Different types of carpet material

When you're choosing a new carpet, one of the big decisions you have to make is what type of carpet material you want in your home. The material you choose will affect many things, from how the carpet feels underfoot to how long lasting it is, and it can even determine what room the carpet is best for.

In our incredibly useful guide, we'll ask what are carpets made of, and go through the pros and cons of the types of carpet available to help you decide which is the best carpet material for you. If you’re wondering what style of carpet is best for your room, then we can help with that too – just take a look a look at our carpet buying guide.

Types of carpet material

When it comes to choosing the material of carpet you want, there's a lot to think about. Do you need a hardwearing carpet for a busy area? Maybe you need a stain resistant carpet because your lovely children frequently rub their bolognese-covered faces on your floor. Or you might be looking for a super soft carpet for the bedroom. Different carpet materials each have their benefits, which are designed to solve these issues.

Here are our top carpet materials and what you need to know about them:

Polypropylene Carpet

Polypropylene carpets, also known as olefin carpets, are the toughest carpets on the market. As it’s a cheaper man-made material, a polypropylene carpet is great value and perfect if you're on a budget. This carpet type can be cleaned with bleach and other strong cleaning products and is stain resistant, so you don't have to worry about it getting mucky. Because of this, it's known as a great all-rounder for a family home, or even rental properties. This material is also water resistant, so can even be put down in rooms that are often wet, such as bathrooms and kitchens.

However, polyproylene is vulnerable to heat, so hot stains, such as hot drinks, can mark the carpet. It's also not as soft as other carpet types and can flatten easily, meaning it can show its age quickly in high-footfall areas of your home.

Pros

Can be cleaned with a bleach solution
Inexpensive material
Water resistant
Cold stains are easily washed out
Retains its colour
Resistant to moisture and mould

Cons

Can show age over time
Not eco-friendly
Not as soft as other carpet materials
Vulnerable to heat
Oil-based stains are hard to remove
Can flatten easily

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Polyester Carpet

Polyester carpet is a good choice for allergy sufferers who want a natural feel carpet, as this man-made material looks and feels like wool. It’s also stain resistant and available in a wide variety of colours.

If being green is on your radar, some polyester carpets are made from recycled materials. Be aware though that polyester cannot be recycled after use. Also, polyester carpets are not as hardwearing as other carpet materials. For this reason, a polyester carpet is better suited to quieter rooms, such as the dining room or a bedroom.

In summary, here's the good and bad of polyester carpets:

Pros

Stain resistant
Lots of colours available
Holds vibrant colours well
Recycled polyester options available
Relatively inexpensive
Soft, wool-like feel
Easy to clean

Cons

Not as durable as other man-made carpet materials
Cannot be recycled after use
Can show age quickly in busy areas

Shop Polyester Carpets

Wool Carpet

If you're looking for luxury, a wool carpet is the one to go for. This natural carpet material is more expensive, but it's definitely worth the price tag. Wool carpets are resilient and stain resistant, meaning a well-cared for wool carpet can last for years! A luxuriously soft and warm material, it's a decadent choice and can work well in bedrooms and living rooms.

But you can't pull the wool over our eyes - there are some drawbacks to a wool carpet. It’s not as durable as other carpet types, so can show wear quickly. To avoid this, opt for a thicker wool carpet.

Wool carpet has plenty of pros and cons, here are just a few:

Pros

Resilient material
Insulating (heat and sound)
Repels spills
Naturally controls humidity
Soft
Eco-friendly
Pile bounces back
Easy to maintain
Hypoallergenic

Cons

Higher cost
Absorbent
Colour can fade in sunlight
At risk of carpet moths and beetles

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Sisal Carpet

If you're looking for a natural carpet fibre, sisal carpet could be a good option. This plant-based material is eco-friendly as its biodegradable. This doesn’t mean it will wear away quickly, it’s actually very durable - in fact, sisal is used to make rope! It’s also non-toxic and perfect for people with allergies. Sisal carpets naturally help to keep a room cool on a hot day too, due to its absorbency which makes it act like a natural dehumidifier.

But there are some downsides to sisal. Because of its toughness, sisal can feel quite rough, so it’s good for a conservatory or hallway where outdoor shoes might be worn, but not so good if you like to wander around your house barefoot. With it being so absorbent, sisal isn’t the right choice for rooms with high humidity or where spills are likely to occur, like the bathroom or kitchen.

Being a natural fibre, it only comes in natural colours, such as variations of brown, beige, and grey, so if you’re after something that stands out, sisal isn’t for you!

The main pros and cons of sisal carpet are:

Pros

Extremely durable
Eco-friendly and biodegradable
Non-toxic
Naturally dust resistant
Low maintenance
Helps to keep rooms cool

Cons

Rough to touch
Prone to staining
Absorbent, so can't be steam cleaned or wet shampooed
Limited colours available

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Carpet Blends

For the best of both worlds, carpet blends are available too. This combines two or more carpet types so you can get the benefits of two materials. Exactly what the pros and cons are depends on the blend. Our collection includes carpet blends such as:

50% wool and 50% polypropylene
80% wool and 20% polyamide (nylon)
80% wool, 10% polyamide and 10% polyester
50% wool and 50% polyester

Mixed fibre carpets are a great option for many people as they can have various benefits. With a wool blend carpet, you can enjoy the softness of wool but have a more durable carpet. Likewise, adding a man-made fibre in with wool can make an expensive carpet more affordable.

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The Best Carpet Material

The best material for carpet depends on your needs and budget. For a luxurious and soft carpet, wool is definitely the best choice, but this comes with a hefty price tag. If you are looking for a durable carpet for a busy area of the home, a polypropylene carpet is the best carpet material for your home, but less so for the environment.

Overall, if you're looking for a durable carpet for the high footfall areas of the home, polypropylene and sisal carpets are the best options. For lower footfall areas, where you want a softness underfoot, you'd be better suited to wool or polyester carpets. Alternatively, you might find a wool blend is the perfect carpet material that ticks all the boxes.

Before deciding on your new carpet, make sure you order some free carpet samples. That way, you can get a feel of the carpet and see how it'll look in your room. Alternatively, book a store appointment with one of our floorologists to compare a whole heap of different carpets, or we can bring all our samples to you when you book a home visit. And if you’re still totally in a muddle about what carpet material to choose, play around with our flooring finder tool.

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Published: 19-09-2024