Choosing a Rug
We make a wide range of rugs: Natural Wool, Eco Cotton, and GOTS Certified Organic Cotton some woven flat, others with loops.
Here are some pointers to find the rug that’s right for you.
NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC
When beginning a rug search, one should decide whether they prefer a natural fiber or synthetic rug. Synthetic rugs tend to stain less easily, don’t shed fibers, and hold up even in inclement weather. They are clearly the best for outdoor use, where toxicity is not an issue. Hook & Loom rugs are made from natural fibers. Natural fibers are by nature non-toxic, making them safer for use inside human homes. Natural fiber rugs can shed at least a little at first and are not considered to be stain resistant. While many natural fiber rugs are treated with chemicals (not ours), and are toxic (ours are not), synthetic fibers are made with chemicals and cannot be non-toxic. We strongly recommend chemical-free natural fiber rugs for anyone seeking to create a safe non-toxic environment in their home
COST
Our least expensive rugs are our Eco Cotton Flatweave ones. They are available in dozens of patterns and colors. The least expensive of these are the solid ones and the striped ones.
COMFORT
If you want to play or nap on your rug, the best ones to look at are our Loom Hooked ones. Our Eco Cotton Loom Hooked and our Wool Loom Hooked are springy and soft and wonderful. The wool ones feel softer under foot and are perfect for adult bedrooms and living rooms. The cotton ones are preferred by kids for crawling and play. Their skin is more tender and the smooth cotton fiber feels better to them. Whether you choose cotton or wool, you couldn’t choose a more comfortable rug.
COLOR
If you want neutral natural colors, any of our rug types will be fine. If you want other colors (green, blue, red, etc.), you will want to look at our Eco Cotton Rugs.
WASHABILITY
All of our Flatweave Eco Cotton rugs are machine washable. They wash beautifully, and can be tumble dried. None of our other rugs can be machine washed.
THICKNESS
Our thinnest rugs are our Flatweave Eco Cotton. and our Flatweave Wool. Next thickest are our Thick Weave Wool. The thickest are our Loom Hooked Eco Cotton and our Loom Hooked Wool. The latter is slightly thicker.
DURABILITY
All of our rugs are built to last. Our most durable are our Thick Flatweave Wool and our Flatweave Cotton Solids and Stripes. We don’t use any latex, which can crack and crumble over time. We don’t use dyes, which can fade or run.
PET FRIENDLINESS
Pets love our rugs and we have received many photos from customers to prove it. Unfortunately a small percentage of dogs (25%?) and an even smaller percentage of cats (10%?) don’t treat our more loosely woven rugs well. If you suspect your pet is likely to damage a rug or if you don’t know but just want to be safe, you should go for our flatweave rugs, the Eco Cotton Solids, the Eco Cotton Stripes, or the Thick Weave Wool. The tight weave and lack of loops make it harder for their nails to damage the rug.
ECO-FRIENDLINESS
All of our rugs are eco-friendly, and are made without the use of chemicals, dyes, or latex, using sustainable materials. The Eco Cotton ones are more eco-friendly, as they use not only sustainable materials, but materials that could otherwise have ended up in landfills.
NON-TOXICITY
All of our rugs are non-toxic. We make them without chemicals, dyes, or latex, and we don’t spray or treat them afterwards. Many people inquire as to whether our rugs are sprayed by Indian customs upon departure. They are not. We only import rugs, so our containers are not sprayed with chemicals, as is required if wood products are in the same container. Because we use recycled fibers in our Eco Cotton rugs, there is a polyester component and a very small presence of other fibers. Fortunately, any off-gassing from these fibers has long since transpired, and the act of reducing to fiber form does not reconstitute the fiber and open it up to further off-gassing. That said, if you feel that you want a truly 100% chemical-free product, our natural undyed wool rugs or our new GOTS Certified organic cotton rugs are the answer.
