By Tony Chalhoub, founder of CarpetAce
Short answer: Choose wool if you want a natural fibre with a soft, rich feel for bedrooms and formal living areas, and you’re happy to deal with spills quickly. Choose solution-dyed nylon if you want a tough, easy-care carpet for family rooms, hallways, kids and pets. At CarpetAce, mid-range solution-dyed nylon is $43.50/m² and mid-range wool or wool-blend carpet is $68.30/m², supply only, including GST.
I’ve been installing carpet for more than 20 years, and wool or nylon is a question I’m often asked at the measure. Both are excellent fibres. The right one depends on the rooms, who lives in the home and how much care you want to put in. Here’s an honest comparison, with our real prices.
Wool vs nylon at a glance
| Wool | Solution-dyed nylon | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A natural, renewable fibre from sheep’s fleece | A synthetic fibre with the colour added while the fibre is made, so it runs right through each strand |
| Feel underfoot | Soft, warm and full | Soft and smooth; the feel depends on the range |
| Spills and stains | Good if spills are blotted quickly; some stains can set | Very good; resists many common household stains |
| Strong sunlight | Dyed wool can fade over time | Holds its colour well |
| Busy areas | Resilient; the pile recovers well from footsteps | Very hard-wearing and resilient |
| Cleaning products | Avoid bleach and harsh alkaline cleaners | Tolerates a wider range of cleaners |
| First few months | Some loose fibres (shedding) is normal | Little or no shedding |
| Supply price at CarpetAce (inc GST) | $68.30/m² mid-range wool and wool-blend; about $110/m² premium wool; about $123/m² designer Axminster | $43.50/m² mid-range; $68.30/m² high-end |
| Best suited to | Bedrooms, formal lounges, adult households | Family rooms, hallways, homes with kids and pets |
Wool carpet: pros and cons
Pros
- Natural fibre. Wool is renewable, and for many of our clients that matters as much as the look.
- Feel and appearance. Wool has a depth and softness that suits premium interiors, and it takes dye well, which gives rich, even colour.
- Resilience. Wool fibres have a natural crimp that helps the pile spring back after footsteps and furniture.
- Australian-made choice. We supply wool ranges from Melbourne maker Supertuft, Seaford-based Chaparral and EC Carpets, among others. Browse our wool carpets.
Cons
- Price. Mid-range wool is $68.30/m² against $43.50/m² for mid-range solution-dyed nylon.
- Spills need prompt attention. Wool absorbs liquid more readily, so blot spills straight away. It’s also sensitive to bleach and harsh cleaning products.
- Shedding. New wool carpet sheds loose fibres for the first few months. It’s normal and settles down with regular vacuuming.
- Insects. Carpet beetle and moth larvae can feed on wool, especially under furniture that rarely moves. Regular vacuuming is the best prevention.
- Sun. In rooms with strong direct sun, dyed wool can fade over the years.
Solution-dyed nylon: pros and cons
Pros
- Colour that lasts. Because the colour runs through the fibre, solution-dyed nylon holds its colour in sunny rooms and resists many common stains.
- Hard-wearing. Nylon is well known for standing up to heavy foot traffic and recovering its pile.
- Value. Mid-range solution-dyed nylon is $43.50/m², which leaves room in the project for better underlay or more rooms.
- Easy care. A practical choice for young families, pets and investment properties.
Cons
- Synthetic. Nylon is made from petroleum-based materials, which matters to some clients.
- Stain resistant, not stain proof. Some substances can still mark it, so spills should still be cleaned up promptly.
- Feel. Many people still prefer the feel of wool underfoot. That’s personal, so it’s worth comparing samples side by side.
- At the top end, price evens out. High-end solution-dyed nylon is $68.30/m², the same as mid-range wool, so the choice comes down to feel and care rather than cost.
Which one suits your home?
Choose wool if you’re carpeting bedrooms, a formal lounge or a home office, you value a natural fibre, and you’ll vacuum regularly and blot spills quickly.
Choose solution-dyed nylon if you have young children or pets, you’re carpeting open-plan family areas or hallways, the rooms get strong afternoon sun, or it’s a rental or investment property.
Somewhere in between: wool blends and triexta (a synthetic fibre often chosen for its soft feel and stain resistance) sit at about $68.30/m². Some homes also mix fibres, with wool in the bedrooms and nylon in the family room. One range throughout has a practical advantage, though: we can cut robes and small rooms from offcuts of the same carpet where they fit.
You can browse both fibres in our carpet range.
What it costs: a worked example
Take a 5 × 4 m living room, 20 m² of floor. Carpet comes off a roll 3.66 m wide, so this room is wider than the roll in both directions and needs a join and a fill piece. The layout that uses the least carpet is two 4.1 m lengths (4 m plus 0.1 m for trimming): 2 × 4.1 × 3.66 = about 30.0 m² of carpet for 20 m² of floor. We do our best to keep joins out of high-traffic areas.
| Item | Mid-range solution-dyed nylon | Mid-range wool or wool-blend |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet (30.0 m²) | × $43.50 = $1,305 | × $68.30 = $2,049 |
| Underlay, 10mm (20 m² × $6–$10) | $120–$200 | $120–$200 |
| Installation (20 m² × $11–$13.60, by carpet weight) | $220–$272 | $220–$272 |
| Total (inc GST) | $1,645–$1,777 | $2,389–$2,521 |
Underlay is 10mm, from Airstep, Underlay King and Airlay. Taking up the old carpet (about $8/m²) and furniture moving ($8/m²) would add about $160 each. The $450 small-job charge applies only to jobs under 20 m², so a room this size doesn’t attract it. Premium wool at about $110/m² would put the carpet line at about $3,300.
In a room narrower than the roll, much less carpet is left over. That’s why the quantity is worked out room by room at the measure. For a guide to your own rooms, try our flooring price calculator, or see the full breakdown on our carpet prices in Melbourne page.
Frequently asked questions
Is wool carpet worth the extra cost?
If you value a natural fibre and the feel of wool, and the rooms aren’t the busiest in the house, yes. In the 20 m² room above, mid-range wool costs about $744 more than mid-range nylon on the carpet (30 m² × $24.80).
Is wool or nylon better with pets?
Solution-dyed nylon is usually the practical choice, because it resists stains and copes with frequent cleaning. Whichever fibre you choose, a cut pile is generally safer than a loop pile, as claws can catch on loops.
Does wool carpet shed?
Yes, for the first few months. Loose fibres left over from manufacturing work their way to the surface. Vacuum regularly and it settles down.
Can I see wool and nylon samples at home?
Yes. Our mobile showroom brings samples to your home so you can compare them in your own light. You can also preview a carpet in a photo of your room with See it in your room.
Book a free measure and quote
We’ll bring wool and nylon samples to your home, measure every room and email a written quote within 24 hours of the measure. Book your free measure and quote or call 0425 552 816.