best acrylic yarn comparison results The Ultimate Acrylic Yarn Comparison Results

The Ultimate Acrylic Yarn Comparison Results

The results of the ultimate acrylic yarn comparison are finally in! After a long journey of swatching, frogging, swatching again and THEN washing…. I have a complete, ranked list of all the yarns I compared.

If you want to learn more about how this comprehensive list was put together – from testing methods to how the yarns were selected – please start with my first blog post, Introducing the Ultimate Acrylic Yarn Comparison. And if you don’t care about this crazy journey and just want to know about my thoughts at the finish line, you can watch the video below:

About the Yarn Comparison Chart

The overall score is a weighted measurement prioritizing softness (30%), durability (30%), and workability (20%) over price (10%) and availability (10%). Each data point is based on a 10 point scale.

All pricing data was collected on May 5th, 2020 and may not reflect current pricing. For current pricing you can always click one of the store links for each yarn (in the Buy column).

Availability rankings prioritize local availability over online availability, with more points for being available at multiple retailers. This puts store brands at a disadvantage, particularly if they are online only store brands (like Paintbox or Knit Pick’s).

Softness rankings are based on post-washing softness, after 10 washes or so.

Workability rankings are an average between my ranking for knitting versus crochet. The highest workability rating I will give to an acrylic yarn is 9 because 10 is reserved for squishy merino wool. 😉

Durability is based on wear after 15 washes.

The Ultimate Acrylic Yarn Comparison Chart

To sort by a particular column, just click on the header of the appropriate name. Want to see which was the softest? Click on the “Softness” column to sort.

For mobile users: rotate your phone to landscape to see the sortable chart titles. Then once it’s sorted as you prefer, switch back to portrait view for the easy to read mobile version!

**Most of the buy links contain affiliate codes which will give me a small commission on any purchases you make when clicking through. This is at no extra charge to you, and it helps pay for my time on this crazy long project. **

Yarn + PricePrice/yd.PlyCare InstructionsSpecial FeaturesAvailabilitySoftnessWorkabilityDurabilityOverall RatingBuy

King Cole Cherished DK

$5.95/3.5oz


$0.022/yd
S on S plied

Machine Wash Gentle.

Tumble Dry Normal/Low.

Anti-Pilling58797.2

LoveCrafts

Schachenmayr Soft & Easy

$4.25/3.5oz

$0.017/ydS on S plied

Machine Wash Gentle.

Do not tumble dry.

Low Pill Dralon59897.5

LoveCrafts

Cascade Yarns North Shore

$6.00/3.5oz

$0.027/ydPlied

Machine Wash Warm.

Tumble Dry Normal.

 79697.6

LoveCrafts
Amazon

Stylecraft Special DK

$2.95/3.5oz

$0.009/ydPlied

Machine wash cold.

Tumble dry low.

Wide Color Range57766.3

LoveCrafts

Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran

$3.00/3.5oz

$0.014/ydPlied

Machine wash cold.

Tumble dry low.

Wide Color Range45665.6

LoveCrafts

Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling

$4.99/3.5oz

$0.026/ydPlied

Machine Wash Warm.

Tumble Dry.

Anti-Pilling7109108.6

Lion Brand
Joann
Walmart
Amazon

Lion Brand Basic Stitch Premium

$4.99/3.5oz

$0.022/ydPlied

Machine Wash Warm.

Tumble Dry.

 77867.0

Lion Brand
Joann
Amazon
Walmart

Lion Brand Jeans

$4.99/3.5oz

$0.023/ydS on S plied

Machine Wash Cold.

Tumble Dry.

Heathered Colors109767.9

Lion Brand
Joann
Walmart
LoveCrafts

Caron Simply Soft

$4.99/6oz

$0.015/ydPlied

Machine Wash Cold.

Tumble Dry Low.

 107767.8

Yarnspirations
Joann
Michael’s
Walmart
LoveCrafts

Loops & Threads Joy DK

$4.49/3.5oz

$0.016/ydPlied

Machine Wash Warm.

Tumble Dry Low.

Class 1 Oeko-Tex® certification6109108.4

Michael’s

Red Heart Soft

$5.79/5oz

$0.022/ydPliedMachine Wash Warm. 95566.8

Yarnspirations
Joann
Michael’s
LoveCrafts

Caron One Pound

$10.99/16oz

$0.013/ydPlied

Machine Wash Warm.

Tumble dry low.

Large Value Ball103456.5

Yarnspirations
Joann
Michael’s
LoveCrafts

Knit Picks Brava (Worsted)

$2.49/3.5oz

$0.011/ydPlied

Machine wash cold.

Tumble dry.

Wide Color Selection44465.1

Knit Pick’s

Loops & Threads Impeccable

$3.49/4.5oz

$0.012/ydPlied

Machine wash cold.

Tumble dry.

Great Yardage633106.6

Michael’s

KC Smooth

$4.99/3.5oz

$0.023/ydS on S plied

Machine wash cold.

Do not tumble dry.

Micro-Acrylic610897.9Joanns

Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn!

$4.99/5oz

$0.014/ydPlied

Machine wash warm.

Tumble Dry.

 66756.2

Hobby Lobby

Willow Wash

$3.99/3.5oz

$0.022/ydPliedMachine wash warm.Anti-Pilling488107.4

Willow Yarns

Premier Everyday Anti-Pilling
(multiple weights)

$3.99/3.5oz

$0.025/ydPlied

Machine Wash Cold.

Tumble Dry Low.

Anti-Pilling
OKEO-TEX Certified
7109108.7

LoveCrafts
Joann
Michael’s
Premier Yarns
Walmart

Big Twist Value

$3.49/6oz

$0.009/ydPlied

Machine wash warm.

Do not machine dry.

Great Yardage65756.1Joann’s

Bernat Softee Chunky

$3.99/100g

$0.036/ydPlied

Machine Wash Cold.

Tumble Dry Low.

Affordable Chunky Weight Yarn104577.1

Yarnspirations
LoveCrafts
Joann
Michael’s
Walmart

A note on care instructions: many yarns have different care instructions on manufacturer websites, retailer websites and yarn labels. I’ve posted what appears to be correct, but when testing durability I washed it like any old laundry novice – machine wash cold (saves money!) and tumble dry normal. My washing machine does not have an agitator so my loads are probably more gentle than most. But I let the swatches run free like wild beasts, no garment bag.