Side by side
Burlap vs Canvas
Burlap and canvas are the two great heavy-duty plain weaves, and the difference is fiber and finish. Burlap is loose, coarse jute, cheap and rough, the cloth of the sack. Canvas is tightly woven cotton, linen, or hemp, dense and strong, the cloth of the sail and the tent. One is made to be expendable; the other to hold a load for years.
Burlap
No. 101coarse plain weave · first documented 1800s
Canvas
No. 031plain or basket weave, heavy · first documented Antiquity
The differences
| Aspect | Burlap | Canvas |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | Jute (sometimes hemp): cheap, brittle, hairy. | Cotton, linen, or hemp: stronger, smoother. |
| Weave | Loose and open; you can see through it. | Tight and dense; near windproof at heavy weights. |
| Strength and life | Weak, degrades and sheds; meant to be used up. | Very strong and durable; built to last. |
| Use | Sacks, sandbags, root wrap, rustic decor. | Sails, tents, workwear, shoes, painters’ grounds. |
Which to choose
If it is rough, open, and hairy, it is burlap; if it is dense, smooth, and strong, it is canvas. Both are plain weaves doing heavy work, at opposite ends of cost and lifespan.
Common questions
- Is burlap just cheap canvas?
- No: it is a different fiber. Burlap is jute, which is coarse and weak; canvas is cotton, linen, or hemp, which is far stronger. A heavy burlap is still nothing like canvas in durability.
- Why does burlap smell?
- Jute fiber is processed with natural oils that give burlap its distinctive earthy odor; it is the smell of the raw bast fiber, strongest in new, unwashed cloth.
Sources & References
- 1.Hessian fabric, Wikipedia
- 2.Jute, Wikipedia
- 3.Canvas, Wikipedia
- 4.canvas, Online Etymology Dictionary