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Natural Fiber Rugs: My Search for a Soft Jute Rug
Natural fiber area rugs are such a beautiful, timeless, and affordable way to update a room. I love the look of jute and sisal rugs, and when it comes to natural fiber rugs, there are a variety of styles to choose from. They look beautiful and from my experience, hold up well enough. Sure, over time, you’ll see some wear in high-traffic areas. But I love the relaxed look. It’s no wonder interior designers use them as often as they do. But when it comes to jute rugs and young children, it’s can be hard to find one that’s soft enough for little ones to play on. Jute rugs shed (that’s just basic science), but wool rugs do, too. So finding a soft jute that will look beautiful, add warmth and texture, and it will cost less than most wool rugs. Here’s a look back my favorite rugs that I’ve owned over the years and my search for a soft jute rug. You can shop my living room here. And bonus, they look great paired with a vintage turkish rug.
Natural Fiber Rugs: My Search for a Soft Jute Rug
There’s a reason you’ll see jute rugs in so many home decor accounts. They add texture to small spaces, add a natural look to your hone, and tend to come in at a more affordable price than other rugs. I love that you can move these rugs around and they’ll usually transition seamlessly. The same rug that looks great with your living room furniture also works in your dining room. Jute rugs are typically more affordable than wool rugs, come in neutral colors that work with most styles of decor, and are a good option for most homes. Their natural fibers look beautiful and the good ones will hold up. Just take a look at our sisal runner.
Finding soft, natural jute rugs proved to be a challenge. It was a journey, but I did the hard work for you trying out different rugs in my homes over the years. Because living with something is ultimately the best way to figure out what works. I really wanted one with a softer feel that would work for my kids when they were little. I don’t usually use a rug bad because jute gets really dusty underneath the rug, and I like to fold it back and vacuum on occasion. Just be sure to turn the beater bar on low or keep it off to avoid damaging the rug. Natural-fiber rugs can be rough, but after trying out quite a few over the years, I found a great option for high traffic areas.
The West Elm jute boucle in flax
This rug is one of West Elm’s best sellers for a reason. This rug is very affordable and held up pretty well – it’s great for high traffic areas, and was my first jute rug. I had these in my apartments and the shedding wasn’t bad at all. I’ve had both the flax and ivory and love both. It’s the best choice if you’re looking for budget-friendly natural-fiber rug but is not as soft as others. This rug is soft enough underfoot, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a crawling baby, or for sitting on. When it comes to natural fiber rugs, it’s one of the best, but is not the softest in my search.
The West Elm jute chenille herringbone
I love this chenille rug because it’s one of the softer jute rugs available. Like other jute fiber rugs, it does shed, but the chenille makes it softer than any other jute fiber rug. It’s also very, very affordable! The design is unexpected – it’s a modern take on a traditional jute. I found it to be a little less durable, so wouldn’t recommend it in a high traffic area, and it faded a bit in direct sunlight, too. This rug just wore a lot after years of use, but I’d still recommend it, and just make sure no one wears shoes on it, which you shouldn’t do inside, anyway. Still – it’s a good choice if you want something different, and when it comes to softness, I’d definitely say that this one is soft!
The West Elm jute boucle in ivory
I love the lighter tone of the West Elm jute. The flax jute blends in if your hardwood floors have a more honey tone, but this stands out a little more, and has a more modern feel. It’s not super-soft, so I wouldn’t recommend this for a play space for kids, but it feels good under bare feet, and held up very well. It’s a great rug and an affordable option.
The Serena and Lily diamond jute
Another new twist on a jute. This rug lays a little more flat than most which makes it great under a chair that you might frequently pull in or out. It was perfect in my home office, and would be a great choice for a dining room. The lighter shade makes it a bit more versatile, and I just love the design of it. I would say that it’s fine underfoot (smooth, not rough) but very flat and definitely not “soft” – I wouldn’t want to sit on it.
Natural fiber area rugs are such a beautiful, timeless, and affordable way to update a room. I love the look of jute and sisal rugs. They look beautiful and from my experience, hold up pretty well in high-traffic areas, so they’re great for a family room. It’s no wonder interior designers use them as often as they do. But when it comes to jute rugs and young children, it’s can be hard to find one that’s soft enough for babies and young children to play on. Jute rugs shed (that’s just basic science), but so do wool rugs. So finding a soft jute will look beautiful, add warmth and texture, and it will cost less than most wool rugs. Here’s a look back my favorite rugs that I’ve owned over the years and my search for a soft jute rug. You can shop my living room here.
My Search for a Soft Jute Rug
There’s a reason you’ll see jute rugs in so many home decor accounts. Jute rugs are typically more affordable than wool rugs, and are a good option for most homes. Natural rugs like jute and sisal look beautiful and the good ones will hold up. Just take a look at our sisal runner. Finding a jute area rug with soft fibers was an ordeal. I don’t usually use a rug bad because jute gets really dusty underneath the rug, and I like to fold it back and vacuum on occasion. A rug pad would get really gross. Natural-fiber rugs can be rough, but after trying out quite a few over the years, I found a great option for high traffic areas.
