Anatomy of the Mayan Hammock style

Skilled Mayan artisans work on vertical looms to create Mayan hammocks. Each one is a unique work of art and no two are exactly alike. Larger hammocks made with special materials can take up to 6 weeks to weave! Most of the smaller sizes take 2-3 weeks. Also note this is based on an average 2-3 hour workday as many of the weavers are ladies and are also caring for there family. Many people will tell you it takes much longer to weave a hammock, but could you really relax in a hammock if you thought it took 2 months to weave knowing the person who made it only got paid a few dollars?

In Yucatan you will find wide disparities in sizes and quality. Many export hammocks are of a very loose weave for 2 reasons. First a loose hammock can be made much faster because it has less "waves" in it. Each wave represents one motion of the hand looping the fiber into the area already woven. A loosely woven hammock will snag easier as well as feel less supportive as the strings will stretch out faster. Secondly, a loose hammock takes much less material to make so it can be done cheaper and most people who buy them never know. Another trick is to make the endstrings longer so a small hammock can open up wider. If a Mayan hammock leaves a waffle texture impressed on your skin it is too small for you or too loosely woven.

The bed of a Mayan hammock is designed to be used crossways. This gives you lots of room and provides a flatter, more relaxed resting position. The wider the bed, the more comfort you feel so larger hammocks are great for one person as well as whole families!
A good hammock will have a tight weave and very few knots where the end of one piece was tied to another to continue the weave. Also, any knots will be trimmed down so there are no loose strings hanging around. One sign of a quality hammock is that it will only have knots where the color of the string changes.

The endstrings connect the bed of the hammock to the hanging loop. A hammock with more end-strings has more points for weight distribution, which is good for you!
A quality hammock will have very few knots and no loose strings hanging down in this area.

The edges of a Mayan hammock must be a little tighter than the bed so it maintains shape. A crochet knit re-enforcement is is used to create a strip that stretches less than the woven bed along the edges. The wider this strip is the better and in larger hammocks it is not uncommon to see 20 or more rows used here. You want to see as many rows of this knit as possible because it will help your hammock stay in shape over the years.

At the loops the endstrings are bound tightly together for ease of hanging. This area should be very tightly wound and feel rock hard to the touch. If the loops on your hammock are not tight it will become a problem.
Our hammocks feature metal loop protectors to add strength to this important area of the hammock.

The comfort of Mayan Hammocks is unmatched! Millions of people around the world sleep in hammocks every night. They are an excellent alternative to a bed and work great for camping and boating.