Where to shop for the best and most affordable area rugs
You may have noticed that it’s gotten much more challenging to buy area rugs in carpet and flooring stores. That’s because most of these stores have discontinued showing these items in their store. It’s just not cost efficient for them to use this space in their stores for area rugs and there’s too much competition online (where you have more variety and can buy area rugs for a much less expensive price).
Area rugs take up a lot of space in stores, especially given that they come in many colors. And, rugs are a small ticket size for retailers (compared to selling wall to wall carpet or flooring). So, it’s not a good use of space in their store, nor is it cost efficient to keep these items in their inventory.
So, I thought I’d help guide customers to find the best places to buy area rugs online. After all, it’s much less expensive and you have more variety in colors, styles, sizes, shapes. Plus, you can have the items shipped directly to your door (and yes, most of these places have free shipping and allow you to return them if you’re not happy).
Pro Tip: If you are really feeling unsure about whether you like the carpet color or softness, consider buying a small entry mat (e.g. 2 ft x 3 ft). That way, you can see and feel the “sample” without spending a lot of money. And, worst case you can use as an entry mat by any of your doorways.
Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. That means that if you buy something, I may earn a small commission. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.
1. Amazon
Yes, believe it or not, Amazon sells area rugs. In fact, tons of them. They are probably either the #1 or #2 place to buy area rugs. They have a wide selection and of course great prices. Here’s their best selling gray area rug.
2. Wayfair
This is one of the fastest growing retailers in home decor. Not only do they have a wonderful selection for area rugs, but also for so many home decor items (e.g. vanities, hardware, window treatments, pillows…and almost everything). They are so reasonably priced, too. Wayfair has many ways to search including color, style, shape and size.
This area rug is one of my favorites and works especially well on dark floors.
3. West Elm
West Elm has some more abstract, subtle and environmentally friendly items. Many of their rugs are wool, wool blends or jutes. While these are more expensive than nylons or olefins, their choices are super reasonably priced for these materials. I love this hand carved gray wool area rug. It’s soft and velvety, too.
4. Crate & Barrel
Crate & Barrel has a lot of great options for subtle patterns and those with more sophisticated tastes. They also offer wool, sisal and hand woven options. They are a bit more expensive, but totally worth it…and your feet will thank you for them. Their shades are very on trend, too with a lot of grays, neutrals and an occasional stylish pop color. They also have a bunch of minimalist style rugs.
This is one of my favorite Crate & Barrel wool area rugs, but truthfully, it was hard to just pick one. You also have the option to pick this up at your local store.
5. Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn has a variety of styles and colors from traditional to transitional to contemporary. This navy rug at it has so much movement and visual intrigue. It comes in several shades of blue including a powder blue and 2 shades of navy, as well as black, gray and several other colors. It’s wool and hand tufted. And, of course they have a wide variety of styles, colors and prices.
6. Bloomingdale’s
Anyone who’s been to a large Bloomingdale’s store knows they have a whole section of the store dedicated to area rugs…and they are high end – often persian, oriental, tibetan, handtufted…beautiful and soft, but very pricey. But, here’s a secret. If you buy from Bloomingdales.com, you can get them at a highly discounted price.
You can find this Surya area rug here.
7. Kohl’s
Kohl’s has an online option for their store and they have a much wider selection of area rugs vs what you can find in the store (they just can’t carry all that inventory on site). Here’s a great neutral rug. It’s also available as a round area rugs.
8. Rugs USA
RugsUSA is another great option for area rugs. They have a wide variety including some natural ones. This is one of my favorite navy area rugs. Navy is such a hot color, but surprisingly hard to find in area rugs.
9. Overstock.com
Overstock.com makes it super easy to search for area rugs. You can easily sort by size, shape, style, price and color. They seem to have many more style options vs other sites and show you examples for each type, so it’s super simple and visually appealing.
Overstock tends to have a large collection of modern rugs, including some with a lot of vibrant colors. They also have a nice farmhouse collection. I love this cobalt blue area rug.
10. Target.com
Target is known for affordable style, and their online store has a much larger variety of area rugs vs. their in store collections. In typical Target fashion, they also have some Target exclusives.
Here’s a great and affordable exclusive rug from Target.
Area rug pads and why they’re so important
Do not forget to buy an area rug pad (no matter how soft you carpet is). Area rug pads serve many purposes:
- Prevent scratches in your floors (as well as color bleeds)
- Prevent rugs from slipping
- Provide extra comfort, softness and warmth
- Help your area rug last longer.
Here’s a great area rug pad I’d recommend, and you can buy it on Amazon. It’s much better for your floors and area rug vs some of the thin ones that don’t really do much.
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