Are Jute Rugs Soft - How Smooth It Can Be?

When it comes to soft and comfortable rugs, jute rugs get outshined by wool and cotton alternatives. Homeowners who seek both durability and softness often wonder, are jute rugs soft?

Are Jute Rugs Soft?

In general, yes, jute rugs are one of the softest natural fiber rugs you will find in the market. They offer perfect cushioning for your feet and come in a multitude of colors and textures to enhance your interior and exterior design.

But what about the initial softness of jute rugs, how does it fare against other natural fibers in this case? – that is what we will be discussing in this article. 

Soft Jute Rugs

Softness Comes from the Material

Jute fibers are known as bast fibers. This translates to fibers that grow in a bundle inside the stem of a plant. When harvested, jute fibers go through a process called retting.

During this process, the fibers will get separated from the stem and then go through a moisturization process like water soaking.

This allows the cellulose to break down resulting in the softening of the fibers.

When the fibers are moisturized, they are then bundled together and left out to dry.

Note that the jute plant grows in tropical weather in India and Bangladesh. This also plays a role in softening them after the retting.

This is where the tropical weather comes in as the humidity levels soften the fibers further preparing them to be used to create jute-based products.

Are Jute Rugs Soft?

Most jute rugs are handcrafted and only utilize jute and sometimes a bit of cotton strings. Therefore, making jute rugs soft and comfortable.

They give you a comfortable feel while providing a rough exterior. That being said, professionally made jute rugs can eliminate the rough feel with the inclusion of different textures and styles.

Sometimes certain additional processes like the use of fabric softeners, enzyme treatments, and blending with other fibers are opted for a more soft and comfortable feel.

How Soft Are Jute Rugs?

A problem that almost every online shopper runs into is understanding how comfortable or in this case soft a product is.

You don’t have the opportunity to check out how a rug feels under your feet if you are purchasing it online.

The same can be said for jute rugs. We have already discussed why it is soft, let’s try to understand how soft jute rugs actually are.

Softness of Jute Rugs

To put into perspective, the softness of jute rugs is right below wool & cotton and above seagrass or sisal rugs. So, the softness isn’t as luxurious as cotton but it will provide you the soft comfort we usually seek from rugs.

Jute rugs provide a nice feel for your feet along with adding an extra layer of cushioning which you won’t find in cotton or wool rugs. When using jute rugs, you will notice that they have a coarser texture but it isn’t discomforting underfoot.

Why Choose Jute Rugs for a Softer Feel?

Now you might be wondering, if there are better natural materials that provide greater softness, then why pick up jute rugs?

Here are some pointers that put jute rugs above the rest of the competition -

They Offer High Durability

The problem with highly luxurious rugs like cotton or wool rugs is that they aren’t that durable. So, if you are looking for something for regular usage, then it will deteriorate faster, something that isn’t noticed among jute rugs.

Jute rugs on the other hand don’t deteriorate like most other natural fiber rugs. The coarseness of texture in jute rugs is for nothing.

They allow the rug to be strong and durable while retaining its softness at the same time. This durability is one of the key reasons why jute rugs are favored among natural fiber rugs.

Affordable Prices

Cotton, wool and even sometimes rugs from synthetic materials are extremely costly.

If you want the soft, comfortable, and durable combo then you may have to go above your budget when aiming for luxury rugs.

That is not the case with jute rugs as they come with affordable pricing.

Gets Softer Over Time

Unlike other rugs in the market, jute rugs actually start to get softer as time passes. You won’t see this quality in any other rug types.

This happens due to the coarse texture slowly removing and the fiber adjusting to temperature and becoming softer.

Biodegradable Environment-Friendly Rug

Most rugs that are known for their soft feel aren’t biodegradable. So, when eventually they start to wear out, not only will they lose their softness they will also be a sore sight in your household.

On the other hand, jute rugs are naturally biodegradable. Therefore, if you notice signs of degradation then simply put another rug above it and it will dissolve over time.

This way you will also play a small role in improving our environment as synthetic rugs are literally harmful to the atmosphere.

Cotton-wool rugs can end up producing high carbon emissions when they are burned.

Easier to Clean than Other Natural Fiber Rugs

Compared to wool and cotton rugs, jute rugs attract less dirt and dust. It is also not highly noticeable compared to the other two. That’s why jute rugs will require less cleaning.

Not only that but cleaning is also less complicated for jute rugs compared to wool & cotton. They soak up water faster than jute and also can lead to a dirty mess if you are not careful.

Final Thoughts

Considering the comfort requirement of your home, you can decide whether jute rugs are soft or not for your personal use. In the end, it all comes down how comfortable you feel using them.

Jute rugs are extremely comfortable and offer great durability, something that is uncommon among other natural fiber rugs. So, if softness is what you are looking for, then jute rug is the perfect option out there.

Therefore, give jute rugs a try and if they are not the right fit, then there are alternatives like wool and cotton rugs which offer more softness but they lack durability.