Polypropylene and wool are two most popular rugs for home décor. Polypropylene is inexpensive, good looking, and easy to clean. On the flip side, wool is expensive, elegant, and long lasting. Wool is completely natural where polypropylene is synthetic.
Since the dawn of the rugs industry, people are comparing natural vs synthetic. There comes the polypropylene rugs vs wool comparison. The differences between these two rugs will determine their uses.
As a user, you should know all their differences to determine which one to use. Without proper comparison, selecting one will be a fool’s errand. So make sure you read the content thoroughly. It will help you compare these two rugs better.
Contents
Polypropylene Rugs vs Wool Comparison
The comparison will show all the dissimilarities between these two rugs. Let’s have a look at the comparison.
Comparison chart
In a hurry? Go through this comparison chart quickly.
| Polypropylene Rugs | Wool Rugs |
| Polypropylene rug has smooth synthetic texture | Wool rug has more natural and soft texture |
| It comes in only a few color options | It comes in various color options |
| You can easily clean it using washing machine | You cannot clean it with washing machine |
| The price is cheap | The price is expensive |
| Short service time – around 3-5 years | You can expect a up to 50 years longevity |
What You’ve Been Missing:
Can You Put Rugs On Vinyl Plank Flooring
5 Bathroom Rugs Safe for Vinyl Flooring
Best Mop for Vinyl Plank Floors
The differences between polypropylene rugs and wool
The polypropylene rugs vs wool comparison should have the key differences between these two. So have a thorough look at these differences.
The texture
The texture of a rug plays the most important role to be comfortable. When it comes to polypropylene rug, the texture is synthetic. It will be thick and hard but not in an unpleasant way. Also, it will be comfortable. You can compare it to the hardness of a carpet.
On the flip part, the wool rug is natural and has a natural texture. You will get softer inherent feelings in your feet. The thickness varies rug to rug. You can pick either a thick one or a thin one depending on your needs.
Design variation
Not everyone has the same taste. When it comes to the design of a rug, the taste often varies from person to person. Unfortunately, the polypropylene rug does not offer many variations in terms of colors and designs. Since the rug is machine-made, you won’t get much detailed design. Different shades and bulky designs are available.
If you love to explore different designs, polypropylene is not an option. However, the wool rug shines here. It comes in different colors and versatile designs. All its designs are deep and detailed. It features elegant beauty in your home.
Lifestyle
The lifestyle has a great impact on rug selection, trust me. If you have kids and pets, dirt will grow on rugs. Pets’ hair, dirt, and debris often come with kids and pets. The good news is wool can easily handle those. It does not show the dirt; instead, it hides the dirt. The polypropylene rug is unable to hide the dirt.
Price
When it comes to price, the wool rug is much more expensive than the synthetic rug. It can cost more than 1000$. However, the price is worth it. Its quality and durability make it expensive. The natural texture, elegant look, and comfort make it worthy of the price.
If the price is a problem for you, polypropylene rug offers a solution. You can easily get it since it is inexpensive. That’s because it is machine-made and takes less time to be manufactured. Also, the quality and elegance are way less than the natural wool rugs.
Cleaning option
Keeping the home clean is important and you cannot do it without cleaning the rug. However, not all rugs are easy to clean. Polypropylene offers maximum convenience here. You can easily wipe the dirt from it. If the dirt is too much, you can directly wash it in the washing machine. However, after several cleaning, it might lose its charisma.
But wool rugs create a problem here. It hides dirt and thus makes cleaning tough. You cannot even put it in the washing machine since that will shrink the rug. However, with regular cleaning and vacuuming, you can keep it clean. Also, taking professional help once a year is a great solution.
Foot traffic handling
Though wool rugs are more durable than synthetic, the wool rug might not perform well in heavy foot traffic areas. Areas where too many people come regularly. Investing in an expensive rug and placing it in a heavy foot traffic area is not a good option.
The polypropylene rug offers a great deal here. They are inexpensive and easily handle the pressure. Even if you need to change it, you can do it for its inexpensiveness.
Temperature resistant
Polypropylene is a machine-made rug that makes it resistant to extreme temperature. Wool rugs, on the other hand, cannot tolerate extremely cold temperatures though they can handle hot temperatures. For hot weather, wool rugs provide more comfort than polypropylene.
Longevity
A wool rug is natural and expensive. But they are durable too. You can expect 50-year longevity from a wool rug. Make sure you clean it properly. On the other hand, polypropylene offers a maximum of 3-5 years of longevity. It can even last shorter if you use it roughly.
Piles
The piles play a vital role in the comfort of a rug. Wool rugs offer longer piles for a more comfortable experience. The size varies, though, depending on the weaving process. Tufted wool offers longer piles where woolen shags offer the longest.
However, a woven rug is a flatweave rug. The polypropylene features piles as well. But the size of the piles is shorter. The range varies between 0.35” to 0.5”.
Baking
The hand-woven wool rug does not offer any baking. But the hand-tufted wool offers canvas baking. You will get primary baking in a polypropylene rug that seems like trampoline material.
Chemical treatment
Wool rugs have zero chemical treatment since they are natural. It makes the wool environment friendly and the biggest selling point. Since the polypropylene fiber is synthetic, it goes through chemical treatment that makes it highly flammable. If your concern is the environment, synthetic is not an option.
Usability
The wool is more like an Indoor material. You can use it at your home for a decent and elegant look. On the other hand, polypropylene is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Since polypropylene is stain and water-resistant, it works anywhere. The wool rug doesn’t work that way.
Conclusion
Wool and polypropylene are both good rugs. They offer some excellent benefits. However, there are many dissimilarities between them. The polypropylene rugs vs wool comparison has shown the differences between these two popular rugs.
Polypropylene rugs offer easy cleaning. They are inexpensive and comfortable to use. You can use it on any floor like hardwood, vinyl and laminate. On the other hand, wool rugs come in a wide variety of colors and designs. They are elegant and durable too. You can expect a longer lifespan from them.
Having said that, not everyone has the same demand. Some prefer durability where some prefer elegance. Inexpensive might be the priority sometimes. The comparison will help you find out the differences and usability of each rug.