2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, The Ombre Wool Rug, shown here in Dawn.. Rugs often look different in person than they do online and feel different than you might thinkusually, in our experience, rougher. Pick something with a small pattern to help mask little stains. These square-foot-size tiles inexpensively hide ugly flooring. Subscribe now for unlimited access. Otherwise, the room will look a little sloppy. But you dont have to stick to tan, said Atwood, who favors soft versions of colors like blush, mint, gray-lilac, taupe. Jessica Probus suggested gray, navy, or a darker beige. The thin water-resistant rug cover, made of polyester, attaches securely to the pad. But theyre also great at trapping dirtof all the budget rugs, they can hang on to crumbs, sand, and hair the most. The neutral color and white trellis pattern can provide a nice backdrop for more dramatic room decorations. According to rug cleaner Lisa Wagner, polypropylene tends to attract oil more than a material like wool. Sometimes you need an area rug just to cover ugly floors, to keep downstairs neighbors from hearing you walk around, or to make your place feel homey without spending a lot of money. Revival also has more detailed rug care advice you can follow. But just as Tupperware can be scratched and look cloudy, synthetic rugs can get smushed and trap dirt. Burrow also sells their own rug pad, which you can add to your order when selecting your rug size. The majority of these rugs that we put our hands and feet on had dry, scratchy polypropylene fibers, a design that spaced the fibers too thinly and made the rug feel flat rather than plush, or both. We like Safaviehs hand-woven rag rugs, which cost less than most other rag rugs weve seen, feel comfortable to walk on, and come in a wide range of colors and sizes. Why its great: If youre looking for an area rug with a contemporary, yet neutral design that whispers hyggecozy, comfortable, warm and welcomingthe Burrow Cape House rug is a solid pick on looks alone. We independently review everything we recommend. Only get something that you cant stop thinking about! Wagner compared them to plastic Tupperware: Though they can be discolored, in general you can pour in strong-staining items and it does not discolor the plastic permanently, she said. Plus, some of the colors look a little dated. As Atwood recommended: Only get something that you cant stop thinking about! Most of Revivals rugs arrive gently folded (instead of rolled), which means you can expect some creases when you unpack it. In this guide we note how each fared in our tests, which rooms they will hold up in best, and how much shipping will cost when you purchase the rug online. Our recommended rugs were the ones our testers thought felt nicest underfoot. We also consulted the design book Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home to learn tricks from pros Jessica Romm Perez and Shani Silver. Besides the natural, unbleached tan color that jute is known for, the rug also comes in eight other colors. While any vacuum can clean bare floors, some models make the task a little easier. Sizes: 2 by 4, 2 by 6, 2 by 8, 2 by 10, 2 by 12, 2 by 14, 3 by 5, 51 square, 4 by 6, 51 by 8, 6 by 9, 8 by 10, 86 by 12, 10 by 14, 7 round, 51 round, Materials: primarily polypropylene with jute backing, Colors: aqua, brown, dark beige, dark gray, gray, ivory, navy, purple, red (some colors not available in all dimensions). Some were better than others, to put it kindly. After that, we did a vacuum test. Dog Poop, Dirty Rugs, and Other Disappointing Truths About Robot Vacuums. Kitchen: Having a rug to stand on while you chop veggies or wash dishes can be more pleasant for your feet than cold tile. With those past rug purchases in mind, for this guide we set out to find what makes a great rugeven an inexpensive one. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Even though this rug is all-cotton, we sucked up a significant amount of fiber the first several times we vacuumed it. This shag rug is great for the price, but if you think you want something extra soft and plush, consider the Hay Raw rug, a more luxurious (but expensive) shag option. Ideally, a rug should go under all of the furniture in a room, with a few feet to spare if its not against a wall, said Jessica Probus, author of Home Decor Cheat Sheets: Need-to-Know Stuff for Stylish Living. They can look pretty when brand-new, but Wagner suggested that we stay away from them: They are likely to shed, wear, yellow, and permanently stain with very light use. Wagner told us that a customer of hers ordered a few swatches of viscose rugs to see how they would hold up around her pets. Jute: This material is made from the jute plant, primarily grown in Asia. Another editor found that his rug warped in shape under the weight of an office chair rolling around, as well as the wear and tear of a cat clawing at itunsurprising given that the weave of the rug is on the looser side. Her first place out of college was a two-bedroom in South Philadelphia, with all linoleum floors. These