Natural or Synthetic

Today there are many fibers available for hammock weaving. There are two main classes of fibers being used today. The first are the synthetic fibers like nylon, polypropylene, polyester, and duracord. Next come the natural fibers like cotton and hemp. Both have their benefits...

The Synthetic Fibers
Synthetic fibers are relatively new to the world of hammock weaving but have become very popular due to their superior resistance to moisture and ultraviolet light. Synthetic fiber usually create a firmer feeling bed than natural fibers. If you are thinking about choosing a synthetic fiber for your hammock you can alleviate some of that firm feeling by choosing a larger hammock. For example if you are choosing a synthetic Mayan, you can get a more supportive feel from a king size or super king size. Click here to learn more about the hammock materials Hammock Jungle uses for our top quality Mayan hammocks.

For Rope Hammocks there are three synthetic fibers commonly used, Polyester, Duracord, and Olefin. Polyester These fibers are highly recommended for rope hammocks because relatively thick rope of this type of hammock makes firmness less of an issue. All three of these synthetic fibers have a soft feel to the skin and the superior weather resistance of these fibers mean you will get more for your money over the life of the hammock.

The Natural fibers.
For centuries only natural fibers like hemp, cotton, and henequen were available for hammock weaving. In rope hammocks the difference is noticeable because cotton adds breathability but since this type of hammock is usually left outdoors you will get longer life from one of the fibers mentioned above. Still, the feeling of a cotton rope hammock is unmistakeable and many people choose to use them outdoors, replacing them every year or two.

For Mayan hammocks the feeling of the natural fibers surpasses the synthetics. The feeling is instantly noticeable and unforgettable. While the larger synthetics feel great and are very supportive the natural fibers still feel better against your skin on a warm day of relaxing. For our super-comfortable Mayan hammocks we offer hammocks made with 4 types of cotton fiber as well as hammocks made out of 100% hemp fiber. All of our cotton hammocks except Ciguena feature synthetic endstrings to support the woven bed. Ciguena and 100% hemp use the bed fiber as endstrings since their superior strength suits them well for this purpose. One last type of natural fiber we sometimes use is Henequen. Henequen is a fiber that is derived from a cactus native to Yucatan. The finest fiber is only spun by hand so it is harder to find and very expensive. Whenever we find this fiber we buy it and make hammocks to try and keep the old ways alive but it is becoming more rare every year.