I clearly remember feeling alpaca wool for the first time. The moment I touched it, I knew it: this is a special fiber! If you’re curious to learn more about alpaca wool, you are probably wondering: how does alpaca wool feel?
yesternight Alpaca wool feels soft and is generally prickle-free. It feels cold to the touch. It feels smooth, and you could say it slides over your skin. When wearing alpaca wool, it can feel heavy, yet “bouncy”. It is warm, but not too warm as it is breathable. Knitted garments feel stretchy.
First of all, you might be wondering why you would even ask yourself how alpaca wool feels. Well, it is actually a great question! Alpaca wool is a bit more special than normal wool, which you actually notice the second you touch it, let alone when you wear it!
How Does Alpaca Wool Feel When You Touch it?
Alpaca Wool Feels Cold
When you touch an alpaca woolen garment it should feel cold. Not freezing cold, but definitely colder than other fabrics. You’ll recognize it when you feel it.
The ‘cold’ touch of alpaca wool is actually one of the most recognizable characteristics when it comes to identifying real alpaca wool. You can compare the temperature of alpaca wool with any other fabric (that’s not touching your body directly) to feel that alpaca wool is colder.
As soon as you start wearing an alpaca woolen garment the cold feeling will disappear, though! Don’t worry about wearing cold clothes!
Alpaca Wool Feels Soft
Compared to other types of wool or material, alpaca wool should feel soft. Now, how soft it exactly feels is tricky to describe, as this well be personal for everyone. My skin might perceive softness very differently from your skin.
Generally, alpaca wool has smaller scales on the fiber. The scales normally cause the itchy feeling that wool can give is. So, given that alpaca wool has relatively small scales means that there is less of a prickle.
There’s a difference between soft and prickle-free – and this is where alpaca wool becomes superior to synthetic fibers. Synthetic fabrics might all be itch-free, however, they’re not necessarily soft!
Alpaca Wool Is (MOSTLY) Itch-free
When you touch an alpaca woolen product, you shouldn’t feel an itch. Perhaps you feel a slight itch when you wear a garment, but when you touch it, it should be pretty itch-free.
The itch that you experience should not be annoying though. You should be able to touch an alpaca woolen garment directly on your skin without experiencing discomfort.
- Side note though – if you have sensitive skin, you might still feel a big prickle from alpaca wool! More about that below!
- buy provigil prescription Poor quality alpaca wool will also feel prickly. The higher the quality, the less itchy it will be, and this also goes the other way around.
- Baby alpaca should be even softer! Baby alpaca borders the itch-free category as it is generally between 21 and 23 microns.
- Royal alpaca is the softest version of alpaca wool: it is between 18 and 21 microns, meaning it should be itch-free for everyone (including people with sensitive skin).
How Does Alpaca Wool Feel When You Wear it?
Touching an alpaca woolen garment is one thing, but wearing one is another! Different factors come into play when you are actually wearing something instead of just briefly touching it. Think about friction, changes in temperature, body movement freedom, etc.,
So, let’s look at how alpaca wool feels when you actually wear it.
Alpaca Wool Feels Smooth and Silky
The texture of the alpaca fiber is very smooth and silky. Smooth fibers allow the fabric to move freely as they are flexible and adaptive to movement. You will feel free and flexible wearing an alpaca woolen garment.
Alpaca wool can in a way be compared to silk. While silk is much softer and finer, the similarity is in the fiber texture: smooth and silky.
Thanks to its small scales, alpaca wool is much less protruding than other wool fibers, which makes wearing alpaca wool very comfortable as you are allowed to move freely.
- On top of that, alpaca wool doesn’t only feel similar to silk, it also has a similar shiny look (which makes it look so good on you!). Read more about the benefits of a smooth and silky fiber in my article: Is Alpaca Wool Shiny?
Alpaca Wool Feels Heavy
Alpaca wool is very light for its size, however, wearing an alpaca woolen garment can still feel heavy as knitted garments generally use a lot of yarn.
I’ve always found this one of the most remarkable feedbacks I got after people wore my products: alpaca wool feels heavy.
Now, here’s why that’s remarkable: alpaca wool has a hollow fiber which is filled with air. Alpaca wool is therefore considered to be lightweight, especially when compared to other fibers that are not hollow! (like regular wool)
So, in-and-of-itself alpaca wool is light. But, you’ll feel that when you’re comparing different fibers directly.
