Installing carpeting in your home is a very personal interior decoration task. Like other home design choices, carpets reflect your style and personality.
Therefore, choosing a carpet is as important as other decorative items.
Thus, buying a carpet is not just about choosing a color or a collection you like.
Besides the visual impact they provide, carpets are also useful for making the home childproof, regulating traffic in the room, and providing a cushion for the feet.
Carpeting has become a significant investment that enhances the aesthetics of every room in your home. Unfortunately, like everything else, carpets aren’t made the same.
Therefore, knowing which carpet brands to avoid is imperative, but choosing a reliable one can be as tricky as several options exist.
Also, before finally choosing one, take the time to research the personal qualities you would like to have in your home.
Check out our list of the worst carpet brands to avoid before deciding.
In this list, we’ll objectively look at some of the worst carpet brands to avoid and some of the best ones to consider regarding stability, construction, underfoot feel, customer expectations versus performance, and more.
It would help if you had this guide before going carpet shopping.
According to our research, some carpet brands to avoid include Capel Rug, STAINMASTER, Mohawk, Shaw, Karastan, and Atlas.
These brands have numerous issues, including fiber sprouting, dirt attraction, affordability, and deep cleaning.
Carpet Buying Guide
To avoid bad carpet brands, it is better to understand a few factors that would make it easy to spot a lemon carpet brand.
Here is a list of essential tips for finding good mats.
1. Weight and Density
It is usually measured in ounces. Good carpets should have a weight and density between 25 and 50 ounces.
The higher the weight and density of the carpet, the greater its visual impact, cushioning, and longevity.
2. Material of the Carpet
Carpets can be made from different fabrics, and while each has its pros and cons, the most versatile are nylon, polyester, olefin, cotton, wool, and sisal.
3. Carpet Style
There are three main types of carpet styles: cut pile, loop pile, and cut and loop pile.
To choose the best carpet for your home, remember that cut pile is best for residential areas, while loop pile is best for high-traffic homes and commercial spaces.
Cut and loop carpets could be suitable for both residential and commercial spaces.
4. Resistance and Maintenance
For that, you need to check online reviews or get real testimonials from friends who have experienced the performance of a particular carpet brand.
A good carpet should resist staining, fading, and folding/looping.
More importantly, it should be easy to maintain, which means it should be easy to wash and can be bleached if needed.
5. Warranty
Regardless of the price range, a good carpet brand should have a good warranty, and the company/manufacturer should adhere to their warranty terms.
Customer service responses are also good determinants of good carpet brands.
List of Carpet Brands to Avoid
Without further ado, let’s look at some of the carpet brands to avoid and the reasons for their low ratings for carpets on the market.
We’ve based this list on real testimonies from homeowners, designers, and contractors and the overall ratings of these brands in major online stores.
1. Capel Rug
Capel is a popular household name in America for rugs and carpets. It has arguably the widest range of carpets of any brand on this list.
Their catalog boasts about 10,000 products. As a family business, the brand has remained relevant in carpeting for over 100 years.
The brand uses all kinds of materials, including secret materials.
The unique combination of materials allows the brand to develop carpet designs and concepts that satisfy a customer with specific preferences. Many people consider their products reliable.
However, in recent years, we have seen declining customer ratings and dissatisfaction due to their products’ increasingly poor carpet quality.
Capel has received a lot of criticism for its low-quality standards from its users on online customer portals who were dissatisfied with it.
With such a range of carpet selections at different price points, it would be difficult to find a reason to avoid the brand.
Check out the following issues linked to Capel Rugs carpets’ before buying their product:
- They only have a one-year warranty—Some carpets are unsuitable for high-traffic areas, such as stairs. If your carpet is damaged during the warranty period, you can get help. However, you only have the option to get a new one if it is damaged after one year. You will likely want to avoid the brand if short warranties are a deal breaker.
- It requires deep cleaning— Capel carpets are not cheap, especially for the luxury line. Some of them are made from premium New Zealand wood. And since it’s not stain-resistant, you’ll need to get special cleaning products and be careful with spills and cleanup. Avoid the brand if you have a home with playful children.
Other issues include:
- The carpet loses thickness with heavy traffic and accelerates matting and crushing.
- Sprouting of the carpet after five to seven washes.
- Carpet wrinkles in high humidity conditions.
- It attracts dust to its loop, which can be unhealthy for your lungs.
2. Stainmaster Carpet
This is a leading brand in style and color regarding different textures, colors, and patterns.
