Traditional Mayan hammocks
use a loose weaving style, building the platform up slowly from small fibers, usually cotton thread. Different colored threads are used to create different designs and each one is as unique as the craftsman who created it. Mayan hammocks are often highly colorful, vibrant and add an outstanding decorative element to their extreme comfort.They come in a variety of sizes, but most are large enough to envelope the user in a banana-shaped enclosure that provides a very relaxing experience. The material and loose weave make for a very stretchable platform, sometimes a little too much so. As a result, Mayan hammocks will often require a little extra breaking in and care.
Extra height is needed to hang a Mayan hammock because of the extent of the stretch. And, at different stages, that stretch can vary. Until the hammock has been used several times, it is likely to stretch quite a bit. That requires the hammock be strung higher to ensure it doesn't make contact with the ground.
At the same time, a traditional, untreated Mayan hammock will benefit from a good wash and dry even before first use. Just as new shirts can change size and shape after being washed and dried, so too will a Mayan hammock. The fiber material and the loose weave give plenty of room for change. Drying in moderate heat will shrink and stiffen the fibers.
Some hammocks using fiber blends created with the Mayan weaving style won't require this first wash, though. You need to be careful not to erase any modern fiber treatments. The fabric care directions that come with the hammock will guide you.
Though knock offs are often done using machines, traditional Mayan hammocks are all hand woven. The result is an individual design that makes for a beautiful decorative element around the home. Styles range from the Mesoamerican red, blue and green stripes
with yellow accents to diamond shapes and many more. Craftsman have been creating these outstanding cloth beds for hundreds of years and techniques have been handed down from one generation to the next. Many began learning the skill as children and have become accomplished artisans by their twenties. A Mayan hammock made by an elder craftsman is sure to be a thing of beauty that will last for years.
Though hammock styles have hybridized, traditional Mayan hammocks don't use spreader bars. Those are metal or wood bars that thread through or attach to each end of the hammock. They transform the more traditional banana shape into a rectangle.
Most users find the shape and stretch extremely comfortable, though some with back problems may want to avoid the style.
