Rattan, bamboo or seagrass: the 30-second answer
The short version for anyone in a hurry. Rattan is the most durable and works in any room, including the kitchen. Bamboo is the hardest and lightest in tone, with a smooth surface that wipes clean in one pass. Seagrass has a naturally waxy surface that handles humidity better than any other weave. Straw and palm leaf give the softest, most diffused light but want a gentler spot.
If in doubt, take rattan. It's the safe choice, and it's almost impossible to get wrong.
Now the long version. All our lamps are handwoven from natural materials, but the materials differ more than they first appear: one throws a sharp shadow pattern, another gives soft, diffused light, one shrugs off kitchen steam, another wants a dry bedroom. In this guide we compare the main weaves on three practical questions: what the light looks like, how durable it is, and which room it suits.
If you want the deep dive into the materials and weaving techniques themselves, we have a separate natural materials guide. Here we focus on choosing.
Rattan lamps: pendants, ceiling lights and floor lamps
Rattan is a palm stem, and in the lamp world it's what oak is to furniture: dense, durable, and good for decades. Most of our customers pick rattan for their first woven lamp, and there are three reasons why.
Light with a pattern. Rattan weave is usually open, so in the evening a rattan ceiling light throws a bold shadow pattern across the walls. One lamp lights the room and decorates it at the same time.
Everyday durability. A smooth, dense surface you can simply wipe. A rattan pendant light works in the kitchen and on a covered terrace, where finer weaves struggle. Pair a rattan shade with a floor stand and you get a rattan floor lamp that moves wherever you need it.
Range of shapes. Rattan bends, so it becomes everything from small bells to large sculptural pieces like the pendant light PUMPURS or the LIELAIS RATS shade at 110 cm across.
Below: our rattan picks, from a small shade to a full room centerpiece.
Bamboo, straw and seagrass lamps: how they differ
A bamboo lamp is the lightest and palest of them all. Bamboo stems are hard and smooth, so the weave looks clean and graphic, and dust wipes off in a single pass. Bamboo suits modern and japandi interiors, where you want calm rather than pattern.
Straw and esparto lamps work the other way around: the dense weave doesn't let light through, it softens it. The result is warm, diffused light with no hard shadows, which looks especially cozy in a bedroom or over a dining table. The DABAS SPĒKS shade is our best seller in this group.
A seagrass lamp is the practical choice. The fiber has a naturally waxy surface that handles humidity and kitchen steam better than any other weave. The tone is darker and earthy, so seagrass sits well next to wood and linen.
Date palm and palm leaf lamps are the finest handwork, with an almost fabric-like texture. They're for people who want the lamp to be the room's main piece of decor.
One note on the word wicker: it names the weaving technique, not a plant, so a wicker lamp can be woven from rattan, bamboo, or willow. If a shop says just "wicker", ask what the material is.
Below: bamboo, straw, seagrass, and palm lamps side by side.
Which material for which room?
A simple list to keep in mind when picking a woven lamp for a specific room.
Kitchen and dining area: rattan or seagrass. Both handle steam and wipe clean. A denser straw shade works over the dining table, just not right next to the stove.
Living room: any material works here, so choose by the light. Want a shadow pattern on the walls? Take open-weave rattan. Want calm, warm light? Take straw or esparto.
Bedroom: straw, esparto, or date palm. The diffused light with no hard shadows lets your eyes rest in the evening. There's more on sleep-friendly light in our bedroom lighting guide.
Hallway: rattan or bamboo, since both take daily bustle and are quick to wipe clean.
Covered terrace: rattan or seagrass, and always under a roof. Natural weave isn't made for direct rain.
Care is the same for every material: dust once a week with a soft, dry brush, wipe once a month with a slightly damp cloth, and never soak it. That's all it takes for a handwoven lamp to last for decades.