| Grade | Micron range | Peruvian class | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 — Ultrafine | <20 µm | Royal Alpaca (≤19 µm) | Luxury next-to-skin knitwear, Baby garments |
| Grade 2 — Superfine | 20–23 µm | Baby Alpaca (≤22.5 µm) | Next-to-skin sweaters and scarves, Fine knitting yarns |
| Grade 3 — Fine | 23–26 µm | Superfine (≤25.5 µm) | Sweaters, hats, mittens, Knitting and weaving yarns |
| Grade 4 — Medium | 26–29 µm | Huarizo (≤29 µm) | Outerwear sweaters, Socks (with nylon) |
| Grade 5 — Intermediate | 29–32 µm | Coarse (≤32 µm) | Socks and boot liners, Outer garments |
| Grade 6 — Coarse | 32–35 µm | Mixed pieces (>32 µm) | Rugs, Felted insoles and dryer balls |
| Grade 7 — Very Coarse | 35+ µm | Mixed pieces | Rugs and mats, Garden mulch and erosion mats |
Key terms
- AFD — average fiber diameter in microns.
- SD / CV — how variable the diameters are; lower means a more uniform, softer-feeling fleece.
- Comfort factor — % of fibers under 30 µm; above ~95% feels comfortable next to skin.
- Spin fineness — how fine the yarn will feel, combining AFD and CV.
- Medullation — hollow cores; heavy medullation adds coarseness and dyes unevenly.