What to Know Before Buying Jute Rugs

A totally honest review with the pros and cons for what to know before buying jute rugs along with where to buy them on a budget.

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Just so you know, Robert makes fun of my rug addiction.

He says one day, when we move out of this house, we’ll have to reserve a moving truck entirely for my huge collection of rugs because we have that many. Like, almost every room in the house that many. (So I guess he’s kind of right but don’t tell him that.)

But the reason I love them is because they’re that sixth wall. Walls are fun to decorate, ceiling features can add tons of wow factor to a room. But a rug… a rug says cozy up and stay a while.

My favorite of all of the bajillions of rugs out there though… jute. I get questions about ours pretty much every day, so I thought it would be a good idea to devote a post to them for any of y’all wondering.

The first one we ever got was this NuLOOM chunky loop jute rug that I picked up on clearance, and ever since it arrived, I’ve been hooked.

It’s definitely not as soft as a shag carpet of course, but in my opinion, they are very comfortable. They almost feel like a foot massage with those nubby knots when I step on them. (And who doesn’t love that, right?)

They don’t feel like walking on prickly grass or anything like that if that’s a concern. But they’re not something I’d want to lay down on and take a nap either.

This olive green herringbone jute rug I picked up for the office earlier this year came from World Market during their big 50% off rug sale. And I love that it works perfectly for the military look we have going on in here.

With Olivia and Lola, the-dog-who-thinks-she’s-human running around, keeping them clean is a big priority. I usually can just hit them with the vacuum and everything comes right up. For spills (or icky toddler tummy bugs) I just follow these steps in this tutorial, and it’s good as new.

I will say though, they sometimes shed. For me, it was mainly when we first bought them and now it’s not so bad anymore. But the fibers do vacuum up easily. Since we have carpet, what fibers are there aren’t really noticeable to begin with.

If you have dark tile or hardwood, you might be sweeping a bit more than you would other types of rugs.

They’re perfect for just about anywhere in your house with kids and pets running around though because they don’t show dirt at all.

This striped jute runner I picked up on sale at Target a few months ago is great for having in our kitchen because even though I might end up dropping crumbs on it while I’m cooking, I can hardly ever tell.

I just run the vacuum attachment over it (the wand piece with the brush on the end), and it’s good as new. Plus, it still gives me a little bit of cushion while I’m standing at the stove on our rock hard floor.

 Jute rugs sometimes have a weird smell at first too. Not a totally awful smell, just an earthy scent for the first day or two after you open them from packaging almost like rope or burlap has. So if you have severe allergies with dust and grass, these may not be the best option. But the burlapy smell goes away quickly.

If you’re a fan of eco-friendly decor though, jute rugs are definitely it, so you don’t have to really worry about chemicals lurking in them like the synthetic kinds.

The biggest reason I love them so much though is they are so easy to decorate around and change the rest of the room as much as you want. I know neutral is “in” right now, but neutral is also timeless and practical and makes redecorating so inexpensive. If you decide to incorporate a new color in your decorating scheme, these rugs can adapt to anything.

And if you have a room feeling stark and bland, jute adds warmth and texture and instant coziness. If you have an addiction to woven baskets all over your house, jute rugs are like having that basket look on your floor.

Once I added this jute and denim loomed rug to our dining room the other week, our space that felt a little unfinished before instantly felt cozy and inviting.

Oh, Lola approves too, just in case you’re worried how she has adapted to them. 😉  She hides in our dining room when she’s tired of Olivia chasing her around.

 Whew! Okay. So that’s the skinny on the jute rug situation. Whoever knew such a crazy long post could come from just talking about a bunch of braided grass? But lo and behold, there it is.

They’re definitely not for everyone, but we’re officially big fans around here.

Are you a jute rug lover at your house too? And maybe need a giant moving truck to handle your collection? Feel free to share your own experience with them in the comments.