Have you wondered if those Ruggables that you’ve seen everywhere are really as good as they sound? I thought today I’d do a formal Ruggable washable rugs review so that you can have all the information you need to make an informed choice if you think these rugs might work for you.
I’ve definitely mentioned my Ruggables here and there, and they certainly show up in my photos on the blog and on Instagram quite often, but I realized a few weeks ago that I’ve never really done a full review of them with all the answers to the questions that everyone has about them. Whenever I share my rugs on Instagram, I get a lot of messages asking if they’re really as good as they seem. So I’ve really dropped the ball here because I definitely have some strong opinions about Ruggables and some firm suggestions that I should have shared quite awhile ago. So this is me finally stepping up to the plate. 🙂 If you’ve been on the fence about these, sorry it took me so long! Here’s my official Ruggable washable rugs review.
See also: 10 Best Washable Rugs for 2023
What are Ruggable Washable Rugs? (and who are they for?)
Ruggable rugs are a two-part rug system. You get a non-slip rug pad, and then a lightweight rug cover that goes on top. The rug cover is the part that is actually washable and the rug pad stays on the floor when you remove the cover for cleaning. The cover is held onto the rug pad by a combination of a hook-and-loop type of system over the entire rug pad and little corner loops/slots that hold the corners of the rug cover in place. The pricing is comparable to a mid-range non-washable rug, so they’re definitely a step up from the super affordable options that a lot of families with messy kids might choose, but they’re still pretty affordable compared to a higher end mass-market rug. We see these rugs a lot in homes we visit for our photography business. People who have either built a new home, or have just undergone a big renovation in their home will often invest in these rugs when they want a really beautiful rug for their new space, but one that will be practical as well. So that means that I know which styles look great after a bit of use, and which ones look a bit worn out after only a few months. 🙂
How Easy are They to Wash, Really?
We have two of these Ruggable rugs: an 8×10 in the living room and a 2.5’X10′ runner in the mudroom. I had a hard time finding a runner that I loved that was long enough for our mudroom, so I loved all the different sizing options available. There’s now a larger 9’x12′ option available, so I haven’t tried to wash that one yet, but I imagine it would probably be an experience that’s pretty similar to washing the 8’x10′ from our living room. Literally all I’ve done is pull the top layer off of the rug, toss it in the wash on low/delicate, add the regular amount of detergent that I would normally add, and press start. I’ve seen some people recommend vacuuming the rug well first, but I’ve never found that to be necessary. It just comes out perfectly every time. I dry my rugs in the dryer on low, and the largest one isn’t always fully dry, but I put it back in place anyway and it air dries the rest of the way.
The 8×10 fits easily in my washer and is equivalent to a full load of laundry, but the runner really isn’t even half a load even though it’s pretty big as far as runners go. You could definitely wash multiple smaller rugs together at the same time without any issue.
Do They Really Look/Feel Like a Real Rug?
I think the best evidence here is the fact that when we come across a Ruggable in the wild, it always takes me a little while to notice it. We’ll always be in a room getting set up for several minutes before I’m like “Wait, is that a Ruggable?” So they really do look like a regular traditional rug in the way that they’re texturized on top and they way that they lay on the floor. The only issues that I ever run into is that the edges can curl up a bit if you don’t place them squarely on top of the rug pad, but you can easily walk over and push the rug edge right back into place with your foot.
These photos accurately depict what our living room rug looks like on any given day. We have the Vintage Daisy Bordered Blue Rug and this is what it looks like when it hasn’t been washed in probably close to two months and hasn’t been vacuumed in a few days either. It does a pretty great job of camouflaging the dirt, crumbs, and dog fur!
Are Ruggable Washable Rugs Worth the Money?
I got my first Ruggable rug through a sponsored campaign that I did with them, but I loved it so much that I bought another one about eight months later for our mudroom. You know you have confidence in a rug when you promote it from living room to somewhere as rough and messy as a mudroom. I thought it was worth a shot at least! I thought that the worst case scenario would be that I’ve have to buy a new cover every now and then.
As it turns out, the rug in the mudroom has held up just as well as the living room rug. It gets caked in mud and stepped on with wet boots all the time and it just doesn’t mind one bit. I actually have to admit that I don’t even wash the mudroom rug as often as I originally thought I would because the mud just vacuums right up when it dries and it looks as good as new. We have the Almana Cobalt Blue runner in the mudroom if you’re looking for something similar.
A really nice bonus with these rugs is that the rug pad is rubberized, so when you spill on the top layer and need to wash it, the floor underneath is completely protected because the spill can’t get through the rug pad. I’ve found myself feeling very very thankful for that feature on a fairly regular basis. I also usually don’t have to wash the rug for spills because it’s really easy to just spot clean here and there. We had a big green juice spill last week and I just spot cleaned the area and you can’t even tell there was ever a spill there.
Which Ruggable Rugs Hold Up Best to Heavy Traffic and Frequent Washing?
So, as I said, I’ve had the chance to see quite a few of these rugs out in their natural habitats in other people’s homes and I do have to say that certain ones seem to hold up better to daily wear and tear than others.
Mainly, the rugs that have more saturated colors tend to last, whereas the rugs in a white or cream color seem to get sad and worn-out looking after just a few months. Of course, white boho-ish rugs have been pretty popular over the last little while, but it seems like even though these rugs are washable, you can’t get all the mess of life with pets and kids out of them completely with such a light color. So I would personally stay away from those.
Here are a few suggestions for Ruggable rugs that I would consider to be pretty safe bets for high traffic areas and busy families with pets and kids.
Do you have one of these washable rugs in your home? What do you think of them?
MORE LIKE THIS
- Etu Home Colorblock Vase Review
- Serena and Lily Sunwashed Riviera Chair Review
- What to Use When You Run Out of Dishwasher Detergent or Tabs
- DIY Living Room Built-In Shelves and Fireplace
- The Creek Line House Decorating Idea Archives
This post contains affiliate links.
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.