Some people use the words “mat,” “rug,” and “carpet” interchangeably, while people are not clear on exactly what the differences are if any. The confusion was created because of the similarities they have. These three things are vastly used as flooring accessories.
At first, I also did not know the differences between rug, carpet, and mat. Then I come to know about them along with their differences and how they work. So if someone is here to know about all of these, I can assure you that they are in the right place because I am going to briefly explain rug vs carpet vs mat here.
Follow me to the end as I am going to provide all the valuable information one needs to know about rugs, carpets, and mats. I can guarantee that no one is going to regret any of it.
Rug Vs Carpet Vs Mat :
A rug is movable and covers a part of the ground. A carpet generally covers the whole floor and is fitted to the ground. A Matt is usually by a door to prevent any dirt or water from your shoes from getting onto the ground.
These are the general differences between rugs, carpets, and mats. Now I will describe these materials thoroughly.
One problem is, that carpet and rug have the same name in Chinese called – ditan. These items are similar as they are a bit of coverage on a floor. However, there are some important differences that ought to make it clear.
| Rug | Carpet | Mat |
| The rug is typically small. | A carpet is typically large. | Mat is usually even smaller than a rug. |
| The rug covers only a part of the floor. | The carpet is large enough to hide 100% of the floor. | It is usually placed right ahead of a door or in a car etc. |
| It is not attached to the floor, so one can easily move it to different parts of a room or even different rooms. | The carpet is installed and attached to the ground so it cannot move around. | It is not attached to any of the surfaces, so the mat is possible to move. |
| Rugs often have a pattern, most of them are rectangular in shape, but some are round or oval. | A carpet often does not have a pattern, it contains simply one color. | Mats come in various types and designs, they also have different colors and shapes. |
| Rugs are not designed for decorative purposes. | Carpets are used for making a room more comfortable. | Mats are designed to trap water or dirt or other impurities. |
Rugs:
A rug, in contrast, is typically smaller than a carpet and covers only a part of the floor. It is not attached to the floor, so one can easily move it to different parts of a room or even different rooms. Rugs often have a pattern, most of them are rectangular in shape, but some are round or oval.
Rugs are relatively small and do not go wall to wall. The word rug usually refers to a discrete piece of carpet with finished edges, typically used as an ornamental accent. While there could also be some overlap in size, rugs are usually larger than mats.
Usually, rugs are not designed or manufactured to trap water or dirt. Still, it seems that they can increase traction. Rugs do not require any special installation and may be changed out easily.
Carpets:
A carpet is typically large enough to hide 100% of a floor. We might have heard the phrase “Wall to wall carpeting” to describe a room or house. Also, a carpet typically moves the precise size and shape of the space.
The carpet is installed and attached to the ground so it cannot move around. Once it is placed, it stays there usually until I want to throw it away and get a new carpet. Also, in the US at least, a carpet often does not have a pattern, it contains simply one color.
Carpeting relates to wall-to-wall carpeting which is generally installed by professionals. Carpets come in rolls or in tiles. Commercial-grade carpeting is going to be manufactured to face up to heavy traffic and to be stain resistant.
For ornamental purposes, Mats are often placed on top of carpeting, and rugs are often placed on top of carpeting.
Mats:
A Mat is what is called dianzi in Chinese. It is usually even smaller than a rug, maybe a touch thicker, and is usually placed right ahead of a door or during a place where an individual stands often and wishes for extra cushioning for his or her feet. For example, I even have a standing desk in my office, and it came with a cushioned floor mat so, that if I represent hours, my feet and legs will still feel comfortable.
There are different sorts of mats for various purposes. A doormat is put ahead of the front door; it serves to welcome guests and maybe a place to wipe off one’s feet. There are many people who like to wear their shoes in their homes.
An Exercise mat is foamy and even thicker. One can lie thereon and exercise or stretch. A Place mat is different therein it goes on a table and is below the plate, silverware, and cup.
Mats are typically the littlest of the three, although there are giant mats, too. Mats are manufactured for a selected purpose, counting on the appliance. Though usually mats are alleged to clean the soles of shoes of foot traffic and increase traction on the floor.
Commercial mats are designed to form a business safer by lowering the slip, trip, and fall accidents. These mats are very sturdy and designed for hard use. Some of the mats are designed to trap dirt, debris, and water or snow and ice and stop all that junk from being tracked throughout the business premises.
