FAQs

Unlike your typical cotton garment or other man-made materials, yak cashmere and baby alpaca do not need to be washed frequently thanks to their awesome anti-microbial properties. They will remain stink-free for quite some time and can be worn many times between washings if you simply air them out between adventures. Spot clean and air out your Happy Yak product and you will be amazed at how long it lasts. A nice bonus: less washing means you're saving water, too.

It's fine to throw them in the machines from time to time, but we don't recommend it often because we want you to get the longest life possible out of your Happy Yak stuff. Just like other high-quality wool and cashmere garments, we recommend hand wash and hang dry.

Let's face it though, we know you're going to throw them in the washer and dryer because it's easier. That's OK. Our products are designed to handle it. Just use cold water and delicate low heat to dry. Some pilling will happen after your first couple of machine wash and dry cycles. This is normal and totally OK. The same thing happens when you machine wash and dry a nice sweater.

Even the most expensive natural wool and cashmere garments pill. It's totally natural. The fact that you see some pilling is actually a good thing: it's a sign that you're getting legitimate, high-quality natural fiber and not a bunch of synthetic fiber with only a small percentage of cashmere. The pilling will decrease after a wash or two.

Shrinkage is common in quality wool and cashmere garments when you machine wash. It's a sign that you're getting real cashmere and not a bunch of synthetic materials. Don't fret. Once you put the socks back on they will stretch out. You can also wet them down and lay them out to air dry and they should relax.

You just need to know your shoe size. Visit the Sizing page to see how our socks relate to shoe sizes in the USA, UK, Europe and Japan.

We purposely keep our supply limited for three big reasons.

• There is a limited amount of yak wool and baby alpaca wool out there. Yak wool is a highly seasonal product that is only available twice a year, and baby alpaca wool comes from the first shearing of a young alpaca.
• We do not believe in over-stressing the land and the farmers. We want to make sure we're maintaining a sustainable, balanced product supply chain.
• We believe in quality over quantity.

Our primary focus is to sell Happy Yak products from this site to ensure we're giving our community the best quality product and experience possible. We are excited to test market our products in a few select retailers but are not currently available in any mass retail outlets.

We hate to break it to you, but you probably weren't sold genuine yak wool. The old saying "you get what you pay for" is true here. Many of the so-called "yak socks" on the market are actually made with low-grade yak wool and excess fillers like merino wool and synthetics. They also don't have anywhere near the level of production quality you'll find in a Happy Yak product.

Simple economics. Yak cashmere is an exotic material with a limited supply. Due to the scarcity of the material and the non-industrialized way in which the animals are raised, there is significantly less material available. When the yak cashmere is gone for the season, it is gone. Yak cashmere is finally being discovered in the fashion community outside of Asia and is under a lot more demand in other types of apparel. Our prices will have to fluctuate from season to season to align to the market.

Much of our yak cashmere and baby alpaca product is dye-free, so it is the same color as the animals themselves. That means we're not dumping more chemicals into the environment around us and on your body. Because the wool comes from a variety of yaks or alpacas, you might see subtle variations from one Happy Yak product to the next, and from season to season. That's what makes each piece special.

We can't exactly send the yaks and alpacas to the salon, but yak cashmere and baby alpaca can be dyed a variety of colors.

Yes! Of course we will, once we're sure it meets the standards of quality we expect. We're continuing to experiment with the dyeing process so that we are sure we're not harming you or the environment. Currently the dyeing process also slightly weakens the fibers. We're working on ways to improve this.

Aside from our love and hope that you'll enjoy them? Not much. Bamboo is one additional material used in some of our socks. Like yak cashmere and baby alpaca, it's natural, soft, moisture-wicking and breathable, which helps keep feet dry and comfortable and reduces friction and blisters. Bamboo also has natural antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties, making it a good option for sensitive skin and for preventing odor.

We prefer to make our products with a minimal amount of fillers so that you're getting the value and quality you expect. We do use a minimal amount of nylon for elasticity and support.

Some of our yak products also use another natural Mongolian fiber: wool from the Mongolian fat-tailed sheep, blended in small amounts into the heels and toes for extra reinforcement. These sheep are native to the region, raised in the wild alongside the yaks and bred to survive the harsh Mongolian steppes. They are not like your classic merino sheep.

Happy Yak also makes socks with baby alpaca fiber, which is comparable to yak cashmere in many ways and which we can provide at a more affordable price.

We believe in delivering unparalleled comfort while caring for the environment, and yak wool lets us do just that. Unlike merino, yak wool has exceptional thermal properties that provide superior insulation in colder climates. It is also naturally hypoallergenic and gentle on sensitive skin.

Yaks, native to the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas and Central Asia, have adapted to survive extreme conditions with minimal impact on their surroundings. They require no extra feed and graze on natural vegetation, and our commitment to ethical sourcing means the wool is collected responsibly, supporting local communities and fair trade practices.

• Yak is 44% warmer per weight than merino wool.
• Yak has 66% better moisture wicking than sheep wool.
• Naturally odor resistant: wear them for days.
• Sustainable and not factory farmed. Our yak cashmere is hand-gathered once a year by nomadic herders.
• Hypoallergenic and not itchy. Allergic to wool? You will love yak.
• Soft as cashmere, with a fiber diameter of 14–17 microns.

100% genuine Mongolian yak cashmere. No knockoffs, no imitations, no substitutions. People sometimes refer to it as yak wool, but that's not completely accurate: true yak cashmere is the fine wool that grows closer to the yak's body. We don't mind if you call it yak wool.

