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Carpet Buying Guide:
Cut Pile Vs Loop Pile - Which Style Should I Choose?

Verdi 2
With its soft underfoot surface, superior heat- and sound-insulation qualities and wide choice of designs, carpet is a fantastic flooring choice for the home. When it comes to choosing the right carpet for your home, there are a few elements that should be considered to ensure the perfect fit. From colour and pile, to yarn composition and tog rating, each individual characteristic will contribute to how the carpet performs in the given room. The overall appearance and texture of your chosen carpet will be dictated by the pile design. This term refers to the individual yarns that make up the surface of the carpet; there is a range of styles and materials to choose from, all of which provide a variety of different benefits, from heat insulation and hardwearing durability, to a luxuriously soft tread.

To help you decide which carpet style is best for each room in your home, read our handy guide to pile styles:

CUT PILE
This style of carpet is manufactured by cutting the yarn loops to expose the fibre ends, resulting in an upright pile that creates a uniform appearance. This is a popular choice for bedrooms and living rooms as it provides a soft underfoot texture. When choosing a cut pile carpet, you should look at the yarn twist – this technique helps the exposed fibres to stand up and become more resistant to matting and flattening.

Cut Pile Plush: A soft and upright pile that creates a formal, uniform appearance. The pile is often short and lightly twisted, but bear in mind that the ‘loose’ loop will show up footprints and track marks, however this can contribute to the plush, velvety appearance of the carpet.
Cut Pile Twist: A variation on the classic cut pile, this style is highly twisted so that it sits in different directions to create a luxurious and smooth finish. The ‘intertwined’ formation of the pile means that this carpet style is ideal for high traffic areas and is less likely to show tread marks.

Frieze: This extra long cut pile sits in different directions to create its distinctive and luxurious shaggy appearance. The deep texture makes it perfect for bedrooms where a soft and sumptuous underfoot surface can be enjoyed.


LOOP PILE
A loop pile refers to continuous, un-cut yarns that have been looped into the carpet backing. As the fibres have not been sheared and exposed, they form a smoother, tighter appearance compared to that of a cut pile. This structured allows for greater flexibility in design, whereby the loops can be set at different heights and in different directions to form distinctive patterns. Choose this style for higher traffic areas such as hallways and stairs for its hardwearing and durable qualities.

Level Loop Pile: A simple yet distinctive loop finish, level loop pile carpets are formed by loops set at a uniform height. This style is well suited to heavy footfall areas due to its compact composition – it will also not show footprints or track marks from vacuum cleaners.

Multi Level Loop Pile: If you’re after a highly textured carpet finish, then opt for a multi level loop pile. This style is formed using varying heights of looped yarns, which can be placed in a random or sequential design to create textures or linear patterns. Again, it is an extremely durable option, ideal for high footfall areas of the home.