No one can deny the contribution that a neat rug can bring to the room, and the same way any bad rug will make your space disconnected and disconcerting. This is especially true when buying rugs for a home office, which is a space you spend a lot of time in and are looking for convenience, although it may not be the most relaxing of spaces. When adding a rolling chair on top of that, the task becomes even more daunting. It’s often easier to find a rug that can fulfill all these requirements theoretically than it is in real life.
In this guide, we will take you through all the points you need to consider regarding the subject and what are the best rugs for home offices with rolling chairs.
6 Best Rugs for a Home Office
1. Safavieh Montauk Collection Handmade Flatweave Black Cotton Area Rug
Have you ever had a rug that you just cannot roll a chair over? A chair; or a rug that fits the chair well enough but is coarse and not very hospitable to touch? This rug gives you the best of both worlds.
With a hand woven premium cotton design and the low pile height of 0.25 inches, the air meshed ballistic nylon rests nice and comfortable on your bare feet without any added issue with your office chair.
With its clean, geometric pattern and subtle design, you’ll find it easy to match the rug to your overall office decor. Available in beige, black, grey, or light blue in a color pallet with sizes available from 23 x 7 to 10 x 14. You should have no problem finding a place for this rug and making it fit any look.
It does not have a non slip backing, so you may want to put an extra non slip pad under it to keep it from sliding around. Not machine washable, it is recommended to be hand washed or cleaned professionally.
With regular office usage in mind, this rug is hard wearing and is sure to give many years of service.
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2. nuLOOM Elijah Seagrass Natural Area Rug
Is your intention to achieve a natural feel and look in your home office? If so, then you may have found the rug for you! The elegant and sophisticated rug is constructed with only 100% seagrass. Every rug is hand-made so each is a unique work of art.
Pile height is only 0.2 stack, so an office chair rolls easily over it and if placed in front of a door won’t annoyingly block.
Natural fiber rugs may not stand up to heavy traffic as well as other materials, but spills can be spot-cleaned without leaving any nasty stains or stains. It suggests not vacuuming it, which you have to shake out crumbs and other such debris.
The shapes are round, oval, or square and they can be from 2 x 3 to 12 x 15 inches in size. The rug comes standard in a beautiful seagrass color, but you can choose the color of the rug’s trim (beige, black, brown, dark grey, or navy) to add a bit of color to your overall office decor.
The rug does have a backing, but it isn’t non-slip. It may also need another non-slip pad to make sure it stays in place.
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3. nuLOOM Lorretta Hand Loomed Area Rug
This rug is functional and super soft on your bare feet. With a pile height of .25, this rug is contemporary, lightweight and chic, perfect for use in an office setting.
The variety of sizes available from 4 x 6 to 10 x 14 will help you choose the right size for your office space while the only choice in color is taupe.
Since it is made of synthetic fibers, this might not be a great rug for rooms that get a lot of direct sunlight, and it should be avoided around your household pets as claws run within the weave.
Spot treatment with diluted detergent is recommended, however, the rug is light enough to machine wash, but slight shrinkage may occur. At the lowest setting (with the beater bar turned off), crumbs and other debris can be vacuumed.
This rug is reversible, without backing but an additional non slip pad may be required to keep it in place.
The rug will be able to withstand high traffic but may stretch slightly.
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4. Safavieh Montauk Collection MTK716G Handmade Flatweave Area Rug
This rug can provide that calming and neutral office space if you need a room that minimizes your distractions, while being comfortable and durable.
The cotton is handwoven and the pile is just 0.25 inches thick, so it’s soft, but works well on an office chair or in front of a doorway.
Accented in beige, black, blue, grey, light blue, or navy, it has a base that is neutral in ivory. Shapes are round or rectangular, the sizes are 23 x 39 to 9 x 12.
Although the rug can’t be machine washed, it can be spot-cleaned with a cloth and mild detergent. It is not suggested for use with household pets, as it may snag and pull. If it’s not stuck to the side of the toilet well enough, an additional non-slick pad may be necessary to keep it in place.
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5. nuLOOM Lefebvre Braided Indoor/Outdoor Accent Rug
Do you share your office space with other adults and kids and/or pets? Do you require a rug suitable for traffic both before and after business hours but also functional in the office setting? Your office should be no match for this rug it’s so resilient it can be used outside.
This is a stylish and versatile rug with a classic braided design, available in a variety of colors: aqua, charcoal, ivory, light blue, light gray, pink, tan, salt and pepper, and in sizes 2 x 3 to 12 x 18. You will be quite certain to determine the perfect fit for your office space.
A cloth and some detergent should be all you need to clean up a minor spill; and the rug should be water resistant and will hold up to minor spills as well. It is also fade resistant, there is nothing wrong with letting the direct sun shine on it as with other materials.
Some office chairs may not be as functional with the braided design and a non-slip pad may be necessary to prevent the rug from slipping.
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6. Brindle White Belly Cowhide Rug
If you have an office that is all work and no play, this rug will help you to break it up with a bold statement or whimsy to your decor.
Made from real, natural cowhide sourced from the food industry, each of the rugs is unique and not made in the same run. It makes each piece unique and helps to save the world with the recycling of the leftovers from one of the biggest industries of the world.
The size is estimated to be 5 x 7, but each hide is different. This may not be the rug for you if you have precise space requirements. It may also not be the best option to be used with a rolling office chair, as the hair could get caught on the wheels. It’s tri-colored as the general color description, but you can’t pick what is hidden before you buy it.
You can clean the rug, but there may be a little extra care in order to keep the rug lasting. The stains and spills can be cleaned off with a mild detergent and a cloth (dab, do not rub), then vacuumed with the grain of the hair growth.
