Yes. All real cashmere pills, including expensive cashmere, and it pills more readily than coarser sheep's wool because its fibres are finer and shorter. Pilling is heaviest in the first few wears, at friction points, then slows once the loose fibres have been combed away. It is normal, and a comb removes it in minutes.
Our cashmere fibre comes from Inner Mongolia and the Alxa (Alashan) region of northern China, and that origin does not switch pilling off. Mongolian cashmere pills like any other cashmere: where the fibre grows affects how fine and long it is, not whether it pills. Most questions about pilling come down to three. Is this normal, did I buy a bad piece, and does it pill more than my wool jumper? Washing is a separate subject, covered in our guide to washing cashmere at home. This page stays on what happens at the surface of the fabric and what to do about it.
Why Does Cashmere Pill?
Every cashmere yarn is a bundle of fibres of different lengths. Friction from a bag strap, a seatbelt, a desk edge or your other arm works the shortest ones loose. Their free ends migrate to the surface and twist around each other into a small ball, which stays anchored by a few longer fibres still held in the yarn. That ball is a pill, or a bobble in British English. On pure cashmere the anchoring fibres are weak enough that pills eventually break away or comb off cleanly. On blends with nylon or polyester, the synthetic fibre is strong enough to hold the pill in place, which is why synthetic pills look stubborn and cling for months. Three things set the rate for any cashmere piece: how long and fine the fibres are, how tightly the yarn is twisted, and how dense the knit is. A loose, airy knit from soft-twist yarn feels wonderful and pills sooner. A tighter knit from the same fibre pills less.
Does Cashmere Pill More Than Wool or Merino?
Usually more than ordinary sheep's wool, and about the same as fine merino. Fineness is the reason. Under the US labelling rule for wool products (16 CFR 300.19), fibre sold as cashmere must average 19 microns or finer, and most sheep's wool is coarser than that. Finer fibres feel softer precisely because each one is weaker and more flexible, and a weak, flexible fibre works loose and tangles more easily than a stiff one. Coarse wool tends to shed or snap before it balls up, which is why a rugged wool jumper can look much the same for years while it feels rougher against the neck. Merino sits in between. The Woolmark Company describes merino as generally finer than 22 microns, and fine merino pills in much the same way cashmere does.
| Fibre | Fineness | How readily it pills | What the pills do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashmere | 19 microns or finer on average (US labelling rule) | Readily in the first wears, then settles | Comb off cleanly |
| Fine merino | Generally under 22 microns | Similar to cashmere | Comb off cleanly |
| Coarser sheep's wool | Coarser than cashmere | Least of the three | Tend to shed rather than ball up |
| Cashmere blended with nylon or polyester | Mixed | Can pill less often | Cling, harder to remove |
Within one fibre, construction matters more than the label. Two cashmere jumpers can pill at very different rates because one is knitted tightly from a firmly twisted two-ply yarn and the other is loose and brushed for softness. So does cashmere pill easily? Loosely knitted cashmere does. Densely knitted cashmere pills less, but still some.
Is Cashmere Pilling Normal?
Some pilling is normal on every cashmere piece, and in the first few wears it can look like a lot. The pattern tells you more than the amount. Normal pilling is front-loaded and local. It appears in the first few wears, wherever something rubs: under the arms, at the cuffs, where a strap sits, on the palms of gloves and on the soles of socks. After one or two combings the surface settles, because the short fibres that were going to escape already have. A jumper that pilled noticeably in its first week usually calms down within 1 to 2 months of regular wear, with a couple of combing sessions in between. Many people give up at the point the fabric was about to settle. Our own product pages say the same: the care note for our Cashmere Fingerless Gloves calls light pilling in the first 2 to 3 wears normal, and the note for our 100% Cashmere Bed Socks says the same about the first few wears.
Pilling that is not normal looks different. Heavy fuzz or shedding before a piece has been worn at all points to very short fibre. Pills spreading across low-friction areas such as the middle of the back, and still forming at the same rate after several combings, point to short fibre, a loose twist or both. Thin or see-through patches under the pills mean the fabric itself is wearing, not just shedding surface fibre. If you are still choosing, our guide to spotting quality cashmere covers the checks worth doing before you buy.
Where Does Cashmere Pill First?
