Throws are sold on how they look in a photograph. What actually decides whether you keep using one is the fibre: how warm it is, whether it breathes, and what happens the first time it goes through a wash.
Cotton
Best for: beds, year-round use, anyone who overheats at night.
Cotton is a hollow natural fibre, so it moves moisture and air rather than trapping them. That is why a cotton throw works in July as well as October, and why it is the safest choice for a bed where you will actually sleep under it.
It gets softer with every wash instead of wearing out. Expect slight shrinkage on the first wash — that is normal for natural fibre, not a defect. Multi-layer muslin in particular does not reach its best feel until three or four washes in, so do not judge it on day one.
Machine wash warm or cold, tumble low. Very forgiving.
Acrylic
Best for: warmth without weight, strong colours, budget.
Acrylic is a synthetic built to behave like wool. It is warm, lightweight, dries fast and holds dye better than almost anything else, which is why the brightest and deepest colours in any throw range tend to be acrylic.
The tradeoff is pilling. Acrylic fibres are short, and short fibres work loose under friction and roll into balls. This is the fibre, not poor manufacturing. It is manageable: wash inside a duvet cover, skip the dryer, and shave pills with a fabric shaver rather than cutting them.
Wash cold, gentle, air dry where possible.
Faux fur
Best for: maximum warmth, sofa and decorative use.
Faux fur is polyester with a long pile. It is the warmest option here by a clear margin, and the least forgiving.
Polyester melts before it burns, so heat is the enemy. A hot wash, a hot dryer, an iron or a steamer will mat the pile permanently and there is no way back. Dry cleaning is worse — the solvents attack the backing.
Cold gentle wash, air dry, brush the pile back up with your hand when dry. Treated that way it lasts years.
Chenille
Best for: sofas, drape, texture in a neutral room.
Chenille is a pile construction rather than a fibre in itself. Short lengths of yarn stand perpendicular to a core thread, creating that velvety surface that catches light.
It has real weight, which is what makes it hold a fold over a sofa arm instead of sliding off. The one rule: never use fabric softener. It coats the fibres and mats the pile, permanently. Full detail in how to wash a chenille blanket.
Flannel
Best for: soft warmth, printed patterns, cold rooms.
Flannel is a finish rather than a fibre — the surface is brushed to raise a nap that traps air. It takes print exceptionally well, which is why most patterned holiday throws are flannel.
Wash before first use; loose fibre from the napping process comes off in the first cycle. Wash cold and tumble low, because heat flattens the nap that makes it feel warm in the first place.
Choosing in one line each
- Sleeping under it → cotton
- Coldest room in the house → faux fur
- Strong colour on a budget → acrylic
- Texture over a sofa arm → chenille
- Pattern and softness → flannel
Every product page on our site lists the fibre content the supplier states, and says so plainly when they do not state it. Browse all throws and blankets, or see the full care guide.