flatweaves will resist signs of wear and tear. Flaws but not dealbreakers: After using the light-gray version in a living room for five months, we found that it needed regular vacuuming to look nice, and that even small dark stains stood out. If youre not sure, consider ordering a small size to test it out first. Gregory Han is a design, travel, and lifestyle writer, and the co-author of Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire. And unlike some rugs made with polyester, the overall texture was neither too slick or silky, a credit to its chunky weave. Why its great: The Safavieh Milan Shag feels amazing underfoot: SO PLUSH! wrote one of our testers. Flaws but not dealbreakers: The rug lays flat almost immediately upon unrolling, but one side remained curled every so slightly before we used a kettlebell to press the stubborn corners into place. Plus, it is durable, comfortable, and easy to clean. But in person, testers disliked that the white pattern was raised. Though weve seen rugs made of other plant-based fibers in offices and living rooms in photos and showrooms, weve found that such rugs generally dont work as well in those rooms because they arent as soft underfoot. You can usually find her walking her dog and exploring the hilly trails of Los Angeles. They cost less per square foot than any other rug we tested and are similar to the popular Flor tiles (though not as design conscious, they cost only a fifth of the price). Flaws but not dealbreakers:. The designer told her these viscose samples were ideal for her family room, Wagner said. Youll need sturdier rugs for a high-traffic entryway or kitchen, but you may want something plusher for a bedroom. Polypropylene (also known as olefin): Not as durable as nylon, according to Wagner, but cheaper. If you buy one, rug cleaner and blogger Lisa Wagner suggests treating it with a fiber protector. Be careful, though, about buying an inexpensive wool rug thats gone through a lot of chemical processing, Lisa Wagner told us, as it can shed horribly. As a general rule of thumb, Wagner said, you should stay away from tufted wool rugs, often made in India. Best for: bedroom, living room, kids room. Testers liked the soft feelits softer than the Stockholmand its available in more sizes. Flaws but not dealbreakers: The fibers are long2 inchesand particularly prone to trapping dirt. One of our editors has had the multicolor version of this rug since 2015, and its holding up welljust a few of the yarns have pulled out slightly. The rug can sound a little squeaky as it acclimates to a space, but the sound fades with time and use as the pad compresses. Sizes: 2 by 3, 26 by 4, 23 by 5, 3 by 5, 4 by 4, 4 by 6, 6 by 6, 5 by 8, 6 by 9, 8 by 10, 9 by 12, Colors: blue, ivory, purple, ink, yellow, multi, gray, turquoise. (Note that some retailers sometimes refer to other Safavieh rugs as Montauk; we are referring to the one with the diamond-and-grid pattern.). If you cant afford a rug that big, try to get one that will fit partially under each piece of furniture. Like all cotton rugs, this one will shrink slightly if you put it through the dryer. We checked out the offerings from retailers such as Crate and Barrel, Pier 1 Imports, Target, Walmart, and West Elm, too. You can machine wash them, so theyre great for a location where they are likely to get spilled on (think kitchen or dining room), though youll need to take larger sizes to a laundromat. Why its great: The Hart Jute Rug from Revival is a great natural fiber option for using under a dining table, as a runner in a hallway, or for layering with other rugs in a living room for a more cushioned feel. About 2 feet is a good minimum, though Probus said that ideally it should be more like 4 feet. Ruggable Polar White Shag Rug: While this shag rug looked promising, underfoot it felt thin and insignificant, like running our toes through a slippery sheepskin rug suffering from a thinning hairline. The result is a low-pile rug that looks and feels more like carpet tilesfirm, but comfortablethan something wed call cozy. These rugs also require regular steam cleaning to keep them looking decent. Plus, it can feel like a waste of money to have a rug that covers the area under the bed. Medium- to high-pile rugs have a more cushioned feel, with fibers between a inch to a inch (medium pile) and over a inch (high pile). They are 100% cotton, come in several patterns, and like other flatweaves, are relatively easy to wash. Synthetic fibers can be fairly stain resistant but will become more easily physically damaged by wear and tear than their natural counterparts. Its a great choice if you need a large, affordable rug for a living room or bedroom. Best for: kitchen, dining room, kids room. