After more than 56 years of cleaning residential carpets, one of the questions I have been asked many times is, “What type of carpet should I buy for my home?”
My answer may not be what you expect.
There is no single carpet that is best for every home.
The right carpet depends on your budget, the room where it will be installed, the amount of traffic it will receive, whether you have children or pets, and what characteristics are most important to you.
A carpet that may be an excellent choice for a formal living room may not be what I would choose for a busy family room, a hallway, or a set of stairs.
Before going any further, I should point out that this article is about carpet for residential use. Commercial carpeting is a different subject because commercial carpet is designed for very different traffic, wear, and performance requirements.
Start With Your Budget
One of the first things to consider when buying carpet is your budget.
There can be a tremendous difference in both the price and quality of carpeting. In many cases, the difference comes down to the materials used and how the carpet is constructed.
When you buy carpet, remember that you are buying material.
More material costs money.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you should simply buy the most expensive carpet you can afford. But it does mean you should understand what you are getting for your money.
The type of fiber, the quality of that fiber, the amount of fiber used, and the way the carpet is constructed can all affect both the price and how the carpet performs over time.
Not All Natural Fibers Are the Same
Higher-end carpeting often uses natural fibers, particularly wool.
Other natural fibers, including silk and linen, can also be found in premium carpeting and can substantially increase the price.
However, just because a carpet is labeled 100% wool does not necessarily mean that all wool carpets are of equal quality.
I like to compare buying wool to buying a steak.
There is a tremendous difference between different grades and qualities of beef. Where the cattle were raised, their diet, and other factors can affect the quality of the beef. Think about the difference between an ordinary cut of beef and something such as Kobe beef.
Wool can be similar.
Most wool used in carpeting comes from sheep, but the characteristics of that wool can vary depending on the breed of sheep, the climate and geographic region where the sheep were raised, and their diet.
Wool from sheep raised in places such as New Zealand or in high-altitude mountain regions may have different characteristics, texture, and thickness.
Even the location on the sheep where the wool was obtained can make a difference. Wool from softer areas, such as around the neck and belly, can have different characteristics from wool obtained from other areas of the animal.
The length and quality of the wool fibers can also make a difference.
The point is simple: not all wool is the same.
If you are considering spending a substantial amount of money on a wool carpet, I would encourage you to learn as much as you can about the type and quality of wool being used.
Don’t assume that the words 100% wool automatically mean you are buying the highest quality wool available.
A little research may help prevent you from paying a premium price for a carpet simply because the label says it is made from wool.
Fibers I Would Be Careful About
There are some fibers I would personally approach with caution.
Carpets containing cotton can present their own issues, and I would also be cautious about carpets made from natural materials that have been heavily chemically processed into fibers, such as viscose.
These materials may look and feel attractive when new, but the way a fiber performs after years of use, cleaning, spills, and everyday living can be very different from the way it looks in a showroom.
That is one reason I always tell people not to choose a carpet simply because they touch a small sample and say, “This feels nice.”
You need to understand what the carpet is actually made from.
Nylon: Still One of the Major Residential Carpet Fibers
When it comes to synthetic carpeting, nylon has long been one of the dominant fibers.
From my perspective as someone who has spent more than five decades cleaning carpets, nylon can be an excellent choice depending on where the carpet is going to be installed and how it will be used.
Nylon can offer good durability, cleanability, and appearance retention, depending on the quality and construction of the carpet.
But once again, there is no single fiber that is best for every situation.
Polyester, Polypropylene and Other Poly-Based Fibers
There are many other fibers in the poly family, including polyester and polypropylene.
Each fiber has its own characteristics.
Some may offer excellent resistance to certain spills. Some may feel softer. Some may have advantages in other areas.
However, from my experience, one thing homeowners should understand is that stain resistance and resistance to overall soiling are not necessarily the same thing.
Many poly-based fibers resist the absorption of water-based spills very well. That can be a significant advantage.
However, these fibers can also have an affinity for oils.
Body oils from bare feet, oils from pets, and other oily residues can accumulate on the carpet. Those oils can then attract dry soil, causing the carpet to appear dirty more quickly.
