Buying a Berber carpet - what they are, why they’re a great option, how to choose and tips for cleaning

Berber carpets are durable, affordable and are ideal for living rooms, hallways and even bedrooms. On this page we:

In this guide

• What is a Berber carpet?
• Is Berber carpet good?
• How do Berber carpets compare to other types?
• Berber carpets for different rooms
• Designs
• Colours
• Costs
• Cleaning and maintaining Berber carpets
• Best Berber carpets

What is a Berber carpet?

The term Berber is used to describe two types of carpet:

• Modern, everyday Berbers that are normally brown or beige with lighter flecks of colour in them. These are looped to imitate the knot of traditional Berber carpets.
• Traditional Berbers that are often handmade and have bright colours or distinctive patterns.

Modern Berber carpets take their inspiration from the original weaved fabrics of the Berber tribes of North Africa. Most of the time when people talk about Berber carpets, they mean the plainer everyday carpets—it’s those we’re discussing on this page.

Is Berber carpet good?

Yes, Berber carpet is very popular-that's why you see it in lots of places. This is mostly because it's:

• very hard-wearing
• naturally stain-resistant
• available in a range of materials
• reasonably priced
• versatile, due to its neutral appearance

Berber carpets are very hard-wearing (but choose one with a low loop height)

All Berber carpets have a loop pile (different carpet piles are explained here). The lower the loops, the more durable the carpet, and indeed most modern Berbers are made with short loops.

Carpets with higher loops are more susceptible to matting and crushing over time. It's also easier for the loops to catch and snag. If you're choosing Berber for a room with heavy footfall, make sure the loops are nice and compact.

Almost all standard polypropylene Berber carpets are made with short loops.

Berber carpets are easy to clean and hide stains well

Because of the carpet's loop pile, any stains sit on the surface rather than absorbing into the fibres. This gives you time to catch spills before they soak in.

Also, the traditional flecked colour pattern of a Berber carpet means it hides stains very well.

Berber carpets come in different materials (but are commonly made of polypropylene)

Berber carpets tend to be made of either:

• polypropylene (olefin)
• wool
• nylon

Polypropylene

Most Berber carpets are made of polypropylene, as this material:

• is inexpensive to manufacture-meaning carpets can be priced more cheaply than the others
• is very durable
• can be cleaned with strong solutions like bleach
• generates little static-meaning no annoying electric shocks as you walk across it

While the pile can mat down more quickly than other materials, the low maintenance, low price and good durability of polypropylene make it the recommended option.

To find out more about polypropylene carpet including benefits, comparisons and cleaning options, visit our informative polypropylene guide.

Wool

Wool is:

• more expensive-expect to pay between £15 and £30 per square metre
• more costly to maintain
• strong
• luxurious and very soft

The main drawback of wool is the effort it takes to maintain it. For anything other than a quick vacuum, you'll need to hire a professional carpet cleaner who has been trained to clean wool carpet. Using a standard stain remover, for example, could cause serious damage to your carpet.

Wool is also the most expensive option.

Want to know more about wool carpets? Visit our wool carpets FAQs

Nylon

Nylon is:

• easy to clean
• very durable - will look fresh for years
• priced in the middle range

Its main advantage it lasts a really long time, normally longer than polypropylene. That makes it perfect for high-traffic areas such as hallways or stairs.

Read more about nylon carpets in our nylon carpet FAQs.

How do Berber carpets compare to other types?

Berber vs frieze carpet

• Frieze looks more "shaggy" and "loose", whereas looped Berber is tighter and more uniform.
• Frieze is a cut pile carpet-these tend to be a bit softer than looped carpet.
• A Berber carpet will fare better in high-traffic areas of the house.
• Both are excellent for the modern family home and do a great job at hiding footprints, dirt and marks caused by vacuuming.
• A frieze carpet is a tightly twisted, cut pile carpet.

Berber vs plush carpet

• Plush carpet is a formal, very soft and luxurious carpet and will only survive in low-traffic areas.
• Plush generally isn't a good choice for family homes with children.
• Plush shows footprints, dirt and vacuuming marks quite easily.
• Plush is fine for a room which is used infrequently, such as a spare room.
• For high-traffic areas, Berber is a much better choice.

