How To Choose the Best Rug Material

While the carpet’s style and color are important considerations to make as you’re buying a rug, you must also consider what material the rug is made from before making your purchase. Carpet fiber materials play a valuable role in the overall durability, feel, and price of the rug. Put a name to the common rug materials you see in different styles of interior designs and learn how to choose the best rug material for your home with this helpful guide.

Synthetic Rug Materials

The development of synthetic materials in carpet allows for unique, long-lasting colors and durable, strong rugs that stand against the test of time. As you search for a rug with synthetic materials, you may see the term “solution dyed.” Before we jump into each type of synthetic carpet material, it’s important to know what it means for a rug’s fibers to be solution dyed—it may help you choose between natural and synthetic rugs.

When creating solution dyed synthetic fibers, manufacturers will mix colorful dye directly into the liquid that makes the fabric for rugs. The dye fills any microscopic holes left behind in the synthetic material, which keeps color in and prevents stains from settling.

Originally, solution dyed fibers came in very few colors; however, with the technological advances we have now, there are many vibrant and exciting solution dyed rugs for you to choose from. Many synthetic fibers utilize solution dyeing, and each synthetic material has its own purpose when used in rugs. The following materials are some of the most common rug and carpet materials found in American-made rugs today:

Nylon

As one of the oldest, completely synthetic carpet materials, nylon carpets and rugs have an extensive history stretching back to 1935. Today, it’s one of the most versatile synthetic fibers and has very few cons. Nylon fibers are soft and durable—crushed fibers can be brought back to life with steam. Its flexible nature allows rug manufacturers to create many designs with it. Rugs made from nylon used to be prone to stains and spills, but solution dyeing and advanced nylon stain treatments have since changed that fact.

Nylon can be on the more expensive end of the price range, but you can find plenty of inexpensive nylon options. Within the past ten years, nylon carpet and rug recycling industries have become popular—they turn old nylon carpet and rugs into material for new nylon fibers. This keeps the man-made plastic out of landfills and adds sustainability to the material.

Nylon Benefits: Luxurious, soft, durable, stain resistant with treatment, high-end, and recyclable.

Polyester

Polyester carpet fibers are one of the most popular choices for rugs—this material costs less than nylon and works well for any rug style. It was once the stain resilient alternative to nylon before nylon stain treatments existed; the material itself is hydrophobic and repels liquid rather than absorbing it. However, while nylon bounces back from foot traffic, polyester rugs cannot handle heavy traffic very well. Polyester rugs work well for rooms with less foot traffic, like dining rooms or bedrooms.

Sometimes you may see “PET” before the word “polyester” in a rug’s description. This means that recycled polyester chips make up the base of the polyester material used for the rug!

Polyester Benefits: Affordable, soft, stain resistance, water resistance, and often made from recycled materials.

Olefin (Polypropylene)

Olefin, or polypropylene, is a common rug material for outdoor rugs. This artificial fiber is hydrophobic and easy to clean—with most olefin rugs, all you need to do is hose it off and let it dry. However, it’s important to note that the fibers soak up oily residue, so these rugs are best kept outside of the kitchen. Because olefin is resistant to mold and mildew, these rugs work well in damp basements and can hold their ground against rainy weather outside.

Typically, olefin rugs are low pile height with a loop style, such as Berber loop or level loop. By looping the fibers, olefin rugs take on an appearance similar to wool rugs. The low pile height or sturdy looped style adds more durability to the fibers. High pile height olefin rugs come in the form of artificial grass rugs—which work best in low foot-traffic areas. Olefin rugs are affordable and can come in any color or pattern to match your outdoor décor.

Olefin Benefits: Water resistant, stain resistant, weather-proof, mold resistant, easy to clean, and affordable.

Eurolon

Eurolon is another product made from polypropylene, but with a more luxurious feel than olefin. Where you may put an olefin rug on your patio or in your boat, Eurolon rugs are often indoor rugs. The fibers are soft, anti-static, and anti-microbial to keep mites and bacteria from hiding in your rug. Despite being an indoor rug, they are still easy to clean by blotting with normal cleaning agents.

Eurolon Benefits: Water resistant, stain resistant, antimicrobial, non-toxic, anti-static, and easy to clean.

Natural Rug Materials

If you want your rug to reflect the beauty of nature in the world, consider purchasing a rug made with a natural material. Natural fibers cannot be solution dyed, which leads to rugs that often retain their natural colors. Handcrafted, natural fiber rugs are a sustainable option for homeowners that always search for the most eco-friendly décor. For natural rug materials, how to choose the best rug material depends on your ideal rug texture and the rug’s purpose.

Common natural rug materials are:

Wool

Rugs woven from wool provide natural water resistance and flame resistance. Sheep developed protective membranes on the fibers of their wooly coats to protect them from rain—this naturally hydrophobic characteristic carries over to the wool in a rug’s composition. This soft, durable material also naturally resists dust mites and bacteria.

Wool Benefits: Soft, water resistant, flame resistant, non-allergenic, antimicrobial, and durable.

Jute

The fibers of a jute rug come from a reed-like plant and provide a natural weave that’s soft to the touch. Braided jute rugs are a form of art—because the fibers are so fine, it’s possible to do beautiful detail work on these natural rugs. Avoid placing a jute rug in an area with heavy foot traffic. Jute is naturally resistant to water and moths—wool needs a chemical treatment for moth protection!

Jute Benefits: Beautiful, soft rustic woven texture, water resistant, and naturally moth resistant.

With these unique rug materials in mind, deciding which material is right for your home can be a breeze—especially if you can’t make it to a rug showroom. Always take advantage of free samples when purchasing a rug to ensure you’re buying the best fit for your home.

At Koeckritz Rugs, we provide every household with five free rug samples that you can order before you settle on a finished product. Choose from our wide selection of custom-size area rugs using your newfound knowledge of rug materials from this guide and let us provide you with a perfect piece of décor for any room in the house.