The Best Yarn for Baby Blankets in 2024

Not all yarns are created equal. For a baby blanket, you’re looking for something that’s super soft, and durable enough to last through multiple washes and lots of use.

So, what is the softest yarn for a baby blanket? Which will last for a long time? Which will help you create the best baby blanket possible? We’ve put together a list of our picks for the best yarn for baby blankets and crafting.

Our Top Picks: Best Yarn for Baby Blankets

Here’s a brief rundown of our favorite yarns:

• Best Overall: Bernat Softee Baby Yarn. The first yarn you think of when you consider baby blanket yarn. Tons of different colors, super soft, and machine washable make this yarn a great pick.
• Best Durable: Babysoft Yarn – Lion Brand Yarns. This is a medium weight yarn that also comes in a great variety of colors. Lion Brand does a great job of giving you a decent amount of product per skein at a reasonable price. It is also machine washable and dryable.
• Best Colors: Bernat Pop! Cakes. Sensational colors give you tons of options for creative striping in your blankets. Use a combination of the Pop! Cakes and other options on this list in solids to make a creative and unique baby blanket.
• Best for Knitting: Bernat Baby Blanket Yarn. This yarn is specifically created with baby blankets in mind. Easier to work with that the softer, Softee line, is excellent for beginners. It’s ideal for knitting because its fibers are less likely to slip off the needles.
• Best Luxury: Malabrigo Arroyo. If you’re looking to impress the new parents-to-be, use this great luxury yarn. It’s a beautiful 100% merino wool that wraps the infant in a cloud of perfection. The colors are gorgeous, and it works up beautifully with either knitting or crochet.
• Best for Beginners: Celine Lin Baby Blanket Yarn. This durable fleece yarn is perfect for beginners, especially in knitting. The super vibrant colors make it easy to keep track of where you are in your project and make it simple to count stitches.

Knitting Gauge: US 6 / 22 sts x 30 rows | Crochet Gauge: US G6 / 16 sc x 19 rows

This is a classic yarn loved by all crafters for decades. The go-to for baby blankets for a generation comes in tons of different colors and offers enough weight for warmth but is also easy to work with for either beginners or expert yarn workers.

Ideal for both knitting and crochet, it’s a great overall performer and offers nearly perfect color consistency across lot numbers.

Knitting Gauge: US 7 / 18 sts x 26 rows | Crochet Gauge: US G6 / 16 sc x 19 rows

This is a classic yarn that is phenomenal for both baby blankets and even sweaters. Has a gorgeous and silky chenille feel without the added expense and easier care.

The color options are always fantastic from Lion Brand, so that’s a definite plus as well.

Knitting Gauge: US 8 / 16 sts x 20 rows | Crochet Gauge: US H6 / 12 sc x 13 rows

This is one of the best striping yarns for baby blankets. It’s vibrant color choices and beautiful self-striping make it enjoyable to look at and like you did a ton more work than you actually did.

If you’re looking to create something unique and not the typical pink or blue baby blanket, add some stripes or edging of Bernat Pop! To the mix.

Knitting Gauge: US 11 / 8 sts x 13 rows | Crochet Gauge: US K / 8 sc x 8 rows

This is a chenille-style yarn with the workability and versatility of an acrylic. It’s bigger gauge means it works up fast and is easy to take care of because it’s machine washable and dryable.

The knitting gauge and crochet gauge suggested is comfortable in hand. It will let you finish your project in record time without the cramping that can accompany working finer yarns.

Get the sturdiness of a plied sport yarn with the softness of chenille. A favorite of knitters, this yarn is gaining popularity as the perfect baby blanket yarn. While pricey, the colors are vibrant and texture second-to-none.

Merino wool is also fantastically soft and squishy, making it best for comfy blankets and soft sweaters.

With great colors, thick texture, and no fading or shrinking after washing, Celine Lin is an excellent choice for baby blankets. Perfect for beginners because it works up like a dream.

This is a super soft and warm and would also be an ideal choice for slippers, scarves, sweaters, or large afghans in addition to baby blankets.

You can use this yarn as an accent with their lovely self-striping combos or a single color yarn.

What to Look for in the Best Yarn for Baby Blankets

When it comes to baby blankets specifically, softness is key. You’ll want to look for a light worsted variety with a good feel on the skin. Avoid yarns that are delicate or easy to pull apart.

You’ll want to look for a yarn that will withstand a lot of use and washes since we are dealing with babies. Merino or polyester are great choices. Pick a yarn that uses a hook or needle recommendation that you’re comfortable using.

When buying yarn, especially if you want a blanket all in one color, it’s important to buy the right amount of skeins at the beginning and confirm they are all in the same lot number. This means the yarns have been dyed in the same batch and will have the most color consistency.

Each lot can vary slightly from one to the other, so you may be able to see a transition to a different lot in your final piece.

If you’re unable to buy multiple skeins of the same lot, there are still options for you. The easiest way to avoid noticeable color inconsistencies is to consider adding striping into your project. Each stripe of the blanket can be one or two solid skeins, and then you switch to a multi-colored yarn for another stripe, and then back to a solid. If there is a variance in the solid colors in your project, it will look intentional and won’t be as noticeable to begin with.

Our Process

We looked at a wide variety of different brands of yarn and manufacturers and stores to buy them in. We wanted to choose yarns that we personally have worked with — so added with those to our picks first. Priority picks were yarns that were both easy to work with, and easily washable, so that they could stand up to the abuse of time.

After that, we read most user reviews (both positive and negative) of each product to discover what shoppers thought about each different yarn we had chosen. We used this in addition to each yarn’s specifications to make our final choices and narrow down our list.

After comparing this data, we narrowed our list down to the top 6 baby blanket yarns on the market. You can count on this research to guide you to a mindful purchasing decision.

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