Alpaca, merino or cashmere: an honest comparison

Three noble fibres, three promises of warmth. At Alpina Swiss we knit only alpaca, but we know you often hesitate between the three. Here is as honest a comparison as we can make, criterion by criterion, so you can choose your beanie, gloves or scarf with full knowledge.

Three fibres, three animals, three stories

Merino is the fine wool of a breed of sheep raised mainly in Australia and New Zealand. Cashmere is the down combed from beneath the outer coat of goats from Mongolia, China or Iran. Alpaca is the fleece of an Andean camelid, shorn once a year on the high plateaus of Peru, more than 3,500 metres above sea level. That is where the wool in our pieces comes from; we talk about it in this article on the origin of our wool.

Warmth: the edge goes to alpaca

Alpaca fibre is partly hollow: its tiny air pockets insulate without adding weight. At the same thickness, an alpaca beanie is warmer than a merino one, and as warm as a cashmere one. The animal itself explains why: it lives between scorching days and freezing nights, so its fleece has to regulate both. The result: alpaca keeps you warm without ever feeling stifling, which matters on your head or around your neck.

Softness: cashmere and alpaca tie, merino close behind

Cashmere remains the benchmark for a silky touch. Carefully selected alpaca comes very close, with a slightly “drier” hand and more spring. Merino is soft but can prickle sensitive skin around the neck. Alpaca has one advantage the other two lack: it contains no lanolin, which makes it the wool of choice for reactive skin. We explain why in why alpaca wool doesn't itch.

Durability: alpaca has the strongest fibre

Cashmere is delicate: it pills quickly and thins out winter after winter. Merino holds up well but felts in the wash if you're not careful. Alpaca has a long, strong fibre that pills very little and keeps its shape. A well-cared-for alpaca beanie easily lasts ten seasons; our care guide explains how.

Weight and bulk

For equivalent warmth, alpaca is the lightest of the three. That makes all the difference in a 200 cm scarf like our KANDER, which wraps you up without weighing on your shoulders.

Price

Quality cashmere remains the most expensive, and cheap cashmere is often short-fibre and blended, and won't last. Merino is the most affordable. Alpaca sits between the two: our TITLIS gloves are €19.90, our beanies between €37.90 and €39.90, and the scarf €69.90, all in 100% alpaca with no blending.

Our verdict, and its limits

Criterion	Alpaca	Merino	Cashmere
Warmth for weight	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆
Softness	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★
Sensitive skin	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	★★★★☆
Durability, pilling	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★☆☆☆
Price	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆

If you're looking for an ultra-fine second skin for sport, merino is still the right choice. If you want the ultimate caress and are willing to take great care of it, choose cashmere. For a winter accessory that keeps you warm, doesn't itch and lasts, alpaca is, in our view, the best balance. But we're hardly neutral: come and judge for yourself.