-blend often results in a speckled, or "heathered".

Form/Variation*: 

• Jersey
• Slub
• French Terry

Rayon

Rayon is soft to the touch, breathable, and is meant to feel silky smooth—which makes sense, as Rayon is the result of attempting human-made silk! It's fairly stretchy and we've even heard it referred to as squishy and bouncy. You may also know this fabric as Viscose. We love to recommend Rayon weighted blankets to folks who are hot sleepers because of how cool to the touch the fabric is. 

Form/Variation*: 

• Jersey
• Slub

50/50

Majority of the time, this refers to a fabric that is 50% Cotton and 50% Poly. Most who hear the phrase "50/50" know that they're about to get something insanely soft. 50/50 blends immediately feel soft to the touch, straight out of the package, and also have some stretch to them. This works extremely well for folks who like a buttery soft sensory experience. Most kids really enjoy this particular blend! 

Form/Variation*: 

• Jersey
• Slub
• French Terry

Rare Finds

Because we exclusively use deadstock fabrics to make our goods, it's rare that we come across more luxury blends. When we do, you can bet we jump at the opportunity! Here's a few that we've been lucky enough to find over the years and hope to stumble upon again in the future: 

• Hemp Cotton - A great option for those looking for a more natural fabric. Hemp Cotton has a raw, sturdy texture to it that gets softer with time and use. 
• Modal - Ultra soft, similar to the feel of Rayon.
• Pima Cotton - Buttery soft extra-long-fiber Cotton that is resistant to pilling, fading, and stretching. 
• Cotton Spandex - Thick tight-weave jersey with a slight stretch. While this fabric does stretch, it does not lose its shape! 
• Bamboo - When mixed with Cotton, this adds a bit of smooth and stretch! Much like a combed cotton feel. 

*Form/Variation:

Jersey

Tightly-knit fabric in a single layer "sheet" that's often smooth to the touch. 

Slub

Yarn that has both thick and thin areas throughout the length of the yarn, causing the knit to look more visually interesting and even give a slight texture. 

French Terry

Knit Fabric with loops on one side and soft piles of yarn on the other.