Rugs can totally transform the look and feel of any room. But with so many different materials out there, it can be tricky to figure out which rug fiber is the best option for your home.
In this post, as a professional custom rugs manufacturer, I’ll dig into whether polyester makes for good rug material. Specifically, we’ll look at how polyester carpeting performs across five key categories:
- Cost
- Durability
- Ease of cleaning
- Safety
- Sustainability
To objectively grade polyester’s performance in each category, I’ve compiled data from over 15 academic studies and rug industry expert sites.
Let’s dive in!
How Much Do Polyester Rugs Cost?
The average price for a 6×9 polyester rug falls between $100 and $250.
This puts polyester squarely in the “affordable rugs” category. In fact, polyester is one of the most budget-friendly synthetic fibers out there.
To put the cost of polyester rugs into perspective, here’s how much a 6×9 rug costs for other common rug materials:
- Wool rugs: $700+
- Cotton rugs: $300+
- Jute rugs: $250+
- Nylon rugs: $150+
As you can see, polyester is towards the low end when it comes to rug costs.
The main reason polyester rugs are so affordable is that polyester fabric is cheap to produce. Manufacturers can easily mass produce polyester using oil-based ingredients.
This allows them to sell the finished rugs at lower price points than materials like wool or cotton.
Now let’s grade polyester’s cost-effectiveness:
Cost Grade: A
Polyester offers outstanding value, with very affordable pricing across all sizes. The low cost makes a polyester rug accessible for most budgets.
Next, let’s look at durability.
How Durable Are Polyester Rugs?
The average lifespan of a polyester rug is 4-8 years.
This does put polyester towards the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to rug longevity. By comparison, here’s how long other rug materials typically last:
- Wool rugs: 10-30 years
- Cotton rugs: 10-15 years
- Jute rugs: 5-15 years
- Nylon rugs: 5-15 years
However, there are a few shortcuts you can use to extend a polyester rug’s lifespan:
Regular Vacuuming
Vacuuming your polyester rug once per week stops dirt from getting ground into the fibers, which causes faster wear and tear.
Rotate Every 6 Months
Rotating your rug prevents uneven fading and traffic patterns over time.
Spot Clean Spills ASAP
This keeps liquids from soaking into the rug backing and causing mildew growth.
Speaking of stains…
How Easy Are Polyester Rugs To Clean?
The good news?
Polyester fibers have natural stain resistance. And for the most part, liquid spills sit on the surface of polyester rugs instead of soaking in.
However, oil-based stains are more difficult to remove from polyester. Things like cooking grease or motor oil can leave a permanent stain without immediate treatment.
When it comes to day-to-day cleaning, polyester rugs perform average. They tend to show dirt, dust, and pet hair more visibly than materials like wool or nylon. And fuzzing is a common issue over years of vacuuming.
So for ease of cleaning, let’s give polyester a grade of:
Ease of Cleaning Grade: B
Polyester resists liquid stains but requires frequent vacuuming to look its best. Oil-based stains also require immediate treatment.
Now let’s move onto the safety of polyester carpets.
Are Polyester Rugs Safe?
This is where things get a little tricky for polyester rugs.
Polyester carpeting faces potential safety issues in two key areas:
1. Off-gassing of VOCs
Like all synthetic materials, polyester rugs can “off-gas” VOCs into your home.
These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) come from chemicals used during manufacturing. Exposure to VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation in the short term.
However, off-gassing decreases by over 50% in the first month after installation. And placing your new polyester rug in a well-ventilated room for 72+ hours helps speed up the off-gassing process.
The good news?
Research shows that polyester carpeting releases fewer VOCs compared to other synthetics like nylon or olefin (polypropylene).
2. Potential flame retardant chemicals
The other safety concern lies in the potential flame retardants used to treat some polyester rugs.
Certain brominated or chlorinated flame retardants have been linked to health issues in extreme exposure cases.
However, untreated polyester is actually inherently flame-resistant. So as long as you buy an untreated polyester rug, this is less of a concern.
Safety Grade: B-
Polyester rugs contain fewer VOCs than other synthetics. And untreated polyester has built-in fire resistance. However, off-gassing can still irritate those sensitive to chemicals.
This brings us to our final category…
Are Polyester Rugs Sustainable?
As a plastic-based fabric, polyester faces some sustainability challenges:
- Polyester is made from non-renewable petroleum sources.
- Most polyester does not biodegrade, taking up space in landfills.
- Manufacturing polyester produces nearly 3x the CO2 emissions of wool.
However, there are a few things working in polyester’s favor:
- Using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles to produce polyester reduces landfill waste.
- Polyester rugs tend to last longer than natural fibers like jute or sisal, reducing replacement rates.
- Durable construction means used polyester rugs can often be recycled or donated vs thrown out.
Considering all factors, we would rate polyester rug’s sustainability as…
Sustainability: C+
Polyester reduces waste by using recycled plastic. But manufacturing practices and non-biodegradable materials pose environmental issues.
The Verdict: Polyester Offers Mixed Performance
After comparing polyester carpeting to other rug materials across our five categories, polyester offers very mixed performance:
Polyester Rug Material Pros✅ Extremely affordable pricing✅ Built-in stain resistance
Polyester Rug Material Cons ❌ Lower lifespan than natural fibers❌ Not as sustainable as wool or cotton
This combination of pros and cons makes polyester a good situational choice.
For example, polyester makes an excellent rug material for high-traffic areas like hallways or basements. The affordability means you can replace the rug in 5-6 years when signs of wear set in.
However, for low-traffic spots like living rooms or bedrooms, longer-lasting wool or cotton is likely the better investment. These rugs come with a higher upfront cost but last significantly longer.
So in summary:
Polyester’s outstanding affordability makes it a fantastic budget-friendly fiber. Just be aware of the potential safety and durability compromises vs other rug materials.
I hope this data-driven analysis helps you decide if polyester carpeting is a good choice your next rug purchase!