Kat is a writer, editor, SEO specialist, author, and mother based in the UK. Starting out in 2000 as a reporter for the local paper, Kat has written for many publications, and, as an advocate for female empowerment, loves to write about women's issues, and helping fellow mothers feel supported and less alone. Kat first started writing for Meredith in 2019 and has contributed to InStyle, Real Simple, Southern Living, Shape, Better Homes & Gardens, Parents, and Parenting. She has written for many other magazines and media outlets including Bust, Mother & Baby, Expert Reviews, Women's World, First For Women, and Yours.
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Adding carpet to your home not only improves its visual appearance, but it can also make the place feel more warm, cozy, and functional. The best carpet provides better insulation than hard flooring types to keep your home warm in the wintertime, and it also has sound-dampening qualities to reduce noise. Plus, this flooring type is also pretty easy to clean, provided you have a powerful and effective vacuum on hand.
“Carpet can be a great investment and really enhance a space if done right,” says Cameron Johnson, Founder & CEO of Nickson Living.
The best carpets are available in an array of styles and materials, such as nylon, polyester, wool, or cotton. You can also get them in a vast selection of colors and patterns too, making it easy to truly personalize your space. However, not all carpet is created equally, and since it fills such a large surface area in your home, it’s important to evaluate which carpet is best for your needs.
We’ve created a list of the best carpet from brands like Mohawk, Anderson Tuftex, Karastan, and more. Whether you prefer a fluffy, high-pile carpet for added texture in your space or an unobtrusive, low-profile carpet that can handle a ton of foot traffic, you’ll be able to shop for the best styles for your home.
Here are the best carpet brands.
Why You Should Get It: The company provides thousands of different eco-friendly carpet styles and offers stellar customer service. Keep in Mind: Mohawk doesn’t offer installation services, and you can’t buy directly from the manufacturer.
The Mohawk Flooring brand is a trusted name, and for good reason. The carpet and flooring manufacturer provides a wide selection of products to choose from and a great warranty on all its products. You’ll be able to shop a massive selection of carpets in all sorts of materials, styles, and colors, making it easy to find the best carpet for your needs. All Mohawk products are made in the USA, and, as an added perk, the company allows you to order free samples. This means you’ll be able to see the carpet in person, compare it to other options, and place it in your home before purchasing in bulk.
Mohawk carpets are known for being stain-resistant and wear-resistant, making them great for high-traffic areas in your home like hallways and living rooms. Plus, if you spill, the durable fibers are easier to scrub clean than other types. In other words, pet accidents, food spills, and other mishaps on your floors don’t have to become a permanent fixture in your home.
Many of Mohawk’s carpets come in the loop, cut, patterned, and soft-twist textures, so you can find a specific style that looks (and feels) best in your home. Unfortunately, the manufacturer doesn’t offer installation services, so you’ll need to hire a third-party professional if you don’t want to install the carpet on your own.
Price at time of publish: From $2 per square foot
Why You Should Get It: Each carpet and rug product is carefully inspected to ensure quality. Keep in Mind: The carpet can be difficult to find online.
Karastan has been in business for almost 100 years, and its high-end carpet is resilient, durable, and truly beautiful. We love that each rug and carpet product made by Karastan is made by artisans and carefully inspected to ensure the highest quality. Shop a wide selection of synthetic carpets, which come in a variety of colors and patterns to add visual interest to your space.
The patented SmartStrand carpets are designed to resist stains including pet-related messes, and the manufacturer even has a lifetime warranty on its carpet to ensure pet stains don’t ruin it.
There are many colors, patterns, and textures to choose from, but you can’t buy carpets directly from the company’s site. However, you can find the brand at a variety of retailers, including Rug Studio, Avalon Flooring, and more.
Price at time of publish: Varies
Why You Should Get It: LifeProof’s carpets are stain-resistant, so they won’t absorb messes as easily as other brands. Keep in Mind: The brand doesn’t offer as many colors and patterns as others.
