Cut Pile Vs Textured Carpet: Carpet Texture Explained

Last Updated: February 22, 2023, by: Greca Fotopoulos

If you’ve started your research to buy a carpet, you may well be thoroughly confused by the ridiculous amount and variation in definitions of style and type! In particular trying to navigate the difference between cut pile carpet and textured carpet! Well, with this guide to carpet texture the Home Flooring Pros are here to help… hopefully!

We say “hopefully” because there really isn’t a clear industry-wide standard on exactly what names to give the different types of carpet. You see, when we talk about carpet type or carpet texture, what we are actually referring to is the way the fiber is attached to the backing.

And when it comes to what is often known as textured carpet, in fact what is being described is a carpet that has a cut pile. A cut pile carpet is a carpet where the fiber has first been attached to the backing in a loop and then cut: thus creating a somewhat fuzzy, tufted surface (unlike loop carpets that are smoother and sleeker in appearance and feel).

Interested in Berber Carpet? Check out our Berber guide to colors, prices and reviews

So are cut pile carpets and textured carpets essentially the same thing? Not exactly… there are several different types of cut pile carpet, depending on the length and treatment of the fiber. True textured cut pile has fibers with uneven lengths that create a fuller, more textured surface. Other types of cut pile carpet are: plush, Saxony, frieze and shag or cable.

However, different carpet manufacturers might refer to their carpets as being “textured”, “cut pile” or even “cut pile twist” – all of them more or less the same type of cut pile carpet.

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IS TEXTURED CARPET THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR MY HOME?

Textured carpets are one of the most popular types of carpet. This is because of the way they are made – the cut pile process combined with uneven and or twisted fibers – makes them both extremely hard wearing and less likely to show up dirt, tracks or dents. They are therefore perfect for high traffic areas or anyone with kids or pets!

Of course the other element that will dictate how durable and dirt/ stain resistant your carpet will be is what type of fiber it is made of, how dense the fiber is and whether or not it has an integrated stain resistant finish. Whether you opt for a textured carpet made of wool or from nylon or polyester will depend on your budget and exactly what carpet texture you want – find out more about PAR carpet ratings density and different types of carpet fiber. But regardless of the fiber type, because of the nature of the uneven pile, textured carpets often have a mottled aesthetic which again goes in its favor in terms of making track marks from vacuum cleaners and dirt less visible.

We also have a guide to the differences between nylon carpets and polyester carpets.

Finally, other considerations regarding textured carpet is that it has a less formal and somewhat less luxurious look to it, and you are less likely to find a patterned textured carpet. But if you’re looking for a block color carpet that will work in any room, then a textured cut pile carpet is a great option.

BEST TEXTURED CARPET BRANDS

Whichever carpet texture you’re looking for the manufactures and brands reviewed below have a great selection. For the purposes of this article we will review each company in relation to the textured and cut pile carpet they produce.

Stainmaster: So, if you’re starting your carpet research online, then the first thing to do when you’re looking for textured carpet at Stainmaster is NOT to panic! Because when you just key in “texture” as your style search term you will get 3900 results!!! Of course, when you drill down you will see that some carpets have been listed more than once depending on the width size and color. Even so, Stainmaster do have a really huge range, so you’re likely to find something you like and of course they all come with the Stainmaster stain resistant technology. Also you might want to look out for their carpets that feature the Stainmaster Pet Protect technology which has built-in stain resistance that won’t wash off and which allows you to use you can use hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners if necessary! Stainmaster carpets general retail from between $3.00 – $4.00 per square meter.

Mohawk: Another giant in the flooring industry, Mohawk Flooring have an impressive 1006 products listed on their site as textured carpets, many of them available in at least 20 different colorways! Mohawk have a number of in-house stain resistant technologies including their SmartStrand Forever Clean, which gives excellent protection and comes with a lifetime warranty covering all pet-related accidents! That’s a pretty good warranty (shame it doesn’t cover kids’ accidents too)! Mohawk also have their rather clever EverStrand premium PET polyester fiber made from 100% recycled content, making it a great eco-friendly option. Depending on your taste and needs, Mohawk may also offer the most budget friendly textured carpets with some retailing from as little as $1.50 per square. Worth a look too is the range of colorways in the Pure Imagination design, which comes in 40 different colors including on-trend mossy green, deep blue lagoon and a cool silvery gray called Starry Night.