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although the white lines will show a stain more easily than the gray, they are thin, so a stain or a small color change from dirt wont stand out as easily as it would on a rug with more white area. We found that cat barf was easy to clean off the light-gray version. Though high-pile and shag rugs are straightforward stylewise, we wouldnt purchase one ourselves online unless we had seen and felt it in person first, or had a good recommendation for one. Like a flatweave, the Hart Jute Rug does not provide a lot of cushioning by itself (something you can adjust with a rug pad of choice). After years of testing, we found that, in this price range, flatwoven rugs held up better than the higher-pile kind, and that all-cotton rugs, or those with a cotton-wool or cotton-polyester blend, were more durable than all-polyester ones, so our recommendations tend toward those. After researching 23 rug pads and testing 15, we found that the Mohawk Home Supreme Dual Surface Felted Rug Pad offers the best combination of cushion and grip. One of our editors, who has a young child and a dog, has used this rug since 2017 and said: Its been pretty solid. Nylon: Wagner told us she recommended this kind of fiber for inexpensive rugs. Sizes: 4 by 5, 5 by 7, 6 by 9, 8 by 11, Colors: brown, turquoise, gray, charcoal, orange. It is, however, also not as soft. Flaws but not dealbreakers: The wool will shed at first (which is normal), so youll need to vacuum it regularly. *At the time of publishing, the price was $400. Society6 Area Rug: With hundreds of designs ranging from floral prints to octopuses and cats to choose from, we were excited to try one of Society6s area rugs. Plus, the rug can add unexpected color and texture to the floor. We focused primarily on rugs available in an 8-by-10-foot size for around $500 or less (most of the rugs we tested come in many smaller sizes, too), but some of the wool options hover around the $800 range. Low-pile rugs work well in kids rooms, since theyre soft enough for kids to roll around on and are generally easier to clean than higher-pile rugs. This rug also may shrink slightly after washing; one editor found that her runner shrank a few inches in length (even with air-drying), so keep shrinkage in mind when ordering the size to fit your space. Flatweaves wont trap as much dirt as rugs with pile, and theyre easy to vacuum or wipe down with a damp cloth. Flatwoven rugs have no pile (fibers that stick up), and theyre easier to clean and good for high-traffic areas. Then use this as your guide for picking pieces for your home., Even without a mood board, its prudent to give yourself a couple of days to reflect before committing to a rug. But even at stores like Crate and Barrel and West Elm, you can easily pay more than a thousand dollars for a large rug. In 2020, our rugs were stress-tested by Gregorys two senior cats in his home that provided plenty of messes to clean up. These tightly woven cotton rugs feel smoother and softer than a rag rug. Unlike sisal, it doesnt hold on to stains easilyor dye, which means that it comes only in its natural light green or khaki color. This type of rug also wont hide a bad stain as well as a higher-pile rug. The rug pad is -inch thick and made of polyester and thermoplastic rubber, similar to a yoga mat. Remember, though, that rebuying an inexpensive rug every few years adds up. In person, the weave seemed loose, and the polyester yarns were thick and rough; our cats claws easily pulled them. To our testers, the weave was tighter and felt less bumpy underfoot than that of the multicolored rag rug we tried. The smaller stripes arent quite as bold. Wool: High-end wool comes from sheep in New Zealand or the Himalayas, and is strong enough to last for years and years with occasional professional rug cleaning. Horizontal stripes will make a space feel longer, Atwood said. In our research and testing, weve found there are trade-offs to rugs made of natural and synthetic fibers. This felt-and-rubber pad offers the most cushioning underfoot of any we tried, and is also one of the best at keeping rugs in place. At minimum, you need the rug to extend about 2 feet past the table. Theyre great for dining rooms since you can scoot chairs around on them, but bare feet will also have a nice surface to rest on. Mainstays Dylan Nylon Area Rug: This rug was thinner than it looked online and reminded us more of a bath mat than something wed put in our living rooms. Maybe more if youre careful. *At the time of publishing, the price was $100. *At the time of publishing, the price was $350. On bare floor or over a thin antislip lining, your feet will feel every bump in the rugs construction. Sizes: 2 by 3, 3 by 5, 5 by 8, 86 by 11, 26 by 9, 3 and 6 round (for braided rugs), Materials: 85% cotton, 12% polyester, 3% other, Colors: wide variety of patterns and colors. Our testers preferred the way the Milan Shag felt underfoot anyway. If youre short on money, you can get away with smaller area rugs. The Hart Jute Rug is flexible and finely woven, giving it a more delicate, flat appearance. Polyester: Similar to polypropylene, this material is fairly stain resistant but in higher-pile rugs it smushes easily. His work can be found at Design Milk, Dwell, Domino, Apartment Therapy, and Airbnb. HAYs Raw Rug was a previous wool rug pick, but its been discontinued. It will get less wear and tear from high traffic than rugs in