What to Know About Soft Rugs & Where is it Best to Use Them?

Soft rugs are typically thick, fluffy, and have a slightly bouncy feeling underfoot. They usually have a deep or high pile and use soft fabrics in their materials, such as cotton, polyester, or nylon – and even wool in some cases. Many soft rugs use a loop pile or Saxony pile weave, which is a less bristly type of rug than many shorter pile varieties.

Having a soft rug is ideal for certain situations, notably where you want to create a comfortable feeling underfoot or need the warmth. As a result, it can easily be used on the following floor surfaces:

• Stone or tiles: Super soft rugs can provide a nice contrast to a solid floor surface and will also deliver some extra warmth to cold surfaces like marble, slate, or limestone. The cold of the surface is nicely juxtaposed with a soft rug and helps with insulation.
• Wood: Timber floorboards do not hold cold as a stone or tile floor might, but draughty floorboards are common. Most soft shag rugs can be made long or large enough to cover an entire floor and stop circulating air beneath penetrating the room.
• Laminate or epoxy resin flooring: Floors made from laminate boards or poured resin are very hard-wearing but they do not provide much warmth and can also be slippery. Soft rugs will provide some grip on these surfaces and help to warm the space too.

As experts in providing home rugs for indoors, outdoors, and many different rooms in the house, we understand the nuances of each type and what works best where. With many fantastic and durable designs of soft rugs, you can find an option for almost any taste or type of home decor.

You can buy soft rugs, such as shaggy rugs or those with natural fibres, from our impressive range with free UK delivery and a lowest-price promise, so you will always get the best rugs and the best service. Read on to learn more about where soft rugs will work best in your home.

How to Choose Soft Rugs in the Living Room

The best choice of soft rugs for living rooms depends on the size of the space. Living rooms are best suited to soft rugs that serve to either add a final touch to the room or more or less fully cover the surface. As a result, both quite small and very large rugs are the most suitable options.

A big room with floorboards can benefit from a large rug that goes under furniture, whereas a smaller room will benefit from a rug that simply runs alongside a sofa or table. Our SheepSkins Hug Mink Rug (not real mink!) is a fine example of this, so take a look for a clear idea of this.

If you have a carpeted living room it is still often a good idea to include a soft rug, which can add more comfort to the space. Pile height will be the main consideration, which depends on the pile height of the carpet itself. Try not to create too much height difference for easier cleaning.

How to Choose Soft Rugs in the Bedroom

A bedroom is probably the best possible location for a soft rug. Bedrooms are areas where you will often walk around barefoot, and it is rare to even wear shoes in them. Bedrooms also do not have problems with moisture and dirt, so a good soft rug is an ideal option for practical reasons.

If you have any of the surfaces mentioned in the introduction in a bedroom, soft rugs are a wise choice. Consider shaggy rugs for a high-contrast look and feel that you can comfortably step on after getting out of bed on a cold winter's day. A nice example is our neutral Chicago Latte Rug.

As bedrooms are often carpeted, you can add a low pile height rug similarly to how you would in a living room. Small rugs are good for placing on either side of the bed but you can use a large rug that goes under the bed, too, as this is great for insulating bedrooms with cold floors.

How to Choose Soft Rugs in the Hall

Any uncarpeted hallway will benefit from the addition of runners that use soft fibres or high piles for warmth, but they are also a fine opportunity to add some personality or style and a splash of colour or pattern. For example, geometric runners can easily spice up a drab hallway.

If you have a plain white hallway then bold colours like green, pink, black, and purple are a nice choice to add some colour, and high pile heights provide an interesting texture. For a more neutral look, such as if you have patterned wallpaper, a grey, cream, or brown rug will work well.

Soft rugs on solid floors will often benefit from some form of underlay, as hallways are primarily intended for walking through and the anti-slip benefits of an underlay are a good idea to help avoid trips. There are underlay products available for carpeted floors as well as smooth floors.

How to Choose Soft Rugs in the Bathroom

Soft rugs in the bathroom can actually work quite well, especially if you have a large bathroom with tiles. However, you need to be careful with the extra levels of moisture that can be present in a bathroom so avoid fibres or materials such as wool or cotton that can soak up humidity.

Polyester or nylon soft rugs are pleasant to walk on and quite easy to clean, which is important as there is a higher chance of mess and dirt in a bathroom compared to other rooms. Do not use a big rug unless you have an expansive bathroom; it is best for soft rugs to be a small addition.

Always think of a bathroom rug as a rug and not a bathroom mat – you should not be stepping onto it straight out of the shower or bath, or even when you’ve been by the sink. In a bathroom, soft rugs work best as decorative touches that complement the decor and it is much more practical for cleaning.

Where to Avoid Using Soft Rugs

You should always avoid using soft rugs outdoors as they are likely to be highly absorbent, and the extra dirt and debris that can accumulate on an outside rug will mean they are much more difficult to clean and maintain. Check out our specialist outdoor rugs for alternative rug designs.

Kitchens are also a problem area for soft rugs as they are more likely to get stains from dropped food, crumbs, and accidental spillages. A cleaning product used in a kitchen may also affect the fibres of the rug, making them less soft or discolouring them. See our kitchen rugs for ideas.

Anywhere that might experience especially high foot traffic, such as an entrance or exit, will not normally be a good place for soft rugs. The extra dirt and moisture might ruin the rug quite fast and it is also much more likely to be a trip hazard, so stick to low-pile and rugged materials here.

Order Soft Rugs with Free UK Delivery & Low-Price Guarantees

Essentially, any surface that is hard, shiny, slippery, or smooth will often benefit from a soft rug. You can order all kinds of soft rugs from our reliable company with free UK delivery, with many different sizes, colours, patterns, and textures available for all tastes or types of rooms in a house.
If you do not think your new soft rug works quite as you imagined, we also offer a flexible returns policy. We have over 15,000 positive reviews and a 4.8 ShopperApproved rating from happy customers, so get in touch with us to find out more or if you have any questions.