batting
Cotton, wool, silk or synthetic material used to stuff the inside of a mattress, quilt etc.
batting: the fibrous layer that gives quilts their warmth
Batting is a sheet of compressed fibers, typically 0.25 to 1 inch thick, layered between the face and back fabrics of quilts, comforters, and mattresses. It provides thermal insulation, loft, and structural integrity to the finished product. The fibers are bound together loosely enough to trap air but firmly enough to stay cohesive through washing and years of use.
Cotton batting dominates home quilting and high-end bedding because it breathes well, compresses slightly with age to create a flatter finish, and washes reliably. Polyester batting resists shrinkage and moisture, making it standard in commercial mattress production and outdoor applications. Wool batting offers superior warmth but requires careful handling; silk batting is rare and expensive, used mainly in luxury quilts. Blends are common: 80 percent cotton with 20 percent polyester gives the workability of cotton with improved recovery.
Batting comes in rolls or pre-cut packages in standard quilt sizes. Mill production involves opening bales of fiber, carding them into a web, and then needle-punching or thermal-bonding the web to lock fibers together. Higher-end batting may be glazed or treated with a binder that activates during pressing or quilting. Lower-weight batting (around 60 grams per square meter) suits pieced quilts with dense stitching; heavier batting (85 to 100 gsm) suits whole-cloth quilts and garments.
Common problems and trade considerations
Batting shifting during use requires adequate quilting density; typical guidance is stitching lines no more than 4 to 6 inches apart, depending on fiber type and weight. Polyester batting can beard, shedding fibers through the face fabric if not densely quilted or if the face fabric is tightly woven. Shrinkage varies: preshrunk cotton batting shrinks less than 3 percent, while untreated wool can shrink 10 percent or more, requiring wet-finishing before assembly.
The term batting derives from the historical verb to bat, meaning to strike or beat fibers into sheets, a labor-intensive process replaced by mechanical carding in the 19th century. Industrial textile makers distinguish batting from wadding (thinner, used in clothing interlining) and from roving (uncompressed fiber strands). Quality control focuses on loft consistency, bonding strength measured by tensile tests, and freedom from thin spots or bunching.