Head to head
Red Heart Super Saver vs Caron Simply Soft
Two worsted acrylics at almost exactly the same yards per gram. Everything that matters is somewhere else.
By Sawyer V. · Published September 27, 2026
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The short answer
Buy Super Saver for blankets, charity knitting and anything that will be washed hard - it is coarser, it has no dye lot on the solids, and it tumble dries. Buy Simply Soft for garments and anything worn next to skin - it is softer and shinier with real drape, and its band says dry flat rather than tumble dry. The yardage per gram is almost identical, so this is a decision about hand and care, not value.
The numbers, which settle less than you would think
| Red Heart Super Saver | Caron Simply Soft | |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 100% acrylic | 100% acrylic |
| Weight | 4 Medium / worsted | 4 Medium / worsted |
| Skein | 7oz / 198g, 364yd | 6oz / 170g, 315yd |
| Yards per 100g | About 184 | About 185 |
| Knit gauge | 17 sts x 23 rows on 5mm | 18 sts x 24 rows on 5mm |
| Crochet gauge | 12 sc x 15 rows on 5.5mm | 13 sc x 14 rows on 5mm |
| Dye lot | None on the solids | Dye lots apply |
| Care | Machine wash warm, tumble dry low | Machine wash cool, dry flat |
Yards per 100g comes out at roughly 184 against 185. For a yarn comparison that is a dead heat - whatever you are choosing between, it is not value per gram.
Hand, and what each one is like to work
- Super Saver is firm and squeaks against the needle. It is the coarser of the two out of the ball, and it softens noticeably after a wash rather than before.
- Simply Soft is soft and shiny immediately, with a slick surface and a visible sheen in daylight.
- Simply Soft splits more, because the softness comes from a looser twist. A tapered hook or a blunt needle tip helps - see why does my yarn split.
- Super Saver holds its stitch, which is why it is the granny square and blanket default.
- Both are easy to see, which matters more for beginners than either quality.
Drape, which cuts both ways
Simply Soft has noticeably more drape than Super Saver. Whether that is a virtue depends entirely on what you are making.
| Project | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Blanket | Super Saver | Body, and it tumble dries |
| Granny squares | Super Saver | Holds the shape of the motif |
| Amigurumi | Super Saver | Stuffing does not show through a firm fabric |
| Cardigan or top | Simply Soft | Drape, and softness against skin |
| Scarf or cowl | Simply Soft | Next to the neck, where coarseness is felt |
| Basket or bag | Super Saver | Simply Soft is too limp to hold a shape |
| Charity items | Super Saver | No dye lot, tumble dries, cheapest yardage |
The no-dye-lot advantage
Super Saver's solid shades carry no dye lot, meaning they are made to a consistent standard rather than in batches. Simply Soft has dye lots like most yarn.
For a single project bought at once, this changes nothing. For a blanket you will add to over months, a charity batch knitted across a year, or a temperature blanket, it removes the commonest way those projects go visibly wrong - see best yarn for a temperature blanket.
What neither one fixes
- Both pill, as most acrylics do. If that is your complaint, the anti-pilling line is the deliberate answer - see why yarn pills.
- Both are acrylic, so neither is warm in the way wool is when damp, and neither takes blocking permanently except by steam - see acrylic vs wool yarn.
- Neither is soft the way merino is soft. Simply Soft is soft for an acrylic.
- Both shed microplastics in the wash, like all synthetics - see does acrylic yarn shed microplastics.
Which we would buy
Super Saver, for most of what this site's readers make - blankets, squares, toys and charity work - because the care label and the dye lot behavior suit those jobs and the coarseness washes out. Simply Soft where the fabric touches a neck or hangs from a shoulder, and where someone will read the care label before drying it.
The two, and two alternatives
Red Heart Super Saver
100% acrylic, worsted, 364yd per 198g skein, 17 sts x 23 rows on 5mm, no dye lot on the solids, machine wash warm and tumble dry low.
$4.29 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of September 27, 2026
Caron Simply Soft
100% acrylic, worsted, 315yd per 170g skein, 18 sts x 24 rows on 5mm, machine wash cool and dry flat.
$14.55 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of September 27, 2026
Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling
The third option when pilling is the complaint: 100% acrylic, worsted, 185yd per 100g, machine wash and machine dry.
$5.99 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of September 27, 2026
Lion Brand Heartland
Softer than Super Saver with more yardage than Simply Soft: 100% acrylic, 251yd per 142g skein.
$12.42 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of September 27, 2026
Questions people actually ask
Which is cheaper, Super Saver or Simply Soft?
Per gram they are almost identical - roughly 184 against 185 yards per 100g. Super Saver comes in a larger skein, so a single skein costs more while covering more. Value is not what separates them.
Can you put Caron Simply Soft in the dryer?
Its band says machine wash cool and dry flat, while Super Saver's says machine wash warm and tumble dry low. For anything going to a household that will not read a label, that difference matters more than softness.
Which is softer?
Simply Soft, clearly, and it has more sheen and more drape. Super Saver is firmer out of the ball and softens after washing rather than before.
Which is better for a baby blanket?
Super Saver, for the care label - it tumble dries, which a baby blanket needs. If softness matters more to you than laundry, Simply Soft is the softer yarn, and a dedicated baby yarn is softer than either.
Does Super Saver really have no dye lot?
On the solid shades, yes - they are made to a consistent standard rather than in batches. That is genuinely useful for a project you will add to over months, and irrelevant for one you buy in a single trip.