Walking barefoot across long pile feels nothing like a flat rug. Your feet sink in, steps get quieter, and cold tiles or laminate lose their chill. That is why most people buy a shaggy rug, usually for the living room or for the spot beside the bed.
Everything in this range is synthetic, 100% polyester to be exact. There is no wool here. If natural fibre matters to you, go for a wool rug or one of our flatter handwoven rugs instead.
Pile height and feel
In everyday speech shaggy and high pile mean nearly the same. High pile is the umbrella term, while shaggy usually describes the kind with very long, loosely falling fibres. Nobody has fixed a rule for when a pile counts as high, so the millimetres tell you more:
- Long and loose, 41–50 mm, machine-woven, the classic shaggy look
- Smooth and silky, 11–20 mm, hand-tufted from polyester microfibre
- Even and dense, 11–20 mm, machine-woven, soft without being shaggy
Ask yourself one question. Will you lie on it or walk across it? For lying around and playing, the long pile is lovely. Where people walk a lot, say between sofa and door, the shorter pile is less fuss because it vacuums more easily. The silky version is tufted by hand, a method you can also find in other materials among our hand-tufted rugs.
One more check before you order. Measure the gap under your doors, since 41–50 mm of pile can catch on a door that closes tightly.
Shaggy rugs by room
In front of the sofa a shaggy rug becomes somewhere to curl up. For a seating area with a coffee table, 160 x 230 cm or 200 x 290 cm usually fits. There is no 200 x 300 cm, but 200 x 290 cm comes very close, and a large fluffy rug of that size makes even a big lounge feel softer. More ideas for the sofa corner are on our living room rugs page.
Fluffy bedroom rugs are all about the first step in the morning. Often a shaggy runner along the bed is enough. Runners start at 60 x 180 cm and go up to 80 x 400 cm. Prefer it under the bed? Turn it crosswise. A 200 x 290 cm piece shows on both sides of a double bed, so you still step onto pile while the headboard stands on the bare floor. You will find more for that room among our bedroom rugs.
Round works too. A small fluffy rug of Ø 80 cm fits beside the bed or under a chair, whereas Ø 120 cm and Ø 200 cm turn a children's room into a play island. Square formats exist as well.
Under a dining table a shaggy rug is a poor choice. Chair legs sink in and crumbs vanish between the fibres. The front door with its street dirt is no better.
Ten colours are in stock at the moment, from white and cream to black. A grey shaggy rug or one in beige is the quiet option for a living room. White fluffy rugs and cream ones show marks sooner, especially with children or a dog. A blue fluffy rug keeps a bedroom cool and calm, and a pink fluffy rug is a frequent pick for children's rooms. Long pile casts tiny shadows. So the same shade looks a little darker and livelier than on a flat weave, worth knowing when you match cushions or curtains. Want more than one colour in a piece? Our colourful rug range has patterns.
Vacuum with a smooth nozzle on a low setting and switch off the rotating brush, or the fibres get caught. Short and often beats rare and thorough. Blot spills at once with an absorbent cloth, lift the pile with your fingers and let the spot air-dry. Polyester takes up hardly any moisture, but nothing should soak in for long. Dents from furniture? A soft brush lifts them again.
Frequently asked questions
Does a new shaggy rug shed?
At first some loose fibres from production can come out. After a few rounds with the vacuum it gets much less. Snip off single stray fibres level with the pile instead of pulling them.
Can I use a grey fluffy rug on underfloor heating?
According to the product data, yes. A thick pile passes the warmth into the room a little more slowly, and you notice that more with 41–50 mm than with 11–20 mm.
