Soft Jute Rugs Compared: Weaves, Blends, Sizes and Care
Five jute rugs compared by weave and fiber blend: which come in a 9x12-class or round size, what makers say about feel, and how their care pages handle spills.
You pick up a jute rug sample, like the color, and the braided edge feels like rope under your palm. Going by fiber name does not settle it: one maker’s page gives its 100% jute braided Thale the feel line “Textured and Earthy”, while its Harwich blend and its 100% jute Kirby flatweave both read “a soft feel underfoot”, and Sisal Rugs Direct’s jute care page says jute should not get soaked, which matters the first time something spills. Below are five jute rugs compared on feel, weave and fiber blend, 9x12-class and round sizes, and the care line each maker prints, with prices.
The short answer
| Rug | Build | 9x12-class size | Round | Care (maker’s words) | Price (reference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sisal Rugs Direct Basketweave | 100% jute, thick basketweave, 1/2” pile | Made to order: any size to the inch, max width 13 ft | Round is a shape option | Jute guide: dry, low-moisture cleaning, no soaking | From $13.48 per sq ft |
| Sisal Rugs Direct Round Jute Rug | 100% jute, braided, 3/8” to 1/2” pile | None | 4 ft, 6 ft, 8 ft | Same jute guide | $95 (4 ft) to $330 (8 ft) |
| Sisal Rugs Direct Lindon | 57% wool, 43% jute, 7/16” pile | Made to order: you enter width and length, max width 16’2” | Round is a shape option | Wool guide: spot clean, no washing | From $26.23 per sq ft |
| Annie Selke Thale | 100% jute, hand-braided, 1 in high loop pile | 8’6” x 11’6” or 9’6” x 13’6” | None in its size list | No care line on the page | $1,748 (8’6” x 11’6”) |
| Annie Selke Harwich | 72% jute, 20% cotton, 6% polyester, 2% other; soumak flatweave | 8’6” x 11’6” or 9’6” x 13’6” | None in its size list | Page: Indoor use only | $2,158 (8’6” x 11’6”) |
Short version: pick the weave by the maker’s feel line, plan on a pad and a swatch, and keep jute dry. The one washable jute-look rug read here is polyester (see the washable section). Prices are for reference only.
What makes one jute rug feel softer than another?
The pages give you five things to check, and each claim below is that maker’s own.
- Weave. At Sisal Rugs Direct, the Basketweave’s “thick and bold weave” gives “a cushiony feel underfoot”, the Mahal is a “chunky, braided texture” with “its soft feel underfoot”, and the Lotus is a large-scale herringbone with a “soft and inviting texture”. At Annie Selke, the Thale is “hand-braided” with “comfortable loop pile” and a 1 inch high pile, while the flatweave Toland (100% jute) and Odette (80% jute, 20% cotton) have a 0.1 inch low pile and are “both soft and durable”.
- Blend. Adding other fibers does not guarantee softer. On the Lindon wool-jute page, “soft wool and twisted jute fibers” give “a unique, nubby texture”, yet Annie Selke’s Milo jute and cotton rug at 61% jute and 38% cotton is described as “Cool and crisp underfoot”. Read the maker’s feel line, not just the blend.
- Yarn prep. The Harwich page reads “We handpick the best plants and soften yarns for our jute rugs before weaving for optimal softness”. Sisal Rugs Direct’s fiber guide describes jute stalks soaked in water for about 20 days so the fibers can be separated.
- Pad. The same maker’s soft-or-scratchy post says “Want to make your jute rug even softer? Purchase a rug pad.” That is that maker’s advice for its own rugs.
- Shedding. A pet post from the same maker reads “Well-made jute area rugs are woven very tightly, minimizing any shedding that may occur”. It gives no figure, so read it as that maker’s description of its own rugs.
Reading those lines together (our reading): the thick weaves are described as cushiony because they are thick, the flatweaves as soft and durable because they are tight and low, and the Thale page, unlike the Harwich page, says “Textured and Earthy” with no softness line. A swatch settles it where one is offered (see Before you order).
The five jute rugs
Prices are for a stated size on each page, in US dollars.
Sisal Rugs Direct Basketweave
Best for a thick, cushiony 9x12-class or round jute rug cut to your room. The page says it is made from 100% natural jute and that “the thick and bold weave of the Jute Basketweave rug provides a cushiony feel underfoot”. You enter width and length to the inch, up to a 13 ft width, and choose Rectangle, Square, Round, Octagon or Oval. Border, pad and Stain Guard are add-ons on the page: the pad is listed at $2.00 per sq ft and attached pad at $4.00 (price for reference only). Its Q&A answers a question about an entryway that gets dirty and snow with “No” and suggests a performance rug such as polypropylene.