So, a carpet may be very resistant to a liquid spill while still becoming heavily soiled from oily residues over time.
That is an important distinction that homeowners should understand before buying carpet.
What About Triexta?
Triexta is another fiber homeowners may encounter when shopping for carpet.
It is known for being very soft and highly resistant to many liquid stains. Some products have been heavily marketed with impressive stain-resistance warranties.
But once again, I would look beyond the marketing.
Triexta is part of the polyester family, and although it may offer excellent resistance to many liquid spills, that does not mean it is immune to problems caused by oily soils.
This is also particularly important for people with pets.
A carpet fiber may resist the absorption of a pet accident very well, but that does not necessarily solve the pet odor problem.
Pet odor often comes from urine that penetrates through the carpet into the backing, padding, or even the flooring underneath.
The carpet fiber itself may not be the source of the odor.
So, if you have pets, don’t assume that buying a highly stain-resistant carpet automatically means you won’t have problems with pet odors.
The Same Dog, Two Different Carpets
Years ago, I had a customer in Newton, Massachusetts, who provided a perfect example of why there is no single best carpet fiber for every home.
The homeowners were a husband and wife with one dog. Both worked, so the dog was left home alone during the day.
They did everything they reasonably could to let the dog outside. They took the dog out in the morning, came home around noon to let the dog out again, took the dog out at the end of the day, and took the dog out again before going to bed.
Despite that, the dog continued to urinate on the carpet.
Their home had a nylon carpet, and I was cleaning it approximately every three months. It was not unusual for me to find perhaps 50 pet urine stains during a cleaning.
Fortunately, the stains were usually removable.
After several years, the couple purchased another home and installed wool carpeting.
The dog, however, did not change his habits.
When I went to their new home to clean the wool carpet, the same type of urine stains would not come out.
Same dog.
Same urine.
Different fiber.
That doesn’t mean nylon is always better than wool.
It means that for a household with a dog that repeatedly urinates on the carpet, wool may not be the practical choice.
The right carpet depends on how the carpet is going to be used.
Softness Can Also Have a Trade-Off
Many people are attracted to very soft carpet.
But softness can sometimes come with trade-offs.
Very soft synthetic carpets are often made using extremely fine fibers. Those fine fibers can feel wonderful under bare feet, but in some cases, a very soft and dense carpet can also be more difficult to vacuum effectively.
Again, there is no perfect fiber or construction that gives you every possible advantage without any trade-offs.
That is why I would never tell someone simply to buy the softest carpet they can find.
Remember: You Are Buying Material
Another important consideration is the amount of face yarn used in the carpet.
Carpet face weight refers to the amount of fiber used in the surface pile of the carpet.
For example, a 14- or 18-ounce face-weight carpet would generally be considered an entry-level carpet. As you move into carpets with face weights in the 40- or 50-ounce range, you are generally buying substantially more face yarn.
And, quite simply, more material costs money.
That does not mean face weight alone determines whether a carpet is better.
The type and quality of the fiber, the density of the carpet, and the way the yarn has been constructed all make a difference.
But homeowners should understand that a carpet can sometimes be made to look thicker, bulkier, or softer through its construction without necessarily containing as much material as another carpet.
Don’t judge a carpet simply by how thick it appears or how soft it feels when you touch a showroom sample.
Carpet Construction Can Affect How It Looks Over Time
The way carpet yarn is constructed can also affect its appearance after years of use.
For example, with certain cut-pile carpets, the yarn can be twisted and heat-set to create a fuller, bulkier, or more textured appearance.
That can look beautiful when the carpet is new.
But think about what happens directly in front of a chair or sofa.
When someone stands up, they often don’t simply walk straight forward. They may pivot or twist their feet as they turn toward another part of the room.
After years of repeated twisting and friction in the same location, I have seen some twisted and heat-set carpet constructions begin to change in appearance.
The twist can begin to open, making that area of the carpet appear more worn.
A straight cut-pile carpet may not develop exactly the same appearance because there is no textured twist pattern to open.
