With a large rug nestled around your outdoor table, you’ll find comfort underfoot for celebrations and meals alfresco, and you’ll be able to pull together a totally cohesive design scheme, including integrating further color. There are a range of neutrals and more daring statements rugs available, all made with suitable fibers for outdoor living, including designs to protect against dirt, rain and heavy foot traffic. With this Homes & Gardens edit of the best outdoor rugs available, you can start picking out the rug for the crowning finishing detail of your outdoor setup. Beyond that, if you’re looking for more pieces to add to the fray, the best outdoor furniture is also available for the most stylish patio dining and poolside lounging options.
The best outdoor rugs to buy
NB. For easy comparison, we’ve listed the recommended retail prices for an 8 x 10’ rug in each style, but most also have alternative size options available which are noted in the specifications. As with indoor rugs, we recommend opting for the largest size floor covering your outdoor space allows and seating furniture on the rug rather than alongside for a more generous feel. Inspired by traditional Persian designs, this intricately patterned outdoor rug blends a bold floral motif with beautiful tonal shades. Available in a wide range of sizes that make it easy to find the best fit for your space, the hand-knotted design is crafted from heathered yarns that have the subtle shadings of a well-loved, time-worn textile, and as such, no two designs are quite alike. Suitable to be used both indoors or outdoors in a covered area, we think this is the perfect option for a wide porch or courtyard terrace where the rug’s neutral colour palette will complement both decking or paving. Browse our front porch ideas page for more inspiration on creating a stylish covered outdoor living area, and pair with one of this year’s best Adirondack chairs for the ultimate in design-led seating. An easy neutral that will go with a wide range of outdoor furniture and flooring materials, Ferm Living’s Way outdoor rug is a brilliantly sustainable option. Woven from recycled PET fibres that are repurposed from single-use plastic, each rug saves 292 plastic bottles from landfill, creating a beautifully soft rug that bypasses the need for new materials to be extracted from the earth. Available in simple black and white or a darker ‘sugar kelp’ brown, as well as the larger rug there is also a long and thin runner and a porch mat on offer, all offset with asymmetrical rows of fringed trim that underscore the handmade feel. To complete the look, pair with the matching outdoor cushions. Made from recycled plastic that corresponds to 55 plastic bottles and featuring plumptious feather and down inners, you will need to bring the cushions indoors during any downpours, but luckily they look just as good inside as out. A traditional kilim style weave is blended with outdoor materials in the Janea rug to make a versatile floor covering perfect for adding warmth and refined elegance to an outside space. The handcrafted design is woven in beautiful faded tones that blend well with natural outdoor materials like stone, wood and wicker, softening hard surfaces like paving and brick work to layer an outdoor living space with subtle texture. And because these rugs are handmade, no two designs are exactly alike, making your outside space uniquely yours. Despite the bold contrast, a black and white striped rug can work brilliantly as a neutral, blending easily with a wide range of outdoor styles, from a classical formal garden to a contemporary poolside retreat. Laid with stripes running horizontally to the main viewpoint, a striped rug can also be a useful tool for lengthening a small or narrow space, drawing your eye down the garden and creating the illusion of more space. Pair with simple black or cream accessories for a more tailored look, or go bold by mixing contrasting patterns and prints for a vibrant entertaining space. Who said rugs must be rectangular? Not Jill Zarin who has created a great range of circular indoor/outdoor floor coverings. The faded tones of this animal print option tone back the drama creating an easy to work with neutral with a hint of the wild side. Great for use in a smaller backyard, a circular rug can be placed in front of a favourite lounge chair or outdoor sofa to create a focal point that draws your eye down the garden. An easy - and affordable - way to add a pop of colour to a dull outdoor space, this Safavieh rug comes in eight useful color options, including vibrant red, fresh green and dark green options and two classic blue tones. There are also a wealth of sizes on offer which makes it easy to find an option to suit your space, including several sizes of round rugs. Stain and UV-resistant this rug is also a useful easy-to-care-for option for high traffic areas. A neutral rug is an easy win, complementing nearly all outdoor furniture sets and landscaping materials, and with this RH option you get four choices of versatile shades; sand, honey, linen and charcoal. The loomed herringbone twill adds understated detail that elevates the plain colorways to add subtle texture to an outdoor living area, whilst the polypropylene weave ensures good all-weather outdoor performance. Inspired by the colors of Santorini, the Greek island nestled in the Aegean Sea, the tonal blue and white stripes of this outdoor rug create a nautical feel that’s perfect for adding cooling calm to a beachside retreat or coastal courtyard. A good range of size options ensure there’s a measurement that will work for most spaces, and with the design woven from Perennials® Performance Fabrics, you can be sure that the rug will resist stains and moisture, and withstand UV light to maintain its optimum colors without fading. Add bold style to the backyard with this tropical leaf print design. Perfect for creating a focal point to draw you outside, the multicolored design will add statement style to your patio, balcony or porch. The botanical pattern is also a useful tool for adding an organic touch to an outdoor space that’s a little short on greenery, so if your thumbs aren’t green this might be an option to embrace. The looped weave also adds texture and depth to the design, creating an artisan feel. Available in eleven different designs, the Eagean indoor/outdoor rug collection from Raymour & Flanigan is a great way to add pattern to the backyard on a budget. The muted tones work well with a wide range of outdoor floor surfaces, and although most are a little on the small side, there is still a good selection of size options to choose from. We like this tonal blue design, but there are also some lovely Berber-style outdoor rugs (opens in new tab), neutral stripes and kilim style designs on offer.