Berber vs Saxony carpet

• Saxony is an incredibly soft carpet, but compared to Berber does not hide dirt or stains well.
• Saxony is not known for its durability and will need replacing more quickly if used consistently, unlike Berber which is made to last.
• Saxony is great for low-traffic areas where you want a bit of luxury, but you need to treat the carpet with care.

If you're considering Saxony, take a look at our Saxony carpet page, which profiles some great options by colour and price and takes you through the main advantages.

Read more about frieze, plush and Saxony carpets in our guide to carpet textures.

Berber carpets for different rooms

Bedroom

Living room

Hallway/high-traffic areas

Berber carpet-designs

Berber carpet-colours

With Berber carpets, people tend to favour neutral colours in dark or light shades. Grey is hugely popular, mainly because it's easy to incorporate into most rooms. Here are a few of our favourite Berber colours and designs:

Best grey Berber carpets

Dark-grey Berber

Light-grey Berber

Find more grey carpets along with tips and advice by visiting our guide:
Everything you need to know about grey carpets: best products, colour schemes and ideas

Best dark Berber carpets

Dark-brown Berber

Dark-blue Berber and Dark-green Berber

Find more blue carpets along with tips and advice by visiting:
Everything you need to know about blue carpets: best products, colour schemes and ideas

Find more green carpets along with tips and advice by visiting:
Everything you need to know about green carpets: best products, colour schemes and ideas

Costs

For polypropylene carpet, standard costs can start from as little as £5.99m2. Wool Berber carpets are more expensive. Expect to pay anywhere between £15 and £30.

At United Carpets & Beds, we frequently put our products on discounted sale, so keep an eye out! You can view our current sale items here.

Polypropylene is a low-cost material so most Berber carpets are good value for money. Berber also tends to be cheaper because the manufacturing process is less labour-intensive: when carpets are made they all start out as looped and are then cut as necessary.

Since Berber carpets have a looped style, the extra stage of cutting some or all of the loops isn't needed, reducing the overall cost of manufacturing.

For information on finance options and average prices of carpet by different sized houses, visit our guide: Carpet costs and finance options..

Low-cost Berbers

Medium-range Berbers

High-end Berbers

Cleaning and maintenance

Below are some useful tips for removing stains from your Berber carpet. For more information on how to clean and maintain your carpet, see our cleaning guide.

Try water first

The easiest way to remove a stain is to apply cold water to the area:

1. Use a dry towel and dab the stain first.
2. Dampen a clean white towel and gently work the towel into the stain.
3. Blot the stain with a clean, dry cloth.
4. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

DO NOT RUB as this could rub the stain deeper into the carpet.

DO NOT SCRUB as this will damage the fibres and cause them to become fuzzy.

Using bleach

Before you begin, prepare the bleach solution. Cover your hands with gloves to protect them. Bleach can be dangerous when used incorrectly, so always follow the safety instructions on the packaging.

1. Prepare the solution-one part thin domestic bleach/10 parts tap water-and pour it into a spray bottle.
2. Spray the stain evenly and leave it for 60 minutes.
3. Rinse with water and dab with a dry cloth.

Steam cleaning

Steam cleaning is more expensive than using a bleach solution, but if your carpet is dirty enough it's definitely worthwhile.

1. Remove everything from the room you're cleaning. This includes furniture.
2. Polish the skirting boards and any shelves.
3. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly.
4. Start up your steam cleaner and follow its instructions closely.
5. Start in the corner furthest from the door, making sure you don't step on the steamed parts.
6. Use long single strokes to keep the carpet fibres intact.
7. Leave the room to dry properly before you put the furniture back.

Hire a professional

If your carpet is made of wool or very dirty, hire a professional cleaner. These professionals have been trained and are the safest bet when it comes to delicate carpets. Many of them offer their services at a reasonable price.

Related content

Carpets: General FAQs

Wool carpets FAQs

Buying and fitting a new carpet