Manufactured by Mohawk Flooring and sold exclusively at The Home Depot, LifeProof has a selection of over 1,200 carpet styles to choose from that cater to a variety of budgets. The brand offers options that start at around $2 per square foot, but most are priced in the $3 to $6 range.
We love that the carpet is easy to find and order online, and it can be delivered as soon as the next day, depending on where you live. The brand offers Triexta, nylon, and polyester options, and LifeProof’s carpets are stain-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about a pet accident or spill ruining your new carpet. The carpet’s spill shield technology prevents spills and debris from settling into the carpet, making it easier to scrub or vacuum out.
If you’re looking for a high-quality, neutral carpet for your home, LifeProof is your best bet. However, homeowners who want a textured or patterned carpet will likely find more options from other manufacturers.
Price at time of publish: From $1.79 per square foot
Why You Should Get It: The company offers three major collections to choose from at different price points and design styles to meet your needs. Keep in Mind: They only make nylon carpets.
Carpet in your home doesn’t have to be boring—the nylon carpet offerings from Anderson Tuftex are chic, modern, and durable enough to last for years to come. The company has three main collections to choose from, including classic carpet style at a budget-friendly price point, a carpet collection with stunning textures and patterns, and a pet-friendly line designed to survive common pet messes.
Though the company only makes nylon carpets, options at Anderson Tuftex are beautiful and durable, making it easier to find the best carpet for your style and budget. You’ll be able to shop loop, pattern, and cut pile carpets, so there are plenty of types to choose from.
The brand also has a selection of carpets specifically for stairs, whether you want to go full coverage or simply add a runner down the middle. These can also be customized to your exact needs. For a more eco-friendly approach, shop Anderson Tuftex’s Anso High-Performance PET range, which is all made using recycled plastic bottles (up to 76 of them per square yard!).
Price at time of publish: From $2.49 per square foot
Why You Should Get It: You can choose from three different carpet backing types. Keep in Mind: Shaw’s carpets are only available through Lowe’s and select retailers.
Shaw Floors offers six carpet collections with over 350 styles in total. Though you can’t buy from Shaw Floors directly, the brand offers design services to ensure you buy the best carpet for your needs. The website has plenty of helpful tools such as space planning and a color visualizer, and you can order free carpet samples from the site to see your favorite styles in person before buying.
The company offers carpets in the loop, twist, and patterned textures. Nylon, polyester, and Anso high-performance carpets are available in a choice of three backings: ClassicBac designed for commercial spaces with a superior tuft bind strength; SoftBac, a flexible and wrinkle-free backing system; and LifeGuard, which has been designed to be easy to clean and reduce odor for pet owners.
Price at time of publish: From $2.13 per square foot
Why You Should Get It: The brand offers durable, cost-effective carpets with 4,000 different options to choose from. Keep in Mind: The Essentials carpet only has a 10-year warranty, and it doesn’t cover installations on stairs
Available exclusively at Lowe’s, StainMaster is still one of the best carpet brands for quality carpet on a budget, with prices starting under $2 per square foot. StainMaster has nylon 66 offerings, which are widely considered the best carpet type when it comes to durability, as well as polyester options. StainMaster has over 4,000 different designs, styles, and color options to choose from, making it easier to find the best carpet to match your home.
The PetProtect line of carpets comes with a 25-year warranty on pet stains, making it a great choice for anyone with animals in the house. The Active Family and TruSoft carpet collections are both comfortable and resilient, even in households that get a lot of foot traffic, so we recommend installing these in your hallways or living rooms. Finally, StainMaster’s Essentials line of carpets is the most budget-friendly option offered. Just keep in mind that this carpet isn’t as durable as others offered by StainMaster so you’ll need to replace it sooner, and it only comes with a 10-year warranty.