A mat will have a special bottom layer that helps the mat to remain in the ground. Therefore the mat is going to be easy to wash, either during a commercial washing machine or with a hose.
One exception to the above would be a mat for a white room, which is meant to trap dirt, on the other hand, you tear off and eliminate the highest sheet rather than wash the whole mat.
As I described above about this matter fully, now I hope one can recognize the differences between mats, rugs, and carpeting. Let’s concentrate on choosing mats that make our house sound and safer!
What’s the Main Difference Between Rug, Carpet, and Mat?
If someone still has any confusion between rug, carpet, and mat, then it is the right place to be. But as I have said before that rug and carpet have some sort of similarity because they both work as covering the floor. Even carpet and rug are called the same name (ditan) in Chinese.
This is why I will try to differentiate between the left two of them. In this part, I have summed up the key differences between rug vs mat. Check out the list given below –
1. Mats are generally small, and only cover the specific area that they serve to protect. Rugs, on the contrary, are larger pieces, and typically cover an outsized area, for instance, the entire seating area within the front room.
2. The main difference between mats and rugs is that the mat is a heavy-duty and usually thick product. Mats are created to face up to heavy use and heavy pedestrian traffic. However, with proper care, rugs also can be highly durable, counting on materials and placement.
3. Mats are created for a specific function, while rugs can be universal and serve mainly for design purposes. They give an expensive feel to the inside and are often a piece of art.
4. Rugs can have various shapes, be oval, round, rectangular, etc. Mats, on the opposite hand, are usually rectangular. The size is also different. Mats are usually much smaller if they are compared to the rugs.
5. Compared to the rug, the mat is easy to clean and requires minimal maintenance.
6. Another mat and rug difference is the price of the products. Rugs are usually far more expensive compared to mats. The reason for that’s their size, complexity of the assembly, and looks.
Rugs can be served for both practical and aesthetic purposes. That is the main reason why producers invest more resources into making them visually appealing. This does not mean that the mats can not be pretty.
On average, they are just cheaper to supply, and homeowners change them more frequently, thus a less expensive product is more reasonable.
What Are The Types Of Rugs?
When it comes to Interior Decoration, the rug is the most beautiful material. Decorating a home or office rug is always the one that fits in every area and makes the space special. There are different types of rugs composed of thousands of patterns, colors, and styles that we are supposed to choose.
Vintage rugs:
They are usually handmade and because of this reason, vintage rugs will age perfectly and look more, well, VINTAGE with time. This aged effect makes the rug beautiful and therefore the right color will fit the ambiance perfectly. Vintage rugs might look classic, but they will be placed in several interiors and within different styles.
The color scheme is endless, so one can find something to match the environment. They also have an advantage in that they hide dirt in a way that we might not be able to see when it is dirty. Despite that, it’s an exquisite idea to possess a vintage rug, as they last longer and appear good.
Moroccan rugs:
Moroccan rugs usually provide insulation. It means that the cold from the floor will not pass through and we will be able to walk bare feet and feel the warmth of the rug. These types of rugs represent a statement in the space, they are beautiful, practical, and will last long.
One can find thousands of various patterns and color variations, from light to vibrant ones. Therefore, Moroccan rugs are often quite expensive, but definitely worth having.
Geometric Rugs:
These beautiful and stylish rugs never really abandoned the market, not even for a second! Geometric rugs scream modern, minimal, and contemporary. So one might see it in a lot of different spaces, from kids’ bedrooms, to couples’ bedrooms and living rooms, and even in offices.
The patterns of the geometric rugs are always different, with different colorations. One can find them in several materials, like wool and cotton. They can be affordable but can also be pricey, it depends if I want to go with something that will last longer or if I am the kind of person who constantly needs change.
Wool Rugs:
It is a coffee maintenance material, the wool rug resists stains, and keeps dirt from penetrating into the fabric. It is also a sustainable material because it takes very low energy to be produced in comparison to other materials. If someone is trying to find a durable material, a wool rug could be the right match!
Natural Fiber Rugs:
When it involves natural fiber rugs, there’s an extended list of possible materials to settle on from. There are different types of natural fiber rugs such as – Hemp fiber, Seagrass fiber, Sisal, Jute, etc.