other rooms of your house. Colors: black, oatmeal, chestnut, ocean blue, denim, taupe, ivory, olive, mocha, sky gray, Shipping: free store pickup; shipping rates vary depending on location. These rugs will also benefit from a thick rug pad. (If you have a no-shoes policy at your house, however, you can get away with spending more money on something soft, as it will be subjected to less dirt and therefore last longer.) Dining room: A rug will make the dining space feel grounded and keep chairs from scraping the floor. Flor Tiles: These pieces are the gold standard among rug tiles. Its coarse and durable, but it can stain more easily than other natural fibers. Rugs with fibers longer than of an inch are considered plush or shag. A good bath mat can keep you from slipping and add some pizzazz to your bathroom. It also feels rougher than our other favorite flatweaves. Our testers unanimously loved them. Have it peeking out under a chair, or under two legs, Probus said. We also tested one of their shag rugs, which we were not a big fan of (more info in our Competition section). Flatweave rugs have no pilethat is, no fibers that stick up. Flaws but not dealbreakers: This rug comes in relatively light colors and has a significant amount of white. We tried this rug in an IKEA showroom, and it was the only flatwoven rug there that we really liked in our under-$500 price category for a large rug. Whats the Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors? Most commercial office carpet is olefin, and so this is why in the areas with roller office chairs and in the entry you see shadowing and it wears down, she said. Gray is a great neutral color for a rug, according to design experts we spoke to: It hides dirt and is a little more interesting than khaki or white. Its easy to clean, and it will hold up relatively well to wear and tear compared with other options, though it will cost a little more. In the future, we plan to bring these new rugs into the office to get more feedback. Living room: A rug in your living room can help define a space to hang out in. Unlike other rugs that ship rolled, Revival rugs arrive folded in a cardboard box. Amazon reviewers agree that its a good buy: What an incredible rug for the price, writes one. Heres a breakdown of the materials youll most often find in budget area rugs. Because they are tiles, they dont have the finished edge most rugs do and will look best covering a space wall-to-wall. These rugs are only an -inch thick (thinner than most low-pile rugs), so the entire rug can more easily be thrown into the average-size washing machine. Shannon and her roommate scrambled to make the place look okay with as little money as possible. It serves as a neutral backdrop for more modern rooms. If you live close to an IKEA store, you might want to pick up this rug in person. Sizes: 2 by 3, 2.5 by 8, 2.5 by 12, 4 by 6, 6 by 9, 8 by 10, 9 by 12 (swatches also available), Colors: Swedish blue, indigo, ocean, citrus, dove grey, stone, coral, sky, Shipping: free for orders over $100; $10 flat rate for everything under $100. It gets a lot of wear from being in one of the most trafficked areas in the apartment, and while there are a few snags in places, they dont look bad or particularly noticeable. Since its made of cotton, it can go in the wash. But she is discovering that NONE are holding up. We decided to skip testing these materials ourselves. It is reasonably durable and great for kitchen use because it can be washed, and it comes in a wide range of colors and sizes. Though their feel is far from the plush texture of a rug with pile, these rugs are softer than most flatweaves weve tested. A more unconventional version with a white speckled center and a bold border in colors from gray to hot pink is available at Target and Walmart. Generally, a decent flatweave wont cost as much as a quality rug with pile and will be easier to keep looking nice year in and year out. Jessica Probus suggested thinking of bright, colorful rugs as you would accent pillows: there to add a little bit of texture and color, easy to swap out if you get tired of the design. Unlike on the other shag rugs we tried out, the fibers are both close together and soft, not dry. Why its great: The pattern on IKEAs Hovslund looks similar to that of the Persian Area Rugs 3028 Moroccan Trellis, but its easier to clean and not as prone to stains. They are sturdy and easy to swap out if you stain onemaking them a great choice for a dining room rug. She previously worked as an architect and received a masters degree in city design and sociology. Like most wool rugs, it pills and is probably best in no shoes inside households, but we found the pilling did subside after the first few months. Why its great: Revivals flatwoven machine-washable cotton rugs feel soft and substantial underfoot, unlike thinner synthetic rugs advertised as machine-washable (like our Ruggable pick). If you can find it, we still think its a great plush rug that offers lots of cushioning, even without a pad. The adhesive should be easy to wipe off the floor with a cleaning solution (your mileage may vary depending on the surface youre adhering to). When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (If you buy an accent rug, make sure its wide enough to fit under the front legs of at least one piece of furniture.). Robot vacs make it easy to keep your floors tidy but they have some big flaws that might drive you nuts. In the bedroom, having a rug wherever your feet are going to go is ideal, Probus said. NuLoom Marrakech Trellis Navy Rug: We liked the look of the navy color, as well as the simple design, when we saw this rug online. Where should those edges be? Sizes: 26 by 4, 23 by 7, 3 by 5, 4 by 4, 4 by 6, 6 by 6, 5 by 8, 23 by 7, 8 by 10, 9 by 12. However, the rug we ordered felt more like a dish towel than a rugso much so that we didnt even include it in our testing. It has a great price for a wool rug, and its softer than the other budget wool rugs we put our hands on. This is one of the most affordable rag rugs weve found. Flaws but not dealbreakers: While soft, this rug is a little thinner and bumpier underfoot than many flatweavesget a thick rug pad to go with it. The pad should be smaller than your area rug by 1 to 2 inches on all sides, so that the edges of the rug lie flat against the floor and dont become a tripping hazard. Even if you dont fall in love with any of the specific rugs in this guide, we have plenty here to point you in the right direction. For the October 2020 update to this guide we called in four new rug styles, which our writer Gregory tested in his own L.A. home due to the pandemic. You can also spot clean with some water, but jute is very susceptible to water and humidity, so avoid wetting it too much. Colors: black and white striped, red and white striped, yellow (net pattern), gray (net pattern), brown (checkered pattern), orange (zigzag), Shipping: $10 to $100, depending on location. But it may end up looking dingy after a few years. This 100% recycled polyester flatweave rug, with its neutral yet contemporary modern design, should adapt to most decor and nearly any room setting. We spent more than 60 hours researching hundreds of area rugs, interviewing experts, and testing rugs with panelists, then put our feet on our favorites at home (and let a cat do his best to destroy them) for many more hours. The super-low pile is made of nylonwhich makes this rug easy to wipe down with a cloth. Plus, stripes help draw you into a space, she added. According to rug cleaner Lisa Wagner, this tends to be a problem with low-pile polypropylene rugs. Sizes: 23 by 7, 4 by 6, 5 by 7, 8 by 10, Colors: light blue, blue, light gray, gray. Its also pricier than most of the rugs we tested for this guide. Heres a breakdown of the best types of rugs for each room. *For more sizes and colors visit overstock.com or amazon.com, $25 to $150. Alison Fonseca, Our Essential Guide to Natural-Fiber Rugs, One Kings Lane, Jessica Probus and Alice Mongkongllite, Home Decor Cheat Sheets: Need-to-Know Stuff for Stylish Living, June 21, 2016, Jessica Romm Perez and Shani Silver, Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home, November 15, 2016, Jessica Probus, author of Home Decor Cheat Sheets: Need-to-Know Stuff for Stylish Living, phone interview, October 17, 2016, Lisa Wagner, professional rug cleaner, email interview, July 21, 2016, Elana Frankel, design consultant and former VP of creative at One Kings Lane, phone interview, September 22, 2016, Rebecca Atwood, author of Living with Pattern: Color, Texture, and Print at Home, email interview, October 25, 2016. The dense, soft fibers make it a great rug for a childs room or any space to which you want to add a luxurious, plush feel on a budget. Finally, we let a cat roll around on several samples of rugs. Cheap rugs have a purpose and use, just like cheap furniture does, Wagner said. She spilled red wine on them, too. Your dining room rug should be a flatweave or low-pile rug so that you can move chairs around easily. If you are seeking an inexpensive rug that you can buy online, cotton is the main natural material that youll be looking at, because it is affordable and can work in a variety of rooms. But even the best rugs in this class wont last more than a decade in a high-traffic area in your home, or if you have kids and pets and the inevitable messes that come with them. The Dash & Albert Herringbone Woven Cotton Rug strikes a Goldilocks-worthy balance between interesting and understated. *For more patterns and sizes visit Revival, $100 to $1,400, Best for: dining room, kitchen, hallways, or layering in living rooms or bedrooms. Plus, the pile felt thin. We set the rest up in the Wirecutter office in New York City and had nine testers walk around on them and give us their thoughts on the feel and design of each rug. You can just put down enough to get an idea of how a section of the room will look. Like other natural fibers, its a popular choice for under dining tables and in hallways because it is durable, lightweight, and can be easily cleaned, but it doesnt provide a lot of cushion.
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