Fluffy dressing gowns: teddy, borg and sherpa compared
Molinetti
Teddy, borg, sherpa, coral fleece, plush — five names for what is mostly the same idea, and the differences between them are real but rarely explained. Here is what each one is, and which you actually want.
They are all polyester
Start here, because it settles the most important question. Every one of these fabrics is polyester with a raised pile. None of them absorbs water. A fluffy robe on wet skin will feel warm for half a minute and clammy after that — not because it is a bad robe, but because that is what the fibre does.
If you want to be dried, you want towelling. If you want to be warm, read on.
Teddy and borg
Short, dense, curled pile — the texture of a teddy bear, which is where the name comes from. Borg is the same thing under a different name.
It is the warmest of the family for its weight because the curls trap a great deal of air, and it holds its texture better than long straight pile, which flattens. It is also the bulkiest: a teddy robe takes up real space on a hook.
Sherpa
Teddy on one side, a smooth knitted face on the other. Used as a lining more often than as the whole garment — a flannel robe with a sherpa collar and cuffs is very common, and it is a good combination: the flannel looks like clothing, the sherpa does the warming where you feel it.
Coral fleece and plush
Longer, straighter, silkier pile. This is what most people picture when they hear "fluffy": soft, fluid, drapes well, feels lovely straight out of the packet.
Its weakness is that long straight pile mats. A hot wash or a hot tumble dry will flatten it, and once flattened it does not fully recover. Wash at 30°C and tumble on low and it lasts; wash it at 60°C once and you will notice.
Which to buy
- Warmest for the weight: teddy or borg.
- Softest to the touch: coral fleece or plush.
- Least bulky: plain fleece, which is the same fibre with the pile cut short.
- Best compromise: a flannel robe with sherpa lining — warm where it matters, tidy everywhere else.
Caring for it
Three rules, and they are the difference between two years and ten.
- Wash at 30°C. Heat is what destroys pile.
- No fabric softener. It coats the fibres and makes them clump.
- Tumble on low, or air dry. Polyester dries fast anyway; a hot tumble gains you nothing and costs you the texture.
If a fluffy robe has gone flat, a cool wash and a low tumble with a couple of dryer balls will bring most of it back.
Where to look
Browse our fluffy dressing gowns, or our fleece dressing gowns if you want the same warmth with less bulk.
