Best Places to Buy Rugs: 15 Online Stores For Any Budget

While some may dare to go bare when it comes to designing their space, a good-quality, eye-catching area rug is a great way to incorporate some warmth and texture, really pulling a room together. However, it can be hard not to feel a bit floored by the sheer volume of possibilities.

Is it better to opt for a sturdy synthetic or a more indulgent, luxurious wool? Should you go solid? Traditional? Modern? Though some choices largely come down to personal aesthetic, we’re here to help you take the first step in your rug-buying journey. With an assist from a trio of design pros, we’ve rounded up the best spots to shop for your new favorite rug.

Our top picks for the best places to buy a rug

For those on the hunt for modern options—think geometric designs, minimalist and mid-century modern pieces—AllModern offers stylish, budget-friendly picks (with frequent markdowns). Throw in free delivery and collaborations with big name designers like Jason Wu and you’ve got an easy, affordable way to upgrade your space.

What to know:

• Price range: $18–$7,600
• Return policy: 30 days
• Delivery options: Options range from FedEx to white glove delivery
• Shipping time: Small items ship within 2 business days; larger within 3 weeks

What we like:

• More than 700 attractive options in a wide range of shades, patterns and materials
• Free delivery and frequent sales
• Solid mix of natural fibers like jute, sisal and wool and more durable performance fabrics

What we don’t like:

• As the name might suggest, this isn’t the place to look for more vintage styles

The bottom line:

AllModern is a good place to score fun, geometric styles and other modern pieces at a smart price.

How I select the best places to buy rugs

Overall selection

Considering the factors our experts highlighted in what to look for when finding the best rug retailers, I looked for websites that had a good range of sizes, materials, and colors/patterns.

Ease of browsing and ordering

A wide range of rugs isn’t a plus if it’s difficult to filter through the options to find what you’re looking for, for example. That’s why I considered the overall buying experience, from initial search to ordering, when selecting the best places to buy rugs. Additionally, I also weighed factors like positive reviews of customer service, along with shipping options, and customer-friendly return policies.

Tried-and-true recommendations

When shopping online, a photo can often be misleading—making first-hand experience necessary when determining a good retailer. I relied on expertise from interior designers Beryl, Brandfon, and Dai on how to choose the right rug for your lifestyle and space, along with their recommendations for specific spots to shop.

What the best places to buy rugs have in common

Size options

Some of the biggest mistakes shoppers make when it comes to rugs is haphazardly choosing a size. This mainly happens because there may be a particular style or color you like, but it’s only available in one or two sizes (and often purchased wherever you’re buying furniture). That’s why it’s better to choose a retailer that offers a wide range of sizes, even if it feels more convenient to buy it at the same time as a new couch or coffee table.

To determine the right size for your space, interior designer Linette Dai of Linette Dai Design recommends considering the scale of the rug in proportion to the room. “A small rug may look awkward in a large room,” she notes, “whereas an oversized rug may be overwhelming in a tiny space.”

When laying everything out, there are two options, adds Emma Beryl, interior designer and owner of Emma Beryl Interiors. If space allows in a living room or bedroom, she says, “you can get a large rug and have all of your furniture pieces sit comfortably on it with at least a foot of rug bordering all furniture pieces.” In a smaller room, she suggests, “rest the front half of the furniture on the rug and the back half off. This way a rug can fit, and it looks purposeful and unified.”th

A range of materials

As a rule, interior designer Lexi Brandfon, founder of Brooklyn, N.Y. interior design firm Lex & Hudson, recommends natural materials for her clients like mohair, silk, jute and “especially wool for its durability and cleanability.” If the covering is meant for a bedroom, she really likes to dial up the softness with “luxurious high pile rugs that add comfort.”

However, if you’re on the hunt for something to lay in a high-traffic area like an entryway, laundry room, kitchen or playroom, it’s smart to opt for a more durable flat-weave, like a wear-resistant jute or sisal.

