Machine-Woven vs. Handmade Area Rugs

Rugs come in all shapes and sizes, and one of the main distinguishing categories you might use to narrow down the type you want to get is how they’re made. Today, you can find rugs that are created with machines as well as rugs that are crafted by people without automated assistance. These are the differences you can find found when comparing machine-woven vs. handmade area rugs.

Machine-Woven Rugs

Machine-woven rugs are usually created with power looms, which weave threads into rugs without direct human intervention—they follow computer directions instead. This results in rugs that are broadly accessible, since many can be output in a short amount of time. The loom also makes sure the details of the rug remain consistently, so you’ll find that the patterns of machine-woven rugs are highly uniform. The materials used in these rugs may vary, though you’ll often find synthetic fibers in them, including polyester and nylon.

Handmade Rugs

Handmade rugs are formed by skilled artisans who tie the threads together using the specific technique called for depending on the rug type. Some artisans may tie knots individually to make hand-knotted rugs, while others may use handheld tools to shoot loops of fabric into a blank backing to make hand-tufted rugs. The former method is more taxing, and hand-knotted rugs are among the most coveted type for collectors. Handmade rugs also include some flat-weave rugs, which lack a pile because of how the fibers are brought together.

To some people, the art that goes into producing handmade rugs makes them more special. They may also last longer because of the attention to detail that goes into the knotting, tufting, or weaving process.

How to Spot the Difference

The two main areas on a rug to look at when you want to determine whether an area rug is machine-woven vs. handmade are the back and the fringes. When you flip over a machine-woven rug, you’ll see that the knots are even and smooth. A handmade rug will possess more irregularities, and the colors may have some variation throughout. Plus, since a handmade rug is woven together, a natural leftover fringe may stick out of the sides, adding to the design. Machine-woven rugs don’t have a fringe from the start, so they’re stitched on afterwards. If you see signs that the fringe was stuck on, the rug was most likely created with machines.

Whichever rug type you choose to go for, Boutique Rugs has something for you. From flat jute and sisal rugs to wool rugs to synthetic rugs, you can find one that matches your liking.