As a gearhead who mostly tests running shoes and apparel made for high-energy activities, I don’t often fire up about a sweater. But when I pulled on Paka’s Original Sweater for the first time, I didn’t want to take it off.
I wore it while working at my desk. I wore it while walking my dog. I even ran about a mile in it on a cold evening during a youth soccer practice when I felt like I just needed to move. I especially love pulling it on after a day outside on snow. The thing is ridiculously soft and warm, and it looks good, too.
You’d think my favorite new sweater would be made out of the natural fiber we all know and love thanks to brands like Smartwool, Ibex, and Icebreaker: Merino wool. But there’s a new natural fiber that may just give good-ole Merino a run for its money: alpaca.
Merino (a type of sheep) wool and alpaca fleece both come from cute, fluffy animals that are sheared without harm typically once a year. Merino and alpaca both consist of hollow fibers with amazing properties that keep the animals—and humans—warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s warm, regulating body…
