RUTH | Waffle knit that traps the warmth

It is warmer than it has any right to be for how light it is. I keep checking the label.

Warmth in a sweater usually costs you something. The thick ones are genuinely warm and also heavy on the shoulders and bulky under a coat, so they get worn on the coldest days and ignored the rest of the time. What most women want is warmth that does not announce itself. Ruth gets there through the structure of the knit rather than the thickness of it.

The knit is a waffle, meaning the yarn is worked into small raised squares that trap air between them. That trapped air is what holds the warmth, so the sweater stays light in the hand while behaving like something heavier on the body. The fit is loose with a classic crew neckline, and a short button placket at the chest lets you open the neck when a room warms up. It washes cold on a gentle cycle.

Why women our age keep coming back to it

• Warmth from the structure, not the weight. The waffle texture traps air in the knit, which is why it holds heat without sitting heavy on the shoulders.
• It fits under a coat. Because the bulk is in the texture rather than the thickness, it goes under outerwear without straining the sleeves.
• A placket to let the heat out. Open the buttons at the neck when you come indoors rather than taking the whole thing off.
• Four strong colors and sizes to 5XL. Orange, Red, Black and White, in a texture that shows color well.

Buy more, save more

• Buy 2, save 10%
• Buy 3, save 15%
• Buy 4, save 20%

The discount is applied automatically at checkout.

How it fits

True to size with a loose fit, in S through 5XL. Take your usual size. If you are between two, take the larger one, because a waffle knit flattens when it is stretched and loses exactly the air pockets that make it warm. Wash cold on a gentle cycle to keep the texture raised. Returns are covered below.

30 days to change your mind

Wear it on a cold morning and see whether you need a coat over it. If it is not right, send it back within 30 days for a full refund. No restocking fee and no conditions attached.

A few recent reviews

I wore it in Flagstaff in January under a light jacket and was perfectly warm. Zona H., Prescott

The texture gives it something. It does not look like a plain sweater even in black. Ethelyn W., Mesa

Opening the two buttons at the neck is enough to cool off indoors. Small thing, used daily. Bertie J., Boise