Camel Hair Coat vs Wool Coat vs Cashmere: Which Should You Buy?

A camel hair coat is made from the soft undercoat of the camel, a light, warm and naturally golden fibre. A camel wool coat is usually virgin sheep’s wool dyed camel. Camel hair is softer and costs more, wool is tougher, and cashmere is the softest of all. Max Mara’s Manuela coat is pure camel hair; the 101801 is wool with cashmere. Compare them at Max Mara at Coveti.

Key facts

• Camel hair comes from the fine undercoat of the camel. It is light for its warmth and has a natural tan colour, so many camel hair coats are left undyed.
• Virgin wool means wool spun for the first time, not recycled. It is the most hard-wearing of the three coat fibres.
• Cashmere comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats. It is the softest and the most likely to pill with friction.
• Max Mara Manuela coat: a pure camel hair wrap coat with a notched collar, side pockets and a belt, and a house classic.
• Max Mara 101801 coat: designed by Anne-Marie Beretta in 1981, a double-breasted camel coat in wool and cashmere with kimono sleeves.
• Prices on Coveti: main line Max Mara camel hair coats from $4,070, 100% virgin wool coats from $1,050 and 100% cashmere coats from $3,650.

What is the difference between a camel hair coat and a camel coat?

This is the question that trips most shoppers up. “Camel coat” describes a colour: a warm tan that can be made in any fibre. “Camel hair coat” describes the fabric: a coat woven from the hair of the camel. A camel wool coat is a wool coat in that colour. Plenty of camel coats contain no camel hair at all, and some camel hair coats are dyed black, navy and blue.

Max Mara shows this clearly. The Manuela Icon coat is 100% camel hair and comes in camel, black and ultramarine. The Madame 101801 is 90% virgin wool and 10% cashmere in camel, sand, black, white, tobacco and ultramarine. Both are “camel coats” in their most famous colour, but only one is a camel hair coat. Always read the composition label, which Coveti lists on every product page.

If you are shopping by colour, our guide to the best camel coats for women ranks the styles; if you are shopping by fabric, read on.

Camel hair versus wool versus cashmere: the comparison

Is a camel hair coat warmer than wool?

Weight for weight, yes. Camel hair traps a lot of air in a light fabric, so a camel hair coat feels warm without the heaviness of a thick wool broadcloth. In practice, warmth depends as much on the weave and the cut as the fibre. A double-faced wool coat, two layers of wool woven together, can be just as warm as a single layer of camel hair, and it will usually take more knocks.

For a mild winter, in London, Sydney and Vancouver, a camel hair coat is often the most comfortable choice because it does not feel like armour. For a hard winter, in Toronto, Chicago and New York, layer it over a cashmere turtleneck, choose a camel hair teddy, which adds a deep pile, and keep a padded coat for the coldest days. Our womens wool coats guide covers the wool side in more depth.

Which wears better: camel hair, wool and cashmere?

Virgin wool is the toughest. A dense wool broadcloth shrugs off bag straps, car seats and rain, and it brushes back to shape. If your coat will be worn daily on a commute, wool is the safest buy.

Camel hair is softer and slightly more delicate. It can pill where a bag strap rubs and at the underarm, and it shows wear on the cuffs over many seasons. A good clothes brush and a pill comb fix most of this. The fibre’s natural colour is an advantage: on undyed camel hair, light scuffs show far less than on black.

Cashmere is the most delicate of the three. It is extraordinarily soft but pills more quickly and should be rotated with another coat if you wear it every day. Max Mara’s 101801 uses 10% cashmere in a wool base for exactly this reason: you get some of the softness with most of the toughness of wool.

How much does a camel hair coat cost?

At Max Mara, prices follow the fibre. On Coveti, Weekend Max Mara and ‘S Max Mara camel coats in 100% virgin wool sit between $1,050 and $1,910. Main line camel hair coats start at $4,070 for the Rialto robe coat and $4,290 for the Manuela. Pure cashmere coats start at $3,650 in Max Mara Studio, and the main line Ludmilla costs $8,470. Camel hair teddy fabric, 88% camel hair and 12% silk, is used for the Teddy Bear Icon coat at $5,280.

Whether the extra spend is worth it depends on how often you will wear the coat. A camel hair coat worn three days a week through five winters costs less per wear than a cheaper coat replaced every two years. We break down the maths in is Max Mara worth it.

How do you care for a camel hair coat?

• Brush after wearing. A soft clothes brush lifts dust and stops it settling into the fibre. Brush downward, with the nap.
• Hang it properly. Use a wide, shaped wooden hanger so the shoulders keep their line. Never hang a wet coat on a thin hanger.
• Let it rest. Give the coat a day off between wears so the fibre can recover.
• Dry clean sparingly. Once a season is usually enough. Spot-clean marks with a damp cloth first.
• Store with cedar. Over summer, store the coat clean, in a breathable cotton cover, with cedar to deter moths.
• De-pill gently. Use a cashmere comb on any bobbling at the cuffs and pocket edges.

The same rules apply to wool and cashmere. Teddy coats need extra space in the wardrobe so the pile does not flatten; read our guide to the Max Mara Teddy Bear coat for pile-specific care.

Which should you buy?

