Products · Clothing & underwear · Paka
Paka Essential Tee
Reader ratings
A tee of 85% organic Pima cotton and 15% alpaca with no spandex, made in Peru. The fiber list is clear. Paka’s OEKO-TEX and organic claims give no certificate numbers, so we could not check them.
Best for Someone who wants a natural-fiber tee with no elastane or polyester and is willing to pay more, knowing the certificates are the maker’s word.
- Our quality rating
- Fair (3 of 5)
- Price range
- Premium
- Verified marks
- Certified B Corporation: Paka (company, not product), per B Lab’s directory
- Size
- Women’s XS to XXL, many colors; a men’s Essential Tee is sold too
- Made in
- Made in Peru
approx. $59 per tee
See it on Paka’s site →We are not affiliated with Paka. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.
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How we evaluated it
Why we chose it What put it on our list
- The page states the whole fabric: 85% organic Pima cotton and 15% Royal Alpaca fiber. No elastane, nylon or polyester is listed.
- Paka says the alpaca is sourced from free-roaming herds in the Andes and that orders include a source certificate from its partners in Peru. We did not see or check one.
- B Lab’s directory lists Paka as a Certified B Corporation since November 2020, with an overall score of 105.0. That is a company-level mark, not a textile test.
- Paka offers free returns within 30 days in the US.
Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy
- Paka says all its alpaca wool is OEKO-TEX certified and that its dyes are OEKO-TEX and GOTS certified. It gives no certificate number, and Paka does not appear in OEKO-TEX’s Buying Guide (an opt-in directory). Those claims stay the maker’s.
- The page says “organic Pima cotton” without naming the organic standard or a certificate.
- It does not say what the dyes, thread or neckband are, or whether any finish is used. Paka says alpaca is naturally antimicrobial and odor-resistant. That is a claim about the fiber, which we did not verify.
- At about $59 it costs more than any other basic in this list. Paka’s Essential underwear is a different blend: 46% Tencel, 32% organic Pima cotton, 14% alpaca and 8% spandex.
What to know Details worth knowing first
Paka is a Colorado company that makes alpaca clothing in Peru, and its Essential Tee is the piece in its range that best fits our checklist. The fabric is two natural fibers, 85% organic Pima cotton and 15% alpaca, with no spandex or synthetic blend. Our microplastics guide recommends natural fibers over synthetics where practical, because synthetic fabrics shed microfibers.
What we could not do is confirm the certificates. Paka says its alpaca wool and dyes are OEKO-TEX certified, but it gives no number to look up, and OEKO-TEX’s label check needs one. The page also does not name the standard behind “organic”. Our clothing chemicals guide notes that organic cotton is a statement about the fiber, not the finish, and that certifications covering finishing matter more.
Until Paka publishes a certificate number, those claims stay its word. Ask Paka which certificate covers the yarn and dyes, and wash the tee before wearing it.
Quality & testing How it measures up against our checklist
- Tested by
- B Lab (company-level B Corp directory)
| What we checked | What we found |
|---|---|
| Certified textiles Maker’s claim | Paka says all its alpaca wool is OEKO-TEX certified, and that its yarn dyes are OEKO-TEX and GOTS certified, with no certificate numbers. Paka does not appear in OEKO-TEX’s Buying Guide company search (opt-in). The page does not name the standard behind “organic Pima cotton”. |
| Natural fibers, synthetics stated Maker’s claim | 85% organic Pima cotton, 15% Royal Alpaca. No elastane, nylon or polyester. |
| No PFAS finishes Not verified | Not mentioned on the product page. |
| No antimicrobial finishes Not verified | Paka describes alpaca as naturally antimicrobial and odor-resistant. It does not say whether any finish is added. |
| Dyes and trims named Maker’s claim | Not named for this tee. Paka’s origin page says the fiber is dyed with OEKO-TEX and GOTS certified dyes, or left in natural alpaca colors. |
| B Corp (company) Verified | B Lab’s directory lists Paka as a Certified B Corporation since November 2020, overall score 105.0. |
What the labels mean
- Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
- Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
- Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
Sources Where our facts come from
- Paka Women’s Essential Tee product page. Maker’s page. Fiber percentages and the $59 price, read on 2026-10-22. Open ↗
- Paka: the origin of your alpaca (maker). Maker’s page. Dye claims and the Traceable Alpaca description. Open ↗
- Paka: environment page (maker). Maker’s page. The OEKO-TEX statement for alpaca wool. Open ↗
- B Lab directory: Paka. Certifier or regulator listing. Certified since November 2020; overall B Impact Score 105.0. Open ↗
- OEKO-TEX Buying Guide. Certifier or regulator listing. A company search for “Paka” returned no match for Paka Apparel. The directory is opt-in, so this does not show that no certificate exists. Open ↗
Alternatives Other options to compare
- Paka Essential Boxer Brief or Bikini Brief About $29 to $39. 46% Tencel, 32% organic Pima cotton, 14% alpaca and 8% spandex, so less natural than the tee.
- A tee from a GOTS-licensed maker Look up the maker’s license in the GOTS database. Pact and Subset are both listed there and sell tees; check each garment’s fiber list before buying.