Whether you’re purchasing your first carpet for your new home, or replacing old carpet in your existing home, the question of wool versus synthetic carpet is bound to come up. As with most things in life, there are pros and cons to each type of carpet. As the carpet experts we’re here to offer advice and assistance to help you choose the right carpet for you...

Synthetic carpet

Carpets made from synthetic, manmade fibres such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester are often treated with solutions like Teflon, giving them a higher level of stain resistance. No carpet is completely spill-proof, but if a spill went unnoticed for a while on a synthetic carpet there’s more chance of you being able to remove it with a heavy duty spot cleaning treatment.

If you have children and/or pets and your main concern is having a relatively stain-proof carpet that is easy to clean then a synthetic carpet is probably the best choice for you. Synthetic carpets often work out a bit cheaper than wool carpets so they’re a good choice for a young family just starting out on the property ladder with children and pets.

Wool carpet

If your main concern when it comes to carpet is durability and lifespan then wool carpet is probably the best choice for you. Wool fibres have a natural elasticity and can bounce back into shape after being compressed underneath furniture. This natural resilience allows wool carpets to withstand a great deal of day to day traffic for a long time.

However, wool carpet is not as resilient to spills and stains as synthetic carpet. If a spillage were left to soak into a wool carpet it would eventually seep past the natural oils in the wool fibres and stain the carpet permanently. If you’ve got young children or pets then at least opt for a darker coloured wool carpet so that any stains won’t show up as much.