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If you’re interested in alpaca wool, you probably have heard the term baby alpaca. Now, you're probably wondering what baby alpaca is and why it is superior to regular alpaca. Baby alpaca refers to the grade of alpaca wool between 21.5 and 23 microns. The term “baby” has nothing to do with the age of the animal, however, fiber diameter increases when animals age. Baby alpaca is softer than regular alpaca and is often shorn from the “blanket” (back area). The most precious category of alpaca fiber is royal alpaca, followed by baby alpaca. While regular alpaca is more common, there are several differences and benefits to baby alpaca. How Many Microns Is Baby Alpaca? The micron count of baby alpaca is between 21 and 23 microns. Everything above 23 microns should be classified as a medium fiber, although producers and brands might still label it as “fine”. Everything below 21 microns is royal alpaca, although it still belongs to the “fine” fiber category. CategoryMicron CountRoyal Alpaca18-20.5 micronsBaby Alpaca21-22.5 micronsMedium Alpaca23-29 micronsStrong Alpaca>30 micronsInformation in the table is combined from the following sources: EasyGo Farm, and Alpacas of Montana. Does Baby Alpaca Come From An Alpaca Baby? The term “baby” refers to the category of the fiber, not to the age of the animal. However, given that an alpaca fiber grows coarser over time, it is logical to assume that baby alpaca does come from younger alpacas than medium alpaca. The diameter of an alpaca fiber decreases over time, although the most significant decline happens within the first two years of age (read more about this on ResearchGate). After that the decline in diameter is less significant. This means that when an animal gets older, its fiber quality decreases and it will produce a larger micron (which means it is coarser). For these reasons, you might find that baby alpaca comes from younger animals in general, and more specifically from alpacas up to 2 years old. Nevertheless, there are plenty of adult alpacas that produce a fiber that belongs to the baby alpaca category. Much of this will depend on the nutrition that an alpaca receives, the weather conditions it lives in and the levels of stress it experiences. Some farmers will shear an alpaca baby within the first year if this prevents them from overheating in summer (not for wool production), but this will depend on the time of year they are born. The name for an alpaca baby is "cria". According to the Alpaca Owners Association Inc., male alpacas are mature (ready to mate) between 1 and 3 years of age. A female alpacas may be fully mature between and and 2 years of age. Why Are Some Parts of an Alpaca Softer than Others? So, baby alpaca refers to an alpaca fiber that ranges between 21 and 23 microns, everything softer (smaller) is classified as royal alpaca and everything coarser is classified as medium alpaca. The biggest difference in micron count depends on the area that is shorn. The smallest fiber is found on the back of the alpaca, also called the “blanket”. The fibers in this area experience less stress and are therefore finer than for example the legs or underbelly. As you can imagine, those parts are closer to the ground and will get dirty easily. They are also more prone to friction (when an alpaca lies down, for example). The fact that those fibers carry more grease and dirt adds to a small difference in fiber diameter. There are different parts of the animal that bring softer or coarser fibers: Prime (First) ShearingSecond ShearingThird Shearing“Blanket” or mid-sectionBack of the alpacaNeckUnderbellyLegs17-30 microns>30 microns>30 microns3-7 inches long2-5 inches long1 inch or longer(uneven fibers)Information in the table is combined from the following sources: www.TextileSchool.com, EasyGo Farm, and Alpacas of Montana. What Are the Benefits of Baby Alpaca? Given that baby alpaca has a smaller micron count than medium (regular) alpaca, it means that baby alpaca is generally softer. However, softness is subjective and highly dependent on the skin of the wearer. As a general rule of thumb you can assume that a smaller micron count produces a softer fiber. This has to do with the size and protrusion of the scales on the fiber. When the fiber is smaller, the scales will be smaller, too. When the scales are smaller, they will be less protruding, which means that they will prickle less. Can You Wear Baby Alpaca When You Have Sensitive Skin? Baby alpaca is on the lower end of what