Question
YURTS
DIRECT
COMMENTS
Yurts are made in Mongolia?
YES
Our yurts are made in our own workshop in Ulaanbaatar,
the capital of Mongolia
Yurts are made in Inner Mongolia?
NO
Inner Mongolia - That's China. The few Mongolians and
their culture that remain are slowly being exterminated by
the Chinese, just as Tibetans are in Tibet and Uighur's are
in Xinjiang. No Mongolian minorities are employed in the
making of these yurts. Willow & bamboo are used to make
the yurt and Chinese design doors and patterns are
added. To add insult they are passed of as "authentic"
shame on you. Support the
Inner Mongolian Peoples Party
Any bare wood visible on door edges or lintels?
NO
Wood will rot & joints will quickly fall apart if not painted
Joinery designed for Western climate?
YES
Mongolians use straight through tenon joints because they
are "strong" but which are useless in the UK as exposed
tenon joints just soak up water, expand and push
themselves apart. Click
HERE for examples
Made using exterior grade glue?
YES
Essential if yurt is to stay together
Made using exterior grade paint?
YES
If not paint will fade very quickly Click HERE for picture
Made using cheap Chinese lead paint?
NO
Everyone in Mongolia except us uses lead paint to paint
their yurts. Lead paint is ILLEGAL in the EU for a reason.
Click
HERE to read report by The Guardian
Are you advised to paint or varnish wooden
components on your yurt because the
manufacturer wouldn't/ couldn't be bothered or
more likely you are told this is "authentic"
NO
Some yurt importers try to make the rubbish yurts they
import last longer by advising you to paint door edges or
put an "extra" layer of varnish on their badly made yurts.
Don't be fooled by the spin that they are authentic
Mongolian yurts, they are badly made rubbish.
Primer/ sealer has been used?
YES
Paint does not stick to wood without primer
Two coats of exterior grade paint are then
applied
YES
Usually just one coat or two coats of very thinned down
Chinese paint are used
Everything is finished off with a coat of tough
polyurethane
YES
Other companies will use lacquer which will crack and turn
yellow with age.
Wall sections come as bare untreated wood?
NO
Will take you 2 long messy days to paint them with linseed
oil or some such yourself
Wall sections have been carefully steam bent
into correct shape?
YES
Cheap yurts in Mongolia use split wood wall sections that
have been forcibly curved using a blunt axe.
Wall section made from "split" wood?
NO
All cheap wall sections in Mongolia are made from split
wood. Because they are light. Which is good for nomads.
They are not strong, they are not nice to look at, moreover
they are bent into shape the lazy way using a blunt axe. Not
what we offer.
Wall sections made from cut wood?
YES
Cut from premium quality larch and then carefully steam
bent into shape using a form. They are heavier than the
more popular cheap option but we feel they are worth it.
Wall sections made from willow?
NO
Only Chinese yurts use willow or bamboo. After 6 years in
Mongolia I've never seen willow wood for sale. Willow is
only good for cricket bats.
Are carved yurts offered for sale?
YES
This is indicative of a company that is able to make quality
products and not simply churn out cheap yurts
Wood comes from a certified source?
YES
Ask for proof. Not passed on heresay
Polyester ropes used for exterior of yurt?
YES
Performs & lasts better than natural ropes
Horsehair ropes available as extra?
YES
Real horsehair rope not cheap camel or yak hair rope
Can you see slightly raised white patches
underneath paintwork on your yurt
NO
If YES what you can see is common wall plaster used to
make things look "nice" for a while
Felt edged in nylon to stop fraying?
YES
No nylon edging means that after time it will fray and start
coming to bits
Are a variety of different quality felts offered for
sale?
YES
Most companies offer just the one.
Canvas cut to an adjustable design?
YES
Normal Mongolian canvas is cut into front half and back
half. This design leaks!
Suncover available in cotton
NO
Will go mouldy and fall to pieces in the year
Suncover available in untreated 12oz canvas?
YES
Hard wearing, natural looking. Do not accept anything less.
Crown wheel comes with wooden flashing?
YES
Nobody else does this, gives an excellent finish to yurt
Crown wheel comes with perspex inserts?
YES
Not essential but something that differentiates us from
everyone else. Crown wheel is "glazed" keeping out light
rain/ dust/ insects etc.
Covers are packed in individual bags?
YES
Why pay £3,000 + for yurt & covers are thrown on the floor?
Woodwork is wrapped in protective padding?
YES
 
Do you keep yurts in stock?
???
We try our best to, but mostly no. We sell so many yurts we
find it hard to keep up with demand.
Are you a VAT registered business
YES
We sell over 100 yurts a year. We must be doing
something right?
Comes with 60 page illustrated set up guide?
YES
Competition to lazy to make one perhaps. Or just don't like
to put things in writing
Comes with 20 page floor construction guide?
YES
Ditto above.
Mongolian staff receive health & social
insurance?
YES
All our Mongolian employees, and there are over 20 of
them, are treated fairly & honestly. Receiving well above
the average salary as well as full health, social insurance
and free meals. We also make a point of employing  
mentally and physically handicapped people. We are in
short the only yurt maker in Mongolia operating ethically.
Yurts are sold at a fair price?
YES
Yes it's shocking but some people do import cheap yurts
and sell them at a HUGE markup. Beware people will
sadly lie for a profit.
Do people listen to you???
SOMETIMES
I'm the only non-Mongolian living in Mongolia making yurts.
For 5+ years now. I am personally involved with buying
everything that goes into our yurts. Be it wood, canvas,
wool, nails or glue. My passion is yurts. Unfortunately it's
easy to mistake insight for just rubbishing the competition.
You only have to make a mistake once to find out I'm right.
If you are looking at running a campsite and are buying
multiple Mongolian yurts from anyone but us you could be
making a very expensive mistake.  
Please do not buy Mongolian yurts not made by us...
Copyright © 2008 Mongolian Yurts Direct
What's so different about our yurts ?
Below we have provided a detailed run down of what you need to consider before parting with any of your hard earned money.
For an independent assessment of how our yurts match up to cheap imports, please click the following link and review by
Simply Yurts, the premier yurt event and hire company in the UK.
www.simplyyurts.co.uk/cheap yurts from Wales
Yurts Direct