Each kind of piece has its own friction point, and knowing it saves you from reading normal wear as a fault. A scarf pills where it rubs against a coat collar and where a bag strap crosses it, rarely across its whole width. A beanie pills along the band and at the back, where it meets hair, a hood or a headrest. A jumper pills under the arms, along the sides where your arms swing, and on the forearms if you work at a desk. A throw pills where it is gripped and folded, usually along one edge. If pills appear at those spots first and stay concentrated there, the piece is behaving as cashmere does.
Socks and gloves are a special case, because their friction is built in. The sole of a bed sock and the palm of a fingerless glove will always pill first. On socks, early bobbles on the underside are normal. Thinning at the ball of the foot is wear, and it usually means they have been walked in. Why that matters when you are deciding whether pure cashmere socks are worth it is covered in are cashmere bed socks worth it.
How Do You Remove Pills From Cashmere Without Damaging It?
| Method | Safe for cashmere? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cashmere comb (fine mesh or fine teeth) | Yes, the best option | Lay flat, light short strokes in one direction. A few minutes per piece. |
| Electric fabric shaver | Risky on soft knits | Can catch and cut the loops of a lofty knit. On a dense, flat piece such as a throw, lowest setting only, after testing a hidden area. |
| Pulling pills off by hand | No | Each pill is still anchored in the yarn, so pulling drags out more fibre and thins the fabric. |
| Scissors or a razor | No | One slip cuts a loop, and a cut loop becomes a hole a few wears later. |
The Beechwood Cashmere Comb we sell has a beechwood handle and a fine copper-and-steel mesh head, and measures 7.7 by 4.5 centimetres, small enough to keep in a drawer with your knitwear. Lay the piece flat on a table, hold the fabric taut with one hand, and work in light, short strokes in one direction. On a new piece, test a hidden area first. Do not press hard: the mesh lifts what has already come loose, which is why it is gentler than a blade. The pills collect in the mesh. Tap them out afterwards and keep the comb dry.
How often to comb, and which spots to leave alone, is set out in our guide on how to use a cashmere comb.
How Can You Stop Cashmere Pilling?
You cannot stop it entirely, but four habits slow it a great deal. First, give pieces rest days. Cashmere compresses with wear and recovers when it rests, and wearing the same jumper every day never lets it recover. Second, watch the friction points: a crossbody strap over a cashmere jumper, or a laptop edge under the wrists, will raise pills faster than anything else you do. Third, wash less and wash cool, because frequent washing loosens fibres; airing a piece overnight often does the job instead. For scarves specifically, see how to wash a cashmere scarf. Fourth, comb early. Taking the first pills off promptly stops them from tangling with the next fibres to work loose.
FAQ
Does pilling mean my cashmere is fake or low quality?
No. Pilling shows the fibre is natural, and all real cashmere does it. Quality shows in the pattern: good cashmere pills early at friction points, combs clean and then settles. Cashmere made from shorter fibre, or knitted loosely from soft-twist yarn, keeps producing pills across the whole surface for much longer.
Does pure cashmere pill more than a cashmere blend?
It depends on what the cashmere is blended with. A wool and cashmere blend pills in much the same way, and the pills comb off. A blend with nylon or polyester may pill less often, but its pills cling because the synthetic fibre does not break away. The wider trade-off is in cashmere blend vs pure cashmere.
Should I use a fabric shaver on cashmere?
On soft knitwear, a fine comb is the safer choice. Electric shavers can catch the surface loops of a lofty knit and cut them, which leaves thin patches. On a dense, flat piece such as a throw, a shaver on its lowest setting is workable. Test a hidden area first either way.
How often should I de-pill cashmere?
Twice in the first month of a new piece, then whenever pills show at the usual friction points, which for most people is every 1 to 2 months of regular wear. The early sessions do most of the work because pilling is front-loaded in a garment's life.
Will cashmere stop pilling?
It slows down a great deal but never stops completely. Once the loose short fibres are gone, new pills form only where friction keeps working fresh ends free. Resting pieces between wears, keeping straps off them and washing less keep that to a light, occasional combing.
The knitwear in the Cashmere Edit follows the same pattern: a little pilling at first, then a comb and time.
Last updated 24 September 2026.
