The 6 Best Area Rugs

Pile Height: 0.4" | Material: Nylon, felt backing

The Maples Pelham Vintage meets all our performance requirements with flying colors — its low pile fits under most doors, and the firm construction keeps the corners from curling up off the floor. It is still heavy and pliable enough to feel good when walking across it in bare feet, too. The nylon fibers are easy to clean, even with disastrous messes like marinara sauce. It is also easy to vacuum because of how thin and stiff it is. You won't need an additional layer of protection on your floors due to the strong and substantial felt backing.

Still, you might decide to add a rug pad as an extra layer to help keep the Pelham Vintage from sliding around on the floor. We didn't find it to be the most slippery rug during our testing, but if it's in a high-traffic area and not held down by furniture, it may slip somewhat. Also, this rug isn't offered in as many sizes and shapes as some others, and there is only one single pattern. But, we enjoy the design and found it easy to match to almost any room in the house.

Options: 1 pattern of 4 neutral colors, 6 sizes, and a couple of shapes (rectangles and runners)

Pile Height: 0.4" | Material: 67% polypropylene, 20% jute, 5% polyester, 5% cotton, polyester/cotton backing

For an affordable and easy-to-clean rug, check out the Safavieh Madison Collection. The design is stylish and distressed and includes colors that will marry well with most interior designs, while the pattern manages to disguise dirt, stains, and even pet hair. Comprised of polypropylene, it cleans up easily — we were able to scrub out two-day-old marinara sauce from a late-night spaghetti mishap with just a wet rag. Vacuuming this rug is also a cinch due to the low pile. The Madison comes in a variety of color combos and an impressive lineup of sizes and shapes, making it easy to choose the perfect rug for every high-traffic area in your home.

Getting this rug to lay flat was challenging. The corners got stuck on doors or turned up under our feet when walking by. Even when a sectional couch and a glass coffee table pushed the rug down some, we still ended up slipping around a bit. We recommend a rug pad to remedy that issue. While it's not very thick, it is similar to the same thickness as many other low pile rugs. If you are in the market for an area rug that will put up with everything, the Madison is a fantastic and affordable choice to handle the entire family — kids and furry friends included.

Options: 1 pattern, 6 color combinations, 30+ sizes, and many shapes (rectangles, squares, runners, and circles)

Pile Height: 0.4" | Material: Seagrass weave, cotton border, felt-dotted polypropylene backing

The Safavieh Natural Fiber is a seagrass rug that can give your home those beach house vibes — and it even smells faintly of drying grass (though that effect won't last forever). It's a thick, stiff woven rug that doesn't easily crush underfoot or under furniture. The backing is made of felt-dotted polypropylene to help it stay in place better without the use of an additional pad. Even in a high-traffic area and with a shedding dog, this rug stayed deceptively clean-looking. It somehow doesn't easily soak up stains, continuing to retain the same classic style even after you spill something on it.

However, if you're after a soft and plush rug that's comfortable to stand on, the Natural Fiber probably isn't what you are looking for. It's not necessarily unpleasant to stand on, but you can feel all the textured details of this stiffly woven rug under your feet. As a natural seagrass mat, it also only comes in one color: seagrass. It can also be a bit variable in its exact shade, and may even change slightly throughout its lifetime. It's available with a lot of different border colors, though, and a plethora of sizes and shapes — for less than you might expect. If you like the look, don't mind a less forgiving feel, and are hunting for a great value, this area rug is a solid choice.

Options: 1 mat color, 15+ border colors, 35+ sizes, and many shapes (rectangles, squares, runners, and circles)

Pile Height: 0.35" | Material: Polypropylene pile and backing

In a house with a messy partner and a black lab, we expected the mostly white nuLOOM Moroccan Blythe would be wrecked. What a pleasant surprise to be wrong — we found this stylish rug was particularly simple to clean up, looked great, and worked well in almost any room. Red wine and a large, shedding pup proved no match for the Moroccan Blythe. The low pile polypropylene fibers clean up easily with just a wet rag, and vacuuming is a breeze. This rug is also available in one of the largest ranges of sizes and shapes of any model we tested, though we tested the largest version. From small mats and runners to ovals and giant squares, this upscale patterned rug is easy to purchase in exactly the size you need.

