Alpaca vs. Angora: Price, Sustainability & Features Compared

Alpaca and angora are fibers that both come from fluffy animals. But apart from being super soft luxury fibers, what are the differences and comparisons between them? 

Dashitou Angora wool is generally a little bit more expensive than alpaca wool, however angora is often blended with synthetic fibers or wool to make it more elastic. Angora wool is much fluffier and generally softer than alpaca wool, however the latter has more features and purposes. 

• Note: this article talks about the angora fleece coming from an angora rabbit – not mohair which comes from the angora goat.

Ambāla Comparing	Alpaca Wool	Angora
Price	$ 60 – 200	$ 80 – 250
Sustainability	A very sustainable option	A sustainable option, but only when farmed small-scale
Features	More versatile than angora, but less soft	Soft, fluffy, with great halo and warmer
Animal	Alpaca	Angora rabbit (English, French, Satin and Giant)
Producing Countries	Peru, Bolivia	China (and Europe, Chile, and the US)

Angora and alpaca are both fluffy and soft fibers, but when you look at them in more detail, you will quickly notice that the differences are significant, too. 

Comparing the Price of Alpaca Wool and Angora

When you compare the price of alpaca woolen garments, you will see that they are quite similar. However, angora is slightly more expensive than alpaca wool.

Animal	Baby “Royal” Alpaca 18 microns	Regular Alpaca 26 microns	Angora12-16 microns
Raw Fiber (per ounce)	$ 10	$ 2 – 6	$ 12
Finished Fiber	$ 10 (50g/1.76 oz.)	$ 4	$ 15 (10g/0.35 oz.)
Finished Product	$ 200 (pullover 100% alpaca)	N/A	$ 250 (small Bolero of 74% angora)
Scarf 100% yarn	$ 100 (knitted scarf)	$ 75	$ 100 (crocheted scarf)
Blend (sweater)	N/A	$ 60 (32% alpaca)	$ 80 (45% angora)

• One big important note when it comes to comparing prices of alpaca and angora is that angora wool is almost always blended with other fibers to give it more strength. 

So, you will find that the prices of alpaca and angora wool will be similar. However, it is important to keep in mind that the percentage of angora yarn in a garment will (more than often) not be 100%. 

Many knitters or producers will use a blend of either polyester or (regular) wool with angora to make sure garments are more durable. This will decrease the price of a garment, but when polyester is used it will also decrease the comfort of it (of course depending on the blend). 

Another important fact is that fast fashion brand used to work much more with angora wool, but since animal activist organizations like PETA brought out the cruelty of the angora industry (at large scale) many brands stopped working with angora and removed products with angora from their collections. 

In short, while prices might be similar, it will not be easy to find 100% angora woolen products. With alpaca however, you will definitely find garments that use 100% alpaca yarn within the same price range as an angora wool blend!

Comparing the Sustainability of Alpaca Wool and Angora

Angora wool is only sustainable when it is sourced on a small scale to assure animal safety and wellbeing. Angora bunnies leave a small footprint, like alpacas and both fibers require little chemical treatment before being spun into yarn. Angora is not as durable as alpaca, though. 

Characteristic	Alpaca Wool	Angora
Certified/Responsible Source	✔ Responsible ✘ No certification	✔ Caregora, OEKO-TEX ✘ 90% of angora comes from (debatable) farms in China
Chemicals used for production	✔ Limited ✘ Possibly chemicals for scouring  ✘ Possibly industrial dyes	✔ No scouring ✘ Possibly industrial dyes ✘ Possibly chemicals to maintain wool
Limited Waste	✔ Alpaca leaves almost no footprint	✔ Angora rabbit leaves almost no footprint
Water Usage	✔ Limited during life of alpaca ✔ Limited during production ✔ Limited need of washing	✔ Limited during life of rabbit ✔ Limited during production ✔ Limited need of washing
Fair Trade	✔ Small-scale, local production	✔ Small-scale, local production
Animal Cruelty Free/Vegan	✔ Cruelty free available ✘ Not vegan	✔ Cruelty free available ✘ OFTEN not cruelty free ✘ Not vegan
Durable	✔ Yes	✘ Needs to be blended to increase durability
Harmless to the Body	✔ Contains no lanolin ✔ Baby alpaca is itch-free ✘ Regular alpaca can be irritable	✔ Contains no lanolin ✔ Itch-free
Reusable/Recyclable	✔ Yes	✘ Difficult (but possible)
Fixability	✔ High	✔ Medium, but mostly invisible thanks to halo
Biodegradable	✔ Yes, when undyed	✔ Yes, when undyed

The biggest issue with angora wool is the large-scale mass production of the fiber in (predominantly) China, where rabbits are painfully plucked, treated terribly and killed once they are no longer profitable.

There is nothing sustainable about such animal treatment, and many brands have cut angora from their production altogether. However, there is a more sustainable way of harvesting angora, but it is incredibly labor intensive (and thus too expensive for fast fashion. 

• In short: fast fashion and angora don’t work together. The only way angora is obtained sustainably is when animals are treated correctly and ethically. This process, however, takes time and is too costly for fast fashion companies. 

