Merino or Cashmere for an Everyday Sweater

Our answer

For a sweater you will wear most days, merino. Its fibers are two to three times longer than cashmere's and naturally crimped, so a merino knit holds its shape, recovers overnight from a day at a desk, and pills far less under a bag strap or a coat sleeve. Some merino is treated to go in a gentle machine wash, and the label will say. Cashmere is softer and warmer for its weight, which makes it the better choice against bare skin and in real cold, but daily friction wears it faster. If you want most of both, a merino and cashmere blend keeps the softness and gives up little of the strength.

Both are fine fibers. Superfine merino runs about 16 to 19 microns, close to cashmere's 14 to 19, which is why a good merino sweater does not itch. The difference that matters for daily wear is length and spring, not softness.