Choosing A Rug For Kids Rooms

Choose the right-sized rug for a kids room that fits perfectly and will hold up well in a high traffic area full of toys. Written in collaboration with Natural Area Rugs

Rugs are such an important factor in adding that cozy factor to a room, especially if the space is wall to wall hardwood, but when it comes to choosing a rug for a kid’s room, the selection process can seem a little difficult.

Let’s be real here. Kids are messy, and they have a lot of stuff. I recently added a new rug to my ten-year-old son’s room, and I wanted to share the process I used to choose one that will hold up to his “wild boy” antics.

Size

First and foremost, choosing the right size rug is where you need to begin. Kids usually don’t have queen and king sized beds, so you won’t be shelling out the big bucks for gigantic rugs, but it is important to buy the biggest one you can afford and will fit spaciously in the room.

As a rule of thumb, you want at least 18 to 24 inches of rug on both sides of the bed, as well as the end. You can go with a rug that fits completely under the bed or you can use the two-thirds method I used above. I like the two-thirds method because honestly, I don’t like moving nightstands to vacuum under them. By having the rug stop before the nightstand, I can just run my dry Swiffer underneath them and never really move those heavy pieces of furniture.

If you’re on a super tight budget and you can’t afford a 5×8 or larger, you can go with runners instead. You can buy a runner for each side of the bed, or only one side if the bed is against a wall, and still achieve the look of a large oversized floor covering. I use runners in my primary bedroom and I really love them. There are a lot more color and pattern options in smaller rugs, and they’re very affordable, so I can switch them out during the seasons and move them easily for sweeping and mopping.

Related Post: Five Steps To A Cozy Bedroom

Material

When it comes to kids’ bedrooms, the material you choose is really important. There are tons of choices out there, but not all of them are best for children. Between spills, crusty play dough, play forts, and the continuous driving of hot wheels cars, a kid’s rug can take a beating. You should be looking for materials that are easy to clean and hold up to lots of wear and tear.

Wool

Wool rugs can really stand the test of time. They’re soft, plush, and a breeze to clean. Most blends resist stains very well so it’s a good option for your messy little one. When you first unroll a new wool rug, it will shed a bit, but after it gets settled in and has been vacuumed a few times, the shedding will stop.

Cotton

Cotton rugs are thin and lightweight options. They’re usually reversible so you can always just give it a flip if your little one accidentally causes a locked-in stain. Since they are so thin, you can’t really count on these rugs to be a place they’ll want to lay on to read their favorite books, but they’re great for playing with cars and action figures because they provide a firm carpet that won’t bunch or get stuck in wheels.

Polyester

Polyester rugs are the basic go-to for most parents. They’re easy to find, easy to clean, affordable, and have a medium amount of thickness to them. They come in large variety of patterns and colors, and they can be layered on top of cotton or jute rugs for an added amount of texture. When choosing a polyester rug, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Cheaper rugs can fray and fade, and the backing can flake off causing a mess to sweep up constantly.

Materials To Avoid

For children’s bedrooms and playrooms, I suggest steering clear of sill and faux furs. These materials aren’t easy to clean and are very high maintenance. If you love the look and feel of a faux fur or shag rug for a small reading nook, you can definitely throw in accent rugs without worry of damage. Most likely, the kiddos won’t be doing any hard-core playtime sessions on them. The rugs will be more of a landing spot for feet.

Related Post: The Ultimate Shopping And Care Guide For Hide Rugs

Weave

This is another biggie. Weave is basically how the rug is made. For kids, a nice tight weave is very important, because if the rug is loosely woven (or cheaply made) it will end up with pulls, tears, and bald spots.

Types Of Weaves

Tufted, Flatwoven, and Machine-Made rugs are great choices for your littles because they have nice tight weaves. I always suggest a flatweave for kids because they provide a nice warm spot to play but are still flat enough for toys like cars and blocks. The rug I chose from Natural Area Rugs for Noah’s room (called Harrison Silver) is a flat weave.

