Depending both on structure and properties of the starting carbonaceous material, and on the fluorination conditions, fluorine can bond to carbon fibres in various ways. This review aims to investigate the versatility of the C-F bonding and its influence on the fibre properties. Morphology and surface properties, such as diameter, Scanning Electron Microscopy observations, specific surface area, wettability and surface acidity are discussed according to the fluorine content and the fluorination route. Structural and bulk properties of fluorinated carbon fibres, regarding Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, electrical and mechanical properties, and bonding with polymers are also studied. 114 papers are reviewed in order to both extract general trends on those characteristics and highlight applications as fillers in composites and sensitive materials in gas sensing.