Jute vs Cotton: Which Fabric Is Better?

Jute and cotton are the two big plant fibres of India, and they feel completely different. Cotton is soft and smooth. Jute is strong, rough and textured. Which one is better depends on what you need the cloth for. Here is jute vs cotton (or cotton vs jute, the same question the other way round), point by point. For the full story of jute, see Jute Fabric: The Complete Guide.

Difference between jute and cotton

Jute and cotton are types of what?

Both are natural plant fibres, also called natural cellulose fibres. Neither is synthetic, and both break down naturally. The difference is which part of the plant they come from.

Jute and cotton fibre, compared up close

Most of the difference you feel comes from what the fibres are made of. Cotton is almost pure cellulose, about 90%. That is why it is soft, bends easily and takes dye evenly. Jute is about 60% cellulose. Much of the rest is hemicellulose and lignin, the same material that makes wood hard. Lignin gives jute its strength and golden colour, and also makes it feel rough, crease sharply and turn a little yellow in strong sun.

Jute hardly stretches, only 1 to 2% before it breaks, so it keeps its shape in a bag or rug. Cotton stretches 5 to 10%, which makes it easy to wear and wash. Jute takes up more moisture from the air (13.75% moisture regain, against 8.5% for cotton). This helps it feel cool, but it also means jute must be fully dry before you fold it away.

Cotton is the most used natural fibre in the world and is called the king of fibres. Jute, the golden fibre, is second among plant fibres. India grows more jute than any other country and is one of the two biggest cotton growers.

Where jute and cotton come from

Cotton is a seed fibre: the fluff around the seeds of the cotton plant. It grows across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana and the rest of India's cotton belt. Jute is a stem fibre from the jute plant, grown almost entirely in the wet delta of West Bengal and Bangladesh. Cotton is picked from a boll; jute is soaked, stripped and combed from a stalk.

Which is softer, jute or cotton?

Cotton. It is soft on the skin from the first wear and soaks up sweat, which is why it is used for everyday clothes. Pure jute is rough and stiff. So jute clothing is always a blend, jute-cotton or jute-silk, where jute adds texture and cotton or silk adds comfort.

Which is stronger, jute or cotton?

Jute, when dry. It is stronger and stretches less, so it makes sacks, rope and rugs. Cotton is weaker per thread but more flexible: it bends, folds and survives thousands of washes without breaking at the fold. Jute creases sharply, wears at the fold, and gets weaker when wet.

Which is cooler, jute or cotton?

Both breathe. Jute's looser weave lets air through a little better; cotton soaks up more sweat before it feels damp. In hot, humid weather, a jute-cotton blend is one of the coolest fabrics you can wear.

Washing jute vs cotton

Cotton is easy: machine-wash, tumble-dry, iron hot. Jute needs care: cold hand-wash, no wringing, dry flat in the shade, iron low on the back. Jute-silk is dry-clean only. The full routine: How to Wash Jute Fabric.

Price: jute vs cotton

Jute is cheaper, both as fibre and as fabric. A jute-cotton saree usually costs less than a similar pure cotton handloom, and a jute-silk saree costs less than a pure silk one.

Which is more eco-friendly, jute or cotton?

Jute, clearly. It grows on monsoon rain in about four months with very little pesticide, absorbs carbon as it grows, and breaks down within months. Regular cotton is one of the thirstiest and most pesticide-heavy crops. Organic cotton is better but still needs the water. More: Is Jute Fabric Sustainable?

Is jute cotton fabric good or bad?

Good, for the right job. Jute-cotton is the most common jute fabric for clothes in India: usually cotton in the cross threads for softness and easy washing, and jute in the long threads for texture and strength.

• The good: cool in heat, a handloom texture with body, long-lasting, and cheaper than pure cotton handloom or silk. It also uses less cotton, so less water.
• The not so good: it creases more than cotton, can feel a little rough at first, and needs a cold hand-wash, not the machine.
• Wear it for: sarees, kurtis, jackets, dupattas and tote bags.
• Skip it for: babywear, gym wear and anything you wash every day. Pick cotton for those.

Cotton vs jute: which to choose

• Everyday clothes, children's clothes, anything washed often: cotton.
• Texture, a handloom look, a saree or jacket with body: jute-cotton or jute-silk.
• Bags, rugs, upholstery, packaging: jute.
• The most eco-friendly choice for clothes: a jute-cotton blend, which uses less cotton and still washes.

Jute and cotton are partners more than rivals. Almost every jute garment sold in India has cotton in it, and it is better for it.