Do Oriental Rugs Need Pads?

Every Oriental rug that's being used on a hard surface should utilize a rug pad. Rug pads aren't just beneficial to you, in preventing injuries, but they reduce the wear and tear to your rug that occurs by regular usage, in turn extending the life of your beautiful rug. Find out what pads we recommend, why and where to buy them.

Like you, I wondered if purchasing a rug pad was truly necessary and honestly I didn't even search it the first few times around.

The first couple rugs I've owned were hand-me-downs, and perhaps that's part of the reason I didn't give it much thought. It may take a dopamine boost in the brain, that often comes from purchasing an item for a relatively large sum of money, to provoke the thought process needed to extend the life of your new rug.

What happens to an Oriental rug when you walk on it?

Oriental rugs are made using natural fibers such as wool, cotton and silk. These fibers are all effected by variables such as moisture, age, chemicals and various degrees of wear, similar to clothing items we all wear. Imagine squeezing your favorite pair of pants in a vise grip and then doing it again and again. This is essentially what we do to our Oriental rugs.

Walking on an Oriental rug, that's resting on a hardwood floor or any similar surface, without a rug pad, is essentially breaking down these natural fibers on a microscopic scale. The use of an appropriate rug pad, helps absorb these pressures, and in turn extends the life of your rug.

Will any rug pad work?

No, there are many different rug pads on the market, however, they mostly fall into two categories.

1. Non-slip rubber grip - typically comes in a thin layer, approximately 1/8 inch, which is more suitable for rugs with synthetic pile fibers.

2. Felt + rubber grip - which offers the protection of non-slip plus the pressure absorbent layer. These types of pads can be purchased anywhere from 1/8 inch to 7/16 of an inch and possibly thicker. We recommend these RUGPADUSA pads shown below, 1/4" thick or more.

RUGPADUSA Prices on Amazon - Get Free Delivery

Dimensions	Price - 1/4"	Price - 3/8"
3x5 Rug	$35.99	$46.17
4x6 Rug	$45.70	$46.68
5x7 Rug	$46.16	$58.66
6x9 Rug	$48.63	$70.65
7x10 Rug	N/A	$129.32
8x11 Rug	$89.82	$99.19

This table is an example of the RUGPADUSA prices on Amazon, for 1/4" and 3/8" rug pads in different dimensions, as of 11/22. These prices may change at anytime. We hope this information is helpful in finding the rug pad that works best for you and your household.

Conclusion: Oriental rugs tend to last the longest when they're protected by a rug pad that keeps the rug in one location, not allowing it to slip and also provides a level of protection to the pile, that reduces the damage to pile fibers that's caused when walked on.

Because a good rug pad is critical to the well being of you and your rug, not every rug pad will do the trick. We recommend a rug pad that consists of both felt + rubber underneath, that's at least 1/4 inch thick or thicker.

When selecting the dimensions of your rug pad, it helps to know what works best for you. You can custom order your rug pad to the rug's exact dimensions, or it can transition to the floor nicely if the pad is 1 - 2 inches shorter on each side of the rug. This creates a gradual slope from the floor to the rug and can help reduce the likely-hood of tripping.

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