Stainmaster Carpet offers various colors and styles in its product line at reasonable prices, so, understandably, it attracts many customers.
However, the quality of the carpet is average and wears out quickly.
Due to excellent marketing campaigns, people tend to be attracted to this brand.
The company seems more concerned with publicity than quality.
They cater to households with children using their Active Family Carpet line.
They have made a name for themselves in the pet niche with the PetProtect line of carpets.
The Livewell line is for people who react to allergens. And finally, it addressed the luxury market with its Trusoft carpets.
So why should Stainmaster Carpet be one of the carpet brands to avoid?
Below are the drawbacks of using stainmaster that you should be aware of before purchasing.
Though the main testimony about this carpet brand is that their carpets get worn out easily, others include:
- The Budget-Friendly Line Isn’t So Good for High-Traffic Areas— Stainmaster has had its name on so many carpets that it’s easy to assume they’re premium-only carpets. However, they have a budget-friendly line, Essentials. Essentials is a collection of carpets for new homeowners looking to decorate their homes. However, purchasing the Essentials line limits how you will use the carpet. It cannot be used in high-traffic areas. If not, it would get worn out.
- Discoloration problems after several washes.
- There are too many loops that eventually attract dirt.
- Short shelf life due to matting and crushing issues.
- Stains are difficult to remove.
- Owner testimonies online consider the warranty a scam.
You can also check out some of Stainmaster’s carpet reviews here.
3. Mohawk
Mohawk Carpet has been in the carpet business for over 200 years. They are known for their modern, colorful, innovative, and unorthodox styles.
But do they still have value on the market? Why should it be one of the carpet brands to avoid?
Despite its long-standing reputation as a brand, there have been some subtle complaints about this carpet brand, and now, thanks to online reviews and ratings, those issues have come to the fore.
Before relying on them, take a look at the downsides of Mohawk carpets based on reviews and market ratings:
- Removing stains from the carpet is as good as buying a new one.
- The carpets wear out quickly, easily losing weight, density, and fiber.
- Carpet quality is generally rated below average or average.
- The designs are no longer so fresh and competitive.
Read some of Mohawk’s carpet reviews here.
4. Shaw Carpet
We know how sad and shocking it is to see this brand on this list, as it is one of the largest and most reputable carpet manufacturers in the United States.
The Shaw carpet brand is another brand that homeowners and decorators are very familiar with.
The brand offers an impressive range of carpets suitable for everyone, from home flippers to owners of luxury homes.
They include technologies such as All Nylon and All Polyester, Anso Nylon, ClearTouch Polyester, R2X Nylon, and Stainmaster Nylon.
Shaw has separated each of its collections according to specific tastes.
For example, the Colorwall collection is aimed at homeowners who want to give their homes a uniform and elegant atmosphere.
Here are a few reasons to consider other options before choosing Shaw.
- They are expensive—Shaw carpets have a three-ply pattern regarding price. Standard quality carpets cost between $15 and $25 per yard. The Colorwall range of mid-level carpets costs between $35 and $45 per yard. The premium caress range costs between $65 and $100 per yard. Adding extra padding to protect the carpet costs more.
- Vacuuming leaves visible traces—Some people vacuum carpets daily. However, most of the negative reviews of Shaw brand carpets come from people who claim that the manufacturer recommended daily vacuuming but eventually destroyed the carpet too quickly. Homeowners have seen marks and signs of foot traffic after only using the carpet for a year.
- Late customer service feedback—The Shaw Carpet brand team sometimes took about two months to respond to a complaint. When they did, they blamed the client.
Another issue that has made it one of the carpet brands to avoid is the increase in unauthorized stores offering cheap quality Shaw Carpet products, which also come with drawbacks:
- Vulnerable to dirt and stain retention
- Patterned and textured carpets fade after just one year
- Carpet pigmentation issues
- The main company does not support warranty claims, even from authorized dealers.
You can find some of Shaw’s carpet reviews here.
5. Karastan Carpet
This is another surprise on this list because it is one of the companies that produces carpets using exclusive and patented strands.
Karastan Carpets is not a new brand in the market. They have dominated the carpet space since 1920. They have even been called “America’s Wonder Rug.” The Karastan rug brand is highly regarded around the world.
At first, they were made by hand. The rugs had intricate designs that combined artistry and interior functionality. However, they included machinery design and manufacture, increasing sales.