Shaw Floors: Shaw Floors is another industry leader that is worth considering a variety of carpet textures, particularly because they have a much more manageable selection of 150 texture carpet designs, with some of them available in as many as 70 colors! A nice touch is that for every yard of carpet sold from its St Jude carpet collection, Shaw Floors donates money to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital known for its care, treatment and research into childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Shaw’s carpets are all made using man-made fibers such as nylon, polyester and olefin – fibers that often allow for great color dye results, and this is particularly true of the fabulous Kids Rule texture carpet which comes in 12 vibrantly, happy rainbow colors including bright purple, orange, blue and red! Also worth noting are the couple of integrally patterned texture carpets at Shaw Floors: both Surface Impressions and Speed of Sunlight feature a subtle striped design.

Beaulieu American Bliss: Beaulieu America was established in 1978 in Dalton Georgia and has since grown to become a respected home flooring manufacturer for both commercial and residential sectors, making a range of flooring products including engineered hardwood, laminate, luxury vinyl tile and carpet. Their Bliss carpet brand is for the residential sector and they offer about 100 different designs, of which 33 are true texture carpets. Their carpets are made either with nylon or polyester, and usually feature a combination of Scotchgard Protector and the Beaulieu Magic Fresh or Silver Release odor reducing treatments. Whilst the Beaulieu texture carpet selection is smaller than other brands, we think it’s a well-considered selection that offers enough variety in design and colorways to suit most homes. Bliss texture carpets retail from $1.40 to $3.20 per square foot.

Karastan: Karastan has an important legacy in the world of rugs and carpet that dates back to 1928 when they invented looms and weaving process that allowed for ordinarily top-end products to be produced more economically and thus be available to a much wider consumer base. In 1993 Mohawk acquired Karastan, and the brand continues to thrive as one of the leading carpet and rug brands in the USA. Karastan are best known for their patterned and Persian style carpet designs – usually with a loop construction – but they do also have a good selection of about 30 texture cut pile carpet. Note that where once Karastan was synonymous with luxurious wool fiber carpets, the brand has embraced technology over the years and the majority of their texture carpets are made of nylon or the environmentally friendly SmartStrand polymer.

Godfrey Hirst: Godfrey Hirst is one of Australia’s premier carpet manufacturers with a long history dating back to 1865! Now their highly recommended products are retailed throughout Canada and the USA, retailing between $3.00 and $5.00 per square foot. Godfrey Hirst define their carpet styles a little differently, firstly by type of construction – i.e. cut pile, loop or mixed – and then refining the construction into either Cut Pile Twist, Plush Pile, Saxony and Frieze. For our purposes the Cut Pile Twist is the closest to a true texture carpet and you’ll find 43 products. However, on closer inspection in fact there are just 4 Cut Pile Twist carpet designs, each coming in a number of different colorways. So, if you’re looking to make life really simple and narrow your choice to just a few, good quality options then the small but perfectly formed selection at Godfrey Hirst is perfect. We particularly like the looks of the delicately mottled Oakview design which comes in 13 softly muted, earthy tones.

Fabrica: If you have a healthy budget and want the best, then a carpet from Fabrica is certainly the way to go. Widely considered as being the very epitome of residential carpeting, Fabrica – part of the Dixie Group of carpet brands – has a reputation of offering high-end luxury and comfort. Whilst most of their stock is loop or cut and loop construction, they do have a select number of cut pile texture carpets (as well as a good number of plush cut pile too). The texture carpet designs that we particularly like are the Cotton Club, available in 60 colors, which is as luxurious as it is soft, and the Montrachet which is available in 25 different mottled colorways. Fabrica texture cut pile carpets retail from around $7.00 to $14.00 per square foot.

For free carpet samples from trusted online retailers click here

TEXTURED CARPET TIPS, CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Finally, even though textured carpets are generally more resilient against wear and stains, there are some good tips you can follow to ensure you maximize their lifespan:

Choose carpet with an in-built stain resistant finish; remember to look for finishes that are best suited to your home environment, there are many brands that offer specialized finishes for pet owners.
Have a handy kit of cleaning tools ready for any accidents or spills.
Carefully placed doormats and area rugs will make a huge difference to keeping your carpet clean, especially if it is a light toned one.
Ensure that you check the details of the warranty before you buy your texture carpet so that you are fully aware of what is covered.
You will always get the best results if you use a trusted, experienced carpet installer – and be sure to get a good quality carpet pad too!

We have more information on carpet cleaning and carpet installation.

About the Author: Greca Fotopoulos

Greca is the lead style writer at Home Flooring Pros (more), with a BA in Technical Art, she’s focused on flooring trends, flooring ideas, and flooring brand reviews.

“There’s nothing more satisfying than creating a home that you love. The hardest thing about this job is trying not to covet all the great floors I get to review; if I could remodel my home every month, I would!”