We had some trouble getting this rug to lay flat, and it took much longer than other models to train out the wrinkles. Also, we found ourselves continually folding the corners under after scuffing them up when entering the room. Even with smaller versions, you will probably want a rug pad underneath. Although, with a dining room table on top of ours, it stayed put with no problem. Even with these minor complaints, we're big fans of the look and options of this rug, making it a great option for effortlessly fitting in with your existing decor.

Options: 2 patterns, 8 colors, 35+ sizes, and numerous shapes (rectangles, squares, runners, circles, and ovals)

Pile Height: 1.8" | Material: Polypropylene shag, jute backing

If you're after the sumptuous feel of thick shag but want to avoid the outdated “60s-era in Grandma's living room” look, check out the Safavieh Milan Shag. While all shag rugs are thicker than their low pile cousins, the Milan is proudly deserving of the descriptor luxurious. Setting this unassuming mat in your bedroom will give you a reason to get out of bed every morning. Its tall fibers are thickly bound together, creating a supple cushion for your feet. The polypropylene fibers are impressively stain-resistant, and it's available in a wide range of sizes and shapes to fit whatever room you need a little softness in.

As one might expect, vacuuming a shag rug is no easy task. The Milan is no exception. It has so much loft that you can't simply run an average vacuum cleaner over it. A small handheld vacuum will get the job done — if you happen to own one. You can't put this area rug anywhere in the path of a door either, except in the unlikely situation your doors have 2-inch gaps under them. If you're willing to accept the challenges of owning and cleaning a shag rug, we can't get enough of the feeling of digging our toes deep into the Milan.

Options: 8 solid colors, 20+ sizes, and many shapes (rectangles, squares, runners, and circles)

Pile Height: 0.5" | Material: Hand braided jute

Searching for a natural fiber rug that doesn't sacrifice feeling soft underfoot? The nuLOOM Rigo Hand Woven Jute is our favorite of the bunch. This braided beauty is available in four colors that are solid enough to keep your room looking clean and variable enough to disguise everyday debris. We love how unexpectedly soft this jute mat is, and how easily it lays flat on the floor like it's been there all along. We had some reservations testing an off-white rug in a messy household with pets and accident-prone humans, and though it's not the simplest to clean, we were still impressed with how well it's held up. The Rigo Jute also comes in a huge variety of sizes and shapes to class up any part of your home.

As a natural fiber rug, the Rigo Jute just isn't as easy to clean as its synthetic cousins. It took a significant amount of time and carpet cleaner to remove a splotch of spaghetti sauce. The braided fibers are prone to breaking if rubbed when wet, and the stitching holds onto stains for even longer. And though it is possible to vacuum this rug, the edges aren't conducive to easily rolling over with your machine — we had to back up onto it, wheels first. Almost similar to a rag rug, the Rigo Jute can slide and bunch, and is most easily enjoyed on top of a rug pad. And though it's a bit on the pricier side, if you're after a soft natural rug that looks great, it's hard to go wrong with this stunning jute model.

Options: 4 solid, neutral colors, 35+ sizes, and numerous shapes (rectangles, squares, runners, circles, and ovals)

Pile Height: 1.5" | Material: Polypropylene shag, jute backing

Do you dig the retro vibe of the 60s and 70s? If you answered “yes,” then you're sure to love the look and feel of the Unique Loom Solo Solid Shag. This polypropylene shag rug has a good height to it without being so thick you're likely to trip on it. Its yarns are less dense and make it easier to vacuum (without a beater bar), while the synthetic fibers are more naturally stain resistant. You may catch yourself having flashbacks to earlier times when you dig your toes into the slightly rough yarn. It also comes in over 20 colors that range from 70s psychedelic to modern neutral tones and a ton of sizes for wherever you need some high pile around your home.