Most alpaca woolen products are knitted, which means that there’s a lot of material going into one garment. For example: the amount of wool that is used for a large scarf adds up to about 500 grams (1.1 lbs) for a scarf of 210 cm x 80 cm (82.67 in. x 31.5 in.).
Again, keep in mind that small alpaca woolen garments will probably feel totally normal.
Alpaca Wool Feels Bouncy
When you wear an alpaca woolen garment, it feels bouncy and elastic.
Knitted garments are very stretchy to begin with and the smooth fiber texture in addition to that makes alpaca woolen garments feel very resilient, almost spongy!
Of course, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but when you’re wearing an alpaca woolen garment you will know what I mean. No tight designs, no static clothing, no stiff feeling.
Check out this video in which I go into more depth about how and why alpaca wool is stretchy and bouncy!
How Does Alpaca Wool Feel When You Have Sensitive Skin or Wool Allergy?
People with sensitive skin or a wool allergy often ask me if they can wear alpaca wool. In other words, how does alpaca wool feel when you have sensitive skin or a wool allergy?
Regular Alpaca Wool Does Not Feel Itch-Free When You Have Sensitive Skin (But Baby Alpaca Does!)
Alpaca wool is itch-free for people with no skin-sensitivity. This means that they might feel a prickly sensation from the fabric, but it won’t itchy or feel uncomfortable. However, for people with sensitive skin, this is a different story: they actually will feel an itch from alpaca wool.
Most regular alpaca wool is between 24 and 27 microns, and most people experience an itch from garments with 28 microns or more.
- If you have sensitive skin, look for baby alpaca (which is generally between 21 and 23 microns).
- To make sure you experience no itch at all, look for royal alpaca (between 18 and 21 microns). Wool this fine should be fine to wear even when you have sensitive skin (but try it on your forearm first!)
Alpaca Wool Is Hypoallergenic and Should Not Feel Uncomfortable When You Have a Wool Allergy
Just like any other wool-bearing animal, alpacas do produce lanolin. Despite the claims on the internet that alpaca wool doesn’t contain any lanolin at all, it does.
However, alpaca wool contains lanolin to such a small degree that it is considered “lanolin free”. Most of the lanolin is washed off during the production process. It is therefore considered to be hypoallergenic (read more about it on Healthline).
If you have a wool allergy caused by lanolin, you can probably wear alpaca wool without issues. However, you might want to check with the manufacturer because some very rustic and natural brands might still contain a little bit.
On the other hand, according to Healthline, very few people are actually allergic to lanolin, so what you might be experiencing is a reaction to chemicals or dyes used in the production process.
Whenever you are experiencing an allergic reaction, avoid using it immediately. Always consult a doctor for medical advice. This article does not replace professional medical advice.
How Does Alpaca Wool Feel When You Wear it And You’re Active?
Wearing an alpaca woolen garment can be one thing when you’re reading a book on the couch, and a totally different experience when you’re hiking in snowy yet sunny mountains. So, how does alpaca wool feel when you’re active?
Alpaca Wool Feels Comfortable When You’re Active Because it Is Breathable
Alpaca wool is highly breathable and will not make your body feel clammy or sweaty. It has great water wicking features and absorbs a great lot of moisture without feeling wet.
This means that alpaca wool is very comfortable when you are active and your body temperature starts to heat up. Alpaca wool forms an insulating layer, but when the temperature underneath the garment gets too high, it will evaporate some of the hot air to bring the temperature down again.
This fantastic feature makes alpaca wool perfect for a broad range of activities.
I bet you never thought of all the things you can do wearing wool:
- Hiking
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Sailing
- Going to the beach
- Get more inspiration in another one of my articles: 13 Activities Alpaca Wool Is Perfect for.
Alpaca Wool Feels Comfortable When You’re Active Because it Is Stretchy
When you’re moving a lot, it is important that you have the freedom to do so. Imagine hiking or skiing wearing a sweater that doesn’t let your body move freely!
Alpaca wool is naturally stretchy thanks to its fiber texture. It can bend and stretch without much risk of breaking the fibers. This feature is strengthened by the fact that most garments are knitted, which will add even more elasticity to a garment.
I personally think alpaca wool is perfect for being active. I’ve been running with my alpaca woolen hat and I felt super comfortable! Check out the video I made about it here:
