Playing tag around your coffee table, stretching out for movie night, playing twister on the floor—all fun activities made even more so when you’re doing it on a non-toxic rug.

The impacts of a rug are typically overlooked when considering healthy homewares. But the reality is, they’re more often than not made of synthetic materials notorious for leaching VOCs and other toxic chemicals.

So after doing our own research, and testing, and reading impact reports and fabric labels, we’ve curated a list of brands that not only use safer fabrics and materials but also ethical labor and transparent supply chains.

Our new Brand Rating System now examines rated brands across 22 sustainability-related factors including considerations like climate impact and chemical use. If you’d like the deep dive, read here and look out for the rated rug brands on the list below that have provided extra transparency on their operations.

We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.

Top picks for Non-Toxic & Organic Rug Brands

Hook & Loom’s organic rug range is made with GOTs-certified organic cotton and no dyes. They also have a range of area rugs made from natural wool (again, no dyes), and a recycled cotton range which come in various colors and patterns. Hook & Loom has been comprehensively rated and reviewed by us – see the rating.

Fhygge’s organic cotton rugs will imbue every room in your home with ‘hygge’ (that’s Danish for a warm atmosphere) without imbuing it with harmful chemicals, thanks to natural fibers and a minimalist, Scandinavian design.

Abstract designs from Cold Picnic add flavor to your floor while simultaneously keeping your home toxin-free with the likes of ethical wool sourced from New Zealand and backed by relevant certifications.

Index: Organic & Non-Toxic Area Rugs

  1. Hook & Loom Jump to brand
  2. Lorena Canals Jump to brand
  3. Kilim Jump to brand
  4. Cold Picnic Jump to brand
  5. Fhygge Jump to brand
  6. Leah Singh Jump to brand
  7. Loomy Jump to brand

Hook & Loom

Disrupting

Top 10% of brands
United States
Worldwide
$$$
Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.
Handcrafted
Products have been made by hand, typically by an artisan or group of artisans.
Non-toxic
All products are made with ingredients or materials that are currently considered non-toxic
Organic
Products are made from organic materials.
Recycled materials
Some or all products are made with recycled materials
Upcycled
Products have been upcycled from an unusable or undesirable form into new products.
GOTS

Hook & Loom has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.

For Hook & Loom, our planet comes first—but human health is a close second. They write: “Just as our workplace will be safe to weave in, our products will be safe to roll around on.”

Choose between any size—door mats to area rugs—and different traditional techniques, including loom-hooked, flatweave, and braided. They’re also one of the few non-toxic nursery room rug brands.

Hook & Loom area rugs come sans flame retardants, harmful detergents, pesticides, off-gassing latex, plastic backing, or finishing sprays. What you will find is undyed natural wool, and GOTS-certified organic area rugs made of cotton.

The organic cotton and wool rugs are extra special because they use “No dyes. Ever.” Colors in the wool range come from the natural color variants in different coats.

Their colorful recycled cotton area rugs are made from 85% cotton and 15% synthetic materials given these are made from post consumer garment fibers and it’s difficult to remove garment components like pockets, linings and trims.

Lorena Canals

Lorena Canals has not been rated.

Price Range: $40–$995

Lorena Canals lays some real groundwork for what it means to be a sustainable rug brand. This woman-owned company offers a collection of non-toxic area rugs and interactive play rugs for kids.

The materials used include conventional and recycled cotton, ethically sourced wool, and production scraps, all of which are dyed (if dyed at all) using OEKO-TEX and GOTS-certified dyestuffs.

Our Personal Reviews Of Lorena Canals Rugs

“We have the Woolable Rug in Autumn Breeze. We love the minimalist color palette which is a safe bet if you have, like us, an eclectic mix of décor. It’s also made of ultra soft wool. We’ve had many a days (and nights) just lounging on the rug with our dog (picture above).

As for the kids washable play rug, we have the the Path of Nature. The dynamic contours, colors and textures are such a complement to encouraging our little boy to explore his imagination. It also provides a soft landing for rambunctious play”

-Review by Joy McConnochie, SJ Co-Founder

Kilim

Kilim has not been rated.