Drawbacks: The per-square-foot rate is a starting figure and the page works out the real price for your size; a 9' x 12' is 108 sq ft, about $1,456 at that rate (our arithmetic), before a pad or Stain Guard; the page shows no border price, so check the cart total. The page says jute basketweave may bow or skew and that this is not a defect, and the maker's jute guide calls for dry, low-moisture cleaning.
Sisal Rugs Direct Round Jute Rug
Best for a ready-made round, when 4 to 8 feet is the size you need. The page lists 4 ft round at $95, 6 ft round at $230 and 8 ft round at $330 in Tan, Gray and Ivory (White), 100% jute at a 3/8 to 1/2 inch pile, “handwoven and stitched by skilled village weavers” and “braided in a border-less look”. If you need a bigger or different round, the custom Basketweave and Lindon pages above list Round among their shapes.
Drawbacks: Only three sizes, and the page flags some color and size combinations as out of stock or due back later, so check the color you want. It is round only, so it does not help for a 9x12.
Sisal Rugs Direct Lindon
Best for a softer, nubby feel in a blend, with round and large custom sizes available. The page describes it as “handwoven from a carefully balanced mix of soft wool and twisted jute fibers” with “a unique, nubby texture with just a hint of natural sheen”, and it is made to order in widths over 16 feet. The backing line says Rug Pad Recommended, so budget for a pad. Its care link goes to the maker’s wool rug guide, which says never to machine wash or hand wash and to use a spot cleaning method.
Drawbacks: The page links the maker's wool care guide, not its jute guide, so follow that one for spills. At about $2,833 for a 108 sq ft 9' x 12' (our arithmetic at the starting rate) it is roughly twice the jute-only Basketweave at the same size (our arithmetic).
Annie Selke Thale
Best for a thick braided jute in a ready-made 9x12-class size and a paler color. The page calls it “hand-braided for a rich, earthy texture and ultra-durable construction” with “a low-profile, solid design and comfortable loop pile”. Sizes on the page are 2’ x 3’, 3’ x 5’, 5’ x 8’, 7’6” x 9’6”, 8’6” x 11’6” and 9’6” x 13’6”.
Drawbacks: The page's feel line is “Textured and Earthy”, not soft, and the 1 inch pile is the thickest here. Its size list has no 9' x 12'; the nearest are 8'6” x 11'6” and 9'6” x 13'6” ($2,278). The page has no round and no cleaning line.
Annie Selke Harwich
Best for a diamond-pattern soumak flatweave that is mostly jute with cotton, with a swatch to try first. The page says it is “flatwoven using a special soumak technique, which creates a braided look” in a simple diamond pattern, and its feel line is “Textured and earthy with a soft feel underfoot”. A $15 swatch of the same rug is listed separately.
Drawbacks: It costs $410 more than the Thale at 8'6” x 11'6” (our arithmetic), and 28% of the fiber is not jute (our arithmetic). Its size list has no 9' x 12' (the larger size, 9'6” x 13'6”, is $2,748) and no round, and the page has no cleaning line, only “Indoor use only”.
Can you get a washable jute rug?
Not in real jute, going by Sisal Rugs Direct’s jute care page. Sisal Rugs Direct’s jute cleaning guide calls for “a dry, low-moisture approach”, and its FAQ answers “Can you wash a jute rug?” with “No, jute rugs should not be washed in a washing machine or with soaking methods”. Its method, for its own jute rugs:
- Blot a spill right away, never rub; for red wine or tomato sauce, dab with a white cloth dampened with club soda; dry the spot with a hairdryer or fan.
- Use dry cleaning powder for deeper cleaning, and vacuum at least once a week without a beater bar.
- Never steam clean or wet-shampoo; the page says “Too much water can cause swelling, discoloration, or weakening of the weave”.
- Stain Guard is an optional add-on at $1.50 per sq ft (price for reference only) that “helps repel water, resist spills and soiling”, though the page adds that it “will NOT GUARANTEE” a rug never stains.
If you want washable, the one jute-look washable read here is polyester. Annie Selke’s Kali Machine Washable Rug says “We’ve taken one of our most popular jute rug weaves and translated it into this chic, machine-washable rug”, and the fiber line reads 100% Polyester with Feel: Smooth and Technique: Digital Print. It is $588 at 8’6” x 11’6” and $768 at 9’6” x 13’6” (price for reference only), with no round in its size list. For washable rugs and what each maker says about washers, see our best washable rugs guide; it is not a jute rug.