Price at time of publish: From $1.89 per square foot
Why You Should Get It: The carpets offered are affordable, durable, and beautiful, and there are hundreds of options available Keep in Mind: The company only offers nylon carpets.
If you want a luxe carpet without the high-end price tag, we recommend shopping for one of the many carpet types from Proximity Mills. The company offers 22 different collections including loop, cut, and cut-and-loop carpets, allowing you to select the appearance and texture you prefer. Proximity Mills also provides deluxe washable carpet tiles that are designed to look like a one-piece carpet when laid out. The site has a helpful floor visualizer tool so you can see what the carpet will look like in your home before you buy.
Though the company only offers nylon carpets, these are extremely well-made and of excellent quality. They have low VOCs (volatile organic compounds)—harmful chemicals often found in carpet and flooring—so you can rest assured knowing your home’s air quality isn’t being negatively impacted by installing the carpet. The carpet is also certified CRI Green Label Plus for added peace of mind, which means that the product has been rigorously tested to ensure it meets the standard for low emissions.
When it comes to durability, Proximity Mills’ carpets are incredibly long-lasting, and products come with a 20-year residential warranty. Like most of the best carpet brands, you can’t buy directly from the manufacturer’s site, but you can use the find a retailer tool to see where to buy near you.
Price at time of publish: From $4 per square foot
Why You Should Get It: Phenix carpets have an antimicrobial layer to protect against bacteria growth, and there are around 1,500 carpet styles to choose from. Keep in Mind: The polyester carpet isn’t as durable as other options.
Phenix provides high-quality residential carpets in a large selection of colors, designs, and textures. The brand’s wide variety of carpets features a Microban antimicrobial layer that protects against mold and bacteria growth in the fibers of your flooring, keeping the carpet cleaner and odor-free for longer. Phenix Flooring’s carpet also has a special technology that helps the carpet look more fluffy and natural (read: more high-quality), even though it’s made from synthetic materials.
With around 1,500 different carpet styles, Phenix’s selections are made of either nylon or polyester, and they can come with solid colors, patterns, low- and high-piles, and more. The polyester options are less expensive than the nylon collections, making them a great pick for anyone on a budget, but keep in mind that they aren’t as long-lasting.
The brand also offers two SureSoft collections, which contain recycled plastics and have a super cozy and comfortable feel. The PetPlus selection is perfect for pet owners because it’s extra-durable, and designed to resist stains and odors from pet-related messes.
A handy virtual decorator tool on the manufacturer’s website can help you choose the best carpet for your space, and there’s also a helpful installation guide if you want to put the carpet in yourself.
Price at time of publish: From $1.75 per square foot
The best carpet can be made from a variety of materials, but depending on the style you’re looking for, the pile height and plushness you desire, and your budget, some carpet materials may be better for your home than others.
If you’re going to take the time and money to buy the best carpet, you likely want it to last a long time. Whether you own pets, have children in the home, or want to install carpet in a high-traffic area of your house, the best carpet will be able to stand up to daily wear and tear for many years before needing a replacement.
Nylon is generally known for being the most durable type of carpet for residential use. These carpets are good for use in places with heavy foot traffic, and for those with kids and pets. Some carpet manufacturers treat their nylon carpet with a protective coating, which helps it to be more stain-resistant, too.
The least durable type of carpet tends to be olefin, which is a less expensive but mildew-resistant polypropylene material. While it limits the growth of mold and bacteria, it’s prone to get matted down. Similarly, high-pile carpets can be difficult to keep looking fresh and fluffy due to the long fibers that hold debris easily. We recommend using these carpet types in low-traffic areas of the home like bedrooms.
Carpets are available in many different designs and colors, including solid-hued options and marbled designs to other styles with funky patterns and textures. Modern carpets can feature designs such as stripes and geometric patterns, which is a great way to add movement and visual interest to a space. More traditional carpet styles may have florals and paisley designs built into the fibers.