Karastan has options for seemingly every homeowner. You can choose nylon, wool, polyester, or Triexta yarn carpets.
With all these cutting-edge features, here’s why the Karastan carpet brand is one of the carpet brands to avoid.
- Brand Shutdown News—It has been rumored that Mohawk will close its manufacturing facility in Eden, North Carolina. The factory produced carpets of the Karastan brand. Of course, the carpet can have a long service life. However, with the factory closed, buying a new one would not be advisable because you never know if a replacement will be needed.
- Price Issues— If you want to save money, avoid Karastan rugs. They’re up there with the creme de la creme of carpets at $2.90 to $15 per square foot.
- It may require specialist cleaning— Karastan carpets have special instructions that require professional cleaning, even for simple dirt and mud.
If you are on the go and not too dedicated to special carpet cleaning, this might not be the carpet for you. A small cleaning mistake can ruin your carpet.
Other issues include:
- Regular vacuuming creases and damages carpet edges.
- Minor splitting and tearing issues.
- Matting and crushing problems.
- Warranty clauses are not that enforced.
6. Atlas Carpet Brand
Carpet brand, we are to wonder why it is on the list of rug brands to avoid.
The only thing that sets this brand apart is the price. So, if you want to save extra bucks on home decor, the Atlas might not be for you.
If you are a fan of exotic and extraordinary, you know the Atlas carpet brand. They offer many collections to choose from and many color options.
Some collections are Metáfora Collections, Shibori Collection, Ville Des Lumieres Collection, Momentum Collection, etc.
Atlas has captured the market segment that wants customizable options for their home.
Of course, custom settings have higher prices, so you should avoid the Atlas Carpet brand.
- Atlas rugs are expensive— Some Atlas Carpet Brand collections are specific to each user. You will have to pay more to get the best quality custom carpet. For example, the Shibori collection is a Japanese-inspired rug with enhanced visual appeal. Regular carpet prices range from $8.40 to $16.50 per square foot. You’re looking at around $70 to $150 per square yard.
Excellent Carpet Brands to Consider
On the more positive side, aside from some of the carpet brands we mentioned above, many on the market have lived up to their reputation over the years.
Let’s take a look at some of the most reliable carpet brands.
Note: This list does not end there.
1. Dupont
Dupont rug is nearly stains and smudge-resistant. It can even withstand coffee spills and cigarette butts without leaving marks on the carpet.
As for dirt and dust, it will make your floor clean with minimal effort.
This carpet is made from fibers that are very durable and resistant to stains, smears, and dirt.
It has more resistance than others and will last longer in high-traffic areas such as offices, airports, shopping malls, schools, and other areas where people walk all day.
In addition, this mat is easy to clean and requires no special tools or chemicals.
2. Fabrica Carpet
Fabrica Carpet is a luxury carpet brand. That means it’s made of the best materials and lasts for years. They are also hypoallergenic and easy to clean.
Fabrica Carpet uses a proprietary blend of fibers called Fiber-Flex to achieve superior strength and density.
The result is a carpet that is soft to the touch and resistant to wrinkles and creases.
They even produce a range of waterproof and water-repellent carpets perfect for wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens.
3. Anderson Tuftex
Anderson Tuftex is one of the most durable brands of carpets on the market today.
The fiber is dense and thick, so it is not easy to tear and can be very resistant to tears and splitting.
It may be a bit pricey for a home that will probably only be used for a few years, but it’s worth it in the long run.
4. Engineered Flooring LLC
If you’re on a budget, engineered flooring is a good choice. It comes in many different designs and models and is affordable.
And they come in different sizes to fit your space.
5. Dream Weaver
Dreamweaver offers a wide range of carpet qualities, making it easy to find the perfect carpet for your home.
They offer a variety of pet carpets. You can choose from tens of thousands of different colors, styles, and patterns. Color retention and stain resistance are also excellent.
What Red Flags Can Help You Identify Carpet Brands to Avoid?
Carpet brands often include well-known company names such as Shaw, O’Brien, Armstrong, or Sealy, all of which are reputable manufacturers.
But there are plenty of other carpet companies that aren’t as famous but are just as bad.
These businesses can be family businesses without cooperative oversight.
They may be dishonest or incompetent imitators of well-known brands. Or they could be bad actors using the “official” company name to scam people.
Therefore, the best way to avoid getting ripped off by such carpet scams is to research and learn more about the companies beforehand.
This will help you identify red flags that will help you avoid getting scammed.
