The role of material perception is vital in designing new materials and products which are widely accepted by consumers. This is of even greater significance in the case of sustainable materials like biobased composites, which are not familiar to the average consumer. Understanding the effect of visual and tactile characteristics of the biobased composites on the formation of material perception could help material engineers and designers to create sustainable and high-value materials. In this study of biobased composites, the semantic differential method is used to assess material attributes (in digital and physical settings), along with the qualitative assessment of material characteristics. The attribute ratings, as well as the qualitative descriptors, are used to assess sensory qualities and generalise their influences on material perception. It is observed that respondents refer to past material experiences to define materials, especially the ones with uncertain attributes. While visual/tactile inconsistencies are a hallmark of natural products, such irregularities in materials with evidence of human interaction (e.g., weaving, geometric patterns) lead to poor perception of beauty and value. Fibreness is a strong signifier of naturality, and warm & earthy tones reinforce this perception. Perception of beauty and value is influenced by both visual and tactile attributes, pointing to their bimodal nature; this also emphasises the role of sensory characteristics in creating desirable biobased composites.