Mexican Weave Hammocks vs Rope Hammocks

February 18, 2012 3 min read

Within the hammock world, there are a great variety of different types of hammocks. Like any product, the quality and styles can vary greatly. With hammocks, the styles are basically the same but quality and comfort differences can be huge.

One type of hammock we see a lot of is the 'rope hammock' hammock. This is usually a cross woven rope material spreader bar hammock generally mass produced in China for a few dollars. However, if you are new to hammocks you may not know what the difference is and how to spot the better quality hammocks.

One main thing you should consider when looking is the openness and size of the hammock weave. This has a direct effect on the comfort and support of the hammock. Wide open weave rope type hammocks poorly support your entire body and can leave rope indentations in your body. As the wider apart the ropes are the less your weight is distributed throughout the strings of the hammock. Often the weave is so wide that children are also in danger of having arms and legs slip through and getting tangled in the hammock. Not a great hammock for your family and your precious relaxation time! You want to look for a weave that is closer together and with more strands of material. A closer weave and more material strands will mean you have a lot more material supporting your body and spreading your weight evenly across the hammock bed which will ultimately result in greater comfort and relaxation. Have a look at the two images of woven bar hammocks below - which do you think would be more comfortable?

Rope hammock

Mexican cotton woven hammock

Both are open weave diamond woven hammocks. The scary thing is the top one, factory made in China for a few dollars is marketed as 'high quality' and at massively over inflated prices! These are often the cheap hammocks seen on daily deal type websites and cheaper discount stores. Whereas the second hammock is a Mexican made spreader bar hammock that is traditionally hand-woven with individual strands of cotton by indigenous Mayan Mexican - a skill that has been passed down through the generations. From the picture, you can tell how much more cotton material is used and just imagine how much more comfortable and gentle this will be for your body whilst also supporting and distributing your weight much more evenly through the hammock.

Weavers are treated and paid fairly for their skilled weaving which they do at home. Each hammock can take from days to weeks to create. No factories are involved. These are handmade to a very high standard to provide a high level of comfort and beauty. While obviously costing a bit in comparison to quality and comfort they are more than fairly priced and great value for money.

This is why Mexican hammocks are so renowned worldwide for being so comfortable. They use very large amounts of cord for a woven hammock. Perfectly crafted so your whole body is gently supported and conformed to, yet at the same time, there is still enough space in the open weave for air to circulate in and around your body keeping you at a more comfortable temperature.

So when you are looking for hammocks be aware of the differences in quality and comfort. Many discount sites will sell these cheaper rope open weave hammocks, but if you want a comfortable high-quality supportive hammock you cannot go past a Mexican hammock. Our resort style spreader bar hammocks are the perfect option for personal relaxation and gifts.

Should you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact the team at Hammocks Australia. Or visit our online storeby clicking on the related product tabs on the top menu.

Mike Rennie
Mike Rennie



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