Online Rug Stores: Five Reviews

Is there something soft under your feet? There's nothing like a plush area rug to complement an attractive hardwood floor or to cover up ugly pile carpeting. Whether you need a rug for comfort, convenience, or contrast, there are online stores waiting to sweep you off your feet - so they can lay down a rug. From Persian to shag and braided to hand-tied, these online rug stores offer thousands of area rugs for delivery. Even if your budget is limited, you can cover your floors with something spiffy from one of these websites.

www.rugs-direct.com
One of the most comprehensive websites selling rugs is Rugs Direct. Allowing you to shop easily by design, weave, shape, and brand name, the store touts a vast, well-organized selection. There are over 2000 rugs just under the specific category of "floral and botanical prints" - almost overwhelming. To get a sample of their diversity, click on their Most Popular link, which will display up to 100 of their top-selling rugs. Though many rugs are under $200, you'll find some exotic specialties (i.e. Turkish-Indian) that go for as much as several thousand. The children's section of the online store offers a healthy selection of kid-themed rugs to boot, making this a truly all-purpose outlet. And Rugs Direct is not only happy to sell you rugs of all prices; they're delighted to suggest a panoply of padding and cleaning accessories you may or may not need. Thread for thread, this store is tops.

www.rugarea.com
The closest competitor to Rugs Direct, and practically a peer, is Rug Area. Reversing the phrase "area rug" craftily, the website's name is only the beginning of its pleasant surprises. Searchable by brand, color, size, material, weave, shape, and price, the website makes shopping simple - especially if cost is a concern. Over 5000 rugs are priced under $200. Like Rugs Direct, Rug Area offers a Top 100 listing that displays their diversity in brief. I found their selection of shag rug colors and sizes especially deep, an indication that they've got their finger on a trendy pulse while still selling drab runners and the expected Orientals. If you're in no hurry, this online rug store sends out a regular email with deals, and they'd be thrilled to add you to the mailing list.

www.georgiamills.com
Georgia Mills Direct claims that its rugs are used on popular interior decorating reality TV shows like While You Were Out. If that's true, I'm not sure I want my apartment to be ambushed for remodeling. I suppose it's a matter of taste, but I found the rugs here to be either unattractive or boring, and the relatively small selection only exacerbates the problem. It's like a slightly expanded version of the rug isle of your local Target store - but harder to navigate. Site design is poor, making searching difficult and overarching organization hard to grasp. I had difficulty locating items and eventually gave up. The only rug line of note is their small but attention-getting leather hide collection.

www.ikea.com
Those crazy Swedes, always perfecting simple, aesthetically pleasing design! Because Ikea is a huge furniture retailer and not a rug specialty store, their selection is very basic - but all of the items are Ikea-branded, guaranteeing a high level of visual charm and a lighter tap of the wallet. Ikea rugs are interesting, varied, and inexpensive enough to offset the stubbier selection. Be warned, though, that not all of their rugs are available for online purchase and shipping. If you don't live near an Ikea store, narrow the gallery by selecting the "only show what I can purchase online" link to avoid disappointment.

www.overstock.com
Offering a reasonably broad, balanced selection for a non-specialty store, Overstock lives up to its reputation by selling rugs at (sometimes) ridiculously low prices. Look here for dramatic discounts on nearly 2000 area rugs. Before you buy a rug anywhere else, check here to see if you can score a deal. Overstock also maintains a small collection of one-of-a-kind rugs, which unexpectedly defies the whole idea of discounting through selling buyouts. But who's criticizing? The site is easy to use, the deals are legitimate, and the rugs themselves are diverse.