Best Nursery Rugs: Materials, Styles, and Top Brands (2024)
Author: Francesca, Founder and CEO, EasyTot
Selecting the perfect rug for a nursery is an essential decision that goes beyond just aesthetics. With years of experience in evaluating and purchasing hundreds of rugs from a wide array of brands, certain qualities consistently emerge as non-negotiable for nursery spaces. The right rug should combine durability with comfort, offering a plush surface that is gentle on little knees and safe for delicate skin. It must also withstand the demands of a busy household—whether that means being machine washable, resistant to stains, or able to maintain its texture and appearance over time.
In a market flooded with options, distinguishing between rugs that simply look good and those that deliver on performance is crucial. After rigorous testing and careful analysis of countless rugs, key features like hypoallergenic materials, pill-free surfaces, and ease of cleaning have proven to be indispensable. This guide narrows down the best nursery rugs that not only meet but exceed these standards, ensuring your baby’s room is both beautiful and practical.
What Rug Material Is Best For Babies?
Because babies will spend a lot of time in direct contact with the rug during tummy time and as they begin to walk, it’s essential to choose a rug free from toxic materials or dyes. Additionally, selecting a rug that is soft to the touch is highly recommended. For these reasons, it's best to avoid synthetic rugs. Although synthetic rugs may appear attractive in photos and their lower price might be tempting, they come with significant drawbacks. They tend to wear down quickly, can be rough on the skin, often emit unpleasant odors due to toxic VOCs, and are typically not washable. Given these issues, we do not offer any nursery rugs made from synthetic materials.
The best choices for a nursery rug are those made from wool or cotton, ideally with a flexible backing that allows for easy machine washing, ensuring the rug remains fresh and clean.
Organic Cotton: We believe Lorena Canals offers the best cotton nursery rugs, as they are easily machine washable and adhere to strict European safety standards. Additionally, Lorena Canals cotton rugs come in a variety of styles, making it easy to mix and match them to create a cohesive theme for your nursery.
Wool: More durable and luxurious than cotton, wool also acts as a natural air purifier by absorbing contaminants. Lorena Canals’ Woolable line, made from New Zealand wool, stands out because it can be machine washed, thanks to its patented construction that features a flexible backing, allowing the rug to be easily folded to fit inside a washing machine.
What's The Ideal Size For a Nursery Rug?
Based on the principles of interior design, selecting a rug that spans most of the open floor is crucial. It muffles noise, adds warmth, and creates a comfy play spot for the baby. For hardwood floors, opt for a larger size for better coverage and coziness. If have carpets, opt for a smaller rug to accent the room.
What Are The Top Brands Of Nursery Rugs?
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Lorena Canals should be your number one choice if you are looking to purchase a nursery rug because all their rugs are 100% wool or cotton and machine washable. While many rugs (e.g. Ruggable) on the market are machine washable, they are nowhere near to Lorena Canals rugs when it comes to quality. Lorena Canals rugs are 0.7" thick and are real rugs (rather than blankets over some padding). The secret to their being machine washable is a patented technology that makes it possible for the backing to be flexible so that they can fit inside a standard washing machine.
Lorena CanalsWOOLABLE RUG ABSTRACTSale price$799.89 Regular price$841.99 
Lorena CanalsWoolable Rug Koa PinkSale priceFrom $278.34 Regular price$292.99 
Lorena CanalsWoolable Rug Rose TeaSale price$298.29 Regular price$313.99 
Lorena CanalsWoolable Rug Woolly - Sheep GreySale price$160.54 Regular price$168.99 
Lorena CanalsWoolable Rug Zagros Natural - SandstoneSale priceFrom $657.39 Regular price$691.99 
Lorena CanalsWOOLABLE SILHOUETTE RUG NATURALSale priceFrom $480.46 Regular price$505.75 -
Oyoy wool rugs are playful and of high quality, with cute shapes that perfectly accent a playroom. They are not machine washable, but you can use a very inexpensive and portable machine like this hoover to clean carpets to get any stain or odor out - yes we tested that and it does work, it's just not as fast as throwing a rug in the washer.
OyoyBilly Dino RugSale price$226.00 
OyoyHopsi Rabbit RugSale price$140.00 
OyoyIce Cream Tufted RugSale price$248.00 
OyoyRainbow Rug - ChokoSale price$159.00 
OyoyRainbow Rug - MultiSale price$159.00 
OyoyTheo Dino RugSale price$226.00
How To Select A Rug Color And Style?