Price Range: $79–$4,950

Kiliim is a Cairo, Egypt-based social enterprise that partners with the nearby town of Fowa, once a hub for kilim weaving until cheaper machine manufacturing created a major decline in the industry. Kilim’s mission is to return to these hand weaving roots and “put Fowa back on the local and international map for authentic craftsmanship”.

Each natural rug design bears a unique blend of art deco inspiration with pharaonic forms, drawn together with vibrant colors like the gorgeous gold of the the Roots Wool Rug.

Fine quality wool, Egyptian cotton, and jute are found in these area rugs, each atop a non-toxic cotton rug base. The beautiful colors come from colorfast natural, sustainable dyes.

Cold Picnic

Cold Picnic has not been rated.

Price Range: $150–$1,950

For a whimsical toxic-free carpet that will make you feel like you’re picnicking in a field of wildflowers, check out Cold Picnic. They offer a complete range of home textiles, including throw pillows and blankets.

But their modern organic rugs are all the rage, whether you’re in need of something small like door mats and runner rugs or want to outfit your entire living room with the Outback Wool area rugs.

These OEKO-TEX rugs are made of either New Zealand wool, bamboo silk, or hemp (if you want an outdoor-friendly option). Regardless, you’ll find no flame retardant chemicals.

Products are made at one of two factories in India. Each one bears certifications from either GoodWeave and Care & Fair (C&F) or SA8000, GOTS, and GRS.

Fhygge

Fhygge has not been rated.

Price Range: $85–$900

Art, creativity, and sustainability: the trifecta behind Fhygge designs. Based in Barcelona, Spain, the lifestyle-centered brand has a range of kilim-style woven tapestry rugs.

Choose from area rugs, runners, custom sizes, round rugs, and several multicolor kids rugs.

In addition to making wool and cotton rugs, Fhygge offers hemp or jute rugs. Vegetable-based dyes are the foundation for their color schemes.

Unfortunately, their PVC rug pad isn’t suitable for those seeking non-toxic rug pads, so we recommend finding this elsewhere.

Leah Singh

Leah Singh has not been rated.

Price Range: $250–$1,700

Leah Singh is bringing back some of India’s age-old, traditional crafts “by transforming them into modern objects”. They’re doing so by partnering with fair trade artisans across six regions of India to create area rugs, small mats, and runner rugs like stunningly symmetrical geometric Luna Mod Wool Rug.

Choose between a handwoven wool rug or jute rug, both dyed with AZO-free dyes.

Loomy

Loomy has not been rated.

Price Range: $348–$10,500

Woman-founded Loomy is all about the topic of the day. While not the most affordable non-toxic rugs in this list, these investment pieces sure do make a statement.

Natural rugs, performance rugs, pet-friendly rugs, indoor/outdoor area rugs, vegan rugs, vintage rugs, you name it. There’s a rug for every room, including kids’ rooms—like the adorable Zebra Rug. While we wouldn’t judge adults for also digging these cute kids’ rugs, their “adult” options come with no fewer varieties’ of sizes, designs, fun prints and patterns.

Loomy uses either natural or recycled materials, all of which are OEKO-TEX certified and dyed with low-impact dyes. These include cotton, ethically-sourced New Zealand wool, jute, sisal, hemp fabric, viscose, and banana silk, as well as upcycled plastic bottles.

Why Invest In Organic Rugs Specifically (vs Non-Toxic)?

Most conventional rugs are made with plastic, releasing toxic chemicals (toxic dyes, endocrine disruptors, flame retardants, and backing adhesives that contain formaldehyde…) into your personal sanctuary.

Finding chemical-free rugs and carpets is all well and good in theory, but is it easier said than done? With all the greenwashing out there, how can you know you’re actually getting a safe rug?

Given many “non-toxic rugs” made of nylon or polyester, it’s really important to dig a little deeper. Here’s a couple further considerations for buying a safer rug:

  • Rug pads are often coated with a waterproof PVC film, and given the numerous health hazards associated with PVC, that’s enough for us to rag on these rugs.
  • Then there’s another common confusing rug material: polypropylene. While the EPA considers it safer than other types of plastic, a polypropylene rug may still contain trace amounts of BPA. What’s more, studies have shown polypropylene can affect androgen hormones, which causes a cellular toxic response.

All that is to say that marketing should be taken with a grain of salt. Do you research before you invest a hefty sum in a rug or carpet that’s marketed as non-toxic!