Mohair and Angora wool rugs — what the fibres actually do, and how we weave them.

What mohair and angora actually are

The names cause the most common confusion in the material. Mohair comes from the Angora goat. Angora wool comes from the Angora rabbit. The names overlap because both animals were originally bred in the Ankara region of Turkey — Ankara was called Angora until 1930. One is a goat, the other a rabbit, the fibres they produce behave differently, and they cost differently.

If someone offers you an "Angora wool rug", ask which animal. Most of the time they mean mohair from the Angora goat — the two terms are used interchangeably in the rug trade, even though they technically shouldn't be. A rug truly made of Angora rabbit hair is rare, extremely expensive, and almost always a blend because pure angora is too soft to hold its shape as a floor covering.

Why mohair's lustre is different from sheep wool

Pick up a mohair yarn and a sheep-wool yarn side by side in daylight. The mohair gleams; the sheep wool doesn't. This is not a finish or a treatment — it's structural.

Sheep wool fibres are covered in overlapping scales, like tiny roof tiles. Those scales catch and diffuse light, which is why wool feels matte and warm. They also interlock with neighbouring fibres under friction, which is why wool felts so easily when wet. On a rug, this is useful: the felting gives you dense, cushioned pile that compacts into structure.

Mohair fibres have far fewer, flatter scales. Light reflects off the surface more directly instead of scattering. The result is the natural lustre that mohair is specified for — the reason it shows up in luxury upholstery, hand-knotted rugs for formal rooms, and high-end knitwear. Mohair takes dye more vividly for the same reason: light bounces off the dye-saturated fibre with less of the muting effect that sheep-wool scales introduce.

The trade-off is that mohair has less natural grip. It doesn't felt into dense pile the way wool does. On a hand-knotted rug, mohair pile stays distinct — each knot visible — rather than compacting into a solid mass. This is a look, not a defect.

How mohair sheds — the real numbers

Shedding is the top question we get on mohair orders, so here are honest numbers rather than marketing claims:

Fibre	Initial shedding window	Long-term shedding
Standard NZ wool	6–12 weeks after installation	Low; occasional light fibre
Mohair (adult)	2–4 weeks after installation	Very low; mohair holds together
Kid mohair	2–3 weeks; less than adult mohair	Minimal
Angora rabbit (rare in rugs)	Ongoing; angora never fully stops shedding	Continuous light shedding
Wool + mohair blend (80/20)	4–8 weeks	Low

Mohair sheds less than standard wool for two reasons. First, fewer surface scales mean the fibres aren't catching on each other and breaking short pieces off. Second, Angora goat wool comes off the animal in long continuous locks — there are fewer short fibre fragments in the raw material to begin with.

These are measured norms rather than published PiHue figures. If you need a specific measured shedding window for a programme, we can track it on the first delivery and report back.

How we weave mohair and angora at PiHue

We run mohair and mohair-blend programmes as a custom-only line — not a standard catalogue item, because the fibre choice is usually project-specific and the cost is substantial.

For most hospitality and designer programmes we recommend a wool-mohair blend rather than 100% mohair. An 80/20 wool-mohair blend keeps most of mohair's lustre, improves wear resistance, reduces cost by 30–40%, and is easier to source in volume. 100% mohair is reserved for show-pieces, private commissions, and small bespoke runs where the surface character needs to be unambiguously mohair.

Pure Angora rabbit rugs we generally do not recommend for commercial use. The fibre is too short-staple and too soft to hold shape as a floor covering. For a soft, luxurious surface in that register, kid mohair at 150 KPSI is the better specification.

Care protocol — what mohair needs

Mohair is more delicate than sheep wool and needs a different care routine. Three rules cover most situations:

1. Vacuum weekly on a low setting without a beater bar. A beater bar tears mohair's long smooth fibres. Use the plain suction head, or a vacuum with a dedicated bare-floor / delicate setting. One pass across the pile, not repeated back-and-forth.
2. Blot spills immediately; never rub. Press a clean dry cloth down onto the spill, lift, repeat. Rubbing matts the fibres together and can leave a visible patch. For protein stains (food, drink), cold water only; hot water will set the stain.
3. Rotate every 3 months. Mohair's lustre varies subtly with pile direction and light angle. Rotating 180° every 3 months evens the sun exposure and distributes wear; it also keeps the surface looking consistent as it ages.

What to avoid:

• Steam cleaning — heat and moisture together will felt the surface and dull the lustre. Dry cleaning by a specialist natural-fibre service is the right routine.
• Direct sunlight all day — mohair fades faster than sheep wool. If the rug sits in a window, add UV film or sheer curtains, and rotate more often.
• Aggressive pet claws — mohair's long fibres pull out under scratching more easily than wool. If you have cats or large dogs, specify wool rather than mohair.

Where mohair works best (and where it does not)

The fibre's physical properties narrow the room list. Mohair is at its best in low-to-moderate traffic rooms where the rug is seen more than walked on:

• Bedrooms — bedside and footboard positions. Mohair underfoot in a bedroom is one of the most tactile pleasures available in a house.
• Hospitality guest rooms — hotel bedrooms, private suites. Low enough traffic for mohair's wear profile; the lustre reads as luxury.
• Show-piece lounges — formal sitting rooms, reading nooks, snug rooms. Spaces designed for sitting, not thoroughfare.
• Dressing rooms and walk-in wardrobes — soft mohair underfoot when barefoot, low traffic, protected from direct sun.

Where mohair does not work:

• Hallways, corridors, foyers — traffic will flatten the pile.
• Dining rooms — spill risk is too high for the care protocol.
• Open-plan living areas with heavy foot traffic — specify wool or a wool-mohair blend instead.
• Outdoor or semi-outdoor spaces — mohair is a natural fibre; it needs an indoor climate.
• Rooms with large pets — see the care protocol.

How to specify a mohair rug on a purchase order

Mohair specifications have more variables than standard wool. Four lines cover the essentials:

If the project cares about the mohair's chain of custody (hospitality groups increasingly do), ask for the RMS Transaction Certificate at order confirmation and at shipment. It's the paper trail that proves the mohair you ordered was actually used.

Frequently asked