As much as a pure white nursery creates a sense of peace and calm, spills and stains will be inevitable and even with washable rugs, some stains may still leave a halo behind. That's why we recommend choosing a rug with a pop of color. We recommend starting from the rug as your base theme and then building other matching decor elements around this theme.
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Baby Girl Pink Theme
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Polka Dots Pink - POLKA DOTSSale price$203.29 Regular price$213.99 
Lorena CanalsBaby Basket Bubbly Pink - BubblySale price$52.24 Regular price$54.99 
Lorena CanalsKnitted Cushion Round Biscuit Pink - BiscuitSale price$37.04 Regular price$38.99 
Lorena CanalsWASHABLE ROUND RUG HONEYCOMB ROSE - Planet BeeSale price$176.84 Regular price$186.15 
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Abc Natural - Vintage Nude - ABCSale price$213.74 Regular price$224.99 
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Biscuit Pink - BiscuitSale price$203.29 Regular price$213.99 
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Atlas Natural - Vintage Nude - Bereber StyleSale price$434.14 Regular price$456.99 
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Hippy Pink - HippySale price$235.59 Regular price$247.99 -
Baby Boy Blue Theme
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Hippy Soft Blue - HippySale price$235.59 Regular price$247.99 
Lorena CanalsBasket Tassels Soft Blue - TasselsSale price$66.49 Regular price$69.99 
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Bubbly Soft Blue - Grey - BubblySale price$118.74 Regular price$124.99 - Garden Theme
Lorena CanalsWall Decor Magic PondSale price$56.04 Regular price$58.99 
Lorena CanalsBasket Fred The Frog - Fantasy GardenSale price$84.54 Regular price$88.99 
Lorena CanalsWashable Rug Woods Symphony Olive - Cotton WoodsSale price$311.59 Regular price$327.99 -
Safari Theme Decorate your nursery around a safari theme with these rugs by Doing Goods
Doing GoodsAri Lion Head Rug LargeSale price$255.00 
Doing GoodsBabul Bombay Tiger Rug LargeSale price$255.00 
Doing GoodsBlooming Black Bear Rug LargeSale price$255.00 
Doing GoodsBlooming Black Bear Rug SmallSale price$150.00 
Doing GoodsCoolio Crocodile Rug LargeSale price$255.00 
Doing GoodsArchie Check Bear Rug SmallSale price$150.00 
Doing GoodsFrancis Fawn Rug LargeSale price$255.00 
Doing GoodsFrancis Fawn Rug SmallSale price$150.00 
Doing GoodsHeritage Santana Tiger RugSale price$525.00 
Doing GoodsHeritage Tatsu Leopard RugSale price$525.00 - Black & White Zoo Theme For design-savvy parents who appreciate luxury and are willing to invest in professional rug cleaning, EO Play offers a collection of premium 100% wool rugs. These are the same exquisite rugs favored by celebrities and sought after by top interior designers for the meticulously curated homes showcased in Architectural Digest. However, because they are 50% thicker than Lorena Canals wool rugs (at 0.8") and are not as flexible, they likely won't fit inside a standard washing machine.
EO PlayFloor Pillow Zoo Collection Panda LargeSale price$995.00 
EO PlayFloor Pillow Zoo Collection Toucan LargeSale price$995.00 
EO PlayFloor Pillow Zoo Collection Whale LargeSale price$995.00 -
Tropical Theme A beautiful way to decorate the nursery like top interior designers do is to include wall decor. Lilipinso offers several rugs with beautiful nursery themes that can be coordinated with matching wall decor, from wall decals and posters to traditional wallpapers.
LilipinsoUtan - Rug Child - Tropical Leaf (brown)Sale price$210.00 
LilipinsoUtan - Wall Decals Muraux - Tropical FoliageSale price$171.00
Safety Considerations
Ensure the rug has a non-slip backing to prevent accidents. Rugs without proper backing can slide, posing a risk, especially when the baby starts to walk. Also, regular cleaning is crucial to prevent the accumulation of dust mites or allergens.
Conclusions
A nursery rug is more than just a decorative piece. It's a space where your baby will spend a significant amount of time playing, crawling, and exploring. By considering factors like material, color, size, and safety, parents can ensure they choose the perfect rug that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
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