The most obvious way is a luxurious softness that merino can't compare to. Beyond that, the performance and comfort properties of yak cashmere dominate merino. We might be partial, so we'll let the science speak.

• It adjusts better to high heat and humidity and is comfortable in practically any climate.
• Naturally hollow fibers capture and retain more warmth than merino, which lets the socks be lighter weight.
• Greater breathability means better heat regulation during any type of activity.
• Better moisture wicking means faster drying and no damp swamp foot.
• Natural UV protection.
• Anti-microbial and odor resistant, unlike synthetic fibers and cotton.
• Naturally water resistant, so a splash in a puddle or a spilled iced coffee is less likely to soak through.
• Naturally smooth fibers under a microscope, as opposed to jagged merino fiber: a softer fabric with less chemical treatment.
• Naturally dye-free. Yak cashmere comes in shades of brown, gray, black and white, but it can be dyed other colors.
• Naturally resists wrinkling and static.

No. Not even a little bit. Yaks are 2,000 lbs of lumbering toughness built for some of the most rugged landscapes on the planet. Merino sheep are much smaller and more frail.

Our yaks don't have any frequent flyer miles, so they tend to be homebodies and stay in Mongolia. Yak cashmere is only available from a few select places on the planet, like Mongolia, Tibet and Nepal. Yaks live at altitudes from 8,000 to 18,000 feet, where temperatures reach -50°F in winter and 104°F in summer. Compare that to merino: most commercial merino wool comes from Australia and New Zealand at around 3,000 feet, where it only gets down to about -4°F.

We ask really nicely. When that doesn't work, we comb rather than clip. The process is more involved and takes longer, but it is significantly less stressful and painful, so our yaks are back out on the open steppes grazing no worse for wear.

Merino sheep wool, on the other hand, is harvested in an industrialized, assembly-line fashion of shearing that prizes speed over animal welfare, which leads to an alarming amount of stress, injury and sometimes death.

You try growing your hair out on demand. It's hard. We've tried.

We let the yaks grow their coats naturally, without our interference, which produces finer, softer fibers, and we gather the cashmere to coincide with their natural molting cycles. Because a yak is combed rather than sheared, the yield is lower. No way are we shearing a yak. It doesn't like it.

Yak cashmere is only available at select times of the year. Once it's gone, it's gone until the next season. Nature doesn't follow our schedules, and we're happy to work in balance with the natural cycle of things.

One of the things we stand for is respect for the land. Natural yak habitats are fragile, and we support living in balance with what the land can properly sustain. We don't want to encourage an over-burdened level of farming: it's harmful to the land, the people, the animals and, in the end, to you, because you get a sub-par product. Unlike merino, yak herders keep yaks in the family for the whole life of the yak, for milk, work, fuel, clothing and transport.

Baby alpaca is an ultra-soft luxury grade of alpaca fiber. The "baby" refers to the fineness of the fibers rather than the age of the animal, although it usually comes from the prime (first) shearing of a younger animal.

Baby alpaca is warm, lightweight and soft: even softer and silkier than regular alpaca fibers. It's naturally hypoallergenic because it is lanolin-free. It's also highly durable and anti-microbial (stink-free), and its hollow, air-filled fibers provide thermoregulating breathability that keeps you warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather.

Alpaca has better temperature regulation than merino (warmer in winter, cooler in summer), and it's softer, breathable and hypoallergenic because it contains no lanolin.

Baby alpaca fibers are softer than regular, standard, fine or superfine alpaca. The micron range of baby alpaca is thinner, which makes it better for people with sensitive skin because it isn't itchy.

Most of the world's alpaca population is in South America, where the animals have been bred for the last 5,000 years. Happy Yak's baby alpaca comes from Peru.

Alpacas are sheared once per year, similar to sheep, and the process causes no harm to the animal.

• Alpaca has a lower environmental impact than merino thanks to gentle grazing (soft footpads that don't damage soil), lower water and food needs, and less reliance on harsh chemical treatments for softness.
• It requires less processing than merino because it lacks lanolin and is often available in natural colors, which eliminates dyeing and the associated chemicals and water.
• It's 100% biodegradable when not dyed.
• It's durable, so with proper care alpaca products last a long time without needing to be replaced.
• It's naturally anti-microbial and stink-free, so it needs little washing: minimal water, soap and energy.

You have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return. The item must be in the condition you received it: unworn, unopened, with tags and in its original packaging, and you'll need proof of purchase. Sign in to the Customer Portal, open the order and click "Request return". If accepted, we send a return shipping label and instructions. Return shipping is free; original shipping costs are not refunded, and a 10% restocking fee applies. Once we've received and inspected the return, an approved refund goes to your original payment method within 10 business days.

Submit a warranty claim within 100 days of receiving the product, through the Customer Portal or the Warranty Claim page. Return the product to the warranty address provided (you pay the return shipping). If the claim is approved, we send a digital gift card for the product purchase amount within 10 business days. Original shipping costs are excluded.

Due to seasonal inventory and limited supply, we don't support direct exchanges. The fastest way to get what you want is to return the item through the refund or warranty process and, once it's accepted, place a separate order for the new item.

Inspect your order when it arrives and contact us right away at info@happyyak.com if an item is defective, damaged or not what you ordered, so we can evaluate the issue and make it right.

Worn items aren't eligible for a refund, but may qualify for a warranty claim. Sale items and gift cards can't be returned. If the order is shipping into the European Union, you have the right to cancel or return within 14 days for any reason, under the same condition requirements.