Rex Rabbit Fur, Explained: Why It Feels Like Velvet

Run your hand across rex rabbit fur once and you understand the appeal immediately. It has the even, plush hand of crushed velvet, with none of the coarse guard hairs you feel on most furs. It is also the most accessible genuine fur on the market, which makes it the natural starting point for anyone drawn to the real thing. This guide explains what rex rabbit is, why it feels the way it does, and how it measures up against the furs it is often compared with.

What rex rabbit is

Rex is a specific breed of rabbit, not a treatment or a trade name. The breed carries a natural genetic trait that changes the structure of its coat. In most animals, longer, stiffer guard hairs stand well above a shorter, softer undercoat. In the rex, that difference all but disappears: the guard hairs are shortened until they sit almost level with the dense underfur. The result is a coat that is remarkably uniform in length, exceptionally dense, and short enough to feel like a single continuous plush surface rather than layered hair.

That trait is entirely natural to the breed. Nothing is sheared or chemically stripped to create the effect. It is simply how a rex rabbit grows its coat, which is why the texture is so consistent from one piece to the next.

Why it feels like velvet

The velvet sensation comes down to three things working together. First, the fibres are short, so there is no long hair to flatten or separate under your hand. Second, they are extraordinarily dense, packed tightly enough that your fingers rest on the tips rather than sinking through to the skin. Third, because the guard hairs are so reduced, there is almost nothing coarse to interrupt the softness. Instead of the two-tier feel of most furs, one soft and one bristly, rex gives you a single, even, springy pile. Press it and it recovers; brush it one way and it shifts colour slightly, exactly as velvet does.

How rex rabbit compares

It helps to place rex rabbit next to the furs it is most often measured against.

• Softness. On pure hand-feel, rex is among the softest furs you can wear. Chinchilla is the classic benchmark for softness thanks to its incredible density, and rex sits closer to it than most people expect, while remaining far easier to obtain. Mink is beautifully soft too, but you feel its guard hairs in a way you do not with rex.
• Weight. Rex is light and supple, which makes it comfortable for everyday wear. Mink is also light but tends to have a bit more body. Chinchilla is famously delicate and lightweight but far less hard-wearing.
• Warmth. The dense underfur that makes rex soft also makes it genuinely warm, trapping still air close to the body. It insulates very well for its weight, comfortably in the range of other short furs, though the longest, densest furs still edge it on the very coldest days.
• Durability. Rex is reasonably hard-wearing for its softness, more robust than fragile chinchilla, though mink remains the benchmark for a fur that lasts decades with care.
• Price. This is where rex stands apart. It offers a genuinely luxurious hand at a fraction of the cost of mink or chinchilla, which is precisely why it is the most accessible real fur.

The most accessible genuine fur

For many people, rex rabbit is the first real fur they own. It delivers the softness, warmth and quiet-luxury feel that draw people to fur in the first place, without the price of the rarer species. That makes it ideal for a first genuine-fur coat, jacket or collar, where you want the real material and its unmistakable hand rather than a synthetic approximation. At Alessa it is made by a family atelier with four generations of fur craft and priced transparently, so you pay for the fur and the work rather than a label.

Caring for rex rabbit

Rex rewards gentle handling. Let it dry naturally and never near direct heat if it gets damp, and avoid crushing it under heavy bags or in tight wardrobes, since prolonged pressure is what flattens any short pile over time. Hang it on a broad, padded hanger with room around it to breathe rather than sealed in a garment bag. Shake it out occasionally to keep the pile lofted, and leave deeper cleaning to a specialist fur cleaner rather than a standard dry cleaner. Our care guides cover each step in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Is rex rabbit real fur?

Yes, rex rabbit is genuine natural fur from the rex breed of rabbit. Its unusually soft, velvety texture comes from a natural genetic trait that shortens the guard hairs, not from any synthetic process, so it is entirely real fur.

Is rex rabbit fur warm?

It is, and warmer than its light weight suggests. The very dense underfur traps a lot of still air close to the body, which is what actually keeps you warm, making rex a genuinely cosy choice among the shorter furs.

How does rex rabbit compare to mink?

Rex has a softer, more uniform surface because its guard hairs are so reduced, whereas you can feel minks guard hairs over its underfur. Mink is more durable and holds its value longer, but rex offers a comparable sense of luxury at a far lower price.

How is rex rabbit fur sourced?

Rex rabbits are farmed animals, and their fur is a by-product of established rabbit husbandry rather than a wild-caught material. Sourcing standards vary by supplier and region, so a maker that is transparent about where its fur comes from lets you make an informed choice.

Explore the collection: browse our rex rabbit pieces, or see the full range of fur, designed in Stockholm and made by four generations of furriers.