The West Elm jute boucle in flax
This rug is very affordable and held up pretty well – it’s great for high traffic areas, and was my first jute rug. I had these in my apartments and the shedding wasn’t bad at all. I’ve had both the flax and ivory and love both. It’s the best choice if you’re looking for budget-friendly, but is not as soft as others. This rug is soft enough underfoot, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a crawling baby, or for sitting on. When it comes to natural fiber rugs, it’s one of the best, but is not the softest in my search.
The West Elm jute boucle in ivory
I love the lighter tone of the West Elm jute. The flax jute blends in if your hardwood floors have a more honey tone, but this stands out a little more, and has a more modern feel. It’s not super-soft, so I wouldn’t recommend this for a play space for kids, but it feels good under bare feet, and held up very well. It’s a great rug and an affordable option.
The Serena and Lily diamond jute
Another new twist on a jute. This rug lays a little more flat than most which makes it great under a chair that you might frequently pull in or out. It was perfect in my home office, and would be a great choice for a dining room. The lighter shade makes it a bit more versatile, and I just love the design of it. I would say that it’s fine underfoot (smooth, not rough) but very flat and definitely not “soft” – I wouldn’t want to sit on it.
The World Market Ivory Jute
This rug is a fantastic budget find. It sheds a bit less than some of the others, looks and feels great underfoot, but isn’t cozy enough for crawling babies. If you don’t have kids, or if they’re a little older, it’s a great pick. I can’t call this soft, but if you live with older kids who aren’t really playing on the floor, or if there are only adults in your home, it’s a great option.
The Ben Soleimani Braided Jute
And here it is. The perfect rug that I ended up with. This is by far the softest of any jute rug I’ve ever felt. It’s comfortable enough to sit on, but it will shed on your black pants. But we’ve discussed this – jute rugs shed. If you want a natural fiber rug with young kids who will play on the floor, this is it. If you can get past some shedding, it is very, very soft. It was surprisingly easy to clean – you can’t see where I spilled half a cup of coffee in the middle of the rug. I used a little Folex on it, and it was fine. The rug did wear a bit after a few years of use, but still looked good.
Choosing the best natural fiber rug
I want to tell you that I switched my rugs out for the sake of research because I bought and returned quite a few rugs. First, I started out with this rug and liked it, but it was a little too dark and felt too rough/lumpy for a baby. I wanted a soft rug that wouldn’t shed too much which isn’t the easiest type of jute to find. The West Elm jute rug sheds a decent amount which isn’t ideal with darker floors, and it’s not soft enough. If you like the rug, go for it, but don’t expect to get more than a handful of years out of it. I decided to head to West Elm, Pottery Barn, and World Market to compare their jute rugs and the World Market was hands-down my favorite. It’s budget-friendly and soft – I love it! The West Elm jute rugs weren’t soft enough and the Pottery Barn one was too chunky.
But the search continued…
Once we ended up changing out our sofa, the room felt too washed out with an ivory jute. And even though I do like ivory jute, I prefer a natural jute. We needed something with warmer tones, so I sold the ivory. I then ended up putting our Serena and Lily diamond jute in our living room. I love that rug! It’s very flat so not super cozy to play on, but it’s a beautiful rug. It’s similar in tone to the World Market (looked too washed out) so the search for something warmer began. I told you, I really tried here. But it’s in the name of research, right? Sure.
Choosing a soft braided jute rug
I had the opportunity to partner with Ben Soleimani who gifted the rug we currently own. I chose the soft hand-braided jute rug (the softest jute I’ve ever felt). It does shed (it’s jute so that’s life) but doesn’t shed too much, and I’ve found if we vacuum once or twice a week, that it’s really not bad at all. The jute fibers are the softest I’ve ever felt, and I think it’s one of the best natural fiber rugs out there. I’d call it the best option here. It has survived frequent vacuuming, but after a few years, is starting to wear, as most jutes would. The softer fiber and style still make it my back for one of the softest natural area rugs.
I also love the Porto jute. It is made of 100% woven natural jute, and looks good with everything. It’s not the softest that I’ve felt, so I wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time sitting on it, but it is priced very well. Great underfoot but again, not ideal for crawling babies.
If you find yourself looking for a sisal option, I love this rug and put it in my new home, in both a sitting room and my bedroom. It’s not super-soft, but it doesn’t shed. My girls do play on it, and don’t seem to mind at all. It’s been great.
This post was not done in partnership with any brands although I may make commission on some of the links in this post. I will always tell you when something is gifted or sponsored and that I only work with brands I love and recommend.
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