Once again, my point is not that one construction is always better than another.
It is simply that the way a carpet is constructed can have a significant effect on how it looks years after it is installed.
Don’t Overlook the Carpet Padding
When people shop for carpet, they often spend a great deal of time choosing the carpet itself and very little time thinking about what goes underneath it.
But the padding is also important.
Many people will cut back a little on the cost of the carpet and spend more money on better-quality padding.
In my opinion, that can sometimes be a very sensible decision.
The padding is similar to the carpet in one important way: quality matters.
My personal advice would be never to buy the cheapest padding simply to save a few dollars.
Low-quality padding can lose its resilience and flatten prematurely. When that happens, particularly in heavily used areas, the carpet may lose some of the support underneath it and begin to feel or appear more worn.
On the other hand, I would not necessarily buy the most expensive padding available.
If I were choosing padding for my own home, I would probably stay somewhere around the upper-middle range—perhaps around the 70 percent range of price and quality.
That is where I believe you can often get a good balance between cost and performance.
You also need to consider what is underneath the carpet.
Is it being installed over a wood subfloor?
Is it being installed over a concrete slab?
Is the concrete above grade or below grade?
Could the area ever be prone to getting wet?
These are all important considerations when choosing both carpet and padding.
The padding that may be appropriate for a dry bedroom over a wood floor may not be the best choice for an area where moisture could become a problem.
The carpet and padding work together, so don’t spend all of your time choosing the carpet and ignore what is going underneath it.
Take Carpet Warranties With a Grain of Salt
Another thing I would encourage anyone buying carpet to do is read the warranty carefully.
Carpet manufacturers may advertise what sounds like an impressive warranty.
You may see phrases such as:
Lifetime stain warranty
or promises that the carpet will be replaced if it becomes permanently stained.
But then you need to read the exceptions.
A warranty may exclude certain types of acids, dyes, colorants, or other substances.
At first, those exclusions may not sound particularly important.
But think about the number of things in a typical home that can contain acids or colorants.
Coffee, tea, wine, soft drinks, fruit products, and pet accidents can all create staining problems. Many foods and beverages also contain natural or added colorants.
So before you allow a long stain warranty to influence your buying decision, read the fine print.
Ask exactly what is covered.
Ask what is excluded.
And ask what you would have to do if the carpet developed a stain that could not be removed.
My advice is simple:
Take a carpet warranty with a grain of salt.
A warranty may have value, but I would never choose a carpet solely because the label advertises the longest or most impressive warranty.
Even Expensive Carpet Can Develop Pooling
Another condition homeowners should know about is something we often refer to in the carpet cleaning industry as pooling, sometimes called pile reversal.
Pooling is most commonly seen in certain cut-pile carpets.
An area of the carpet may suddenly appear darker than the surrounding carpet—almost as though the carpet is wet.
The darker area can have an unusual or irregular shape.
It may appear in a heavily traveled hallway, but I have also seen it appear in the middle of a large room where there was no obvious explanation.
Over the years, I have seen pooling in carpets of various qualities.
At one time, I was hired by Stark Carpet in Boston to visit customers who had purchased very expensive carpeting and were unhappy because areas of their carpet had developed this unusual darker appearance.
I was instructed to follow what was considered the recommended textbook procedure.
I would professionally clean the carpet and then use a nylon carpet rake in an effort to correct the pile direction and remove what manufacturers at the time believed could be a negative charge affecting the carpet.
The problem was that, in my experience, it never corrected the condition.
Eventually, I told Stark Carpet that I did not believe it made sense to continue sending me to customers with the expectation that I could fix a problem when I knew the procedure was unlikely to solve it.
The customer would naturally ask me:
“Will this fix the problem?”
And I could not honestly promise that it would.
In my experience, pooling is an inherent appearance condition that can occur even in expensive carpeting.
It does not necessarily mean the carpet is dirty.
It does not necessarily mean something was spilled.
And it does not necessarily mean the carpet was improperly cleaned.
