Choosing the Right Carpet Fiber

Carpet fiber and how the carpet is constructed affect the appearance, performance, and value of your carpet. During manufacturing, fiber is converted into yarn, which is tufted or woven to form the pile - the surface you see and walk on.
Retailers\' carpet samples are labeled to identify fiber content. Most carpet styles are made entirely of one fiber type - nylon, polyester, smartstrand, or olefin. Some styles may contain blends of these fibers.
There are two fiber classes - natural, such as wool, and man-made, such as nylon, olefin, and polyester. Each fiber has different characteristics. The following information can help you make the right choice for your needs.
Nylon continues as the ideal carpet fiber. Its many attributes combine to provide outstanding durability, performance, resilience (the ability to spring back), and appearance. Nylon lends itself to an unlimited variety of styles and colors at reasonable prices, and it is available in very soft styles.
Polyester fiber produces beautiful carpets that are similar in many ways to nylon carpet. Polyester is more stain resistant than nylon, but it is less resilient. This means it does not retain its texture or bounce as well as nylon. Like nylon, polyester is available in a variety of soft styles.
Olefin (also called polypropylene) is often used in indoor/outdoor carpet and in loop-pile carpets. Despite its relatively low resilience and lower tensile strength, it performs excellent in commercial styles with low loops and dense berber styles.

Wool, of course, is a natural fiber and presents a beautiful appearance in carpeting. However, wool may not be as resilient as man-made carpet fibers and it is quite a bit more expensive. Quality wools lke New Zealand wool can be much more expesive.