PAKA Apparel Review: We Tested the Sweaters and T-Shirts

PAKA Apparel Original Crew Sweater [Staff tested]

Leaf Score

Highlight: Blissfully soft alpaca crew neck sweater in three colors. Fully traceable yarn comes from wild-roaming alpaca and recycled nylon. Oeko-Tex approved dyes only.

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At a glance:

• Sizes available: XXS-XXL
• Key certifications: B Corp, GOTS, Oeko-Tex, EcoCart Carbon Neutral
• Price: $139
• Colors: Light grey, sky blue, eucalyptus
• Materials: 65% Royal Alpaca Fiber / 35% Recycled Nylon

PAKA Apparel’s Original Crew sweater feels unfathomably soft and light and looks fantastic. Mine garnered many compliments, which was great for spreading the word about PAKA and raising awareness of sustainability in fashion!

PAKA uses 65% alpaca fiber in 18-19 microns, making it soft enough to wear without an undershirt. It’s also super light, weighing just 10 ounces.

My experience with the PAKA Original Crew sweater

Unlike bulkier wool sweaters and my merino wool base layers, this lighter-than-merino sweater was lovely to wear by itself on cooler summer days. Thanks to alpaca wool’s thermoregulating properties, though, I’ve found the Original Crew sweater plenty cozy for colder weather too.

Thanks to the moisture-wicking properties, the Original Crew also fares well in light rain, which is pretty important for a sweater-lover in the Pacific Northwest rainforest region. Now we’re into October, I’m enjoying pairing this sweater with the PAKA tee and feel all set for the upcoming super cold winter days.

I also love that this sweater doesn’t have any scratchy seams or labels on the neck or sides. The only tags are right at the bottom, which should sit against your hip, rather than your skin. This is great if you have sensory issues and usually cut the tags out of clothing.

How the PAKA Original Crew performs

Other things I love about this sweater include its snuggle factor, which is great for cozying up with my kid. I also really appreciate how fast it dries and how well it resists stains and odors.

I often end up with sticky toddler fingers clutching at my clothing, which means I favor sweaters that are easy to wash and dry. This crew has managed to resist avocado and blueberry stains and when I have given small patches a spot-clean, it dried super fast, meaning I could go right back to wearing it after just a couple of hours!

I’m yet to put this sweater through the washing machine because it still feels and smells fresh even after weeks of wear.

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly sweater that also saves on water and energy by not needing washing very often, this is it!

PAKA Apparel Tee

Leaf Score

Highlights: Sublimely soft, super sustainable organic cotton and alpaca fiber tee that fits perfectly. Anti-odor, thermoregulating, moisture-wicking, and fast-drying. Lightweight and great for every season.

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At a glance:

• Sizes available: XS-XXL
• Key certifications: B Corp, GOTS, Oeko-Tex, EcoCart Carbon Neutral
• Price: $55
• Colors: six options
• Materials: 85% Organic Pima Cotton / 15% Royal Alpaca

I love a good black tee and the PAKA organic cotton and alpaca fiber tee does not disappoint. This tee immediately became my go-to for late summer and into fall and is now a favorite under my PAKA sweater too.

How the PAKA tee performs

The PAKA tee is lightweight at just 4 ounces, making it a great choice for camping and other adventures where space and weight are at a premium.

This tee is also delightfully soft, cozy, breathable, and thermoregulating. I hate overheating and I love that this tee keeps me cool and comfy even in hot and humid conditions.

It’s also anti-odor, thanks to the naturally antimicrobial alpaca yarn. I love that with this tee I can still feel fresh while also minimizing laundry! And because the fiber dries fast, it’s easy to give this tee a quick rinse (or get caught in a downpour) and still be able to wear it again later the same day.

Downsides to the PAKA tee and sweater

It’s hard to find anything bad to say about the PAKA clothing I’ve tried, but if I had to highlight something it’s the sizing.