If you're after an updated feel, soft fibers, and a thick cushion, this simple shag is likely to disappoint. Compared to the other shag rugs we tested, this rug is much thinner and built with fewer fibers. When cleaning up stains and vacuuming the Solid Shag, we also noticed the ends of the yarns already began to fray. Additionally, this rug begs for a pad, both to keep it in place and provide extra cushioning. However, if you're a fan of the classic style of shag carpet, you might like this one.

Options: 20+ solid colors, 25+ sizes, and a few shapes (rectangles, squares, and circles)

Pile Height: 0.2" | Material: Cotton pile flat weave

Sometimes all you need to pull your space together is a classic rag rug. The Safavieh Rag Rug is exactly that. With nine different color combinations and over 25 sizes and shapes, it's easy to find the kitchen mat, playroom surface, or basement floor covering that you've been looking for. You can even launder it more easily than just about any other type of rug out there, depending on the size of your rug and washing machine. We also love the tassels at the end of this rag rug because they give it a slightly more upgraded look.

And yet, it comes with all the expected downfalls of just about every rag rug. Because it slides, folds, flips, and bunches easily, it's a necessity to have a pad or several pieces of heavy furniture to hold it in place. Similarly, it's nearly impossible to vacuum, as all the little imperfections that give it such a unique, carefree look, easily get sucked up and pulled loose. It also stays wet after spot cleaning for quite a long time, which is less of a major flaw and more of a minor complaint that we found to be jarring every time we walked across the wet spot, hours after cleaning up spilled red wine. But for a classic rag rug, this one is a good choice.

Options: 9 color combinations, 25+ sizes, and many shapes (rectangles, squares, runners, and circles)

Pile Height: 1.5" | Material: Velvet shag, inner sponge, non-slip plastic spots

The Lochas Ultra Soft is a funky spin on a shag rug and feels reminiscent of your favorite childhood stuffed animal. It includes an inner sponge layer that creates a squishy feel often loved by floor-dwelling children, and the long fibers are silky soft and almost a little bit slippery — just like that giant stuffed wolf you had when you were a kid. It's lightweight, making it easy to take outside and shake off in the yard as needed. It also comes in over a dozen colors that include a lot of vibrant hues sure to be on many kindergarteners' list of favorite colors.

As a floppy rug with thin, sparse fibers, the Lochas isn't an ideal choice for high-traffic areas. It's too floppy to run a standard vacuum cleaner over, and as soon as you have to get it wet and clean it just once, you'll see how few hair-like fibers actually make up this rug. Though it cleans fairly easily in a bathtub, daily debris clings on quite easily. A dropped piece of soft cheese had to be peeled out of the stringy strands, similar to chewing gum stuck in hair. The broken fibers were also found all over the rest of the house and even on our clothes. It's an interesting accent rug for low usage, or possibly a comfortable option in a child's bedroom or the basement playroom — if you're willing to clean it in the tub regularly.

Options: 13 solid colors and 5 rectangular sizes

Why Trust GearLab

We spent hours researching the best area rugs out there before selecting the top 9 to purchase and test side by side. We stood, sat, and laid on these rugs, tried to slide them around, stuffed them under furniture, and opened doors on top of them. We got them dirty. These rugs were covered in pet hair, high desert dust, tree sap, marinara sauce, and red wine. We did our best to vacuum them, scrub them, and otherwise clean each one. We also evaluated their aesthetic appeal and versatility across decor styles, taking note of how many options of colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes each can be purchased in. After all this wear and tear and intensive scrutiny, we bring the best qualities and biggest flaws of each one to help you find the right rug for your home.

Our area rug testing is divided across five different metrics:

• Comfort and Usability (30% of overall score weighting)

• Ease of Cleaning (30% weighting)

• Aesthetic Appeal 25% weighting)

• Durability (15% weighting)

Our main tester, Maggie Nichols, is a rug connoisseur. Growing up in a household of allergy sufferers vehemently opposed to carpeting, she quickly learned the high value of a quality area rug. Even now, decades later, Maggie still loves laying on the floor to watch a movie — on the right rug, of course! As a long-time pet owner (birds, snakes, rabbits, dogs, lizards, you name it!) and admitted clutz, she has spent hundreds of hours cleaning, scrubbing, vacuuming, beating, and shaking rugs to remove fur/wine/sauce/chocolate/mud and even a full burrito. She, along with her even messier partner and their happy-to-shed labrador mix dog, put these rugs to the test of surviving in their home.

