What is a Rug Pad and Why You Should Have One?

Over the years, we’ve heard a lot of misconceptions about rug pads. Customers have told us they think they're frivolous purchases, that they’re unnecessary if your rug has a backing, or even that they’re worried using one would stain their flooring. Fortunately, none of this is the case.

Rug pads can be a highly practical and wise investment. They can help your rug last as long as possible, while making it safer and more comfortable to walk on. 

Let’s clear up some of the most common misconceptions about rug pads and discuss when you might want to use them under your own rugs.

What is a rug pad?

A rug pad is a layer of soft, cushioned padding that is placed directly under a rug. When you purchase any rug from Sisal, you can have one of our rug pads custom cut to match for a small added price per square foot. 

To add a rug pad to your online rug order, just find the “Add Rug Pad” section in the customization options. You can also learn more about all three of the rug pads we offer on our accessories page.

Why should I use a rug pad? 

There are several major advantages to using a rug pad for virtually any rug you put in your house. The main reasons you should consider using one include:

• Extending the life of your rug: Rug pads help absorb the impact from walking over rugs, reducing wear and tear over time. You should consider placing a rug pad under any rug in a high-traffic area such as a hallway, living room, or kitchen.
   
• Protecting your flooring: Pad cushioning also helps reduce the impact of walking on your floors, which can help preserve them, as well. Rug pads are especially useful for keeping flooring undamaged in rooms you will walk through wearing heavy footwear, like an entryway or mudroom.
   
• Improving safety: Rug pads help prevent rugs from sliding around on the floor, which can make them much safer to walk on. This is especially true if you want to place a rug on potentially slippery flooring like hardwood or linoleum. You should always use a rug pad if you’re placing a rug at the top or bottom of a staircase.
   
• Smoothing out your rug: Rug pads provide an even, consistent surface to place your rug on, which will help keep them looking smooth, flat, and wrinkle free. This makes rug pads particularly helpful if you want to place a rug on an uneven surface, like tiled flooring.
   
• Adding cushioning: Rug pads are soft and cushioned, making them very comfortable to walk on. You could use a rug pad under a rug you’ve placed on concrete flooring in an unfinished basement or garage to considerably improve the experience of walking around in that space.
   
• Preventing marks on your rugs: Rug pads recover from having pressure placed on them quickly, so running over them or placing furniture on them will not leave behind marks, the way it might on an unpadded rug.

Rug Pad FAQ

• What are rug pads made of? Sisal Rugs Direct offers three types of rug pad. Our Solid Indoor Pad and Outdoor Pad are made of machine woven nylon, while our Honeycomb Solid Indoor Pad is made of polymer coated polyester. 
   
• Do rug pads stick to hard flooring? No, none of the rug pads Sisal offers will stick to hardwood or any other type of hard flooring.
   
• Will a rug pad discolor or stain the flooring I place it on? No, none of the rug pads Sisal offers discolor, stain, or transfer their coloring to either flooring or rugs. They are safe to place on any flooring, including hardwood and carpet.
   
• Are rug pads hygienic? Yes. Though rug pads can get dirty, they are naturally antimicrobial and will not foster mold or mildew.
   
• How should I wash my rug pad? Sisal’s Indoor Honeycomb and Outdoor pads are both safe to hand wash. The Solid Indoor Rug has a reversible fabric side that you should not hand wash.
   
• Are rug pads safe for heated floors? If you have radiant-heated flooring, we recommend the Indoor Solid pad, which has a reversible side that is safe for heated flooring.
   
• What’s the difference between rug pads and rug backings? Rug backings are sewn directly onto the underside of the rug, whereas rug pads are a separate accessory. While rug backings can help preserve the life of the rug, they do not provide a non-skid surface that will keep the rugs from slipping on slippery flooring. Unlike rug pads, some kinds of rug backing (such as latex) may react with the flooring they’re placed on, causing the backing to flake or stick.

Rug pad options

Sisal Rugs offers three types of rug pad:

1. The Solid Indoor Rug Pad has one synthetic rubber side for hard floors and one reverse fabric side for carpets, making it useful for a wide variety of indoor flooring such as wood, laminate, vinyl, marble, bamboo, and carpet. Do not use this pad outdoors.
    
2. The Outdoor Rug Pad is made of machine woven nylon, which makes it a perfect choice for cushioning and protecting an outdoor rug on flooring such as stone, concrete, tile, wood, or other exterior surfaces. If you are placing a rug in an indoor/outdoor space such as a deck, porch, or shed, we recommend using an outdoor rug pad.
    
3. The Honeycomb Indoor Rug Pad adds ⅛” of cushioning under any rug, which will make any rug feel much softer and more comfortable to walk on. The honeycomb style rug pad can be used on any indoor flooring, but comes in a maximum size of 12’. If you want a larger honeycomb rug pad, we will attach two pads together.

If you’re interested in acquiring rug pads for your space, Sisal Rugs Direct is ready to help. We can custom-cut rug pads into any size you need.