• Buy camel hair if you want the softest, lightest warm coat and you will look after it. The Manuela is the classic.
• Buy virgin wool if you want a hard-wearing everyday coat at a lower price. Weekend Max Mara and ‘S Max Mara do this well.
• Buy wool and cashmere if you want a balance of softness and toughness. The 101801 is the benchmark.
• Buy cashmere if you want the most luxurious handle and own a second coat to rotate with.

Browse every fabric in the women’s coats edit, filter by wool coats, and see the full shape guide in types of coats. For a wrap, cape and belted alternative, our cape coats for women guide covers the camel hair and cashmere capes from MaxMara Accessori.

Where can I buy a Max Mara camel hair coat in the US?

Coveti stocks Max Mara camel hair, wool and cashmere coats and ships to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority, insured and signed for on delivery. Prices are in US dollars, and duties are usually payable on import. Every composition is listed on the product page. See the full Max Mara collection.

The best camel hair, wool and cashmere coats on Coveti

1. Manuela Icon Coat in Camel

The pure camel hair wrap coat: notched collar, side pockets and a belt. The benchmark camel hair coat. From $4,290.

2. Rialto Camel Robe Coat in Camel

A hooded robe coat in sable-look pure camel broadcloth with patch pockets and hand stitching. The entry point to Max Mara camel hair. From $4,070.

3. Ready Icon Coat in Camel

Pure camel double fabric, cut straight with raglan sleeves and pick-stitched seams. A heavier, warmer camel hair wrap. From $6,270.

4. Teddy Bear Icon Coat in Camel

The camel hair teddy: 88% camel hair and 12% silk, with a deep pile for the coldest days. From $5,280.

5. Madame 101801 Icon Coat in Camel

Wool with 10% cashmere, double-breasted with kimono sleeves. The best balance of softness and durability. From $5,170.

6. Rebus Short 101801 Icon Coat in Camel

The 101801 in a shorter length and the same wool and cashmere fabric. The most accessible Icon coat on Coveti. From $3,620.

7. Ludmilla Icon Coat in Camel

A pure cashmere coat in the camel colour, for the softest handle Max Mara makes. From $8,470.

8. Ondina Short Wool Beaver Cloth Robe Coat in Camel

A short, slim robe coat in lightweight fine virgin wool beaver cloth with hand-stitched detail. A camel wool coat for shorter frames. From $4,070.

9. Poldo Wool Broadcloth Robe Coat in Camel

An ‘S Max Mara wrap coat hand-sewn from pure wool double broadcloth and lined in silk. A tough, warm camel wool coat for women who want the wrap shape. From $1,810.

10. Esturia Double-Faced Wool Midi Coat in Camel

Double-faced pure wool, unlined, with kimono sleeves and a slight flare at the hem. From $1,910.

11. Resina Double-Breasted Wool Coat in Camel

The Weekend Max Mara camel wool coat: pure virgin wool drap, kimono sleeves and a belt. From $1,580.

12. Dolce Long Reversible Camel Puffer in Camel

A Max Mara The Cube puffer with a quilted pure camel hair face, reversing to a technical side. Camel hair warmth with padded insulation. From $3,420.

More Max Mara guides

• Best camel coats for women
• How to style a camel coat
• Max Mara coats guide
• Womens wool coats
• Max Mara Teddy Bear coat
• Weekend Max Mara coats
• Is Max Mara worth it

Frequently asked questions

Is the Max Mara camel coat made of camel hair?

It depends on the style. The Max Mara Manuela coat is 100% camel hair, as are the Rialto and Ready coats. The famous 101801 camel coat is 90% virgin wool and 10% cashmere, so it is camel in colour but not in fibre. Check the composition on each Coveti product page.

Is camel hair better than wool for a coat?

Camel hair is softer and lighter for its warmth; wool is tougher and cheaper. For a coat you will wear daily in rain and on a crowded commute, virgin wool is the safer choice. For a coat you want to feel light and soft, camel hair is the better fibre, provided you brush it and rest it between wears.

Does a camel hair coat pill?

Camel hair can pill where there is friction, usually under the arms, at the cuffs and where a bag strap rubs. It pills less than pure cashmere. A cashmere comb removes the bobbles, and rotating the coat with a second one reduces wear.

What is a camel wool coat?

A camel wool coat is a coat made of sheep’s wool in a camel colour. It is usually tougher and less expensive than camel hair. Max Mara’s Weekend and ‘S Max Mara lines make camel wool coats in 100% virgin wool, priced on Coveti from $1,050 to $1,910.

Is cashmere warmer than camel hair?

Both are very warm for their weight, and the difference in a coat is small. Cashmere feels softer and has a slight sheen; camel hair is a little drier and more matte, and it usually wears better. Max Mara’s pure cashmere coats start at $3,650 on Coveti, and its main line camel hair coats at $4,070.

How long does a Max Mara camel hair coat last?

With brushing, a proper hanger, rest days between wears and occasional dry cleaning, a Max Mara camel hair coat can be worn for many winters. The classic shapes, such as the Manuela wrap, change very little from season to season, so the coat does not date.

Choose the fibre that suits how you live, then choose the shape. Compare every option in the Max Mara collection at Coveti, and read our Max Mara coats guide and best camel coats for women to find your coat.