Berber Carpet Pros and Cons: Is It Right For Your Home?

You might recognize the name “berber” from our Homeowner’s Guide to Carpet Styles, but what is berber carpet really, and is it better than other types of carpet? We’ll consider the top berber carpet pros and cons, which may or may not make it a good fit for your home. First, let’s consider what makes berber carpet different from other types of carpet, and then we will dive into the details that will help you determine whether or not berber carpet is the right fit for your home and style. 

What Is Berber Carpet?

Berber carpet is the most durable type of carpet due to its tight construction, which is very different from plush or traditional pile carpet. Berber carpet is manufactured with loops that are woven together, which is why it is sometimes also called loop pile carpet. The name “berber” comes from the Berber tribe of North Africa, which was known for weaving rugs in this style, and the origins of berber carpet go back to classical antiquity. Today, berber carpets are rarely woven by hand, but the loop technique continues to be effective for long-term usage.   

Berber carpets are traditionally light in color with dark flecks throughout, that both retain a more natural appearance and help to hide dirt and stains. As berber carpets have grown in popularity, they have begun to be available in more color and style variations, including solid bold colors, natural tones, and distinctive patterns.

Modern berber carpet is mass produced with a loop style and is made of wool, polypropylene, and a combination of materials rather than just the wool traditional carpets are made of. What berber carpet may lack when it comes to the softer textures of other carpet varieties, it makes up for with its long-term durability and timeless, hand-crafted appearance.

Is Berber Carpet Right for Your Home?

Before you decide whether berber carpet is the right style for you, it is worth thinking about what should go into the decision-making process, and how you should be assessing various carpet choices.

Here are a few considerations that will help to determine if a carpet is a good choice or not: 

1. What Type of Carpet Fits Your Budget?

Carpet is a highly accessible product. No matter your budget, there are quality carpets available. Speaking with a flooring specialist can help you choose a carpet that fits both your budget and lifestyle.

2. How Are You Using the Space the Carpet Will Be In?

There are different types of carpet that will work best in different areas of your home. For example, you may want something that is comfy underfoot for your bedroom, but something sturdy that can stand up to a lot of foot traffic in your hallways. 

3. What Do You Want Your Carpet to Do for Your Space?

When choosing carpet, you don’t want to just think of carpet as something under your feet. You’ll also want to consider how the type of carpet you choose will affect the room as a whole. For example, thicker carpets can help reduce noise while also providing a soft place for kids to play. If the room is small and doesn’t have a lot of furniture, you may want to pick a more eye-catching carpet to balance the atmosphere.

4. What Level of Maintenance Are You Looking For?

An important thing to consider when choosing a carpet is how much maintenance it requires. Be realistic, and base your anticipated maintenance needs around the life you have. If you’re often busy and only have time for as-needed housecleaning, carpets that require a higher level of maintenance may not be the best choice for your home.

Now that you know what to look for in carpet, let’s dive into berber carpet specifically.

Top Berber Carpet Pros and Cons

Pros

• Durable

  • If there is one thing all berber carpet has in common, it is durability. But we’ll discuss this in more detail later in the blog. This is the case regardless of the fibers used, since looped fibers are more sturdy.

• Spill Resistant

  • Because berber carpet is made of tightly woven loops, it’s harder for liquids to soak into the carpet. So, if you’re quick with a cloth to wipe up spills when they occur, you may be able to clean up the majority of the spill relatively easily.

• Cost

  • Modern berber carpets come in many types of fibers, including wool or nylon, making it a style of carpet that can be made to fit any budget. Although price varies by brand, berber carpet is generally less expensive than many other loose pile options.

• Hides Dirt

  • Berber carpet in traditional colors (light colors with flecks of darker colors) easily hides dirt. However, this is not a reason to neglect routine carpet cleaning! 

• Easy to Clean

  • Berber carpet is easy to clean for the same reason it’s spill resistant – the tightly woven loops. You can vacuum berber carpet normally, but it’s better to avoid using a beater bar if possible, since it can snag on the loops. 

Cons

• Snagging 

  • While the loop-style makes this durable and easy to clean, it also may be more prone to snag if furniture or pet toenails drag across it. For this reason, Berber carpet is not the most pet-friendly carpet. If a snag is not dealt with, it can quickly unravel the entire carpet.

• Stains

  • Although berber carpet is more spill-resistant than cut carpet, it’s still carpet, leaving it more susceptible to stains than hard surface flooring.

• Rough Texture

  • Berber carpet is not as soft as other types of carpet, such as plush carpets. Some fabrics and fibers used to make berber carpet, like olefin, can add to this rough texture. This is why giving in-store samples a touch test is so important!

• Hard to Repair

  • Although small snags can be fixed without spending a lot of money, larger areas of damage to berber carpet can be costly because of the loop style of this carpet.

Is Berber Carpet Durable?

Berber carpet is known for its durability, as it generally wears better than other types of carpet. Its tightly woven fibers and low level of pile make it stand out from many other types of carpet when it comes to durability. When maintained properly, Berber carpet can last up to 20 years. Pairing berber carpets with a dense, flat, high quality padding layer can also extend its lifespan. 

Though berber carpet in general is more durable than other carpets, the best way to ensure its durability is to invest in higher quality fibers used to make your berber carpet. The highest quality fibers used in berber carpet are wool and nylon. Pay attention to the material tags when you are browsing berber carpets in-store.

Is Berber Carpet Good for High Traffic Areas? 

Berber carpet is often found in high-traffic areas in both home and commercial settings. It has often been found in basements throughout the years, but recently it has also become more popular for living rooms and office spaces. 

The loop construction of berber carpet makes it a great choice for high-traffic areas because of its durability and spill-resistance. Because liquids tend to gather into droplets on the tightly-woven surface of a Berber carpet, a spilled drink is much easier to wipe up than on more absorbent carpets. 

You may find that you want some of the durability offered by berber carpet, but you need something a little more comfortable. Textured carpet is an excellent carpet choice to consider, as it mixes berber and plush construction. 

Is Berber Carpet Going Out of Style?

Carpet popularity tends to fluctuate over time, with different styles and materials of carpet coming in and out of style. Since you are most likely buying carpet with the intention of it lasting a decade or more, it’s worth considering how flooring trends might shift during that time, as well as how your carpet will match future furniture or decorating adjustments. 

Also, there are many reasons why you might prefer hard surface flooring to carpet in your living room or other commonly used spaces in your home. If you don’t want to commit to wall-to-wall berber carpet for your living or dining room, there are many beautiful area rugs available from popular carpet and rug brands like Stanton that utilize berber loop pile textures and can add texture and interest to your hardwood or vinyl floors. Combining the natural textures of hard surface flooring with the thick fibers of a berber carpet rug results in a personalized home atmosphere that aligns with many of the flooring and decorating trends we are seeing this year.

While there are many types of carpet to choose from, berber carpet is a durable and trend-forward option for homes with lots of high-traffic areas. Its growing popularity and re-emergence in homes has led to it becoming available in more and more colors and patterns, allowing it to fit more homes and styles. 

Are You Ready for a Berber Carpet Installation?

Interested in berber carpet for your home? To compare berber carpet pros and cons for yourself, visit our Wexford, PA showroom or contact our team to learn more. Floor Concepts provides local flooring solutions to greater Pittsburgh, PA and the North Hills, free in-home measurements and estimates, and worry-free installations. Get in touch with our flooring experts today!