How to choose a rug: what to consider

A rug is easy to choose too small, and hard to return once it is rolled out. These are the things worth settling before you choose one. The numbers are common rules of thumb, not fixed rules.

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Size and placement

Under a dining table, the rug commonly extends about 60-70 cm beyond the table on every side, so chairs stay on it when pulled out.
In a living room, a common guide is that at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs sit on the rug; a rug that floats in the middle of the room tends to make it feel smaller.
In a bedroom, a rug usually extends beyond both sides of the bed, or sits under the lower two thirds of it.
Measure the room and mark the rug's outline on the floor with tape before you decide.

Pile and weave

Pile height decides the feel: a high pile is soft and holds dust; a low or flat weave is easier to clean and suits chairs on wheels and high-traffic areas.
Hand-knotted rugs are made knot by knot and last for decades; tufted rugs are made faster with a gun and a backing; flat-weaves are woven without pile. Ask which one you are looking at.

Fibres

Wool is resilient, warm and naturally dirt-resistant, and sheds a little at first. Cotton is easy to wash. Jute and sisal are coarse underfoot and suit rooms where you are not often barefoot. Silk is delicate. Synthetic fibres resist stains and moisture but wear differently.
A rug in a hallway or a kitchen needs to be tougher than one beside a bed.

Underlay and floor

A rug pad stops slipping, adds cushioning and protects the floor. Check that the pad is made for your floor: some can mark vinyl or lacquered wood.
On underfloor heating, check that the rug and the pad are suitable.

Care

Vacuum regularly, turn the rug now and then so it wears evenly, and deal with spills quickly by blotting rather than rubbing.
Hand-knotted and silk rugs are best cleaned by a specialist.

How it was made

Ask where the rug was woven, by whom and under what conditions. Certifications such as GoodWeave focus on child labour and labour conditions in rug weaving; OEKO-TEX focuses on substances in textiles. Each covers one aspect and is not a verdict on the whole product.

Questions worth asking the maker

What are the exact dimensions and pile height? What is the rug made of, and how was it made? Can it be used with underfloor heating? How should it be cleaned? What are the delivery and return terms?

Sources and further reading

A label covers one aspect of a product, such as where the wood came from or which chemicals are in a textile, not its whole footprint. These pages explain what each covers; they are not endorsements, and Formground does not rate products.

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