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Buyers Guide for a Home Office Rug
The essence of choosing the most appropriate rugs for a home office is to settle for the one that has a harmonious combination of the different features in the rug. Placement, the size of the space and the rug, the materials used, and its pattern all have to be considered. All of these things can impact how a rug fits into a home office overall.
Rug Placement
Where is it going? The first question you should ask yourself is where to place the rug.
These are just a few of the options you should consider for placement:
- Do you want the rug under your desk and office chair?
- Do any of these chairs have wheels?
- Are there access points on or around the rug, such as a file cabinet that will get caught on the rug when you open it?
After you assess your home office and choose where you think a rug would be best put, remember that decision as you go forward.
Choosing the Right Size
You can opt for a large rug to fill up a much larger empty space or a small one to use in a limited, defined area. This could change drastically depending on where you decided to place the rug, but some good general tips should be considered:
- If you are putting the rug under your desk and chair, make sure it is big enough to extend past the furniture’s edges.
- The legs of the table and chair should be completely on the rug with plenty of room to scoot around.
- If the rug is too small, you will likely be either working on an uneven desk with two legs off the rug or sliding your chair over the edge of the rug and damaging it.
- If your desk is pushed up against the wall, you obviously can’t extend the rug past the front, so make sure to choose a flatter rug to keep the table even.
There are times when a larger rug spanning most of the floor space will do, especially if your home office is small. For this case, the rug should not touch the walls and leave enough space between them.
Think about access points so any doors or drawers opened will not continually get caught up when the rug.
Materials
Wherever a rug is placed, the material is important, but it is even more critical in the case of a home office.
If the new rug is placed underneath the chair, the material will have less traction, and you can definitely slide your chair easily when it’s not placed underneath the chair. In addition, you must take into account the amount of daily foot traffic and furniture moving the rug will experience.
In most cases a home office rug has to endure some roughing up and be easy to clean. Some materials are great, others are not. Silk and other such delicate materials should generally be avoided due to their inability to stand up to the foot traffic and withstanding crushing.
Getting a good material that can hold standing these wear and tear can be daunting. Here are some commonly used materials in a rug with a longer wear time.
- Nylon
- Viscose
- Polyester
- Natural plant fibers (Jute, Sisal, Seagrass, etc.)
Rug Construction
A rug can have a whole different look and durability, just depending on the way the rug was made.
For instance, machine-made rugs generally cannot stand up to all the wear and tear caused by sliding a chair back and forth. Berber rugs are also thick and shaggy. If you decide to use rugs built using these methods, you will likely find yourself needing to replace the rug more often.
Looking for a strong rug with a durable design for your office? The following are examples of types of rug constructions that can contribute to your office’s feeling of form.
- Distressed Rug: The well-worn style can last a long time with minimal maintenance, and gives you many design choices.
- Low Pile Rugs: Rugs with a pile height of 0.24 or less are considered low pile rugs, which are a great option for anyone looking for easy cleaning. The occasional vacuum run will keep your office floor debris free.
- Hand-Knotted Rugs: Hand-knotted rugs are generally the most durable option, and can sometimes last decades. There will not be any need to replace these rugs anytime soon.
- Hand Tufted Rugs: Hand-tufted rugs provide a durable option at a lower price point than hand-knotted rugs. But don’t let the price difference fool you. These rugs will still last for years to come.
- Flatweave Rug: Flatweave rugs are perfect for anyone that likes to change things up a bit. The reversible design makes it easy to alter the feel of your home office instantaneously. It is kind of like getting two rugs in one.
FAQs about Rugs for Home Office
What size should my office rug be?
One of the first questions you will have to answer is this one. Office space is probably where you want larger rugs but ask yourself how much of the bare floor around the edges you are comfortable with. You also need to ensure that your office furniture is properly installed. For the best experience, all four legs should rest on a rug big enough for that. You don’t want a desk that is now slanted because you have the back legs on the bare floor and the front legs on the rug.
What materials work best in an office rug?
The rug that your office will use will need to be able to support a lot of wear and tear yet still be functional for the office setting. For example, wool is extremely durable, but it might not be your best choice for an office chair with a rolling base. Cotton or polyester materials are recommended. Silk is to be avoided.
What rugs work best with a rolling office chair?
Fighting a chair that does not want to roll on the wrong rug is the worst thing. At all costs, shag or plush carpeting is to be avoided. You want the least resistance as you roll your chair back and forth, so you’re looking for a rug of a sturdy weave and low pile height. Recommend using flat-weave rugs.
What pattern should I get?
This is a matter of personal taste, so here are a few things to keep in mind. Is the office in general antiseptic and professional? If so, perhaps the right pattern will add some flair and help unify the room. However, if you are looking for calmness and neutrality, the pattern and color palette might be recommended to be more understated.
Will this rug stand up to high traffic?
Office rugs can get pretty roughed up from the constant foot traffic and the constant rolling back and forth of an office chair. Using natural materials like cotton and wool with a strong weave will offer the best support, and can easily be spot cleaned and vacuumed.
Will the rug stay in place?
Typically, a non slip pad will be required under any office rug. The rug will likely be heavier if the floor is carpeted, but in the case of wood floors, a pad is almost universally necessary. Any office furniture that sits on the rug will help to keep it in place, and its weight also helps to keep it in place.
Conclusion
For home office use, however, the best rugs will be of low pile height in order to accommodate a rolling office chair and made from durable fabric with a strong weave.
Most can be spot cleaned and vacuumed but are rarely, if ever, machine washable. Synthetic materials will fare better when it comes to deteriorating, but natural materials will tend to be more easily maintained.
