Direct answer (40–55 words): Rattan and woven shades scatter light softly and bring texture, but they suit dry rooms only. Metal shades direct light precisely and survive kitchens and balconies, but can glare when hung low. Choose by the surface below the pendant, not by the trend.
What each material does to light
The shade is a light-shaping tool, and these two materials shape light in opposite directions. A woven rattan or paper shade is a lattice: light passes through the weave and the gaps, landing as a soft, patterned glow that fills a corner rather than a tabletop. A metal shade is a wall: light bounces off the painted interior and leaves in the direction the shade points, which is why dome and cone shapes are the standard for task lighting.
That single difference decides most real cases. If you want the room to feel warmer and calmer, the woven option wins. If you want the dining table actually lit, the metal option wins. A paper lantern and a dome pendant are not variations of the same product; they are different tools.
The honest case for rattan
Rattan and woven shades are the cheapest way to make a room feel designed. The texture breaks up hard surfaces, the light has no glare anywhere, and the material reads warm even when the light is off. In bedrooms and dry living rooms, a woven pendant is often the single change that makes an evening feel softer.
The trade-offs are real, though. Woven shades collect dust in the weave and cannot be washed — only brushed. Humidity loosens and eventually warps the fibres, so bathrooms, kitchens over a hob, and monsoon-facing balconies are out. And because the weave scatters light in every direction, a woven pendant is a poor task light: over a dining table it lights the room more than the plates.
The honest case for metal
Metal shades do the jobs woven ones cannot. They are wipe-clean, indifferent to steam and humidity, and their interiors can be painted white to make the downward light even. A metal dome over a kitchen island puts light exactly where knives and plates are; the same pendant over a desk works as a task light. Metal also ages without changing character — a matte finish stays matte.
The trade-offs: metal directs light, so it can glare. A bare bulb in a shallow shade, hung low, will find your eyes at some seated angle. Look for recessed bulb positions (the bulb sits inside the shade) or deep shades. And metal is heavier: a 40 cm steel dome needs a solid ceiling point, while a paper lantern hangs from almost anything.
Durability, care and cost, side by side
| Factor | Rattan / woven | Metal |
|---|---|---|
| Light character | Soft, scattered, glare-free | Directed, precise, can glare |
| Best rooms | Bedrooms, dry living rooms | Kitchens, dining, desks, covered balconies |
| Humidity | Poor — warps and loosens | Excellent |
| Cleaning | Dust only, never wash | Wipe with a dry cloth |
| Weight | Light (0.7–1.5 kg) | Heavier (1.1–2 kg+) |
| Pet/child risk | Bumps can dent the weave | Dents only under real impact |
| Look over time | Softens, ages warmly | Stable, ages little |
| Typical price | Lower | Higher |
When each one is the wrong choice
- Rattan is wrong over a hob, in a bathroom, on an open balcony, or anywhere you need a table actually lit for work or meals.
- Metal is wrong when the pendant will hang low at eye level with a bare bulb, in a nursery where softness matters more than direction, or where the ceiling point cannot carry a heavier fixture.
The hybrid option
There is a third path most comparisons ignore: metal structure with a woven or paper skin. Our caged bulb pendant is the reverse hybrid — a metal cage that exposes the bulb — while paper lanterns over steel frames are the classic soft version. Hybrids get you texture plus structure, but they still inherit the weave's dry-room rule.
Which should you buy?
- Choose rattan or woven if the pendant hangs in a dry room, you want the light soft, and the pendant is atmosphere rather than task.
- Choose metal if the pendant serves a table, counter or desk, or the room has steam, humidity or strong sunlight.
- Choose either, but check the bulb position first — recessed beats exposed every time for pendants hung at eye level.
Prototype note: our catalogue is a prototype with transactions disabled; prices are illustrative. Every pendant page lists its shade material, weight and cord length.