How to Make a Raft in Minecraft (2022)

Note: For now, the rafts are only available as an experimental feature in Minecraft 1.20 Beta and 22w42a Snapshot. They are a little far from being complete and subject to change in the final release.

What is a Raft in Minecraft

In the real world, a raft is a floatable structure that’s usually made out of long dried bamboo sticks. Minecraft’s iteration of the raft isn’t much different. It is made using bamboo blocks and floats just like a boat in the waters of Minecraft. In terms of appearance, the raft can be considered as a long piece of bamboo wood with a shovel-like oar to row it around.
Two players, one player and a mob, or two mobs can easily sit on a raft at the same time. Except for the boss mobs, it doesn’t matter what mob you’re trying to fit onto it, the raft will seat them and allow you to move them around. We were even able to get the Minecraft camels on a raft, but it obviously didn’t look as appealing as players riding it.

Items Required to Make a Raft

You only need the following couple of items to craft a raft in Minecraft:

6 Bamboo PlanksCrafting Table

To create one bamboo plank, you need to place a block of bamboo in the crafting area. Since each block gives out 2 planks, you will need 3 blocks of bamboo to get 6 planks. This crafting recipe is shapeless so you can put the block of bamboo in any cell. As for the block of bamboo, you can use our dedicated guide to learn how to find and use bamboo in Minecraft.

Minecraft Raft Crafting Recipe

The crafting recipe for the raft is the exact replica of the crafting recipe for a boat in Minecraft. Though, you cannot craft the raft with other types of wood. With that said, follow the steps below to make a raft in Minecraft.

  1. First, place one bamboo plank in each corner of the top row in the crating area.
  2. Next, fill up the middle row of the crafting area with bamboo planks. You can place the planks and create the same pattern using the middle and bottommost rows as well. The output will be a raft.
  3. Once the raft is ready, you can choose to combine it with a chest in the crafting area. You will now be able to carry items around with you on your voyage, but the raft will only be able to seat one player.

How to Use Raft in Minecraft

Since rafts are just like boats, you can push them into the water by walking into them. Then, you need to right-click or use the secondary action key to ride it. Once you are on the raft, you can control and steer the raft with movement keys. If you do not want to travel alone, you can push a mob onto the raft to get them to ride in the back seat.

Boats vs Rafts: Which is Better?

Even though they look cool, the rafts don’t have any practical advantage over the boats. Both of them have similar speeds, the same ability to reduce fall damage, and even the exact same crafting recipe. Not to forget, you can even add chests to both of them. All the differences between them are visual.
Boats are closed off by a small wooden border on their edges, but the raft is open on all sides. Though, it doesn’t affect the mobs’ ability to get on them or attack you.
So, which one should you choose in Minecraft – a boat or a raft? Well, the answer to that relies on your personal preference. If you want a variety of colors and a traditional design, you can opt for the boat. Meanwhile, the rafts are the way to go if you want something fresh and different.

Make and Use a Raft in Minecraft Today

With that, you are ready to experience even more realistic survival islands in Minecraft. And to make your experience worthwhile, we have already compiled a list of the best Minecraft survival island seeds. Some of them even grow with bamboo that you need for your raft. Not to forget, the rafts aren’t the only rideable entity in the new update. You can also ride the camels in Minecraft and unlock a completely unique combat experience. Having said that, do you think rafts are good for Minecraft, or are they unnecessary? Tell us in the comments below!