Alternatives to Babaa Sweaters
I have not personally tried a Babaa sweater, so I can’t verify if the quality warrants the amount of influencer buzz surrounding this sweater brand. I do know that the vast majority of good reviews seem to be from people who have received one of Babaa’s nearly $300 sweaters for free in exchange for a feature.
I’m an “influencer,” too, so I get it. I don’t doubt that Babaa makes a good product – not to mention a very sustainable one. But it can be really easy to let the enthusiasm of receiving such a luxury item for free bleed into an enthusiastic review that doesn’t account for the high investment.
Babaa also does this bizarre thing of offering all of their items in one-size-fits-all, which, in my experience, means one-size-fits-nobody-well.
I had initially thought this was because items were hand knit, and having a set size made the process easier for their knitters. But it turns out that the sweaters are machine-knit, so all I can do is shrug.
In any case, this post came about as a response to Babaa’s immense popularity and my desire to find some more affordable alternatives.
There are other ethical and transparent brands that make similar sweaters in 100% cotton and sustainable wool. There are also a bazillion lovely vintage wool sweaters available for sale online.
This post contains affiliate links
9 Alternatives to Babaa Sweaters
1 | ABLE
Always a round-up favorite, ABLE recently released a few varieties of chunky-knit sweaters made with 100% organic, GOTS-certified cotton in an ethical factory.
XS-XL, Under $150
Try the Rose Relaxed Sweater Tunic and the Virginia Sweater Cardigan (pictured)
More from ABLE
2 | Quince
Quince uses Grade-A cashmere and a Manufacturer to Consumer business model to reduce waste from overstock in their supply chain. Learn more in my full review.
Sizes XS-XL, Under $150
Try the Boyfriend Cardigan (pictured).
3 | Italic
Italic uses the same factories as high-end designers to create their line of high quality clothing, shoes, accessories, home goods, and more. Their sweater collection includes cashmere, cotton, and this striking wool cardigan.
Sizes XS-XL. Most sweaters under $100
Try the Grandma Wool Ribbed Cardigan (pictured).
4 | Tradlands
Ethically produced in 100% cotton, the Shelter cardigan is about $50 less expensive than Babaa, but comes in multiple sizes.
XXS-2XL, $227
Shop the Shelter Cardigan. The Fisherman Sweater is beautiful, too.
5 | Backbeat Co.
Made in an ethical factory with organic cotton.
XS-XXL, $158
Shop the Organic Cotton Tie Cardigan (pictured).
6 | Reformation
A curated collection of cozy sweaters made with recycled cashmere.
XS-XL, ~$150
Shop the Luisa Cropped Sweater (pictured)
7 | Amour Vert
Made ethically with fully traceable, humane merino wool.
XS-XL, $150+
Shop the Penelope Sweater (pictured)
8 | People Tree
Classic knits made with 100% organic, fair trade certified cotton.
UK 8-16, ~$130
Shop the Rowena Cardigan (pictured)
9 | Allbirds
Carbon neutral and made with traceable, ethical wool, this is Allbirds’ first foray into clothing.
Shop the Wool Cardi (pictured).
10 | Vintage
Don’t forget to look for vintage wool cardigans and sweaters on Etsy and Ebay. They’re numerous, and often available at a very good price. Once you see a style you like, try narrowing your search by brand name or key terms.
I often search for “Irish wool” if I’m looking for a thick, sturdy style.
Looking for more sweater options? Guide to Sustainable Sweaters
Rebekah Childers
Thursday 16th of September 2021
Thanks for posting this! I was on the @selltradeslowfashion Instagram page, perusing their rejected brands and saw that Babaa was one of them due to their “stubborn” resistance to size-inclusivity, and wondered what that meant. I now see that they have a “one size” standard fit which, as you say, doesn’t fit a lot of people.
Leah Wise
Saturday 2nd of October 2021
That's interesting that they're not sold with them since they have historically been such a darling of the luxury sustainable fashion set!
Andrea
Sunday 15th of August 2021
Thanks for this! I've been eyeing Babas sweaters recently.snd looking for more affordable and still sustainable brands. I had not heard of some of these brands.
Leah Wise
Sunday 15th of August 2021
They are really beautiful sweaters! I'm glad that other companies make similar styles.