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Carpets are made out of natural and man-made fibres - or very often a mixture of both to get the best of both worlds.
Wool
The oldest and most popular of the natural fibres. Exceptionally suited to carpets because it combines hard wear with lasting good looks. Resists fire and static electricity.
Check whether a 'wool' carpet is 100% wool or 'wool blend' - the blend will be with synthetic fibres.
Man-made (synthetic) fibres
There are several synthetic fibres which are commonly used to make carpets. All synthetic products tend to be cheaper and they wear well and are easier to clean. Often synthetic fibres are mixed with wool to improve its resistance to wear.
Polyamide is nylon and is tough and durable but is more flammable and prone to static than wool.
Polyester is used in some more expensive carpets but is less resistamt to flattening than some fibres.
Polypropylene is very commonly used as it is hard-wearing and very easy to clean.
Pile types and underlay
More about piles, textures and underlay...
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