What is the best type of carpet?

Published On: November 11th, 2020

When you’re considering purchasing a carpet there are some questions that you need to ask yourself first. Once you have answered the below you’ll be able to browse carpets and make an informed decision on what will work best for your home.

  1. Do you have a budget?
  2. Who will be walking on the carpet?
  3. What is the purpose of the carpet?
  4. Is it in a high or low traffic area?
  5. What looks and feel would you prefer?

There are a few other things that might interest you when purchasing a carpet. We’ve put together some information below.

Why choose a carpet?

It might be that you’ve still not completely decided on which type of flooring you’d like for your home. Whilst laminate has some great properties, here are the things we love about carpets:

  1. Great for soundproofing. Dogs and children can make a lot of noise when running around on hardwood floors. Carpets soften the noise and stop a room from becoming echoey.
  2. Adds a non-slip surface, especially useful on stairs to stop it from being slippery. Also really useful for pet owners so that their pets don’t skid around the house.
  3. Less likely to damage an object when dropped
  4. Easy to put over uneven surfaces, it can disguise the problem a lot better.

What pile should you choose?

Pile is where describing the individual fibres when making a carpet. In general, short, dense, heavy carpets are more durable and hard-wearing than loose shaggy fibred carpets. You can test a carpet’s durability by pressing down on the carpet and seeing how quickly it recovers.

Shaggy, soft and luxurious carpets are fantastic for rooms with less traffic but make the room feel exceptionally comfortable

What’s the difference between woven and tufted carpets?

The difference is in how they are made. Woven carpets are labour-intensive and therefore cost more, while tufted carpets are easier to make and are therefore cheaper.

1. Woven carpets

Woven carpets are made using traditional methods. These methods date back to the 16th century. They are generally high quality, rich coloured and durable. Woven carpets are often popular in hallways and living rooms because of the durability they can provide.

2. Tufted carpets

The more popular choice across the UK as they come in a wide range of prices. These are machine-made carpets and can be looped or cut pile. They are available in a large range of styles.

Types of carpet

  • Saxony
    Soft, deep, luxurious, cut pile carpets.
    Popular in bedrooms and living rooms
  • Twist
    Smooth, hard-wearing, durable carpets
    Popular in hallways, high traffic areas and with pet owners
  • Loop
    Hard-wearing carpets
    Popular in high traffic areas
  • Berber
    Hard-wearing and affordable carpets
    Popular in hallways
  • Cut and Loop
    Cosy and practical carpets
    Popular in living rooms
  • Velvet
    Dense, short pile, smooth and luxurious carpets

Further Info

To find out more about our types of carpet and to get some helpful advice from our friendly team please contact us.

FREEPHONE 0800 731 0953

Where We Offer Carpet Fitting

Our team is available in many counties including Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and the outskirts of South West London (we do cover London and the whole of the South East of England depending on the scale of the project). Some of these areas include towns such as Banstead, Elmbridge, Epsom, Ewell, Guildford, Mole Valley, Newbury, Reigate, Runnymeade, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Waverley, Winchester and Woking. We have been established for over 50 years providing Carpet Fitting.

Main Coverage Area

Downs Carpets & Beds have a fantastic team of carpet fitters working alongside our in-store teams. Get in touch for a quote or visit one of our stores below for more information.

Customer Stories

Once an order is complete we always encourage customer feedback. Here’s a selection of different projects and customer comments.

Customer Stories
Flooring for complete house

We have used Downs in the past and once again the salesperson was very helpful, answering all my queries. The fitter was equally helpful and able to give knowledgeable advice for a future product. I highly recommend Downs as a local business.

Marian G
Marian G
Customer Stories
Carpet order

From the first enquiry to the fitting of the new carpet, we were warmly welcomed by friendly staff, which helped to make our choice and decisions easy. Carpet came much sooner that originally told but that was great as it meant we could get on with the other changes in the particular room. Many thanks for an excellent service.

Richard M
Richard M
Customer Stories
Kitchen/diner

Customer service is top notch. We have used CMS for all of our flooring requirements to date and will continue to do so throughout the renovation of our house.

Vicky B
Vicky B
Customer Stories
Bedroom carpets

The sales team were really efficient and helpful, taking into consideration our requirements. The fitters worked well, efficiently and cleared up afterwards a real blessing. The choice of flooring was great and the prices very competitive. Recommend CMS carpets and would use them again. Thank you.

Karen P
Karen P

The Downs Difference

At Downs Carpets & Beds, we stay true to our original core values. Take a look at why our customers choose us for their beds and carpets time and time again.

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Our bespoke service

  • Design consultation: Working collaboratively with you, your designer helps you select the right products.

  • Technical consultation: We will conduct a technical survey, checking all measurements and any unusual angles.

  • Supplying the product: Your chosen product will be ordered and delivered to you in the time frames discussed.

  • Professional Installation: Our expert installers precision fits your product for an exceptional finish.

What Our Customers Say

Andrew Thomson
Andrew Thomson
2023-11-25
Downs were brilliant, we will be back next time we need a carpet. We got three new carpets all supplied and fitted by Downs. When the sitting room carpet turned out to be supplied too short (a manufacturer's fault) they sorted out the problem in 2 days. Simon was also very patient when we kept having to delay the fitting date due to various headaches with the bedroom renovation. Thank you to Simon for all his help and patience during the delayed building work.
A J
A J
2023-11-16
I can highly recommend Downs Carpets and Beds and will using again for our upcoming renovations. Special thanks to Adrian in store, also Gavin and Steve who did a great job fitting.
Nicky Lewendon
Nicky Lewendon
2023-11-12
Great service, Excellent carpet fitter, I would highly recommend.
Mike
Mike
2023-11-08
Cannot fault Downs or their fitters. Special thanks to Simon who has been our contact. We've had all bar one our whole bungalow brought and fitted through Downs. Price is reasonable, lots of range and no sales pitch. Very knowledgeable too. Thank you.
Sarah Fox
Sarah Fox
2023-11-07
Excellent service from start to finish. Knowledgeable staff gave brilliant advice on my choice of carpet, were very competitive against independent carpet suppliers and the fitters did a great job.
Sinead Dowling
Sinead Dowling
2023-11-06
Brilliant customer service and delivery service plus excellent comfortable bed and good value too
Jason Owen
Jason Owen
2023-11-06
We had the carpet stairs replaced. Great quality carpet. The fitter were very professional and fitted the carpet quickly.
Valerie Walker
Valerie Walker
2023-11-06
Really helpful and welcoming the minute we walked in. And the fitters made an excellent job of the bathroom and kitchen,and now the conservatory will be done. Thank you Downs of Newbury, highly recommended to anybody who is thinking of carpeting or flooring.
David Glare
David Glare
2023-11-06
Always efficient service from Downs carpets, thanks .
Amanda Dobbs
Amanda Dobbs
2023-11-04
We had an excellent experience here today. The salesman was knowledgeable and very kind. There's a huge selection to choose from as well.