macrame jhula for home india is it worth it

 

newreviews.in · Macrame Swing · Long-Term Review

I Bought a Macrame Swing
8 Months Ago.
Here's the Honest Month-by-Month Report.

Not a first-week review. Not "it looks great!" Real information about what a macrame swing is like to actually live with in a Kochi apartment across eight months — including monsoon season, maintenance, colour choices and what I'd change.

✍️ Lakshmi Nair, Kochi 📅 May 2025 📖 12 min read

8 months with it

1 monsoon survived

₹11,880 what I paid

Long story short: yes, worth it. But not in every way I expected, and with a few things I'd do differently. Here's the full account, month by month, for anyone who wants to know what life with a macrame swing actually looks like in a Kochi flat.

I bought the Premium White Macramé Swing from Shopps.in in September — ₹11,880, 45% off the MRP of ₹21,600. 40-inch seating diameter. White cotton. I hung it in my covered balcony on the second floor of a flat in Kakkanad, facing northeast. Ceiling is 10 feet. I have a small garden-view balcony about 6 feet wide.

Before I get into the months — a note about why I went with Shopps.in. I had read Pavithra Rajan's buyer persona guide at ReviewTrust.in and based on my profile (apartment balcony, covered, northeast-facing, adult use, standard budget) she recommended exactly this product. That guide is worth reading before you buy — it diagnoses your situation properly instead of just listing products.

The thing about a macrame swing is that it is not a one-time experience. It is a daily relationship. And like any relationship, it changes over time — sometimes better, sometimes more complicated.

The 8-Month Log

Month by Month — What Actually Happened

01

September

Arrival, Installation, First Impressions

The swing arrived in 9 days from ordering — packaged in a flat box, cotton rope coiled and taped, all hardware in a separate pouch. The white cotton was genuinely white, not off-white. Installation took about 25 minutes including finding the right spot in the ceiling, drilling with a 10mm masonry bit (rented from the hardware shop downstairs), and setting the rawl plug and hook.

The hanging length is adjustable via steel chain — I set mine so the base sits about 18 inches from the floor. The moment I sat in it the first time I understood immediately why people buy these. The cotton rope has a slight give that memory foam chairs don't — it feels like the swing is responding to you rather than just holding you.

Month 1 verdict: Completely sold. Everyone who saw it immediately wanted to sit in it. My sister-in-law ordered one the same week.

02

October

Daily Use Patterns Settle In

By month two I had established a clear pattern: morning chai in the swing, always. Evening reading — about 50% of the time. Late evening just sitting — occasionally. The morning chai pattern became so consistent that it started feeling weird to have chai indoors. The balcony and the swing became the same thought.

I noticed the white rope was starting to show some very slight yellowing at the contact points — where hands rest and where the cushion sits. Minor. Not noticeable unless you look for it. But I made a note to spot clean before it became obvious.

Month 2 verdict: The swing had become part of my morning routine. That's when I knew it was a good purchase — when it stops feeling like a special occasion and becomes the default.

03

November

First Deep Clean — What I Learned

The slight yellowing from month two had progressed a bit. Time for the first deep clean. Mild liquid soap, warm water, soft brush. I worked section by section — not the whole swing at once, which would have been unmanageable. Scrubbed gently along the rope direction. Rinsed each section with a garden hose. Left it hanging to dry in November sun — dry in about 4 hours.

The result was genuinely impressive. The swing looked close to new. The key lesson: do it before the discolouration gets deep into the rope fibres. Monthly spot cleaning + quarterly proper clean is the rhythm I'd recommend for white cotton in a Kerala covered balcony.

Month 3 verdict: Maintenance is real but not difficult. White in Kerala needs attention — brown or natural cotton would have been less work. But the white looks worth it.

04–05

December – January · The Kochi Winter Rains

The Monsoon Chapter — The Most Important Part

Kochi gets a northeast monsoon in December–January on top of the main June–July monsoon. My covered balcony is not fully sealed — it has a low railing and in heavy horizontal rain, spray comes in. This is the honest part that most macrame swing articles skip.

I brought the swing inside during the three heaviest rain weeks. The rest of the time — moderate rain — I left it in the covered balcony and it was fine. When I brought it indoors, it hung from a beam in the living room for two weeks. That was actually amazing. The living room with a macrame swing is genuinely different. Might leave it there permanently next year.

The cotton rope after being slightly damp (from spray, not full rain) needed 24 hours to fully dry. I draped it over the swing arms and let it air — no machine drying, no forced heat. It dried fine and remained white without mildew. The key: I caught it before it was truly wet.

Months 4–5 verdict: The monsoon is manageable if you are proactive. Bring it inside for the heaviest periods. The indoor-swing experience was a surprise bonus I didn't plan for.

06

February

Six Months: What I'd Change if I Bought Again

At six months I did a proper assessment. The swing looked approximately 85–90% of what it looked on day one. The white had maintained well — the quarterly cleanings made a real difference. The rope structure was intact, the knotting patterns unchanged, the hanging hardware showed zero corrosion (stainless steel as specified).

What I'd change:

1

I'd go natural cotton or brown instead of white. White in Kochi is a quarterly cleaning commitment. Not a deal-breaker, but natural cotton would have aged more gracefully and been less maintenance. The aesthetic is slightly less Instagram-perfect but more practical.