My Own Thoughts About What May Cause Pooling
Over the years, I have asked many experienced people in the carpet and carpet-cleaning industry what they believe causes pooling.
I have heard a number of explanations.
But I have never found one that completely satisfied me.
I do have my own thoughts, although I want to be very clear that I am not presenting this as a proven scientific explanation.
Think about a plastic drinking straw.
If you hold the straw at both ends and bend it in the middle, then straighten it again, the straw often retains a tendency to bend in that same location.
The material appears to have a type of memory.
That has made me wonder whether something similar could possibly happen with carpet fibers.
Imagine a 200-pound person repeatedly stepping on the same area of carpet.
The fibers bend and compress under that weight.
When the weight is removed, the fibers recover.
But do they always return to exactly the same position?
Could repeated bending create a type of memory in some of the fibers?
And if some fibers begin to consistently lean in one direction, could the surrounding fibers eventually lose some of the structural support they receive from adjacent fibers and begin leaning in the same direction?
Could that eventually contribute to the unusual darker appearance we call pooling?
I honestly don’t know.
But after more than 56 years of cleaning and examining carpets, it is one possible explanation that has occurred to me.
Regardless of the exact cause, one thing I have learned is that pooling can change the way a carpet looks even when the carpet is not actually dirty or stained.
So, What Would I Buy for My Own Home?
After more than 56 years of cleaning carpets, people might reasonably ask me:
“So, Alec, what type of carpet would you buy for your own home?”
My answer depends entirely on the room.
For Formal Living Rooms and Dining Rooms
For formal living rooms and dining rooms, I tend to lean toward a better-quality wool carpet.
These rooms often receive less day-to-day traffic than a busy family room, hallway, or staircase, and a quality wool carpet can provide a beautiful appearance and feel that is particularly appropriate for a formal setting.
However, if I were spending the money for wool, I would want to know as much as possible about the quality and type of wool being used.
For Bedrooms
For bedrooms, I personally like a thicker, dense nylon cut-pile carpet installed over a better-quality pad.
Bedrooms generally receive less traffic, and much of the time you are walking on the carpet without shoes.
That is where you really appreciate the softness and depth of the carpet and padding beneath your feet.
For me, a dense nylon cut pile combined with a good-quality pad provides the comfortable and luxurious feeling I would want in a bedroom while still giving me the advantages of nylon.
For Busy Family Rooms, Hallways and Stairs
For heavily used areas, my choice would be different.
In busy family rooms, hallways, and on stairs, I personally like a dense looped nylon carpet.
These carpets can take a tremendous amount of use and abuse and, in my experience, can last for many years.
In fact, as I mentioned in another Ask Alec article, I have personally seen a dense nylon loop carpet that was installed in a family room nearly 40 years ago that is still in the home and still looks remarkably good.
That is why I would never tell someone that there is one single best carpet for every room in a house.
The carpet that may be perfect for a formal living room may not be my choice for a busy family room.
The soft cut pile that feels wonderful in a bedroom may not be what I would choose for heavily used stairs.
My Advice Before You Buy Carpet
Before choosing a carpet based simply on how it feels in a showroom, take some time to understand what you are buying.
Ask yourself:
- What is my budget?
- What room is the carpet going into?
- How much traffic will it receive?
- Do I have children or pets?
- What type of fiber is being used?
- What is the quality of that fiber?
- How much face yarn is in the carpet?
- How is the carpet constructed?
- What type of padding is being recommended?
- Is moisture a concern?
- What does the warranty actually cover—and what does it exclude?
After more than 56 years of cleaning residential carpets, my best advice is this:
Don’t look for one carpet that is supposed to be the best for everyone. Look for the carpet that is best suited for the particular room, your family, your lifestyle, and your budget.
And don’t simply touch a sample, decide that it feels soft, and assume that it is the best carpet for your home.
Take the time to learn about the fiber.
Learn about the construction.
Understand what you are getting for your money.
Because the best carpet for you may be very different from the best carpet for someone else.
If you have questions about your existing carpet or would like professional help caring for the carpets and furnishings in your home, here are a few of the services we offer:
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