Almost all carpets can be kept clean with routine vacuuming and once-a-year professional carpet cleaning. Keep a powerful vacuum cleaner on hand to tackle dirt, hair, and more that can get trapped in your carpet fibers, preventing the debris from negatively impacting your carpet. We also recommend using carpet spray cleaners to deal with pet messes, food spills, and other stains as they happen.
Some carpets, such as nylon carpets, have a stain-proof coating, which helps prevent stains and dirt from getting absorbed into the carpet fibers and creating a permanent mark.
If your carpet appears faded and looks heavily worn in certain areas, it’s probably time to buy a new carpet for your home. You’ll most likely notice wear and tear first in high-traffic areas of your home like hallways, living rooms, entryways, and more.
Fiber construction refers to how the carpet is woven, and these can either be cut pile, loop pile, or a combination of the two. A cut-pile carpet has its ends sheared off. These ends can sometimes be tufted, creating a soft surface texture. A loop pile’s carpet fibers, instead of being cut to a certain length, are looped back into the carpet’s backing. This style isn’t usually as soft as a cut pile option. Cut-and-loop pile, also known as a sculptured pile, combines these two weaving methods for a more textured finish.
The amount of fiber used within a cubic yard of carpet determines its pile density. Carpet with a high density is typically more durable than looser carpet types, but many dense carpets aren’t as soft. Materials such as triexta can still provide a high density—and therefore higher durability—without compromising on comfort.
Another thing to think about is the pile’s height. High (or deep) pile carpet is extremely soft and cushiony, and most people prefer this carpet type in bedrooms. Those with small kids or pets, however, might want to be wary of a high pile carpet, as these can be the hardest to clean. A low pile carpet makes it easier to remove dirt and debris since the fibers are shorter and your vacuum’s brush roll has a higher chance of reaching all the hidden gunk. Most people opt for a medium pile carpet for areas such as the hallway and living room, as this option is still comfortable but not too hard to keep clean.
“Keeping your carpet clean requires a little upkeep,” Johnson says. “Regularly vacuuming the carpet to remove dust and debris is a good practice. Also, keeping a can of carpet cleaner or investing in an electronic carpet cleaner can be a good idea to remove stains and spots.”
We recommend investing in a powerful vacuum to help keep your carpets in top condition, then supplementing your routine cleaning with a once-a-year professional carpet treatment. Johnson suggests renting a professional carpet cleaning machine from your local hardware store or hiring an expert to do the task for you.
“If you are installing new carpet, the first step is to measure the space,” Johnson says.
Carpet is typically sold by square foot, so you will generally want to measure the length and width of the space and multiply them together to get the square footage of the room. You should also measure and account for closets or other areas that you may want to carpet and repeat the exercise.
“As a general rule of thumb,” Johnson says, “you should then increase the final number by 10 percent to ensure you have enough materials—the carpet may have to be cut and otherwise manipulated to fit neatly in your space. You may have a bit of extra carpet left over, but that can come in handy for repairs down the road.”
Installing new carpets on your own can be a little tricky unless you are experienced at home renovations. However, it can be accomplished with a little hard work and some research. You could also ask the customer service department at your local hardware store for some installation advice.
“After you measure the room, you will want to prepare the floor for installation by removing the old carpet if necessary, removing baseboards, and removing doors to the room,” Johnson says. “You will then install carpet tack strips around the perimeter of the room—this will ‘attach’ the carpet to the floor. Next, install the carpet padding, cut the carpet, lay the carpet, and stretch it. The last step is to put the room back together with baseboards, doors, etc.”
This article was written by Kat de Naoum, who has over ten years of commerce writing experience. Kat is also the commerce editor-at-large at Thomas-Xometry, the leading U.S. online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing. For this article, Kat reviewed some of the best carpets from top brands, researching factors such as each carpet's material, durability, and price range. She also spoke to Cameron Johnson, Founder & CEO of Nickson Living.
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