Before, he had a shag rug. He loved the comfort factor of it, but after stepping on hidden sunken down Lego pieces on multiple occasions, he decided to ditch the Lego Land Mine and agree that I know what I’m talking about. He’s mentioned so many times that this rug is so much better, and he doesn’t miss that “shaggy patch of surprise pain” at all.

That said, I’d highly persuade you to stay away from shag and loop woven rugs. Not only can tiny things get stuck inside, but they’re actually dangerous to a pet’s claws. If a dog’s toenail has a bit of a slit in it, his nail can get caught in the fibers and really injure himself trying to pull it out. I know this because it happened to my late pup once. After a semi-serious incident, shag rugs were banned from all pet areas.

Related Post: DIY Upcycled Lego Tray

Safety

I couldn’t write a post on rugs for kids without stressing the importance of safe practices. No matter what kind of rug you buy, no matter what size it is, and no matter how heavy the furniture you put on top of it, you should always use a good quality non-slip rug pad underneath.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a 2×3 accent rug, a huge area rug being held down by a heavy bed, or anything in between. Rugs can slip and slide and cause major injuries to kids.

One thing I love about Natural Area Rugs is that they include a free rug pad with every purchase. This is a huge selling point to me because when the rug arrives, the pad does too.

In the past, I’ve brought home rugs and laid them out “just to see how they look” with plans of picking up a rug pad off Amazon later. This practice is something I knew I shouldn’t have done, and I know I’ll never do again.

Shopping Online

Shopping online for rugs may seem a little overwhelming. I get that. It’s hard to figure out what the colors will really look like, what the rug will actually feel like, and what kind of quality the weave is. Although those are legitimate concerns, I always suggest buying online instead of at a store. Why? Delivery.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t A.) Fit a big ol’ rug in my car and B.) Pick it up and carry it to the parking lot, then unload it and get it inside my house. Good quality rugs are heavy!

Instead, the delivery guy brings it right to my door. No driving with my trunk open and bungee-corded down, no dragging it across the driveway giving the neighbors a hilarious show, and no hoping the store has one in stock that’s already wrapped and rolled.

Tips For Shopping For Rugs Online

Measure First. Make sure you know exactly what will fit in your space. I like to use delicate painters tape and outline the size rug I’m interested in buying. That way I can see how the furniture will lay and be sure it’s not too small.

Read The Reviews. A good rug retailer will have reviews for their products. This is a true way to know ahead of time what you’re going to get. Reviews usually have detailed honest opinions on quality, color, look, and feel.

Free Shipping. The major reason you’re shopping online is for delivery, right? Shipping for large rugs can cost upwards of $75, so I always look for sites that offer free shipping. Just the discount of delivery fees can save you a lot of money on pricey area rugs.

Whether you’re looking for a rug for your Little’s bedroom or playroom, I hope this post helped you narrow down your decisions. Shopping for rugs is a big investment of time and money, so choosing quality should be your biggest priority.

I’d love to invite you to check out Natural Area Rugs and see their awesome selection of natural fiber, vintage, wool, leather, and viscose floor coverings. They offer free shipping and free rug pads on all US purchases, and after trying them myself, I’m very confident referring you to them. I think you’ll really love their products and their prices are better than the big box guys.

This post was written in collaboration with Natural Area Rugs. I was provided product in exchange for an honest review. After testing the product in my home for one month, I feel that I have experienced the rug long enough to form an opinion. Although the rug was provided to me, all opinions are my own. I only share brands I have personally tried and love. I also participate in Natural Area Rugs affiliate program. By clicking the links to their site, you enter the site as a referral from In The New House Designs. Any items purchased will provide In The New House Designs a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my website by using my affiliate links. This allows me to continue bringing you lots of new great posts, tips, and tutorials. To learn more about how affiliate links keep this site in business, please review our Disclaimers policies. In The New House Designs is not liable for price discrepancies and out of stock items in affiliate product linking.