How we chose these outdoor rugs
When selecting the very best of the outdoor rugs there are on offer, there was a careful process followed in order to cover all of the necessary criteria. That includes looking at the specifics of what each rug is made from, what their materials can withstand, and how many options are available when it comes to size. Beyond that, we also looked at user reviews to ensure that those who had these rugs in their home were happy after they had first-hand experience of them too.
How to choose an outdoor rug
Size One of the biggest frustrations of shopping for any kind of rug can be the discrepancy in sizes between styles. There’s little more annoying than finding a weave you love only to discover the size doesn’t fit your space. To avoid disappointment make sure you measure before you start shopping to work out the best fit for your space. As a rule of thumb, you’ll probably want to opt for the biggest rug your space and budget allows; one generous enough that your furniture sits entirely on the rug with a few feet of rug all around, although in a smaller space a centrally placed circular rug can still create a lovely focal point. Design For a cohesive look, you’ll want to opt for an outdoor rug that coordinates with your existing outdoor furniture, decking, or paving materials. If your existing furniture is bright and colorful a neutral rug may be the easiest option to mix in, whereas a simpler outdoor setup can be uplifted by a patterned or textured rug. Browse our backyard ideas page for some style inspiration. Materials Most outdoor rugs are made from polyester or polypropylene, which as plastics are water-resistant and stain-resistant making them ideal for outdoor use where they repel moisture and are resistant to mold or mildew. The best outdoor rugs you can buy are options made from recycled plastic or recycled PET fibers. These repurpose already existing single-use plastics from things like plastic bottles, drinking straws, and food-grade containers, preventing new materials from being extracted from the earth, and stopping single-use plastics from ending up in landfills (where they take many years to break down and in so doing leach harmful chemicals into the environment). Flatweave or tufted? Outdoor rugs tend to come in either a flatweave or a tufted design. A flatweave outdoor rug will be thinner and won’t add as much insulation underfoot, but the bonus is that they’re usually lightweight, easy to move, and because they lay very flat to the ground have less potential to be a trip hazard. The flatweave also makes it harder for outdoor debris to become trapped, so they’re easy to freshen up with a quick shake or a hose down. A tufted rug usually has a much deeper pile which makes it a more luxurious option for sinking your toes into and adding insulation to the floor, however, the deeper pile adds extra weight, so this is unlikely to be an option for picking up and taking onto the beach or the lawn. The deeper pile makes debris a bit harder to shake out, and the extra raised thickness could potentially be more of a trip hazard.
Where to find more outdoor rugs
If you have a specific look in mind or need to fulfil some exact criteria, then you can find more outdoor rug stockists to browse in our guide to where to buy patio furniture, which includes the Homes & Gardens team’s edit of the leading outdoor furniture retailers. Or, if you’re primed for a sale bargain then keep an eye on our patio furniture deals page which will alert you to the best brand discounts each season. For more from Homes & Gardens team’s favorite retailers, simply look below:
Amara outdoor rugs (opens in new tab)Annie Selke outdoor rugs (opens in new tab)Boutique Rugs outdoor rugs (opens in new tab)One King’s Lane outdoor rugs (opens in new tab)Rugs USA outdoor rugs (opens in new tab)
