The 14 Very Best Cashmere Sweaters

What we’re looking for

Sizing: XS to XXL | Style and details: Crewneck with cable-knit pattern | Price: $$

Naadam’s affordable cashmere long held our best overall position in this article. Unfortunately, the Naadam sweaters I’ve tested haven’t held up as well as I’d hoped for a Best in Class pick. I’ve since crowned this sweater from C by Bloomingdale’s — the department store’s in-house line of cashmere — as our new best overall sweater, and I’m also naming it our best cashmere sweater here.The cable-knit crewneck has a relaxed yet polished silhouette thanks to its rounded neckline with ribbing at the neck, cuffs, and hem. The C by Bloomingdale’s cashmere is much more substantial compared to Naadam’s. It has a midweight feel, perfect for all-season wear, whether I layer it over a T-shirt or wear the sweater under my wool Buck Mason wrap jacket for some extra warmth on cold days.After every wear, I try to remember to brush the cable-knit pattern to remove dust and prevent pilling. I also hand-wash it in my sink and lay it flat to dry on a towel to avoid shrinkage. After a full year, I haven’t had any issues. Another reason the C by Bloomingdale’s sweater is at the top of this list is because of the price: At full price it’s always around $200, but it regularly goes on sale for as low as $100, which is a major plus considering most high-quality cashmere can be pretty expensive.

Sizing: XS to XL | Quality: Grade-A | Style and details: Crewneck | Price: $

For an extra-affordable cashmere sweater, Quince offers a $50 crewneck and a V-neck style. Along with Strategist writer Arielle Avila, I tested the crewneck and found that it’s lighter weight than the Bloomingdale’s sweater but still so soft to the touch. While it’s hard to beat a $50 cashmere sweater, after owning it for over a year I must note that it’s pilled slightly around the arms and waist. If you don’t mind a little pilling, there’s plenty else to like. It comes in a wide size range: XS to 3X (sizes 1X–3X are on a separate product page) and just as many color options as the Bloomingdale’s sweater.

Sizing: XXXS to 3X | Style and details: Cropped crewneck, ribbed at the neck and cuffs | Price: $

If you’re looking for a cropped option, two Strategist staffers recommend J.Crew’s Shrunken Crewneck. Our senior editor Hilary Reid, who owns this sweater in three shades, says the fitted silhouette, which really hits just at the top of your hip, is ideal for slightly tucking into a pair of pants. Last winter, it was one of Reid’s most-worn pieces, she says, adding that the cashmere has held up nicely after multiple dry cleanings with very minimal pilling. Our junior writer Bella Druckman is another fan who says it’s supersoft, like most of J.Crew’s cashmere offerings. Both Reid and Druckman told me that this sweater runs small, so you’ll likely want to size up. “I’m usually an extra-small in J.Crew tops, but I sized way up for this one and got a medium because I thought the smaller sizes fit me weirdly at the chest and waist,” Druckman says, adding that the medium leaves enough room to layer a turtleneck or a T-shirt underneath. It’s available in 12 colors, including black, navy, pink, and festive “Belvedere Red.”

Sizing: XS to L | Style and details: Oversized turtleneck, ribbed at the neck and cuffs | Price: $$$

Mullin is also a fan of Naked Cashmere’s sweaters, and she’s particularly “obsessed” with the brand’s turtleneck. The sweater’s boxy fit and extra-long sleeves are offset by its slightly cropped length for a more elevated look. “It feels so luxurious from the sleeves to the neck,” Mullin says. It’s currently available in five colorways.

Sizing: XXS to XL | Style and details: Turtleneck, ribbed at the neck and cuffs | Price: $

Uniqlo’s prices are slightly higher than Quince’s, but they’re still affordable. This turtleneck is lightweight and perfect for wearing on its own on warmer days or layered underneath chunkier sweaters. Avila says the texture is more natural (rather than having the slickness she found in Quince’s offerings). At first, it was a bit scratchy, but she says after a couple of washes, the sweater has softened up. “I’ve had it for a little under a year, and it hasn’t pilled as much as my Quince sweaters,” Avila says. One thing to note is that Uniqlo’s cashmere is seasonal (it’s available for only half of the year), so now’s the time to stock up.

Sizing:XS to XL | Style and details: Turtleneck, ribbed at the neck and cuffs | Price: $

Rosie Assoulin, a women’s clothing designer based in New York City, turned us onto Nili Lotan’s sweaters, which she discovered when she lived in Tribeca near a Nili Lotan store. “During long, cold winters, I couldn’t find anything as comfortable as those cashmere sweaters,” Assoulin says. She has several different styles from the brand, but her favorite is this cashmere turtleneck. “Every time I wear it, it reminds me of those windy days in Tribeca. I could pull it up over my chin and my face. It was nice.”

Sizing: XS to XL | Style details: Crewneck with buttons | Price: $$$

Our writer Kitty Guo couldn’t take her eyes off this henley sweater when she was at a Free People store recently. Guo says it was “so soft to the touch” and looked easily layerable. It’s also an extremely versatile weight: “I feel like a lot of cashmere sweaters seem as though they’re meant to keep you feeling very warm and bundled up for cold weather, but this one is sort of more relaxed and feels like you can wear it through fall and spring too,” Guo says. She sized up from her usual size small to a size medium so that she could have room underneath to fit a T-shirt or even a long-sleeved tee.

