Wool or Nylon Carpet?

Another part of the lengthy process of choosing which carpet to buy, is deciding on which fibre you want to have in your carpet. Most often found is wool, but a high percentage of nylon can be found more regularly in cheaper carpets. However just because one is found in less expensive carpets, doesn't mean to say it doesn't have its benefits.

More often than not, seeing a carpet which is 100% wool or 100% nylon is unlikely. The majority of carpets are a mixture of the two. For a quality carpet, the recommendation is to have at least 50% wool, or more if you can afford it.

So what are the advantages of the two?

Wool carpets are extremely resilient, naturally being very tough. One of their main selling points is the fact that they are flame retardant, making the carpet a lot safer than the other two choices. With the natural resilience comes a better length of life too, with the carpet looking better for longer. Wool is also notoriously easy to clean and keep looking great. Buying a wool carpet is good for the environment too, being a sustainable material and of course being environmentally friendly.

On the other hand, Nylon carpets have their own benefits too. Typically cheaper, nylon is the hardest wearing of the lot, being the most resilient of the three. While nylon carpets will generally feel harder than wool, it's simply down to being a tougher material, allowing for better stain resistance, and better wear in general. A nylon carpet can last longer than wool, but is generally found in a carpet blended of wool and nylon in order to take the benefits of both; the high resistance of nylon, but also the comfort of wool.