We Tried Four Under-$100 Cashmere Sweaters. Here’s the One You Should Get. (2024)

In an effort to make apples-to-apples comparisons, we considered only 100% cashmere sweaters—made from the soft undercoats of cashmere goats—that are available in crew-neck styles in women’s (or unisex) sizes. Our maximum budget was $100.

We identified five key areas where a cashmere sweater can shine (or not):

Texture: Quality cashmere is soft, smooth, and warm. While it should never be rough or itchy, it also shouldn’t feel excessively soft, mushy, or slick—those are signs that it’s been overwashed or treated with chemical softeners.

Aesthetics: We looked for sweaters with a refined, even surface that’s opaque when you’re wearing it. Design-wise, we wanted sweaters to fit properly, flatter, and be stylish.

Construction: Well-made sweaters have neat seams and sturdy ribbing at the cuffs, collar, and hem. Fully fashioned marks—small rows of upraised marks, often at the shoulder and armhole—indicate higher quality and help with longevity.

Durability: Even the best cashmere pills, but it shouldn’t do so too readily. It should have good stretch recovery, snapping back quickly when tugged. And it should retain its shape and texture after being hand-washed.

Fiber Quality: Long, fine fibers translate to more luxurious garments. Length can range from about 28 to 42 mm. Fineness ranges from around 14 microns in diameter for Grade A cashmere (the finest and best) to 30 microns for Grade C (the coarsest).

I ordered each sweater in my usual size, a women’s medium. When they arrived, I felt the fabrics between my fingers and against my (more sensitive) cheek. I wore the sweaters on their own and layered over and under other garments in New York City’s autumn chill.

I scrutinized hems, seams, and ribbing and examined the knits. I tugged on the sweaters’ sleeves to check how quickly they snapped back into shape, rubbed their surfaces with a finger to make them pill, and hand-washed them, drying them flat, to see how they’d fare.

Finally, I considered the cashmere itself: the length and fineness of its fibers, and the ply of the yarn (higher ply yarn is warmer and more durable).

Naadam’s The Original Cashmere Sweater is a long-time pick in our guide to the best cashmere sweaters, as well as a Wirecutter staff favorite, so we already knew it was good. But we were curious to see how it would fare when put head-to-head against a new group of under-$100 contenders—and it won by a landslide.

The Naadam sweater is the warmest and most luxurious-feeling of the bunch, and we like its classic style. Plus, it’s well constructed, durable, and made from the highest-quality cashmere. It’s available in women’s and men’s sizes from XXS to XXL and more than a dozen colors.

Note: This was previously called the Essential $75 Cashmere Sweater, but in October 2023, Naadam raised the price to $98 and renamed it The Original Cashmere Sweater.

It feels refined, substantial, and way spendier than it is. The Naadam sweater has a soft, supple, and slightly fuzzy texture that’s pleasant against bare skin. While not as downy as the Quince and Gobi sweaters, it does feel more high-end. And the light-to-medium weight was warm enough to keep me comfy on its own (sans jacket) on a breezy, 60 °F autumn day.

It has a classic silhouette. The shape of this sweater is slim but slouchy; it’s roomy enough to layer over a button-up shirt, and it also works beautifully under a coat. But I didn’t find it quite as figure-flattering as the Quince sweater, and its longer, less-fitted shape didn’t look as cute or polished with jeans unless it was artfully tucked.

It’s well constructed. The Naadam sweater has fully fashioned marks (small rows of upraised seam reinforcements, a sign of craftsmanship and quality) at the tops of the shoulders and around the arms. I did notice some barely there puckering where the sleeve attaches to the shoulder, but it was much less pronounced than on the other three sweaters. It also has substantial ribbing at the cuffs and hem and by far the sturdiest collar of the sweaters we tested. These details—in addition to looking good—should help it hold up over time.

It’s more durable than the competition. It took 65 vigorous rubs with my finger before a small pill began to form—the most of any in this group. When I pulled on the Naadam sweater’s sleeve, it sprang quickly back into shape. And after being hand-washed, it emerged just as well-formed, albeit considerably fluffier (which was par for the course among our candidates).

