Coconut fiber, or coir, is a naturally-made reinforcement fiber designed to cushion the blow when coconuts drop. Serving as the protective husk, coir [koi(-&)r] is the coarse, stiff outside fiber extracted from the husk of coconuts.

In the husk, coir weighs about 300 grams and is interwoven with the soft, peat moss-like coir pith in a 1:2 weight ratio; the resulting �cushion� is covered by a thin glossy skin. Coir stands apart from other natural fibers in several ways:

• It is the thickest, stiffest and most resilient of all commercial natural fibers,
• Its cellular structure makes it weaker and more elastic than other natural fibers,
• The cell walls of fiber and pith contain more lignin than any other commercially relevant natural fiber, including wood. Lignin is a natural polymer, which adds strength and elasticity to the cellulose-based fiber walls. Since lignin resists biodegradation, a high lignin content also imparts longevity to outdoor applications.

"Coir in a Nutshell" pdf by Gero Leson.