What do Carpet Performance Ratings Mean?

When you buy any residential type of carpet you are going to be shown a performance rating on a scale from 1 to 5. Of course if the rating is higher the carpet is of higher quality but what exactly do these performance ratings mean? What is this metric actually measuring?

Let’s take the rating of 5. A performance rating of 5 indicates a perfect rating and it also means that after the carpet was put through rigorous testing to its limits, it still maintained its new carpet appearance.

However a rating of 4 is good too. Carpets of this rating would be good in the high traffic areas of your home to include family rooms and the places where your kids play.

When the rating is between 2.5 and 4.0 then it is indicative of standard quality carpeting and with the proper care and maintenance should last quite some time.

Anything below 2.5 should see light duty when it comes to traffic. Probably better to but a carpet of this performance rating classification into one of the back bedrooms that are rarely used.

The ratings do not indicate quality or durability over a fixed time span. No carpet manufacturer could make these promises as traffic and other conditions hard on carpets vary from home to home. If you have a home with no children and never hold any parties then probably a carpet of any rating will hold up well.

The rating metric itself is based on a factor denoting the change in appearance of the carpet after rigorous testing. If after testing the carpet it severely changed appearance then it would be given a rating of one. If given the same rigorous test to another carpet and it did not change its appearance at all, it would be given a 5.

The testing is done in laboratories where mechanical walkers apply a predetermined number of steps on the carpet. Once the tests are complete the carpets are compared with the Appearance Change Grading Scales supplied by the Carpet and Rug Institute. There are other factors involved in the performance rating to include the face weight, twist, and density. A face weight with more ounces per square yard is of better quality. If there is a higher twist in the carpet then it will resist crushing and matting better.

Not all carpets have ratings but you would be wise to buy a brand that does. Most of the time you will find the ratings on samples supplied at the retailer. These ratings help you to make an informed decision about which carpet to buy.

Next article: Carpet Shopping Tips: Carpet Twist, Fiber type and Density Explained