I Tested the $50 Quince Cashmere Sweater to See If It Pills

I may have my qualms about Quince, but it’s worth shouting out that its viral $50 Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck has stayed $50 for this long.

After testing over two dozen of the best cashmere sweaters for a couple of years in a row, I maintain that Quince has some of the best entry-level cashmere I’ve tried. It’s not quite my top pick (that goes to Naadam), but its sweaters are an established favorite among our team for their value.

Last year Quince debuted “Cashmere 2.0,” which was a meant to be a step up from their original Grade-A cashmere with longer fibers (meaning a softer hand feel) and a tighter, more substantial weave. Now that I’ve worn both the 1.0 and 2.0 Quince cashmere for over a year, I can tell you that the latter showed a slight improvement. It’s not as significantly more soft as I was hoping, but Quince’s cashmere is definitely still a great value  — especially now that it’s more dense and doesn’t pill as quickly. 

My favorite Quince cashmere pieces I’ve tested:

The Quince Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck

I didn’t immediately see or feel a difference with the new cashmere crewneck — it was only noticeable after a weekend of wearing it that it’s a bit better at retaining its shape than the original. It also doesn’t pill quite as quickly, so it’s lower maintenance than the first edition. To shave off pilling, Quince offers a $10 cashmere comb.

Quince claims its new cashmere blend has a higher percentage of longer fibers and increased tension in its knit pattern. Longer, thinner fibers are what makes a cashmere sweater softer and more expensive, but the crewneck still costs what it used to. With a closer twist in each strand of yarn, the new cashmere sheds less than I expected it to.

Over 40 pieces from the Quince cashmere collection are available in the new Cashmere 2.0, but missing notably from this list is the plus size version of the cashmere crewneck. The plus size option is also, regrettably, $10 more.

“Right now the plus option only comes in 10 colors, while the straight-size version is available in 19, so I hope Quince considers expanding options soon,” writes deputy editor Lauren Savoie in our Quince plus size review. 

Quince Mongolian Cashmere Fisherman Crewneck Sweater

The Quince Fisherman Crewneck is the perfect sweater if a heavy knit is too bulky to fit under your coat. Many knit sweaters can feel itchy on the skin, but I can wear this as a base layer and it’s even comfortable enough to sleep in. This 7-gauge cashmere sweater comes in 10 colorways, of which I got the Dusty Blue, which is a pewter blue in person. I got the small and it fits true to size, so I recommend sizing up by two if you’re going for the oversized fisherman sweater look.

Quince Mongolian Cashmere Full-Zip Hoodie

If you’re ever debating between wearing 2 or 3 layers before stepping out in the cold, I suggest a cashmere hoodie like this one. It doesn’t add any bulk, but it’s great at insulating.

I took this Quince Mongolian Cashmere Full-Zip Hoodie with me on a 10-day trip to Europe, and I wore it about 90% of the time. I wasn’t prepared for the damp chill there, but luckily this cashmere hoodie adds a lot of warmth and is easy to pack in my crossbody bag. It pilled on the sleeves, probably due to the friction of wearing it beneath my Quince Water Repellent Windbreaker. Nevertheless, I’m grateful to how it withstood the travel test of being worn, stuffed in a bag, and worn again.

Quince Mongolian Cashmere Scarf Midi Turtleneck Sweater Dress

This Quince dress has a nice form-fitting and sophisticated look about it. The turtleneck is high enough to reach my chin so it’s a great way to get dressed up when it’s cold out. It has also side slits to allow my legs to move easily, and the 47″ length hits me a bit past my knees. 

This dress comes in three more colors in sizes XS-XL. I’m 5’9″ and got the small so it’d fit more tightly, but this made the sleeves a bit shorter than I’d prefer. Still, the cozy cashmere has a warm enveloping effect that feels breathable while I sweat during my commute.

Quince Mongolian Cashmere Robe

The Quince robe is made from 100% Grade-A Mongolian cashmere, but hasn’t gotten the “Cashmere 2.o” treatment yet. It has a traditional tie closure and two patch pockets. I’m 5’9″ and chose a size small, which fit true to size, hitting at my mid-calf.

At first glance it’s a simple bathrobe, but upon feeling it for the first time, I could tell it was more of a “quiet luxury” piece, without the bloated price tag. This isn’t an out-of-the-shower robe, which I learned after I put it over my still-wet shoulders and it left black shedding on my skin. Instead, I wear it around my home, and even though it’s thin, it keeps me warm so I don’t have to turn up the thermostat. It also stopped shedding after a brief break-in period. Now I’ll even slip out its waist tie and wear it as a long cardigan — it’s that soft— and it makes a great extra layer under a trench coat.

Quince Mongolian Cashmere Scarf

Quince describes this scarf as oversized, but it’s actually pretty narrow and short. Nevertheless, it protected me from the wind when I wore it tightly bundled around my neck, and drapes nicely when worn simply as an accessory.

Tossing on a scarf is an easy way to give an outfit more depth. Pictured above, I’m wearing it with a Quince Cotton Cashmere Sweater Dress.

The Quince Mongolian Cashmere Scarf is made from 12-gauge 100% Grade A cashmere— 12-gauge means there are 12 rows of yarn per inch, and describes how tightly the scarf is knitted. A common low gauge of 3 means it’ll feel more dense, so a 12-gauge scarf like this one is finer and thinner.

About Quince’s cashmere

Quince uses only Grade-A Mongolian cashmere. You can tell theirs is Grade A by the way each piece can stretch and retain its original shape. Some pilling will be natural, as it is with all wool and cashmere fibers. If you stick to only hand washing your sweaters as needed and gently brushing them with a cashmere comb, you can make them good as new. 

Quince makes cashmere more affordable than other comparable brands due to its direct-to-consumer business model. Despite using the same materials that traditional retailers use, Quince’s is often half the price.  They do this with little lapse in quality — it’s not as soft as organic cashmere, but it’s still good quality.

The brand claims to be eco-conscious throughout all steps of the production process, from building efficiency to textile sourcing. The site reads that Quince cashmere is harvested from farms in Inner Mongolia and de-haired, dyed, and spun in facilities that comply with the Business Social Compliance Initiative.  However, Quince has received criticism on the true extent of its sustainability practices. The subject is understandably delicate to some, so ultimately, you should evaluate your own sustainability standards when considering if their transparency is up to par.

The bottom line

Out of everything I’ve tested from Quince, cashmere is one of its strong points. The Cashmere 2.0 upgrade makes it even more worth the try because it costs the same, though it’s not quite as high-quality as Naadam. The fabric has pilled over the last year, and it’s not quite as soft anymore. Quince could also do a much better job on size inclusivity and being transparent about how and where it sources its labor and materials, but it’s nevertheless a solid option for affordable cashmere.