2

I'd go 50-inch instead of 40-inch. My balcony is wide enough and I now know I use it mostly for proper lounging — curled up with a book — rather than upright sitting. The 50-inch would have been more comfortable for that.

3

I'd buy a thicker cushion for the base separately. The included cushion is fine but thin. A proper 4-inch foam cushion in a waterproof cover makes the swing dramatically more comfortable for extended use.

Month 6 verdict: 85% of the original appearance after six months of regular use. The structural integrity is unchanged. I'd still buy it — I'd just choose colour and size slightly differently.

07–08

March – May · Where It Is Now

Eight Months In: The Final Assessment

The swing is back on the balcony after the rainy season. The April heat in Kochi means I use the balcony mostly in the mornings and evenings — which is exactly when the swing earns its keep. April mornings in a macrame swing with the garden below — honestly, there are worse ways to start a day.

The white has held. It is not as crisp as day one but it is clean and structurally sound. The rope has softened slightly — which is actually an improvement in comfort rather than a deterioration. The steel hardware is spotless. No rust, no weakening.

Would I buy it again? Yes. Without hesitation. It changed the way I use my balcony completely — from a space that stored things to the place I start every day. That change in behaviour is the actual value of the purchase, and no number of Instagram photos captures it.

Category	Day 1	Month 8
Colour	Bright white	Clean white, very slight softening — maintained with cleaning
Rope integrity	New — slightly stiff	Slightly softened — more comfortable, no fraying
Hardware	New steel	Identical — no rust, no weakening
Daily use	Occasional (novelty)	Every morning — part of routine
Overall verdict	Excited	Deeply satisfied — would buy again

What I'd Actually Recommend — With the Colour Guide Included

Based on eight months of living with one, here are my honest picks from the Shopps.in collection. All prices IGST-inclusive. Free delivery. COD. Custom colours on request — WhatsApp +91-99468-28484, toll-free 1800-203-7307.

What I bought · White · 45% off

Premium White Macramé Swing

Worth every rupee. If you're in a northern or east-facing covered balcony and don't mind quarterly cleaning, white is the most beautiful option. The 40-inch is right for standard balconies; go 50-inch if you have the space and want to properly lounge. Also consider natural cotton if maintenance is a concern — same swing, earth-tone colour.

₹11,880 ₹21,600

View at Shopps.in →

What I'd buy instead · Teal or Brown · Low maintenance

Macrame Jhula (Teal / Brown)

In hindsight — for Kochi humidity and my south-facing secondary balcony — I'd go with the teal version for white walls or brown for the verandah facing the garden. Both are more forgiving of coastal air than white. The teal against my white ceiling would look genuinely stunning. Comes with mattress + cushions at ₹8,700.

₹8,700

View at Shopps.in →

For villa owners · Bed swing · Statement purchase

72-inch Macrame Bed Swing

If you have 10+ foot ceilings and the space — this is the one that makes the whole home feel different. My cousins have one in their Thrissur villa verandah and it is genuinely the piece that defines the whole verandah experience. Mustard yellow or blue against Kerala white walls. Cannot stop looking at it when I visit.

From ₹14,659

View at Shopps.in →

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Bought

Q: Does a macrame swing actually hurt your back after long sitting?

For the first two weeks, slightly yes — the rope gives slightly more than a chair so your core works a tiny bit to maintain position. After that your body adjusts and it becomes naturally comfortable. The bigger factor is the cushion — the standard thin cushion is fine for 20–30 minute sessions but add a thicker foam cushion for longer lounging. With a proper cushion, back comfort is genuinely good even for an hour of reading.

Q: Which colour actually stays looking good the longest in Kerala / coastal India?

Natural cotton and brown, without question. They age with grace — the cotton develops a slight warm patina that looks intentional rather than worn. White requires regular maintenance to stay crisp in coastal humidity. Teal holds colour well because the dye penetrates the cotton fibres. Grey is similar to natural cotton — ages gracefully. For anyone in Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, or Goa who wants a low-maintenance macrame swing: brown or natural cotton. You're welcome.

Q: What happens if it gets rained on once during monsoon?

One episode of light rain — manageable. Let it dry completely in an airy space (24 hours minimum in high humidity). Do not re-hang or sit in it while damp — the weight in damp rope stresses the knotting differently and over time weakens the structure. One episode of full soaking rain — take it down, rinse it gently to remove any accumulated debris, and dry flat for 48 hours before re-hanging. Repeated rain episodes without drying = mildew. That's the line.

Q: Is it really handmade by women artisans? Does that matter?

Yes it is — Shopps.in makes this genuinely, not as marketing. Each swing is hand-knotted, which is why no two are completely identical in the finer pattern details. Does it matter? For me it does — the knowledge that someone's hands made the object changes how I experience it slightly. The rope quality, the pattern consistency, the finish — all of it reflects genuine craft rather than factory production. And honestly, you can feel the difference when you sit in it. There's a warmth to the texture that machine-made synthetic alternatives don't have.

More at Shopps.in

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White, teal, brown, mustard, grey, pink, blue. Custom colours on request. Round jhulas from ₹8,500. Bed swings from ₹14,659. Free pan-India delivery. IGST-inclusive. COD.

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