Nylon recovers from crushing and lasts longer in traffic; polyester resists stains inherently and is softer and cheaper. In a busy household nylon is worth the premium. In a low-traffic bedroom or a short-term situation, polyester is smart money.
Installed cost includes material and professional labor. Ratings are relative across all 18 materials on this site, not absolute scores.
| Nylon Carpet | Polyester / PET Carpet | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost per sq ft | $4.00–$10.00 | $3.00–$7.50 |
| Expected service life | 10–20 years | 5–12 years |
| Cost per sq ft per year | $0.47 | $0.62 |
| Durability | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Water resistance | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Comfort underfoot | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Sound absorption | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Ease of maintenance | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| DIY friendliness | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Environmental profile | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Traffic rating | Heavy | Moderate |
| Commercially rated | Yes | No |
The points that decide this in practice — not the spec sheet items that read well but rarely change anyone's mind.
Nylon fiber has molecular memory — crushed pile springs back, especially after hot water extraction. Polyester lacks that recovery. In traffic lanes and on stairs, polyester mats down and stays matted, and no amount of cleaning restores it. Walk a five-year-old polyester stairway and a five-year-old nylon stairway side by side and the difference is unmistakable.
PET polyester is hydrophobic, so most spills sit on the surface rather than absorbing. Nylon is inherently more absorbent and depends on an applied stain treatment, which wears with cleaning and eventually needs reapplication. Solution-dyed nylon narrows this gap considerably, because color is locked into the fiber and it tolerates aggressive cleaning, including bleach solutions in commercial settings.
Polyester is cheaper per square foot but replaced sooner. Over ten years the cheaper fiber frequently costs more, because you buy it twice — and the second purchase includes tear-out, disposal and moving furniture again. Judge on cost per year of service, not on the showroom price tag.
A dense, tightly twisted polyester will outperform a loose, thin nylon. Fiber type sets the ceiling; construction determines whether you reach it. Ask for face weight, twist level and density, not just "it is nylon" — that answer alone tells you much less than the industry implies.
$4.00–$10.00 per sq ft installed, lasting 10–20 years — about $0.47 per sq ft per year.
If you buy one upgrade, make it solution-dyed nylon over a quality 8 lb pad. It costs roughly 15% more and routinely doubles usable life.
$3.00–$7.50 per sq ft installed, lasting 5–12 years — about $0.62 per sq ft per year.
PET is the right answer for bedrooms and the wrong answer for stairs. Mixing fibers by room is a legitimate, cost-effective strategy.
In traffic areas, usually yes. Nylon recovers from crushing and holds its appearance far longer, so cost per year of service typically comes out lower even though it costs more up front. In a guest bedroom that sees light use, that advantage is largely wasted and polyester is the better value.
Yes, inherently — PET polyester is hydrophobic, so spills tend to sit on the surface. Nylon depends on an applied stain treatment that diminishes over time with cleaning. The trade-off is that polyester gives up resilience, so it flattens in traffic in a way nylon does not.
Wool has the longest practical life but costs the most. Among synthetics, nylon lasts longest, particularly solution-dyed nylon in commercial settings. Polyester is the shortest-lived of the three in any area with meaningful traffic.
This is usually a room-by-room decision, not a whole-house one. LVP wins on cleaning, water, pets and resale. Carpet…
Carpet tile lets you replace one damaged square instead of a whole room, which is why commercial spaces standardized on…
Wool is the finest carpet fiber there is — naturally resilient, soil-hiding, flame-resistant and long-lived — and it…
For basements this is usually carpet tile, because a flood means lifting the affected tiles rather than tearing out the…