I’m 5’6″ and usually fit a Small size for most tops. Strangely, the PAKA website’s algorithm suggests I should get a Large for the tee. After talking to a company representative, I ordered the Small instead. This fits me perfectly, sitting just at the waist of my pants on the scoop sides. I suspect the tee would be too short, though, for anyone who typically wears a small but is even slightly taller.

For the unisex sweater, the PAKA website couldn’t suggest a size based on my measurements. I was going to order a Medium, liking my sweaters roomy, but the company representative suggested a Small instead as the unisex sizing means women typically need to size down.

The sweater fits me really well, hitting the right point on the hips, with no stretch or excess at the shoulders or bust. As with most of my sweaters, there’s a little extra length on the sleeves, but I quite like this for added coziness over my wrists.

All in all, I’d say to take a bit of care when figuring out your sizing with PAKA. If in doubt, contact the company for advice. And rest assured that PAKA offers a 30-day returns and exchanges policy, with a good reputation for friendly and timely help on the rare occasions someone does need to switch out or return a product.

What we like about PAKA Apparel

PAKA is a relative newcomer to the fashion industry and set out to give back and be fully sustainable right from the start. The company is a Benefit Corporation (B Corp) and was recently voted Best in World for Community. It’s also a founding member of The Good Ocean, meaning it maintains and exceeds rigorous standards for conservation across its entire supply chain and operations.

PAKA Apparel is one of the first animal fiber companies to also focus on the traceability of its fibers. This means you can trust that the sweater or t-shirt you’re wearing was made using yarn from alpacas who roam wild in the Peruvian Andes.

Thanks to PAKA’s efforts, you can trace the fiber in your sweater right down to the coordinates where it was harvested. Check your sweater’s biodegradable hangtag for a QR code to find the fiber’s origins.

PAKA and sustainability

PAKA takes sustainability seriously. The company’s entire raison d’etre is to create sustainably clothing from a sustainable fiber (alpaca wool!). These animals need shearing annually, otherwise they overheat, can become immobilized, suffer parasitic infections, and are vulnerable to predators.

Unlike captive, domesticated sheep, though, the alpaca roam free in herds of about 60-90 animals. Each herd is the responsibility of a single family, which tracks the herd and shears the adults humanely as needed.

Biodegradable packaging and carbon neutral shipping

PAKA uses fully biodegradable packaging, including bioplastic bags you can compost at home. My sweater arrived in cardboard only and my tee arrived in a compostable plastic bag and cardboard mailer envelope.

All orders are shipped carbon neutral through PAKA’s partnership with EcoCart.

PAKA also uses certified organic cotton and recycled nylon in its clothing, albeit in small amounts for the latter.

As for social sustainability, PAKA partners with a local non-profit to fully employ women in Peru, paying them four times the family living wage. The company donates 1% of profits to support regenerative farming and alpaca families, and gives another 1% to Peruvian Hearts to support the education of young women.

Final thoughts on PAKA Clothing

If your mantra is to buy better and buy less, PAKA is a must.

This clothing company makes gorgeous, high performance, incredibly quality clothing that you can put through its paces while looking and feeling great. It’s built for the long haul and is incredibly sustainable too.

With subtle detailing and tailoring, and lightweight, super soft Royal Alpaca fiber, PAKA clothing is not what you might expect when you think of wool sweaters and tees. PAKA also offers full traceability, all the right eco certifications, and a comprehensive approach to sustainability. And the price isn’t terrible either!

In fact, given that a PAKA sweater and tee can easily replace half your regular wardrobe, these quality items are a real bargain.

PAKA Apparel Original Crew Sweater [Staff Tested]

Leaf Score

Highlight: Blissfully soft alpaca crew neck sweater in three colors. Fully traceable yarn comes from wild-roaming alpaca and recycled nylon. Oeko-Tex approved dyes only.

View on PAKA

PAKA Apparel Tee

Leaf Score

Highlights: Sublimely soft, super sustainable organic cotton and alpaca fiber tee that fits perfectly. Anti-odor, thermoregulating, moisture-wicking, and fast-drying. Lightweight and great for every season.

View on PAKA