defines a “fine” fiber. Fine fibers are generally acceptable to wear for people with sensitive skin. However, it will depend on the fiber quality and on your level of sensitivity on whether you can wear baby alpaca or not. In order to test whether or not baby alpaca will be comfortable for you to wear or not, always test the fabric on a part of your skin first. You can use the inside of your arm to feel if your skin is comfortable with the fabric. You could also hold the fabric against your cheek to see how it responds. When you experience skin irritation, immediately remove the fabric, this should bring relief instantly. Consult a doctor if removing the fabric does not alleviate the irritation. For the full article about this, check out another article I wrote: Is Alpaca Wool Itch-free? Can You Use Baby Alpaca for Babies? While wool is generally safe for babies (according to BabyMed), it is recommended that you use an extra protective layer in between. A baby’s skin is much more sensitive than an adult’s skin. It is therefore important to take extra precaution when you are exposing a baby’s skin to wool. One benefit of alpaca wool compared to regular (sheep) wool, is that even within a similar micron-range, alpaca wool is less prickly. This has to do with the fiber texture: alpaca fibers have smaller scales than regular wool fibers and are therefore less likely to feel prickly. Given that baby alpaca has a smaller micron count and therefore smaller scales than normal wool, this advantage is even more applicable to baby alpaca. On top of that, babies will love the feeling of a natural fiber, and there are even scientific studies that found that it is beneficial for babies to sleep in or on natural materials. While there are no studies done on alpaca wool specifically, you can read more in this article from Treehugger about the benefits of sleeping on sheepskin, which is comparable to alpaca wool. According to that article, some benefits are: Temperature regulatingDecreased risk of asthmaImproved immune system NOTE: it is not recommended to have children younger than 1 sleep on sheepskin, due to an increased risk of SIDS. Similarly, babies shouldn’t use blankets in their crib until they are at least 1 year old. You should always be careful when using blankets, pillows or other objects in a baby’s crib. Read more about crib safety and sleeping. (Baby) alpaca woolen blankets are awesome for swaddling, in a stroller, or for on the go. Check out the Yanantin Alpaca Baby blankets here: Baby Blankets. Does Baby Alpaca Shed, Pill, or Stretch? Baby alpaca wool has a slightly shorter fiber length than medium alpaca. LUckily, the difference is minimal and will therefore not affect the benefits of alpaca wool. You can expect the quality of baby alpaca woolen garments to be very similar to that of alpaca wool. Baby AlpacaRegular Alpaca60-70 mm65-75 mm Therefore, baby alpaca woolen garments are (just like alpaca) not prone to shedding, pilling or stretching. The baby alpaca fiber has good crimp and resilience, which means that the fibers can stretch out and jump back into their original shape. The length of the fiber is long enough to guarantee good quality and a strong fiber: the longer the hairs, the better intertwined they are. The scale-like texture helps the fibers to interlock among each other, which provides strong yarn and an even higher staple strength. Thanks to the fiber length, alpaca woolen garments are unlikely to shed or pill, as their long hairs are tightly twisted into strong yarn. Does Baby Alpaca Felt? One potential downside of baby alpaca is the fact that it is prone to felting. Baby alpaca might be more prone to felting than regular alpaca, given its finer fiber texture. Generally, coarser fibers are harder to felt, and finer fibers are therefore easier to felt. Given that baby alpaca wool is finer that medium alpaca, it is more likely to felt. However, this can be prevented by taking care of the fiber and preventing friction and only hand washing a baby alpaca woolen garment. How Much Should A Baby Alpaca Woolen Garment Cost? Baby alpaca wool is on average 50% more expensive than alpaca wool. So if you could buy a small 100% alpaca woolen scarf for $60, expect to pay at least $90 for a baby alpaca one. When looking at raw wool and spun yarn only, the prices will vary more: Alpaca CategoryRaw Fiber (per kilo) Finished Fiber (per kilo)Baby Alpaca20 microns$ 36$ 218Regular Alpaca 26 microns$ 2$ 83Source: Wikipedia/Alpaca Fiber, Etsy.com and Katia.com and BreiWebshop.nl