Small-scale farmers, or even pet rabbit owners, are much more suitable for ethical and thus sustainable production. Many such rabbits are combed by hand, the fur is plucked off their cages, or the animals are sometimes shorn.

Most alpaca wool is obtained sustainably, but if the fiber were to become more popular, it runs the risk of falling into the efficiency-over-ethical-trap that other luxury fibers have fallen into. Always check the brand to see where your alpaca comes from. 

In terms of the fiber, there are a lot of similarities: both fibers have little (alpaca) to no (angora) grease once the fibers are harvested, which makes the production process much less chemical. As long as both fibers are dyed organically (or not at all), they are 100% biodegradable. 

One of the downsides of angora, compared to alpaca wool, is that it is not as durable. Its yarn has very little resilience, which means that it is better blended to make it more comfortable, stronger and to prevent shedding. 

This isn’t necessarily a problem in and of itself, (especially when organic wool is used), were it not that it is often blended with polyester. 

• Avoid angora blends with polyester for a more sustainable choice. But do opt for a blend to make sure the garment is durable and strong. 

Comparing the Features of Alpaca Wool and Angora

Fluffy, fluffier, fluffiest. But there’s more to these two fibers! 

Both fibers are fluffy and have great “halo”, especially angora. Both fibers are warm, but using a tight knitting pattern, angora is warmer. Alpaca wool is more adaptable since it can be used for different purposes as a pure fiber. Angora needs to be blended to prevent felting, shedding and wear and tear.

Feature	Alpaca	Angora
Water-repellent
Water absorption	30%	50%
Warm
Breathable
Drape
Silky
Elastic
Lightweight

Angora wool is known for its lightness and thermal properties, which is special for fibers with such a small micron count. Normally, a smaller diameter indicates a solid core. 

According to Cameron Holt, research has generally shown that fibers below 20 microns have a solid core, in other words: they are not hollow. For the alpaca, the fibers between 20 and 30 microns are fragmented, whereas the baby alpaca fiber is generally solid (around 20 microns).

• Angora wool has much better thermal insulation than baby alpaca wool (within a similar micron range), regular alpaca wool has great thermal insulation at a bigger diameter but is not as soft as angora. 

Another interesting point to mention is that angora is really water-repellent and has great moisture absorption. However, I couldn’t find any data that gave specific information about the soft down that is actually used for yarn. 

• Normally the outer, coarse hair provides for the water-protection, whereas the soft inner layer makes sure the body stays warm. I’m not entirely sure what this means for the water repellent features of angora garments, because the hairs do get sorted and separated! 

Both fibers are luxury fibers when it comes to drape and appearance: silky, smooth, shiny and with great drape, both fibers are used to make for beautiful garments that dress well and adept to the contours of your body. 

Comparing the Softness and Comfort of Alpaca Wool and Angora

Because softness is such an important aspect of wool fibers, I feel that it deserves a separate section in this article. 

Category	Micron Range*	Category	Micron Range**
Royal Alpaca	<18 microns	German Angora	12 – 16 microns
Super Fine Alpaca	18 – 20.5 microns	Chinese Angora	12 – 16 microns
Baby Alpaca	20.6 – 22.5 microns	French Angora	14 – 20 microns
Fine Alpaca	22.6 – 25.5 microns
Medium Alpaca	25.6 – 30 microns
Strong Alpaca  (Guard hair)	>30 microns	Guard Hair	30 microns

Angora wool that is used for clothing and accessories is incredibly soft. The fibers are much, much softer than alpaca wool fibers and in terms of softness, angora wool is clearly superior. 

The micron count is an indicator of how fibers feel on the skin. Angora is definitely softer than alpaca wool, which means that it is generally more comfortable to wear, and there is very little chance of skin irritation due to scratchy fibers. 

In the case of alpaca, people with sensitive skin (and wool sensitivity) can only opt for baby alpaca or a higher quality fiber to avoid skin irritation. 

• However, both fibers are hypoallergenic and are most likely safe to wear for people with a wool-allergy. 

Another factor when it comes to comfort is warmth. While I mentioned earlier that angora is warmer than alpaca wool, it doesn’t mean it is necessarily more comfortable, too. Wearing a 100% angora woolen sweater might actually make you feel too hot! 

Conclusion

Both fibers are good options when you want to use sustainable fibers. Make sure that the brand uses responsibly and ethically sourced fleece, though. Higher contents of angora wool will be more costly, but generally the prices of both fibers are similar. Angora is softer than alpaca wool, but the latter is more versatile. 

If you’re curious to know whether alpaca wool or angora would be best for you, this information is probably dazzling you by now! So, I’ve made a list. Two lists, actually. One for people who might prefer alpaca wool, and one for those who might like angora better. 

You might prefer alpaca wool if you:

• Like to use pure fibers 
• Have the budget for baby alpaca
• Are on a budget (regular alpaca)
• Don’t have sensitive skin
• Have a wool allergy

You might prefer angora if you: 

• Don’t mind using blends
• Have sensitive skin
• Like super fluffy garments
• Know a brand that uses small-scale angora
• Have the budget for high angora content
• Have a wool allergy
• Don’t mind garments that possibly shed