CARDIGAN & SWEATER — cozy

Written By Katie Jackson 

—— For starters, it has incredibly deep pockets.

The only cardigan I don't like is the one I can't afford. They're my favorite style of sweater. In fact, I don't think I would have minded being forced to wear a school uniform if it had included a cardigan. I get at least one new cardigan every year. Last year, it was this classic long cardigan I bought in H&M in the mall. The year before, it was a cool Aztec-themed cardigan I found in a boutique. This year, I'm not shopping in stores as much. So, I decided to try Amazon's bestselling cardigan sweater for women.

It's a bestseller

It's not enough to say this cardigan is a bestseller. It's ranked in the top five on Amazon's list of Best-Sellers in Women's Cardigans. What's more, MEROKEETY, the brand who makes it, also has the No. 1 and the No. 2 top-selling sweaters in this category. This sweater also has an impressive 4.5-star average rating from more than 15,000 ratings. To me, that spoke volumes.

It's $37 and comes in 25 colors

Can you find cheaper cardigans out there? Yes. Are they bestsellers? Probably not. Even though this sweater cost about twice as much as last year's H&M cardigan, it's worth it. For starters, it comes in 25 colors so you could wear a different one every day for almost a month. Second, it has pockets! And these aren't pockets just for show. They're deep enough to fit my iPhone XS, both of my TV remotes and even the water bottle I bring everywhere all at once.

The fabric is soft yet sturdy

I love my affordable cashmere sweaters, but I hate the time and money it takes to clean them. This sweater, which is made of a 100% polyester "popcorn yarn," is more practical for daily wear. The best way to describe how soft the fabric is would be to compare it to what stuffed animals — the kind meant for babies — are made of.

Also, don't be alarmed by the packaging. This sweater comes in a vacuum-sealed bag and looks incredibly flat, but it expands and reveals its true fluffiness as soon as you open it. However, unlike fuzzy sweaters or cable knit sweaters I've had in the past, this one doesn't shed or pile. To clean it, I just wash it in the washing machine with laundry detergent that's gentle but hardworking and cold water. It can't go in the dryer, but it's not a big deal. It dries faster than my bath towels. (I don't own a dryer, so I know how fast everything dries!)

It has the perfect stretch factor

This sweater is so stretchy, I can give myself hugs without worrying about tearing the back. I can also fill up the pockets with real weight because they retain their shape so well. The fit, while definitely a boyfriend-style, is more feminine than other oversized sweaters. I might not dress very feminine, but I certainly feel more fashionable and less lazy when I'm wearing it.

That said, it's the perfect thing to wear while lazing around the house. Most days, it's the first thing I reach for in the morning and the last thing I take off at night. If that doesn't warrant an award for sweater of the year, then I don't know what does.