Looking over other reviews, it seems there is a broad range of "scratchy" reactions, from "not at all" to "far too much." That leads me to believe it all depends on the person and not on the scarf. If you are prone to be annoyed by wool or other natural animal based cloths, you are probably best to stay away from this. I'm wearing it now, and am annoyed not one bit by the fabric. I sense a feeling which some might call scratchy, but it doesn't bother me. That leaves two considerations. The first is price. The quality seems to match the price perfectly. It is not a high end product, but it is also not a high end price. Ths second is color variety. If you happen to be flamboyant with your mode of dress, here is an accessory of which you can own many different colors without feeling too much of a pinch in the pocketbook. I will say the delivery was just a tad slow as Amazon orders go, even those to 3rd party dealers. But, this is a good find, if you have no alpaca wool aversions.