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Good quality wool can last decades with basic care. It’s not as stain resistant as some synthetics, but with fast attention most things other than ink etc will come out. I have successfully got red wine out of my bone coloured wool carpet - but I got to it before it dried.

Wool is has some incredible properties around moisture regulation, resistance to wear and crushing and resistance to picking up smells.

If you can afford wool, go wool or an 80% wool 20% nylon blend.

Having a dog (and child) and I LOVE our ruggable. Wool rugs have not been good for us because the hair gets stuck in the fibers so easily. Also her nails would occasionally pluck a fiber.

Ruggable is a bit pricey but ticks the boxes for us.

We just made a purchase from ruggable, and I wouldn’t even call it a rug. It’s more like a mat. It’s in an area where you can also see our (wool) living room and entryway rugs. And the ruggable looks and feels so flat and lackluster compared to them.

That said, we have two small (messy) children and this is the floor covering for under our dining table, so it serves its purpose.

However, if you’re looking for a real rug that will last, go wool. I have 70+ year old wool rugs that still look amazing. Just make sure you have the right cleaning products for it (including for if your dog makes a mess).

Did you get a pad with it?

I did. I think the issue (from both a looks and comfort perspective) is with the (lack of) pile.

Don’t get me wrong — it’s exactly what I wanted and was expecting. If I needed a mat for my kitchen or another high-traffic area, I’d get something from them.

However, we’re moving my kids into a shared room, and we need a rug for on there. I didn’t even consider ruggable. I’m combing marketplace for used, wool Persian rugs. Whatever I get will cost more, but it will be cozier, look better, and if it already lasted a few decades, should hold up just fine.

wool is best. you can buy secondhand and it's not all super expensive antique rugs. there are also brands like karastan that do similar styles that are less expensive. they're easy to spot clean, and you can have then professionally cleaned on occasion if you like, but it's expensive. I have 3 cats, and they like to projectile vomit on it them the time, and I just spot clean it and go on about my life. mine are all patterned so small things don't show up on them. they really don't quickly absorb water, so you can get something up quickly if you spill.

You can get a remnant of wool wall-to-wall carpet cut to any size you'd like and have the edges bound. Cheaper than many poor quality rugs. Very BIFL.

The issue with synthetics today is that there’s been research that shows that synthetics when compared to natural fibers such as cotton or wool, contain high amounts of PFAS and BPAS, cancer containing chemicals that can cause hormonal problems, infertility, etc. PFAS are especially problematic since they do not decompose over time, but instead, they build up in the body, causing terrible issues. I would say avoid all synthetics if you can in clothing or any other material your family would be in contact with on the daily basis. Opt for organic cotton or wool. Facebook marketplace or other face groups that have sellers and buyers would be an excellent place to look for decently priced stuff.

Look for woven rugs and not those fuzzy carpet like rugs. More expensive but guaranteed to last longer. On my bucket list. I had a opportunity to buy some rugs in Qatar rug shop once and it was very personable. Ultimately I decided against it because personally I wasn’t making enough then to spring 100s in a single rug then.

Wool.

Which type will you want to clean and how would you do it?

You need to open the aperture on this issue.

You seems to fixated on the cost. You get what you pay for with rugs. Long life = Long price. When you amortize the cost, wool is cheaper.

An issue you are missing is style. That fancy vintage kilim rug from Iran that you find on sale that really ties the room together? In 5 years, you can/will realize it looks like hot death now as your style has changed.

An issue you are missing is use case. Dogs. I love them. I have three. I have four rugs downstairs. All made by who gives a shit of I don't fucking care material. Why? Dogs will shit and piss and puke everywhere for no reason as that's what they do. I attack every stain with the finest carpet cleaning fluid on the planet in the finest spray bottle on the planet. One complete unit upstairs and one down. Its the perfect stain system. And while the stains are gone, some rug colors/materials/patterns just can't be saved. To fix this you'd have to research if there is a rug cleaner in your area...have you seen how much it is to clean a rug from a professional (and not stanley steamer in your driveway)?

So I got a bunch of janky rugs as my critters would work against nice and the Mrs's style changes work against nice. These are the points of consideration for you.

Thanks for the comments everyone! I ended up going for a wool rug.

Btw, I highly recommend giving this a read: https://rugchick.com/buying-rugs-tips-for-the-nervous-rug-shopper/

Wool rugs vary hugely in quality, and as long as you look out for the right things, it's by far the best choice.

Weird how it's so hard to find useful info on the topic. That link's a godsent. Lol.