I like different types of carpets, including tufted and woven ones. Carpets and rugs are cozy, they feel like a big warm embrace. At the same time, getting a new carpet in your house is always costly. That’s why I advise you to purchase them wisely. So, if you are hesitating, what rugs to get – tufted or woven ones, just look no further. This post is for you.
As a general rule, woven carpets are 3 times more durable than tufted ones. Woven rugs are often made of wool blends. They look luxurious and are widely used in rich houses and offices. Tufted rugs are simpler. Their lifespan is shorter. But their price range is 3 times lower than of woven ones. Tufted rugs look not so luxurious, but cozy and warm. The final decision depends on your taste and needs. Read further to know about the types of tufted and woven carpets.
What Is the Woven Carpet?
As a big interior design lover, I know that one of the most widespread mistakes homeowners make is buying the wrong type of rug for a certain room. Of course, very often you can’t choose that very rug you like. You may stay on a budget or the space limits may demand certain design decisions from you. Nevertheless, I am sure, anyone can find the right rug for his budget and needs. To choose wisely, you should have some knowledge of the types of rugs. Woven carpets belong to one of the most popular kinds of rugs. That’s why I advise you to deep into this topic.
A woven carpet is a type of floor covering, which is made according to a certain technology. The main idea of woven technology is to create the carpet from zero with the help of some yarn and a loom. The carpet pile and carpet warp are created simultaneously. To imagine, how the woven rugs are created, just think about them as a rectangle, made of threads. The lengthwise thread is the carpet warp, while the pile is formed by a transverse thread. The process of weaving is actually crossing the lengthwise thread with a transverse one. With the help of this technology, carpet makers create a wide string of multicolored patterns. The yarn, from which the rug is woven, can be very different: natural (wool, cotton, silk, etc) or synthetic (nylon, olefin, viscose, etc).
The finished woven rug has a single-level cut-type pile. If it is necessary to decorate the coating with a three-dimensional pile pattern, the yarn twisting method is used for this.
As a general rule, woven rugs are very durable. They look great and work well in high-traffic areas.
Nowadays, in the market, there are several types of woven rugs. Let’s look through the 3 most popular them.
3 Most Popular Types of Woven Rugs
I get lots of letters from carpet owners, who are absolutely in love with woven rugs. But they feel overwhelmed with the great choice of these carpets, so they can’t make the final decision. To help you study the topic of woven rugs from top to bottom, I want to consider 3 main types of them. They are Axminster, Wilton, and Flat woven rugs.
Axminster Woven Rugs
Axminster woven rugs are extremely durable, that’s why they are popular among office and country club owners. These coverings look great even after 2, 000 walks on them.
The typical Axminster woven rug consists of 80% of wool and 20% of nylon. Thus, these carpets join the advantages of both, wool and nylon fibers. Axminster rugs look luxurious and feel very soft barefoot. Usually, they are allergy friendly and easy to maintain. Some part of nylon makes Axminster rugs even more resilient and durable than those, which are made of 100% wool. The pile of this rug never gains dents, even if the super hard items of furniture stand on it for months. The other advantage of Axminster woven rugs is their variety of colors and patterns. Some Axminsters contain up to 16 color threads simultaneously, which makes them look bright and unique.
Wilton Woven Rugs
If the previous kind of woven rugs always has the same textures (wool and nylon), Wilton woven rugs can be made from different types of materials. But in the case of Wilton rugs, the color range of their threads is not so wide. Usually, the patterns of Wilton rugs are simpler. They contain up to 89 different colors. Wilton rugs are also durable and good-looking. They are used in both, homes and offices.
Flat Woven Rugs
This kind of woven rug is the simplest and most inexpensive. The technology of their making is quite easy. It is just the weaving of lengthwise and transverse threads on the loom. These carpets are reversible. They contain patterns on both sides.
As you see, the woven carpets can be very different, but all of them have something in common. First of all, it is their incredible durability. Besides, it is a great range of colors and patterns.
Let’s move forward and dive deeper into the world of tufted carpets.
What Is the Tufted Carpet?
The tufted carpets are the floor coverings, produced by some special method. If woven carpets are created from zero: their pile and warp are created simultaneously. The technology of tufted carpet production is different. In this case, the carpet warp is some canvas, and the process of carpet creation is similar to embroidery. With the help of a tufting gun and the yarn in its needle, the carpet pattern is embroidered. The tufting gun pierces the canvas, gradually creating some pattern. Tufted carpets always have padding, which is glued to the canvas with threads in it. It is necessary to make the carpet more steady.
There are two kinds of tufted carpets:
1. Handmade
As you can guess from the name, in this case, the carpet maker creates this floor covering with his hands. That means handmade tufted carpets are more exclusive, more thoroughly made, and more expensive. The pattern of the carpet is created with a tufting gun in this case.
2. Machine made
The manufacturers use this method of producing tufted carpets more often. In this case, the rugs are created on sewing machines. This technology is not expensive and very effective. Machine-made tufted rugs are extremely versatile. They can be created of different types of yarn. They have different structures. The rugs, made on the sewing machine, based on the tufting technology, boast various kinds of patterns, starting from geometric and ending with abstract ones.
Now, when you know everything about woven and tufted rugs, let’s compare them both and find the best one.
Tufted vs Woven Carpets: Making the Choice
When you are going to buy a rug, there are characteristics you should take in mind to choose wisely. I compared both types of carpets according to these qualities to know, what is better. Just look into the table to make up your mind on this problem.
| Characteristics | Woven carpets | Tufted carpets |
| Material | Woven carpets are mostly based on wool. Very often it is a blend of wool and some synthetic material | Tufted carpets can be made of both, natural and synthetic materials. The most widespread materials for tufted carpets are acrylic, cotton, and wool. |
| Durability | Woven carpets are extremely durable. They are 3 times more durable than tufted carpets. | Tufted carpets are 3 times less durable than woven carpets. The reason is that their padding is glued to the face part with tufts of threads. No need to say, that each glued thing one day may fall apart. |
| Price | The price range is wide. If woven carpets are based on wool, their price starts from $1,000 per average area rug and reaches $6, 000. | The price range for tufted carpets is different. It depends on its material and type of production (handmade or machine-made). The price starts from $100 and ends at $3, 500. |
| Water resistance | Woven carpets, made of natural materials, are not waterproof. If they stay in wet rooms, like kitchens or bathrooms, they can have mold and mildew in their pile. | Tufted carpets are not water-resistant. You shouldn’t put them into the wet rooms, as they may fall apart. |
| Patterns | Woven carpets can boast a large variety of patterns and colors. Up to 16 colors can be present in their patterns. | Tufted carpets color and patterns range is not so wide in comparison with woven ones. Usually, the patterns are quite simple and contain up to 5 colors. |
As you can see, woven carpets are more expensive, more durable, and more versatile than tufted ones. Of course, they will cost you a pretty penny, but that is an investment, that will serve you for decades. At the same time, the carpet choice highly depends on your needs. If you are on a budget, and you need a simple cozy carpet for your bedroom or living room, getting the tufted one can be a great idea.
Watch the video to understand the difference between tufted and woven carpets better.
Conclusion
To conclude, both woven and tufted carpets have their advantages and disadvantages. Woven carpets, especially of Axminster type, are branded floor coverings, suitable for both, home and commercial needs. At the same time, tufted carpets are not so luxurious in comparison with woven ones. Still, they look very neat and cozy. They are easy to maintain and their price range is much lower.
The final choice depends on your budget and needs.