How we make them

Mayan hammocks are woven from a variety of materials. Although Hammock Jungle offers a wonderful selection of exclusive materials, there are really only two main types of hammocks produced in the Yucatan today, cotton and polypropylene. Cotton hammocks are made from commercial cotton thread. Much of this thread was once imported but now it is manufactured in Yucatan. In the last century cotton hammocks were mainly reserved for the wealthy but now cotton hammocks are the most common and are considered to be the most comfortable.

The most common cotton fiber used for weaving hammocks is sold in dyed Hanks. There are some minor fibers that are sold on spools called "hileras". The finer hammocks woven from this type of thread are called "Hamacas de hilera" Our Hilera fibers are Ciguena, Crochet cotton, 100% Nylon, Lux Nylon, and 100% Hemp.

Synthetic hammocks are gaining in popularity because they exhibit certain benefits over cotton hammocks. Nylon and Polypropylene are both known for their durability under moist and humid conditions. Nylon also has a good resistance to fading in sunlight. All of our synthetic hammocks have superior moisture resistance over cotton hammocks, this makes them popular with boaters and people that live near the water, as well as people who just plan to leave their hammock outdoors. The process of weaving synthetic hammocks presents a special challenge to the weaver because any knots tied during the weaving process must be fuse melted to prevent defraying.

Hammock Jungle works with a special group of men and women committed to creating the most beautiful hammocks available. A central designer creates color themes based on feedback from our customers and coordinates with the artisans. The result is high quality hammocks in the most beautiful color combinations. Our hammocks are made in bright tropical colors as well as more traditional, soothing earth tones.

How to weave a Mayan hammock.The looms Mayan hammocks are woven on are vertical looms. A hammock loom consists of two vertical, cylindrical posts with two horizontal crossbars. The loom is about six feet wide and 6 feet tall. First the loom is warped, during this process much of the twine used in the hammock is wrapped around and around the looms vertical posts. The rest of the thread is wrapped around the weaving shuttles. Next, the weaving process begins. The first thing that is created is the crochet reinforcement seen on the edges of the woven bed. This reinforcement helps the hammock bed to keep its shape. A good large hammock will have up to 20 rows of this reinforcement. Sometimes nylon is used, even for cotton hammocks. The next step is to interweave the yarn on the shuttles with what is wrapped around the hammock loom. Now it is time for the skill of the weaver to shine. Infinite patterns can be created by switching colors and weaving them into the hammock in a repetitive process. Sometimes, no particular pattern is followed, resulting in very wild looking Mayan hammocks. During the weaving process it is very important to keep a constant, uniform tension on the warp. If the tension is too tight then one part of the hammock it will have a lump, or be too soft, and the hammock will have a dip. Improper tension is a sure sign of an inexperienced weaver. Many people believe that this is the most difficult part of learning to weave hammocks. The work involved in creating a brilliantly designed hammock is considerably more because when the color switches there is a pause in the weaving to tie the knots together. The more knots the more time involved to weave the hammock. This is why there is frequently a tendency for mass producers to create less complex designs. Fortunately there are still some quality producers in Mexico like Hammock Jungle making fine Mayan hammocks in the old ways and designs.
Attaching the arms and loop protectors.After the hammock bed has been woven it is time to attach the arms, or endstrings as they are sometimes called. Again, proper tension is critical. It is very important that of all the endstrings are exactly the same length. If improperly done the hammock will have humps or dips. The endstrings are warped in a continuous manner and after the outermost parts will be bundled and wrapped tightly together to form the hammock loop, or wrist as it is called. Hammock Jungle hammocks have metal loop inserts to help the hammock loop keep its shape and extend its life.It is not always that the weaver of the bed attaches the endstrings. Sometimes, specialists are employed to do this work. The woven beds are taken off the looms and carefully saved until a quantity of hammocks is ready to be strung. Then they are taken to the specialist to be all done at once.After this work is done the loop protector is installed to add strength to the loop. The Finished hammocks.Once the hammocks are finished it is time for them to be sold and shipped. Many hammocks are sent to the large resort cities. It is estimated that one out of three people buy a hammock while on vacation in Yucatan.
Mayan hammocks are shipped around the world. Mayan hammocks are famous worldwide and make very popular gift items.