Merino wool Sweaters & Cardigans

Merino wool sweaters vs cotton and cashmere

A cotton knit is warm until it's damp, and then it isn't. Cashmere feels wonderful in the shop and pills within a season if you wear it often. Merino sits between the two in the way that actually matters: it insulates without the bulk of cotton, breathes and regulates temperature the way cashmere can't, and, knitted the right way, holds up to daily wear far better than cashmere does. You lose a little of that first-touch softness cashmere is famous for. You gain a sweater you can put in the washing machine and wear three times a week for years.

Why some merino sweaters pill and others don't

Pilling isn't really about how "good" the wool is, it's about how the yarn is spun and how tightly the knit holds it together. Ours is spun by Tollegno 1900, an Italian mill with more than 120 years in wool, using a high-twist technique that compacts the fibres into a dense yarn instead of a loose, fluffy one. Fewer loose fibre ends at the surface means fewer pills. On the Phil, the whole sweater is knitted in a half-Milano structure, a dense double knit that locks the yarn in place and adds real resistance to pilling and runs on top of what the yarn already gives you. The Viggo cardigan uses the same half-Milano knit to reinforce the elbows specifically, the spot that takes the most friction from desks, armrests and jacket sleeves. None of this is marketing shorthand: it's the actual reason a €50 merino sweater pills in a month and a well-built one doesn't.

Made in Portugal, from responsible wool

The yarn is spun in Italy, and every sweater is knitted by a specialist in the Braga region of northern Portugal. All three are knitted "fully fashioned," meaning each panel is shaped directly on the knitting machine to its final form rather than cut from a larger piece of fabric, so there's no offcut waste at all. The wool itself is mulesing-free and OEKO-TEX certified. Read more about our sustainable approach.

Pullover, full-zip or heavyweight: which sweater for what

The three aren't different grades of the same thing, they're built for different jobs. Phil is the lightest of the three at 615 grams, with a close, tight knit that layers cleanly under a coat from autumn through spring without adding bulk. It isn't the typical ultralight, entry-price merino sweater either, it's roughly twice that weight. Phil was our first sweater, and our quest for the perfect sweater began with it. Jens is heavier at 812 grams with a looser, more relaxed cut and a textured rice knit that gives it more visual depth, built for the coldest months when you want a sweater that reads as outerwear on its own. Viggo is the heavyweight at 1240 grams, a full-zip cardigan with hand pockets and a metal YKK zip, closer to a light jacket than a jumper. It's the favourite of those who run cold.

Layering it into an outfit

Worn over a merino T-shirt, any of the three is a casual, no-effort layer for a weekend. Over one of our merino wool shirts, with the collar showing at the neck, Phil or Jens reads as smart enough for the office without a jacket. Viggo's zip and pockets make it the one to reach for outdoors, a dog walk, a market, a commute where a full coat is too much and a bare shirt isn't enough.

How to wash and dry a merino sweater without shrinking it

The anxiety is understandable, a shrunk sweater is a ruined sweater, and it cost more than a T-shirt. Ours go through a treatment that strips the microscopic scales on the fibre surface responsible for felting, which is what actually causes wool to shrink in a hot wash. That's what lets you put a 100% merino sweater in the washing machine at all. The routine: 30°C, delicate cycle, maximum 1200 spins, wool detergent, no fabric softener or bleach, in a wash bag so it doesn't stretch against a zip or a button. Dry flat, away from direct heat, never in the tumble dryer. If a fold needs smoothing, steam it rather than pressing a hot iron straight onto the knit. Follow that and shrinking isn't something you need to think about. Full details, including stain removal, are in our garment care guide.

The moth question

This is the one thing that never comes up with a T-shirt you wash every week, but it's a real concern for a sweater that spends the summer in a drawer. It isn't the moths themselves, it's their larvae, and they're drawn to the skin oils and sweat left in unwashed wool, not to the wool itself. So the single most effective thing you can do is wash a sweater before you put it away for the season, even if it looks clean. Beyond that, store it folded in a sealed bag or an airtight box rather than left hanging in the open, and cedar blocks or lavender sachets help deter moths from settling nearby, though they're not a substitute for clean storage. If you ever find a hole, freezing the garment in a sealed bag for 48 to 72 hours kills any eggs or larvae before they spread to the rest of your wardrobe.

What our customers say

Wolk holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating across more than 500 verified customer reviews, and the sweaters score just as well. The reviews keep returning to the same surprise: people who doubted a merino sweater could really resist pilling and lint, and came back to confirm it held up after a full winter, sometimes several. Others mention wearing the same sweater for two years or more with no sagging, no bulging at the elbows, and no need to wash it more than occasionally to keep it looking new.

Not sure about your size?

Each sweater page has a size guide with the garment measurements, plus notes on how the fit compares to our T-shirts and shirts if you already own one. The easiest method: take a sweater you already have and like, lay it flat, measure it and compare. If you're still unsure, email or chat with us and we'll help you choose. Within Europe, size exchanges are free, so ordering the size you think is right and swapping if needed costs you nothing.