Rug pads help keep your rug in place while providing a bit of cushion for maximum comfort. As you browse products available, you’ll come across a wide variety of rug pads for sale. It’s important to learn about the different types of rug pads to find the perfect rug pad for your gorgeous oriental rug.
Natural Rubber Pads
Rugs that are made from natural materials, such as natural rubber, are often preferred because they do not leach chemicals into the air. Natural rubber options are made from rubber tree sap and are known for their resilience. It does not react well to chemicals, so you’ll need to keep that in mind if you have to clean your rubber pad.
One of the key benefits of rubber rug pads is that they are exceptional at holding a rug in place. They tend to grip the floor, offering a non-slip rug pad that few other materials can compete with.
Synthetic Rubber Pads
The synthetic rubber material is made from the byproducts of petroleum. You will notice off-gassing with most of these rug pads. They do contain chemicals that can leach into the air. While this is most noticeable after first purchasing a synthetic rug pad, the leaching of chemicals continues to happen for the entire time that you own the rug pad.
These are a cheaper alternative to natural rubber rug pads and offer many of the same benefits. They do not cause floor damage and tend to grip the floor as well as the rug itself to keep rugs in place.
Rubber Hybrid Pads
Rubber hybrid pads typically do not cause floors damage. They grip the floor just like rubber rug pads do but often contain another material for additional cushion. Most hybrid rug pads use a combination of felt and rubber or synthetic foam material, such as memory foam, and rubber.
For a natural rubber hybrid rug pad, consider one with all-natural rubber and natural felt. Natural felt is often made from materials like wool.
Latex Pads
Latex pads are popular products. They are cheap and do help keep your rug in place.
However, that is where the benefits of these rug pads end. They often create such an effective protective barrier between the floor surface and the rug that they can trap moisture between the latex pad and the floor causing irreparable damage to the wood of the floor. This is known to damage the finish on the top of the floor as well.
Polypropylene Rug Pads
Polypropylene rug pads are very popular because they have the same gripping as rubber rug pads. They are the most budget friendly rug pads on the market.
These synthetic rug pads are not good for your health or the environment. They can take fifty years to decompose in landfills. Most propylene products release VOCs that can cause a significant amount of damage to your health. These rug pads are made from harmful plastics that are known for leaching hormone disruptors into the air that you and your children breathe.
Jute Rug Pads
Jute was originally used as a backing for carpet. Now, it is found in rug pads. These rug pads are more durable than synthetic rug pads and can add an additional layer of protection between your rug and the floor. However, they are notoriously thin and do not add another level of comfort. These rug pads also do not help a rug stay in place like a rubber rug pad will.
Felt Rug Pads
Felt rug pads are made by using heat, moisture, and special tools to compress fibers into a solid piece of felted fabric. These types of rug pads are made from various fibers. You can find synthetic felt rug pads as well as natural felt rug pads that are made from natural fibers, such as wool. It’s important to check the tag of a rug pad or read the product description to make sure that you are purchasing a rug pad made from a natural material.
Rug pads that are made from felt are great for adding more cushion to your rug, but they do not help rugs stay in place like a rubber rug pad will. These are best for large area rugs that do not necessarily need a rubber pad underneath them.
PVC Rug Pads
PVC rug pads are designed by using layers of PVC and chemicals to create a rug pad that adds comfort while keeping your rug in place. These rug pads often feel like rubber, but they are typically made from synthetic rubber. The chemicals are known for releasing VOCs into the air and can harm your health as time goes on.
We offer the highest quality of oriental rugs. Make sure that you read the rest of our blog articles to learn more about taking care of your gorgeous hand-knotted rug.