Analysis and Test Results

We intensively tested and evaluated these rugs across several categories to see how well they withstand daily abuse and which has what it takes to earn a place in your house. We assessed their comfort and usability in various situations and different rooms. We got them dirty and cleaned them up to see how much of a pain they are to upkeep. We considered their versatility of appearance and fit in different spaces around the house and evaluated their durability in the face of daily use and abuse. Below, we discuss the top contenders across each of these four metrics.

Comfort and Usability

To test each rug's comfort and usability, we evaluated a number of different criteria. We stood on them barefoot without socks and laid on them in shorts to see how each felt against bare skin. We compared the thickness and amount of cushion each one has — on hardwood floors without the use of a rug pad. We “surfed” on each, to see how easily they move, both on their own and with furniture on one or more sides. And through regular use, we took note of which ones have corners that are easily kicked up and edges that are readily tripped on.

Of all rugs we tested, the Maples Pelham Vintage is by far the best at keeping the corners and edges firmly on the floor. Even though it wasn't the thinnest area rug we tried, it's the only one that consistently remained flat under our front door, which has a particularly narrow distance from the base to the floor. For anyone who's sick of tripping on rug corners, the Pelham Vintage is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

The Safavieh Madison and nuLOOM Moroccan Blythe are also fairly soft and about on par with the underfoot feel of the Maples Pelham Vintage. Both the Madison and the Moroccan Blythe had some issues when it comes to staying put, though. While they remained flat for the most part, we did occasionally find ourselves kicking up corners in the dark.

The Safavieh Milan Shag is hard to beat for the simple pleasure of just standing on. It's the plushest, most luxurious shag rug we have ever had the privilege of setting foot on. It's an absolute joy to wiggle toes into while it hugs onto them. We'd have to say the biggest downfalls are how easily it slides across hardwood floors, and its sheer thickness makes it an automatic tripping hazard. Also worth mentioning is the nuLOOM Rigo Hand Woven Jute, which exceeded our expectations of softness in a natural fiber area rug.

Ease of Cleaning

Like anything else in your home, an area rug will need periodic cleaning. It collects dust and dander, gets walked on regularly, and you may even eat over it, so finding a rug that's conducive to cleaning is important. We tested each rug's ability to be vacuumed with a standard rolling vacuum, with or without the spinning beater brush. We spilled high staining substances like spaghetti sauce, red wine, and warm chocolate on them to see if we would be able to remove them. We further evaluated how easily each collects dirt, hair, and other debris, and assessed if they look dirty easily or can go for weeks between cleanings.

The Maples Pelham Vintage again stands out in this category. Not only are its synthetic fibers exceptionally easy to clean, with all the corners and edges securely against the floor, but it's also a breeze to roll a vacuum right onto this rug and clean up any messes. The Safavieh Madison is another exemplary area rug in this arena. Though its corners sometimes roll up under a vacuum, the rug itself is easy to clean. It was also no sweat for us to remove two-day-old marinara sauce with just a wet rag. The distressed, irregular pattern of the Madison lends itself very well to hiding any blemishes and debris it may acquire throughout its life.

We're impressed by the stain resistance of the nuLOOM Moroccan Blythe, which, despite being a mainly off-white rug, easily repelled every stain we tried to give it. And though performing a deep clean of the Safavieh Natural Fiber, comprised of seagrass, is something best left to the professionals, we found it surprisingly easy to wipe messes right off the surface, with no lingering stain to the dried grass itself. Alone among the crowd, the Safavieh Rag Rug is the only one we tested that can actually be washed in a washing machine.

