Guide · For the trade
Bamboo silk rugs: what the fiber actually is, bamboo silk vs viscose and where to specify it
Bamboo silk rugs are viscose rugs: the fiber is regenerated cellulose, the same rayon process as viscose, with bamboo pulp as the source instead of wood pulp and it behaves the same way on a floor. It has the luster and the cool, slippery hand of silk at a fraction of the cost, it crushes and shows pile reversal and it water-spots permanently, so it belongs in a bedroom or a formal living room and never in a dining room, an entry or a hall. The wool and bamboo silk blends at 60 to 75 percent wool are the version most designers can specify with confidence.
This guide is for the designer offered a bamboo silk rug as a silk substitute who wants to know what is being bought and the junior writing the spec: what the fiber is, how it compares with viscose, Tencel, silk and wool, the blends and constructions in our library, the rooms and the care sheet to hand the client before delivery.
Is there such a thing as bamboo silk
There is no silk in it. Bamboo silk is a trade name for viscose rayon made from bamboo cellulose: the plant is pulped, dissolved and extruded through a spinneret into a continuous filament that is bright, smooth and cool. Viscose from wood pulp, art silk and banana silk are the same fiber from a different plant. The honest spec-sheet names are viscose or rayon. A related fiber, lyocell, sold as Tencel, is made in a closed-loop solvent process, is slightly stronger and less absorbent and has its own Tencel rugs guide.
Bamboo silk vs viscose, Tencel, silk and wool
| Fiber | What it is | Luster and hand | Water and stains | Resilience and traffic | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboo silk | Viscose from bamboo pulp | High luster, cool, soft | Permanent water spots, yellows when wet | Low; crushes, pile reversal | Bedroom, formal living |
| Viscose | Rayon from wood pulp | Same as bamboo silk | Same | Same | Same |
| Tencel (lyocell) | Closed-loop cellulose fiber | Soft luster, a little drier hand | Spots less, still not for spills | Low to medium | Bedroom, living room with care |
| Real silk | Protein fiber from the silkworm | Highest luster, warm hand | Spots and dulls; professional cleaning only | Medium; strong but fine | Bedroom, formal rooms, wall |
| Wool | Protein fiber, staple | Matte to soft sheen | Lanolin repels water-based spills | High; recovers from crush | Every room |
| Wool and bamboo silk blend, 60 to 75 percent wool | Wool body with viscose highlights | Sheen in the pattern, wool hand | Spots only where the viscose is | Medium to high | Living room, bedroom, low-traffic dining |
On a sample there is no visible difference between bamboo silk and viscose, because there is none. Against real silk a burn test tells: silk is a fine, slightly uneven filament that burns to a crushable ash and smells of hair; bamboo silk is uniform and burns like paper. The silk rugs guide covers the test.
Bamboo silk rugs pros and cons, honestly
The case for it is the look: a hand-knotted or hand-loomed bamboo silk rug has a light-catching surface wool cannot give, takes dye in saturated, luminous color, is cool underfoot and costs less than silk. In a bedroom with no shoes it will look like silk for years. The case against it is physical and does not change with the brand. The fiber loses most of its strength when wet, so a spilled glass of water leaves a yellowed, stiff ring that cleaning does not remove. It has no resilience, so the pile crushes under furniture and feet into light and dark patches, called pile reversal or watermarking, that are permanent. It is not for a dining room, a kitchen, an entry, a hall, a stair or a room with a pet. The viscose rugs guide covers the water stain in detail.
Specifying a wool and bamboo silk blend
The blend is the practical version. At 60 percent wool and 40 percent bamboo silk the wool carries the structure and the viscose sits in the pattern as the highlight, which is how BIC Carpets, Cella Carpet build theirs. The higher the wool percentage, the more rooms the rug can go in and anything under 50 percent wool should be treated as a viscose rug. Ask for the blend as a percentage by weight and check the sample for whether the viscose is in the field or only in the motif; a viscose field crushes everywhere, a viscose motif only where the motif is.
Constructions, sizes and lead times
Bamboo silk and its blends come hand-knotted, hand-loomed, hand-tufted and machine-woven; 214 styles sit in our silk and viscose filter from Stanton, Emery Park, Prestige Mills, Couristan and STG, most made to order in 6 to 12 weeks in 5x8 to 10x14 and larger. Hand-loomed viscose broadloom from Emery Park and Stanton is cut and bound to a custom size in 3 to 5 weeks. A full custom hand-knotted wool and bamboo silk piece through the Design Studio has a strike-off in 4 to 6 weeks and 18 to 20 weeks of production.
Pad, placement and the care sheet
Specify a 1/4 inch felt-and-rubber pad on a hard floor and place the rug so furniture legs sit on the border, not in the field. The care sheet for the client reads: no water on the rug, ever; blot a spill with a dry white towel and call a cleaner who dry-cleans viscose; vacuum with suction only, in the direction of the pile; no steam, no spot cleaners; rotate twice a year; expect the pile to lighten and darken in patches and treat it as the character of the fiber. If the client cannot live with that sheet, specify the 70 percent wool blend or a wool rug with a sheen.
Questions designers ask
Is bamboo silk good for a rug?
In the right room, yes: a bedroom, a dressing room, a formal living room without food and drink. It gives a silk look at a lower cost and takes color beautifully. It is a poor fiber for any room with traffic, spills or pets, because it crushes and water-spots permanently.
Is bamboo silk as good as silk?
No. Real silk is a protein fiber that is stronger wet, holds its luster longer and can be professionally cleaned; bamboo silk is viscose, which loses strength when wet and spots. The two look alike on day one; a silk rug still looks like silk at twenty years and a bamboo silk rug does not.
Is there such a thing as bamboo silk?
As a marketing name, yes; as a fiber, it is viscose rayon made from bamboo pulp. Specs that say bamboo silk, bamboo viscose, art silk or banana silk describe the same regenerated cellulose fiber and it should be specified and cared for as viscose.
What is the healthiest material for a rug?
Undyed or low-impact-dyed wool on a cotton or jute foundation, with a felt pad: it is a renewable fiber, naturally flame resistant without treatment and most wool broadlooms carry CRI Green Label Plus for low emissions. Viscose and bamboo silk are chemically regenerated fibers and their rugs often use a latex backing; Tencel is the lower-impact version of the same fiber.
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