This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more information.

We’ve covered naturals, now on to the synthetic DK yarns! Synthetic materials like acrylic and nylon are often some of the most affordable yarns, and come in a wide range of styles, textures, and purposes. These nine synthetic yarns each have their own unique points, but only one will take the top position!

The Synthetic DK Yarns

Rico Baby Classic DK

• Cost: $5.25
• Materials: acrylic + polyamide
• Shape: ball
• Length: 180 yards (165 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢2.917
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? Yes

I put it through the washer and dryer to test out how it held up, and I do see some evidence of fuzzing and even a little bit of pilling. For a baby yarn, that’s not good, since the baby is liable to eat the pills (ew, and also potential health hazard). So that’s a pass for me. Some of the colors are really nice muted pastels, though, so for an adult or a non-heavy use item it would work just fine.

Will I buy again? Probably not.

Hayfield Bonus DK

• Cost: $4.00
• Materials: acrylic
• Shape: skein
• Length: 306 yards (280 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢1.304
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? Yes

Quite thick, more like worsted than DK weight. It’s soft and has a very plush feel, but is a bit fuzzy. I wouldn’t use it for a baby blanket since the fuzz may pill/come off and baby might eat it. For non-baby purposes I like it a lot, though!

Will I buy again? Maybe.

Yarn and Colors Amazing

• Cost: $3.50
• Materials: acrylic (recycled!)
• Shape: skein
• Length: 339 yards (310 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢1.032
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? No

I like that it’s recycled! That alone makes me more likely to repurchase and is quite unique among synthetic DK yarns (I’ve only seen recycled natural fibers so far). It’s very stiff in a way that makes me think it’d be good for toys like amigurumi. Other than that, nothing really jumps out or wows me about it.

Will I buy again? Maybe.

Paintbox Yarns Baby DK

• Cost: $3.50
• Materials: acrylic and nylon
• Shape: skein
• Length: 183 yards (167 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢1.913
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? No

No disrespect to Paintbox, but why on Earth would you make a baby yarn that’s air-dry only? New parents ain’t got time for that. According to my mom it’s practically a sin to make baby stuff out of non-machine dry yarn. It’d be perfectly fine for non-baby purposes, I’m just a little weirded out by a yarn marketed as a baby yarn not being dryer-safe.

Will I buy again? Probably not.

Stylecraft Special DK

• Cost: $3.50
• Materials: acrylic
• Shape: skein
• Length: 323 yards (295 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢1.080
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? Yes

Super soft when washed, like, wow. Totally see why so many people use this now. I kind of want to rub my face on it 😝 It’s soft, it’s affordable, it comes in like a million colors, it’s machine wash and dry safe which is a MUST for anything you’ll give as a baby gift… I am honestly quite impressed! 

Will I buy again? Yes!

Sirdar Snuggly DK

• Cost: $5.80
• Materials: nylon and acrylic
• Shape: skein
• Length: 180 yards (165 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢3.217
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? Yes

Really great, vibrant color. It also has a really smooth soft feel worked up. It didn’t pill up at all when I laundered it, so that’s another good sign! It’s a bit on the pricier side for a synthetic yarn but I do like the richness of the colors.

Will I buy again? Maybe.

Paintbox Yarns Simply DK

• Cost: $3.50
• Materials: acrylic
• Shape: skein
• Length: 302 yards (276 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢1.156
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? Yes

Not much jumped out at me about this yarn, honestly! I do like the vibrance and range of the available colors, but it’s not quite as soft as some of the other synthetics. That’s not to say it’s scratchy — it’s certainly not! Just not as much of an “I want to snuggle this yarn” reaction.

Will I buy again? Maybe.

Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday DK

• Cost: $5.00
• Materials: acrylic
• Shape: skein
• Length: 273 yards (250 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢1.828
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? Yes

This one washed up sooooo well. Super soft, no pilling at all. I ended up picking this one to make a baby blanket for my cousin, whose theme for her nursery is “woodlands.” It was a toss-up between this one and Stylecraft Special DK, but in the end I liked this line’s colors better for a woodlands theme. I also like that it’s Oeko-Tex certified so there’s no potential issue with the baby inevitably putting it in his mouth!

Will I buy again? Yes!

Schachenmayr Bravo

• Cost: $2.25
• Materials: acrylic
• Shape: skein
• Length: 145 yards (133 meters)
• Cost per yard: ¢1.552
• Machine washable? Yes
• Machine dryable? Yes

Note: while the LoveCrafts website indicates hand wash/dry flat, my yarn label says machine wash warm on permanent press and tumble dry low. 

This one’s really more like a worsted/aran weight yarn than a DK. I wouldn’t use it in a pattern calling for a DK yarn, but it’s soft, worked up well, and washed nicely. If I ever do a worsted yarn review I’ll pull it out again — I feel like I can’t really give it a fair evaluation next to all these proper DK yarns!

Will I buy again? Maybe.

My Favorite Synthetic DK Yarn

So, which of the nine synthetic DK yarns takes my top slot?

It was a close race between Stylecraft Special DK and Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday DK, but I have to hand it to Stylecraft as it has a slightly lower price. Both yarns are excellent though — a great range of colors in all shades and tints imaginable, washed up nicely, super soft and touchable. You couldn’t go wrong with either one, really.

Next up: blends and final verdicts!

Pin for Later: