Merino or cashmere: how to choose
Cashmere is softer and warmer than merino, and it costs more. Merino is more durable and more versatile for everyday wear. A blend of the two sits between them. The price gap comes down to how much fibre a goat produces compared with a sheep.
The short answer
Cashmere sits at the top of the price ladder as a premium natural fibre, exceptionally soft and warm. One hundred percent merino is the versatile everyday option. Merino and cashmere blends balance the softness of cashmere against the durability and practicality of merino. Medium weight wool sits where warmth, durability and a substantial knit matter more than fineness.
Neither fibre wins outright, which is why the blend exists at all. The useful question is not which is better but which property you are buying.
Why cashmere costs more
Yield explains the price, and the numbers are stark. The Woolmark Company reports that one sheep provides about 4.5 kilograms of wool fleece, while one goat provides only 0.2 to 0.3 kilograms of cashmere down fibres.
Read those two figures next to each other and the price of a cashmere cardigan stops looking like a marketing decision. A single sheep supplies fleece by the kilogram. A goat supplies cashmere down by the fraction of a kilogram. The scarcity is in the animal, not in the branding, and it is the reason the word premium is doing real work in this one case rather than decorating a page.
Our cashmere is sourced from Mongolia, chosen for its quality, softness and durability. In our experience it holds its quality well and resists pilling when it is properly cared for, though no fibre is immune, as Why knitwear pills and how to fix it sets out. The Cashmere Cardigans range holds 35 styles, from $99 to $499 AUD.
Softness is about micron, not fibre type
Fibre diameter decides softness, not whether a fibre is wool or cashmere. The Woolmark Company is direct about this: the feeling of prickle and itch comes from fibres with coarse microns, of any type of fibre. A micron is one millionth of a metre, and the finer the micron, the softer the fibre.
Merino fibre diameter typically ranges from less than 17.5 micron to around 22 to 24 micron. Woolmark also notes that years of breeding have produced ultrafine merino wools naturally finer than cashmere, which complicates the assumption that cashmere is automatically the softer of the two. Australia provides 81 percent of the world's superfine wool, and Knit-On house brand knitwear is usually made from superfine 18.5 micron Australian merino wool. What that means for skin feel is covered in Is merino wool itchy?
Durability and wear
Merino is the more durable and practical fibre for regular wear, which is why it carries the everyday rung of the ladder. Cashmere is softer and warmer, and it rewards careful handling.
Medium weight wool is the other durable option, and it suits anyone who wants a substantial knit more than a fine one. The Women's Merino Jumpers range holds 76 styles, from $99 to $499 AUD.
The blend, and who it suits
A merino and cashmere blend balances the softness of cashmere against the durability and practicality of merino, and it sits between the two on price. It suits the shopper who wants cashmere softness in something worn often rather than occasionally.
It is also the largest part of our range, which says something about what customers actually choose once both fibres are in front of them. The Women's merino & cashmere blend range holds 91 styles, from $99 to $499 AUD.
Common questions
Is merino wool better than cashmere?
Neither is universally better. Cashmere is softer and warmer, merino is more durable and versatile, and a blend balances the two. The right choice depends on whether softness or everyday practicality matters more for the garment in question.
Which is less itchy, cashmere or merino?
Fibre diameter decides it, not fibre type. A fine merino garment can feel softer than a coarser one in any fibre, because prickle comes from coarse microns of any kind. The micron of the specific garment matters more than the fibre name, which Is merino wool itchy? goes into.
Is cashmere warmer than merino wool?
Cashmere sits at the top of the ladder for softness and warmth, so yes as a general rule. A merino and cashmere blend falls between the two.
What is a merino and cashmere blend?
A knit made from a mix of merino wool and cashmere fibres. It balances the softness of cashmere against the durability and practicality of merino, and it sits between pure cashmere and pure merino on price.