Which jute rugs come in 9x12 or round?
Sizes as each page prints them:
| Rug | 9x12-class | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Sisal Rugs Direct Basketweave | Any size to the inch, max width 13 ft | Round shape option |
| Sisal Rugs Direct Round Jute Rug | None | 4 ft, 6 ft, 8 ft |
| Sisal Rugs Direct Lindon | You enter width and length, max width 16’2” | Round shape option |
| Annie Selke Thale | 8’6” x 11’6”, 9’6” x 13’6” | None listed |
| Annie Selke Harwich | 8’6” x 11’6”, 9’6” x 13’6” | None listed |
| Annie Selke Kirby (100% jute flatweave) | 9’ x 12’ ($652), among its sizes | None listed |
Annie Selke does list a ready-made 9’ x 12’ on some of its other jute rugs. The Kirby is 100% jute, a flatweave with the feel line “Textured and earthy with a soft feel underfoot”, and its 9’ x 12’ is $652 (price for reference only), with no round in its size list. A 9’ x 12’ is 108 x 144 inches; 8’6” x 11’6” is 102 x 138 and 9’6” x 13’6” is 114 x 162 (our arithmetic), so the Thale and Harwich sizes are about six inches smaller or bigger across. For which size suits your room, see our 10x12 area rug guide, and the area rug guide for the fiber comparison and room sizes.
Before you order
- Get a swatch. Sisal Rugs Direct’s free samples page says material samples are about 6” x 6” and cut from the same roll as the rugs, with the first four free and $1.50 each after (price for reference only). Annie Selke lists a Harwich swatch at $15 (price for reference only) and no swatch for the Thale.
- Plan on a pad. Sisal Rugs Direct’s Basketweave page says “Rug pads are recommended for all rugs”, with a solid pad at $2.00 per sq ft and an attached pad at $4.00 (price for reference only), and its Lindon page says Rug Pad Recommended.
- Expect variation. The Basketweave page says natural variations and “bowing and skewing” are not defects, and the Harwich page says each rug may vary slightly in color and size.
- Keep it dry and indoors. Sisal Rugs Direct lists Usage: Indoors and the Harwich page says Indoor use only; the soft-or-scratchy post says jute rugs should not be placed in the bathroom or outdoors, so for an outdoor round see our round outdoor rug guide.
- Read the return line. The Basketweave page says rugs are made to order with no cancellations, returns or exchanges, so measure first.
Where these numbers come from
Fiber content, pile, sizes, prices and care lines come from the product pages and care guides of Sisal Rugs Direct and Annie Selke, read on 5 November 2026. The per-square-foot totals, the size differences and our reading of the Thale feel line are our own arithmetic or interpretation, labelled where they appear.
Frequently asked questions
Are jute rugs soft or scratchy?
It depends on the rug. One maker's blog posts call jute one of the softest natural fibers and say a thick, bold weave feels cushiony underfoot, and the same maker suggests a rug pad to make a jute rug softer. At Annie Selke, the 100% jute braided Thale says Feel: Textured and Earthy, while the 72% jute Harwich and the 100% jute Kirby flatweave read “Textured and earthy with a soft feel underfoot”. Ask for a swatch and run a hand over it before you pick.
Can you wash a jute rug?
One jute-rug maker's care FAQ says no: jute rugs should not be washed in a washing machine or with soaking methods, and its guide calls for a dry, low-moisture approach. The one jute-look washable read here, Annie Selke's Kali, lists 100% polyester.
Does a jute rug come in 9x12?
Not at every maker. One maker makes jute rugs to order in any size to the inch with a maximum width of 13 feet, so a 9' x 12' can be ordered. Annie Selke's Thale and Harwich come in 8'6” x 11'6” and 9'6” x 13'6”, with no 9' x 12'; its Kirby 100% jute flatweave does list a ready-made 9' x 12' at $652 (price for reference only).
Is there a round jute rug?
Yes. One maker sells a ready-made 100% jute round in 4 ft, 6 ft and 8 ft at $95, $230 and $330 (price for reference only), and the same maker's custom jute rugs list Round among their shapes. Annie Selke's Thale, Harwich and Kirby list rectangle sizes only.
Do jute rugs shed?
One maker's pet post says well-made jute rugs are woven very tightly, minimizing any shedding that may occur, and that they have minimal shedding. It gives no figure, so treat it as that maker's own description of its rugs.
- #soft jute rug
- #round jute rug
- #jute rug 9x12
- #washable jute rug