Cotton Rugs:
Cotton is also a natural fiber rug but it is used vastly nowadays. Despite tons of pros, they even have some cons. They are inexpensive, which makes them attractive to buyers, but if someone is looking for a durable rug, cotton is not a good option so to say.
The great advantage of having cotton rugs is they are washable. But the thing is that they are often slippery, they don’t lie flat, and they also stain quite easily. What I am trying to say is this may be a great temporary solution, or a permanent solution if what someone is looking for at the moment is something attractive, and not very worried about durability.
Polyester Rugs:
It is an affordable material. It is very famous right now but used to be considered cheap. This material has been through tons till it arrives at everyone’s home.
It is vibrant and soft, and it comes with a lot of colors that one can choose between. The cons are that’s stains tons, and it can’t be placed near a warmth source like floor heaters and space heaters because it tends to melt. Polyester probably is not the best course of action, if someone is looking for a long-lasting material.
What are the Types of Mats?
There are different types of mats. Some of them are described here –
Doormats:
This mat is a typical rectangular shape and is placed near the door for people to wipe their shoes on. Doormats are usually heavy enough to remain in situ and are made from durable materials like rubber, nylon, coir, or cloth. Doormats are usually placed outside of the door or inside the entryway.
A true lifesaver, our homes would be such a lot dirtier if not for the doormats. Sometimes, people also call it a doormat, because it welcomes guests with coziness and cute messages or signs. It has become a part of our daily life.
Baking mats:
Using a baking mat to hide baking sheets will help protect the baking sheet from stuck-on messes or scratches. Baking with silicone baking sheets makes baking and cleanup much easier and allows us to make more baked goods at one time. Baking mats are used as various types of substitutes for parchment paper.
Table mats:
Table mats are placed on the table to preserve the table surface from scratches and hot dishes. These are also called placemats. We see these table mats every day at our dining table.
Bath mats:
This is a useful mat for our daily basis. The most common materials of bath mats are rubber, polypropylene, and bamboo. These mats are placed on the toilet floor and make a warm non-slip surface for our feet.
Exercise mats:
Fitness mats are thick and large. They are generally a minimum of half an inch thick and about five feet long. They are used for crunches and stretching exercises, or the other general exercise I like prefer. They will absorb some amount of impact shock and supply cushioning between the person and therefore the floor during the general exercise.
These include yoga mats, playmats, and kid mats. Such mats are perfect for those who like to do home exercises.
Anti-fatigue mats:
They are utilized in the kitchen area. They are also used by professional stylists and cooks. The purpose of such a mat is to alleviate the strain caused on our body by the long periods of standing while cooking, or working.
Cleanroom mats:
These are placed in sterile rooms that require extra protection from the surface dirt. These mats are sticky and non-slip. They can easily capture the dirt as they are contained in several layers.
Cleanroom mats really work as a safeguard for these kinds of rooms.
High-quality floor mats have another important feature, they need to be proven to enhance the indoor air quality (IAQ) index. Moreover, they take part in a safety purpose in industrial and domestic uses.
Some renowned companies have revealed that the bulk of toxic chemicals that we bring back to the house, get inside a house on dirty shoes. If I have got a pleasant doormat, it’ll effectively trap and hold the chemical diet, and allergen. It will improve the general IAQ index in my home environment, and reduce the need for daily floor cleaning.
The safety aspect of the ground mats is that they supply a stable surface, preventing us from slipping and tripping.
Is A Mat Considered Furniture?
In most cases, the rug is cheap and very low quality. It is said that it has a lifespan of just 3 years and then it fades away. For this reason, I would say it is not furniture but it’s just an accessory to the furniture.
It is said that rugs are Persian or Iranian, which is very expensive. It can last generations then some would argue that it may very well be furniture or just an accessory.
Final Thoughts:
I hope this post has helped everyone to understand the discussion about rug vs carpet vs mat. Now that I give a clear idea about the key differences and features of mats, carpet,s and rugs, one can see easily why the terms should not be used interchangeably. These differences are very clear to understand and consider when deciding which product one needs to buy for a home or other purposes.
Mats are smaller if they are compared to rugs, and they serve a specific purpose. On the other hand, carpets are used generally to cover the full floor. Mats are normally placed in the kitchen as a mattress or near the front door at the entrance.
There are many different kinds of mats which I already described above. I really think this writing is enough to know about rug vs carpet vs mat.
