Does it matter which carpet fiber I choose?
Published: May 9, 2017
There are so many things to consider when buying carpet: color, carpet style, padding… does the carpet fiber make an impact? You might be surprised to hear that it does. From stain resistance to durability, the carpet fiber does make a difference in how well your carpet matches your lifestyle. Which carpet fiber is best for you?
Natural vs synthetic carpet fibers
Carpet fibers fall into one of two categories: natural or synthetic. As the name implies, natural carpet fibers are made by materials that are naturally grown and harvested. Wool is the most common natural carpet fiber. Synthetic carpet fibers are machine-made from various chemicals. Nylon is the most common synthetic carpet fiber. Most carpets on the market today are made from synthetic materials.
Differences in carpet fibers
There are beautiful, long-lasting carpets made from either natural or synthetic carpet fibers. However, each does have its own strengths. Reviewing these strengths can help you determine which carpet fiber is best for you.
Stain resistance: Wool carpet fibers have some natural stain resistance but it’s hard to beat synthetic carpet fibers in this category. Synthetic fibers are treated to be more stain resistant and can stand up to most spot resistant treatments.
Durability: You have to dig deeper into the type of carpet fiber to find out which type will stand up to your high traffic environment. In general, wool and nylon are equally resilient choices.
Environmentally friendly: It likely comes as no surprise that natural carpet fiber wins this category. Carpets made from sustainable resources are responsible and will not release chemical compounds into the air of your home.
The most versatile carpet fiber: nylon
If you were to put nylon carpet fiber up against any other material – natural or synthetic – nylon would win in every category. Nylon has more flexibility in style and color options. Nylon is adapts well to carpet treatments resulting in a carpet that is extremely stain and soil resistant. Nylon is also excellent at standing up to high traffic areas and retaining it’s shape and style. As an added bonus, nylon carpets tend to be extremely soft.
Worried about the environment? Many carpet manufacturers are too. In creating carpets from synthetic materials, manufacturers are looking at the use of environmentally safe, recycled materials and energy efficient manufacturing processes. Learn more about eco-friendly carpet choices.