That said, synthetic materials like polypropylene, polyester, acrylic, and nylon are also an option. While they’re not as thought of as highly as natural materials, there are some upsides: They’re cheaper, they are easy to care for, and offer some measure of stain- and weather-resistance. (Outdoor rugs are almost always made of synthetics, or a blend of synthetic and natural fibers.) However, synthetics tend to wear quicker, can often trap dirt, and sometimes have a distinct odor when new.

Color and pattern choices

Keep in mind, a rug is something you’re going to be looking at on the regular, so consider if you’d prefer the more monochromatic look a solid shade might provide, or if you’d like a multi-color patterned option that not only makes a statement, but also tends to be better at camouflaging stains. A good rug retailer has enough options to give you plenty to consider.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How can you tell if a rug is high quality?

A quick check at the description will offer some strong clues, notes Beryl. “Most of the high-quality rugs I lean towards are hand knotted and are made from natural materials such as wool, cotton, silk, and jute,” she says. “These rugs tend to feel the best and last the longest.”

Another key factor “that many overlook,” she adds, “is whether or not the pattern is screen printed onto the top layer of fibers on the rug or if it is woven in through different color strands of materials. Screen-printed patterns will fade over time and the rug will eventually lose its color.”

For Brandon, one tell-tale sign is found on the back. “A machine-made rug generally is harder to roll over in a corner because it has a strong backing,” she notes, “while a hand-loomed rug is generally softer and you can flip over an edge easily.”

How much should a good quality rug cost?

While you can find inexpensive rugs, they’re likely to be made with lower-quality synthetics such as polyester or nylon. If you’re looking for something that will feel soft on your feet and last well-beyond a few seasons without shedding and pilling, experts agree you’ll be spending upwards of $400 and possibly into five-digit territory. “It’s a big range,” acknowledges Brandfon, “depending on a number of factors like size, quality, pile, color, production methods, trends and pedigree.” Typically, she adds, her clients are spending “anywhere from $1,000 to $12,000.”

How do you know what size rug to get?

Step one, says Dai, is to “consider the function and purpose of the rug.” If you’re using the piece to create a defined space within a room, make sure that all the key furniture pieces of that particular layout are able to be either fully or partially placed on the rug,” she said. You’ll want the floor covering extending beyond the furniture by at least six to 12 inches.

If you’re looking to fill a larger area—say an entire living room or under a bed—"a general guideline is to leave 12 to 18 inches of floor space between the edge of the rug and the wall,” says Dai. In a dining room, the key consideration is to allow enough room to accommodate both the table and the chairs when pushed out, she adds, “so a good rule of thumb is to add another 24 inches to each side of the table.”

What is the best time of year to buy a rug?

While it’s always smart to look during major retail sale seasons (think: Black Friday, Memorial Day, Labor Day and other holidays), “usually the best deals are found in the clearance sale section which can be anytime of the year depending on the store,” says Dai. “This is where select normally high-priced, quality rugs can be marked down as much as 50 percent due to a color or style being discontinued or having excess in stock. Designer showrooms will also sometimes have sales when changing their showroom floor samples at the start of a new season or with the release of a new collection.”

How much should a good quality rug cost?

Generally speaking, the materials and how they’re produced play a huge part in cost. Rugs made using high-quality fabrics like silk tend to cost more as does anything that’s hand-crafted. “Because a machine-made rug can be made cheaper and faster, hand-loomed rugs are generally more expensive and special for that matter,” notes Brandfon, who adds, “quality materials always last longer and develop a nice worn-in quality over time.”

That being said, adds Beryl, “a rug doesn’t have to be super expensive to be good quality, you just want to look for hand knotted, natural materials, and make sure the pattern isn’t screen printed,” as those colors tend to slowly fade over time.

How do you make a room look expensive with curtains?

Aside from avoiding those with an inexpensive-looking grommet top, one easy trick, suggests Dai, “is to mount the curtains about a foot above the top of the windows and frame out generously past both sides. It draws the eyes up, creating an illusion of elongated ceiling height and a sense of luxury.”

Have them end about an inch above the ground, adds Beryl. “Having a bunch of extra fabric pooling on the ground will look messy.” Ensure you have enough panels to cover the entire window “so it looks plush when pulled open but when closed there are no gaps.”