Aesthetic Appeal

While each of us has our own particular style and desires for creating our personal spaces, there are still some basic criteria that every area rug we tested can be held up to. We first considered the colors and patterns offered and how well those patterns fit into people's existing furniture and decor. Wider ranges of colors to match more diverse palates also performed better in this metric. And because we all live in different homes with different arrangements, we also assessed the diversity of sizes and shapes each rug is offered in. From giant area rugs to hallway runners and kitchen sink mats to circular dining room coverings, the more diversity was offered, the better each rug scored in this metric.

Two top contenders in this category make the cut for different reasons. The nuLOOM Moroccan Blythe features a pattern that's interesting and versatile across decorating styles without being too busy. It also comes in the most colors, sizes, and shapes of any rug we tested, allowing you to choose the absolute perfect fit for your personal space. The nuLOOM Rigo Jute also stands out in this category for a classic, clean handwoven style that, though it comes in just four colors, can easily be incorporated to upgrade the look of almost any arrangement style. And like the Moroccan Blythe, the Rigo Jute is offered in an astounding array of sizes and shapes that are sure to fit any space in your home.

The Safavieh Madison is another appealing rug with a more modern look. While its irregular, distressed patterning might not fit everyone's taste, it comes in numerous colors that give it wide appeal. It's also available in an exceptional amount of sizes and shapes. The Maples Pelham Vintage has fewer offerings of shapes, sizes, and colors, but is available in four neutrally appealing colors with a timeless pattern that doesn't overwhelm the space it's set in.

Durability

Though we didn't have years to test each of these area rugs, we did our best to simulate intensive use in a condensed amount of time. We went out of our way to scuff on them in shoes, roughhouse with a big dog, spill and clean them, and vacuum them repeatedly. We appraised the construction and materials of each rug and thoroughly examined them for flaws and weak points, particularly backings, edges, corners, and loose fibers. We also scoured the internet to dig up figurative dirt on each model and see if we could uncover similar issues.

Once again, the Maples Pelham Vintage shines brightly. This synthetic, nylon rug is an ideal combination of low pile fibers firmly secured to a solid felt backing, ringed with a stout border. It easily withstood everything we could throw at it with no hint of failing. From painlessly relaxing down flat after shipping to remaining unflappable even in the front hall of a busy home, the Pelham Vintage performed better than the rest and gave us no reason to doubt its continued impressive performance.

The Safavieh Madison also proved to be a durable area rug. Another synthetic model, the Madison heartily withstood life in the living room of a messy family with a large dog, looking no worse for the wear. It's not quite as impressive as the Pelham Vintage, as the edges and corners need a bit more coaxing to stay put, and too much tripping could shorten its life. It also doesn't have quite as impressive of backing on it and is better suited to life on top of a rug pad. But overall, it's a pretty durable rug made to withstand regular use.

The nuLOOM Moroccan Blythe and Safavieh Milan Shag also stand out as above-average regarding durability. These rugs are solidly constructed with well-defined edges, quality materials, and minimal shedding. However, the Moroccan Blythe has some minor challenges laying flat, creating a tripping hazard. The Unique Loom Solo Solid Shag is distinctive as well, with two thick ribbons of durable material running down each side to help keep it from getting beaten up by constant tripping.

While we don't typically like to highlight poor performers, sometimes one performs so poorly that we feel obligated to mention it. In this case, the Lochas Ultra Soft exceeded our expectations — in a bad way. This rug let us down in just about every category across the board. Its spongy interior provides no actual support, just squishing flat with even a small amount of weight on it. Its fuzzy top is synthetically smooth to the point of being almost slippery, it is extremely difficult to clean, and the thin, hair-like fibers shed uncommonly easily and quickly spread themselves throughout the entire house. As much as we wanted to like this fuzzy, floppy rug, its shortcomings were just too many for us to be impressed.

Conclusion

Finding the perfect area rug to fit your home isn't as simple as just picking a pretty pattern. We dove into the nitty-gritty of what makes a rug worth your money. No matter what vibe you're trying to bring or what space you need to fill, we've done the work to find the ideal rug to suit your requirements.