One Wirecutter writer told us that he’s had his Naadam sweater since 2020: “There’s no major pilling, no holes, and it’s still as soft as ever.” But two other staffers reported more significant pilling after a few months. (If you’re up to the task, pills can be gently and effectively removed with a cashmere comb.)

The cashmere quality is legit. The Naadam sweater is made from Grade A Mongolian cashmere sourced from Zalaa Jinst white goats. Because it uses primarily long, fine fibers, the knit feels luxurious and durable. But it’s very likely blended with some shorter fibers too, which would explain the amount of fuzz that sprouted up after being washed.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Airy, flattering, and absurdly soft, the Quince Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck Sweater is the least expensive option (by half!) of the four sweaters we tested in this group—and it ended up being our second favorite. We found that it pills easily and wasn’t as substantial as our Naadam pick, but for $50, it’s a good value. It’s offered in women’s sizes (XS to XL, over a dozen colors), and men’s sizes for around $10 more (S to XXL, nearly a dozen colors). Women’s plus sizes will launch before the end of 2023, according to a brand rep.

It’s ultra-soft. The Quince crewneck is feather-light, with a more open knit and fluffier texture than Naadam’s The Original Cashmere Sweater. (It weighs less than the Naadam sweater, which means that less cashmere was used to make it.) It feels delicate and cloud-like against bare skin.

The shape is flattering. This sweater has a slim cut that looks stylish and effortless, with ribbing at the bottom hem that hugs the figure nicely. Of the four sweaters I tested, this one was my favorite to wear on its own as a top.

It’s surprisingly high quality. Given its price, the quality of the Quince sweater is impressive: It’s made from two-ply Grade A cashmere sourced from Inner Mongolia, and it has fully fashioned marks at the shoulder. I spotted some puckering where the sleeve attaches to the armhole, but it’s not noticeable when you’re wearing the sweater.

It’s not an heirloom piece. This sweater isn’t nearly as warm or substantial as the Naadam sweater. Its lighter weight and more open knit suggests that it will stretch out more over time. When I tugged on its sleeve, a small pinch mark remained. And it pilled more readily than the other sweaters I tested—just 10 gentle rubs with my finger produced a fuzz ball. But for this price, we’re prepared to make some compromises.

Soft but disappointingly flimsy: Gobi $99 Cashmere Hat & Sweater Set

The crewneck—yes, the sweater comes with a matching hat, whether you want it or not—has an appealingly drapey, body-skimming fit. It feels remarkably similar to the Quince cashmere sweater: whisper-soft and cloud-like, with an open knit, and its fine cashmere is delicate against bare skin.

But the disappointment is in the details. The ribbing around the collar and cuffs appeared flimsy at first glance—and sure enough, it began to warp after just one wash. This sweater also took the longest to regain its shape after being put to the stretch test. It has lots of surface fluff, which suggests that it’s made from shorter cashmere fibers. And it pilled quickly, after just 20 rubs with my finger. Bottom line: You can get a sweater almost exactly like this (but better) for half the price, from Quince. Or for the same price, you could go with our Naadam pick instead, which is far superior.

Itchy, oversize, and see-through: Uniqlo Cashmere Crew Neck Long-Sleeve Sweater

We had high hopes for Uniqlo’s Cashmere Crew Neck Long-Sleeve Sweater—the retail giant is many peoples’ go-to for affordable knitwear. But this women’s crewneck, which costs around $100, looks and feels notably different from the other sweaters we tested—and not in a good way. It has a roomier cut, with sleeves so long that they covered my hands. The material has a tighter, higher-tension knit; though it has very little surface fluff and resisted pilling in our tests, I found it rough and itchy against my bare skin, which pretty much defeats the purpose of wearing cashmere. And it was see-through enough to reveal a bra or cami underneath (though in fairness, the sweater we tested was off-white).

When we asked Uniqlo for specifics about the grade and source of its cashmere, a rep told us all they could share is that the sweater is “100% premium cashmere.” In our experience, a lack of transparency is often an indication of lower quality—and the sweater’s itchy texture would seem to back this up. Regardless, it’s clear that better budget options are available.

This article was edited by Ingela Ratledge Amundson and Jennifer Hunter.