I’ve Owned My Ruggable Washable Rug for 6 Months. Here’s What I Love (and Hate) About It
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One of the most bothersome yearly tasks an apartment dweller has to deal with is rolling up a heavy rug and taking it to the cleaners. (Yes, you should be washing your rugs annually.) Ruggable's mission is to turn rug cleaning into a task as simple as throwing it in the washer, and as a neat freak, I had to try it.
As irritating as it is, rugs demand proper care and maintenance, or else you risk walking on a lifetime's worth of dander, dirt, spillage, and grime (and more if you have pets). Bundling your rug for the cleaners is unwieldy and unpleasant, which is why most rug owners result to handling it themselves or avoiding it at all costs.
Ruggable is a direct-to-consumer brand that makes stylish, machine-washable rugs: Instead of hauling a heavy area rug downstairs and loading it into your car, you can just toss your Ruggable into a washer, tumble dry low, and give that rug a refresh.
It’s been six months since I got my hands on a Ruggable runner for my kitchen, and after plenty of stomping, spilling, and standing, it still looks as visually impressive as it did on day one. But even if it’s easy on the eyes, its upkeep and stackable design leave something to be desired.
Monica Ahanonu Carrot Sunrise Rug
$209.00
ruggable.com
Washability
Ruggable’s branding is based on making rugs as easy to clean as possible, and that’s where it excels. The brand achieves this with its two-piece design: A thin layer of washable polyester lies directly over a nonslip rug pad, both pieces sticking together with a patented Velcro-like technology called Cling Effect. The top layer—the piece with Ruggable's designs on it—peels off of the rug pad so you can toss it into the wash as you would a towel or bedsheets. The rug pad does not go in the wash. Pricing for each Ruggable rug depends on the size, design (the brand has tons of artist collaborations), and type of nonslip rug pad you choose. They can cost as little as $89 for a doormat or as much as $900 for a large area rug.
Throughout six months of owning my Ruggable, I’ve spilled plenty of coffee, sauces, and beer over my 2.5- by 7-foot kitchen runner, only to immediately rip it off its rug pad, toss it in the washer, and give it a low tumble dry. The process is painless, and because my rug topper is three millimeters thick (the company sells rugs in various pile heights), I can wash it in a load with other home textiles.
The brand sells nonslip rug pads in classic, four millimeters thick and recommended for under furniture or doorways, and cushioned, 10 millimeters thick and recommended for areas where you'll be on your feet most. My kitchen runner has a cushioned pad that's super plush, like a thick yoga mat, making tedious tasks like washing dishes or dicing vegetables more comfy.
Although I haven’t tried the classic rug pad, I’d recommend shelling out the extra cash for a cushioned one to support your feet. The toppers are also thin and slightly rough on the feet due to their synthetic makeup, so the added plushness in the cushioned model is welcome.
Style
If “machine-washable rug” is the pitch, Ruggable’s styles drive it home. The brand has hundreds of rugs to peruse, from designers like Jonathan Adler and Iris Apfel to Star Wars-inspired doormats and kids' rugs. While retailers like Target and Walmart carry selections of washable rugs, none are quite as cute, striking, or attractive as Ruggable.
The colors are punchy, even after washing, and the designs are unique. It’s the biggest reason I gravitated toward the brand in the first place: I didn’t want anything bland in my home.
The brand’s two-piece build lets owners swap designs, too, which is genuinely exciting. If I ever got bored of my Carrot Sunrise rug, I can just head to Ruggable’s website, find another design I love, and purchase it in the exact measurements of my current rug pad. That customizability gives Ruggable an edge over most competitors.
Durability
Synthetics are the typical choice for most companies that mass produce rugs, and Ruggable is no exception here. Polyester, the material used in Ruggable’s toppers and rug pads, can resist stains, water, color fading, and mild sun damage, making it a reasonably impenetrable rug fabric. Ruggable rugs are tough enough to withstand heavily-trafficked areas without showing wear or tear, but it's by no means a sustainable textile.
Throughout the half-year I’ve had my Ruggable, I haven’t noticed any visible damage on its surface nor seen any cracks in the rug pad. (The only visible issues come from washing it, which I'll touch on below.) The cushioned pad is made with three layers of polyester, which reinforces its durability (and comfort). There aren’t any weak spots or dents in my rug pad and I’m relieved that I won't have to replace it anytime soon.
Drawbacks
Eye-catching aesthetics aside, Ruggable’s two-piece design needs tweaking, specifically with the Cling Effect technology and post-wash placement. Stacking the brand’s topper over a nonslip rug pad is an excellent idea in theory, but frustrating in practice.
After the topper goes through a wash cycle, the corners and edges immediately curl upwards when laid flat. The puckering effect makes my rug look cheap, uneven, and unflattering. Ruggable tried fixing this issue by adding triangular silicone pockets on each corner of the topper to tuck your weighted rug pad into to pull down the corners, but those curls persist. It’s also further irritating since the inside of each corner is a Velcro-like material, which makes tucking each edge into its pocket even more difficult.
Laying the topper over the rug pad is also about as frustrating as applying a new glass screen protector to your phone. Because the topper is so thin, you can easily drape it over the pad, but the Cling Effect catches and immediately sticks, causing an issue similar to air bubbles. I’ve spent plenty of time carefully draping a topper over its bottom piece, only to later scrape the humps and ripples of it flat with my feet, like a credit card over a screen protector.
The bumps and humps of my Ruggable also accumulate pretty quickly as I walk on it, especially if it hasn’t been washed in a while. That low tumble dry de-wrinkles the topper, but after about a week of high foot traffic, you’ll kick and crumple it over the pad. Even worse is trying to vacuum over it—wheeling anything over a Ruggable causes it to scrunch and bunch. (I’ve dropped enough crumbs and coffee grounds over my Ruggable to know that it’s easier to toss it in the washer than vacuum it clean. I’d rather deal with a wash cycle than hold my topper taut with my toes and awkwardly push a vacuum between my feet.)
The Ruggable Washable Rug, Reviewed
If you’re in the market for a stylish and easy-to-clean rug, Ruggable isn’t a bad choice. The brand has a fantastic eye for style, and being able to toss your rug into a machine washer is a luxury even the most expensive floor coverings don’t offer. Although its Velcro-like, two-piece design can be grating to line up perfectly, and the corners don't hold up well to washing, these rugs are tough, attractive, and ultra-convenient in any household. The drawbacks are well worth the benefits of an affordable, stylish rug that'll last ages.
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