What makes up Cheapest Rugs Online is mostly Power Loomed (machine made) rugs - made from Heat Set Polypropylene and Wool rugs. These are the two main choices and the bread and butter for most rug websites online. There are of course other variations and it's hard not to mention natural fibre but on the whole if we had to pick, these are the main two.
If you're interested in buying a rug with us, which one should you choose? We'll help to educate you a little on the differences between these two types of rugs, their pros and cons, and what to expect from each type over its lifespan on your floor.
Power Loomed Rugs
Even though we do have some pretty affordable wool rugs on cheapestrugsonline, power loomed rugs made from Heat Set Polypropylene tend to be cheaper on the whole.
With the advancements in technology with this fibre in recent years, the gap is closing in the quality in both look and feel with synthetic rugs. Heat Set Polypropylene is vastly superior to the regular Polypropylene rugs you may have bought ten years ago and to the average consumer - will have a little trouble differentiating it from a short wool pile. You'll find that most pile heights with Heat Set Polypropylene rugs are pretty low though to help keep this illusion.
Designs in power loomed rugs are also getting more intricate as the technology changes. Again in the past, back in the day, you would find pretty simple patterning on a power loomed rug and if anything intricate was attempted, the design was always a little bit off and not crisp in detail. Their backing would often be lower quality, causing the edges to curl up too.
That being said, quite a few rug retailers still do sell the old non heat set polypropylene rugs mainly due to the difference in cost and capture the market of customers where quality is not of a concern and wish to have a more disposable rug.
Heat Set Polypropylene rugs are easy to clean, don't stain easily, and due to the shorter pile - dead easy to vacuum. They're easy to maintain and look good. This is why they have been gaining momentum over the past decade and have seen some brands such as Rug Culture focus a large portion of their ranges on this paticular cost effective material that can produce both good quality and great design.
Wool
After all of the above has been said, one might think that the age of wool has passed. Not so! Wool still has a very strong presence in the rug world and sustains some huge designer brands that rely only on this material. These is of course reason for this material to have been the fibre of choice for centuries across the world.
The look and feel has still not been replicated by advancements in technology. A wool rug that is taken care of will outlast any power loomed Heat Set Polypropylene rug. Wool rugs are passed down in familes due to their inherent durability and value just as a work of art would be, whilst synthetic rugs are not.
The above is a perfect example of a patchwork wool rug sold on our website that has history, culture, and skill in craftsman ship within. The price tag reflects this, but is still very reasonable considering the time involved and all of the above taken into consideration.
Wool is also easy to clean, but needs a little more care in the cleaning agents used and the method of cleaning should not involve scrubbing. It also takes a bit longer to dry.
The feeling of wool can't easily be mistaken when placed side by side a Heat Set Polypropylene rug either. At the end of the day rugs are about look, feel, and the impact they have on your space. Wool rugs are still superior to synthetic rugs but at least these days we have a good alternative, thanks to the recent advancements in Polypropylene technology.