Why is wool considered by so many decorators and home owners as the standard in fine carpets?

For starters, wool is perhaps the softest and most luxurious carpeting material made. Walk barefoot on a wool rug and notice how the smooth, soft texture feels. Wool area rugs also hold their shape and fresh look longer than any other type of rug.

In fact, that durability makes them one of the best values in rugs over the long haul. Properly cared for, wool rugs can last well beyond 50 years, long after synthetic rugs have probably been replace three or four times.

Wool fibers are naturally elastic, so when they are crushed or stretched, they bounce back to their original shape and design. Synthetic fibers tend to be the opposite. They flatten, pull and wear easily, particularly in high traffic areas or beneath heavy furniture.

Nature has also given wool a few added bonuses: wool is naturally flame retardant and stain-resistant. Expose wool fibers to a flame, and they won’t ignite. They self-extinguish quickly, often leaving behind only a small patch of ash that can be brushed away. Expose synthetic carpets to a flame and you end up with a very ugly patch of melted carpet.

Moreover, as I mentioned wool is naturally stain-resistant as wool fibers tend to repel liquids, the cause of most carpet and rug stains. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a wool rug can’t be stained, but when a spill does get on a wool rug, it usually blots up easily.

Someone in your home suffering with allergies?

You definitely want wool. Wool has the unique ability to capture and hold dust particles in its fibers, cutting down on airborne dust and other particles in the air. A boon for anyone with allergies. There are studies that have shown that wool rugs may even help purify the air by absorbing common indoor contaminants like formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

And if the day ever comes that you decide to “retire” your wool rug, don’t worry, unlike synthetics, its biodegradable and won’t harm the environment.

Here at Natural Area Rugs, we offer some of the finest wool rugs available, at prices that make most of our competitors’ jaws drop. If you’re ready to try a wool rug, or would like to check out the styles available in wool rugs, just visit our website, or feel free to stop by our showroom in Beverly Hills.