Sizing: S to XL | Style and details: Oversize crewneck | Price: $

Our updates coordinator Najwa Jamal is currently trying a bunch of cashmere sweaters to find the best options under $150.During her search, she discovered this Zara men’s style, which she describes as “surprisingly lovely” and a nice affordable option if you’re looking for an oversize sweater.Though she’s still putting the Zara sweater to the test, and can’t speak to its durability quite yet, the silhouette is scoring solid marks so far. She told me the fit “is baggy but perfectly so.” In terms of sizing, Jamal is usually a women’s small and chose a men’s small for an intentionally oversize but not-too-baggy look. “It’s on the long side, but I wear it half tucked or pooled around my waist mostly,” she adds.

Sizing: S to XL | Style and details: Crewneck button down cardigan | Price: $

Avila tested this State Cashmere button-down cardigan and says it’s been the perfect transitional piece from winter to spring. She’s worn it both on its own fully buttoned and layered it on top of tank tops or T-shirts on warmer days. Out of the box, Avila says it was incredibly soft but not mushy-feeling, and after wearing it about a dozen times, it hasn’t pilled yet. It comes in four sizes: small to extra-large. And even though she’s typically a size extra-small, she found that the small fit perfectly fine with a little extra room for layering. She owns the undyed white colorway, and it also comes in black, gray, beige, and baby blue.

Sizing: XL to 3XL | Style and details: Ribbed crewneck | Price: $$

Lands’ End’s plus-size cardigan comes in sizes XL to 3XL. “After seeing some of my favorite straight-size influencers in cardigans, I went on the hunt for a plus-size version,” says Lauren Chan, founder of clothing brand Henning, and this Lands’ End cardigan checked all the boxes for her. She calls it “classic” and “simple,” and it “pairs super-well with either light-wash jeans or gray sweats — win-win.” Even better, it comes in eight colors.

Sizing: One size | Style and details: Shawl | Price: $$

Strategist contributor Diksha Basu first put this oversize J.Crew wrap on our radar. Unlike the other dozens of shawls she’s tried, this one is both durable and stylish. “I have spilled hand sanitizer on it, my kids have touched it with fingers sticky with apple juice, Goldfish crumbs have adorned it,” she says. “I just wipe things off with an unscented baby wipe and the shawl looks good as new.” The piece transforms “harried morning school drop-offs” and chilly outdoor-dining outfits “from shabby to chic with my favorite amount of effort, both for what I put on and for maintaining its condition: almost zero.” As for its feel, it’s “soft and light, almost like muslin, but in a way that seems like magic, it’s not flimsy at all.” Maguy Le Coze, co-owner of Le Bernardin, is also a fan because its roomy oversized fit means she can “wrap it around my shoulders and cover my upper arms.”

Sizing: XS to XL | Quality: Grade-A | Style and details: Open collar with no buttons | Price: $

In addition to testing the crewneck, Avila tried Quince’s polo sweater. It has the same lightweight and buttery softness, just with a different cut. She’s had it for a little over a year and wore it plenty through last fall and this spring. “I found myself reaching for it through this past fall, even on those unusually warm days, because it’s breezy and has a somewhat less conventional cut,” Avila says. “After a couple dozen or so wears, it has pilled very slightly around the arms.” But since it’s such a good price, she says it’s still worth it. Like the brand’s crewneck, this sweater is available in sizes XS to XL but in just eight colorways.

Sizing: XS to XXL | Style and details: Crewneck with tubular stitching at the neck, cuffs, and hem | Price: $$

Tricot’s sweaters, made out of 65 percent recycled cashmere and 35 percent virgin cashmere, were originally recommended for our article on the best men’s cashmere sweaters. Avila tested the brand’s standard crewneck, since she’s been on the lookout for a more sustainable (but affordable) option. It’s quickly become one of her favorite crewnecks. Compared to the other picks on this list, it’s thicker and natural feeling without being scratchy (like Uniqlo’s was at first). “It’s boxy without drooping, so it doesn’t look ill-fitting on me — an issue I’ve had in the past with slightly oversize pieces,” she says. “I also appreciated the longer ribbing at the neck, hem, and sleeves. It makes a normal crewneck feel a touch more elegant.” It comes in a wide range of 21 colors and sizes XS to XXL.

Sizing: XXS to XXL | Style and details: Crewneck with checkered pattern design | Price: $$$

Two experts we spoke to called out Leret Leret because it offers sweaters with a range of patterns. “They design really playful cashmere sweaters with fun prints if you’re looking for something a bit more unique than a classic cashmere sweater that is still high-quality,” says stylist Savannah White. Nicole Berrie, founder of Bonberi and author of Body Harmony, also likes its “quirky” designs. “It’s the best gift for someone who values quality and that ‘It’ factor,” she says.

Sizing: XXS to XL | Style and details: Crewneck, color-blocked design | Price: $$$

Megababe’s founder Katie Sturino turns to Garin for her cashmere sweaters because it offers a mix of everyday neutrals as well as colorful patterns. Her personal go-tos are its fun designs, like this crewneck with space details. It’s worth noting that the sweater isn’t the cheapest on the list, but design-y cashmere tends to run into the hundreds of dollars and this happens to be on the lower end, making it a solid mid-priced option. “I’m also a huge fan of the brand for their commitment to sustainability,” Sturino adds. “Each sweater is animal- and ecofriendly and 100 percent biodegradable.”