We Tested Every Carpet in The Home Depot’s Home Decorators Collection — Here Are the Winners

Is there anything cozier than sinking your toes into the plush pile of soft carpet? Sure, carpeting your floors is a commitment, and sure, it can be tricky to find design-friendly options that won’t break the bank. But the solution to these carpet-related woes might actually be closer than you think. No, really — have you tried your local The Home Depot?

As AT’s Shopping Director Katie Maguire discovered, The Home Depot has no shortage of gorgeous, high-quality carpeting. During her trip to the brand’s NYC Midtown East location, Katie explored the carpets in The Home Depot Home Decorators Collection in person and saw how easy the entire process can be, thanks to The Home Depot’s team of in-store carpet pros.

Scroll on to learn more about the collection, and get Katie’s take after seeing and touching the carpets IRL. Oh, and renters, take note: all of the carpets in this set are also offered as a rug!

Carpeting your home is a large job, but The Home Depot’s policies around carpeting and installation should help you rest easy. Each installation service is backed by a lifetime warranty on labor (including seams, restretches, and stairwork), and the Home Decorators Collection carpet has a 15-year limited stain and soil warranty, as well as a 15-year limited wear and tear warranty. There’s also a lifetime installation warranty, because The Home Depot has the utmost confidence in their licensed and insured installers. Gotta love the confidence. 

Another reason to feel good about The Home Decorators Collection? These stain-resistant carpets meet or exceed CRI Green Label Plus Certification standards for interior air quality, which means they’ve been tested to ensure the very lowest VOC emissions. 

There are two ways to order from The Home Depot’s Home Decorators Collection. The first, of course, is online. You can peruse the collection from the comfort of your browser, then order samples to have delivered to your home. Then, you can schedule an in-home visit from a certified technician who will measure out your space (for free) and answer any questions you might have. Once you’ve received your final quote and scheduled an install date, a licensed and insured professional installer will come plush-ify your home — they’ll even dispose of your old carpet! 

The second ordering method is the old fashioned way: If you head into your local The Home Depot location, you can work with one of their in-store carpeting professionals to tackle everything from picking samples to scheduling measurements and installation. That’s what Katie did, and she had nothing but great things to say about her customer service experience (“Thanks, Michael at the 61st street store!”). 

We judged every The Home Depot carpet sample we found in-store based on the following four criteria to help us determine whom the carpet suits best, from the busy parent to the year-round patio dweller.

• Aesthetic: What decor scheme or mood does it best suit? Does it have bold lines, patterns, or colors? Does it play nice with other decor elements, or does it steal the show?
• Feel: Is the surface soft to the touch? Or is it roughly textured?
• Fluff Factor: What is the rug’s pile height? Is it tufted with long threads or otherwise voluminous? Is the rug flat or thin — in other words, tightly woven with minimal volume?
• Versatility: Does it work indoors and outdoors? Can it be layered? Is it reversible? Does it come in a wide range of colors and sizes?

If you like the look of the Home Decorators Collection but don’t want to or can’t install carpet, you can work with your local store to order any of the designs as a bound carpet rug. That means you can get the perks and softness of a carpet, while keeping it renter-friendly.

What impressed us: This versatile, medium-pile carpet is patterned with various loops and comes in a variety of neutral colors. After seeing the carpet in person, Katie says the look is great for transitional aesthetics (including farmhouse and coastal styles), and can also pass as a more natural design choice (similar to jute and sisal styles). It’s a good choice for high-traffic areas as the loops would hide stains well, but might not be ideal for homes with cats or dogs who might scratch up the loops.

Specifications:

• Pile: Medium pile (.327 inches)
• Feel: Half soft, half firm, but great for high traffic; not scratchy
• Color options: 12 
• Material: Polyester

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What impressed us: This textured carpet has a contemporary feel that would compliment any mid-century aesthetic, but it could also fit in more transitional homes (including farmhouse and coastal styles). After seeing the carpet in the store, Katie says it’s a good laidback option for more casual areas, like family rooms, or cozy areas like bedrooms. Plus, thanks to the blend of light and dark tufting, it should hide stains very well, making it a good pick for families with pets or kids. Katie adds that the color options were interesting without feeling overwhelming (a dream combo).

Specifications:

• Pile: High pile (.625 inches)
• Feel: Soft, plush, cozy
• Color options: 12
• Material: Polyester

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What impressed us: For an option with some texture, check out the Home Decorators Collection’s Sharp Perception carpeting. The basket-weave design can go with so many different home aesthetics, from modern or mid-century to traditional. Sharp Perception has a feel that Katie thinks would make a lovely pick for more formal spaces, like a dining room (that pattern will help hide stains!) or a sitting room. And, if your home likes a little color, this collection also has a few blue-green hues that are soothing without stealing the show. 

Specifications:

• Pile: Medium pile (.410 inches)
• Feel: Soft, cozy
• Color options: 17
• Material: Polyester

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What impressed us: This plush, laidback carpet is practically begging for you to wiggle your toes into it. The Radiant Retreat III carpet comes in three different face weight options (47, 58, or 73 ounces per square yard) so you can customize your cushioning — just note that the price per square foot increases with the weight! When she saw this carpet in person, Katie noted the cozy feeling and the fact that the multi-colored pile will help hide stains from pets and kiddos. Plus, when the inevitable spill does occur, Radiant Retreat III features 0% moisture absorption and odor-resistant technology for easy cleanup. 

Specifications:

• Pile: High pile (.909 inches)
• Feel: Soft, plush 
• Color options: 20
• Material: Polyester

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What impressed us: Katie called this carpet, “Neutral but interesting,” and thinks it would be a perfect addition to an entryway or hallway. The textured design of Smooth Summer not only adds a pop of dimension, but it makes it a solid choice for high-traffic areas — the darker colors in particular would help hide stains! Speaking of colors, there are plenty of pretty neutral beiges, browns, and grays to choose from. 

Specifications:

• Pile: Medium pile (.408 inches)
• Feel: Soft, thin
• Color options: 20
• Material: Polyester

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What impressed us: “This screams bedroom to me,” says Katie. “It feels luxe, timeless, and rich.” The Tailored Trends II is the mid-weight option for this Home Decorators Collection line, and it makes for a soft, cozy carpet that anyone would want in their home. The pile is not as high as some other soft offerings from the collection, but Katie noted that the thinner design would round out with a pad very nicely. Most of the color range is on the lighter side, but there are several darker grays and browns as well. The color is mostly solid (which helps the design stay versatile) but there is a little texture that could help hide stains. However, the built-in stain resistance means it probably won’t be an issue!  

Specifications:

• Pile: Medium pile (.466 inches)
• Feel: Soft, thin (but would feel very plush with pad)
• Color options: 21
• Material: Polyester

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What impressed us: This was definitely the most plush carpet Katie encountered on her trip to The Home Depot. The Trendy Threads Plus III is another option that’s offered in three face weights (40, 48, and 60 ounces per square foot), so you can customize the plushness depending on your space and budget. The pile is a textured, twist style that makes it versatile enough to work in just about any room, although Katie said the aesthetic felt laidback, like it would fit well in more casual areas like family rooms or low-traffic areas, as well as cozy areas like bedrooms or nurseries. And, while there are less color options for this carpet, Katie noted that it seemed like one of the best price-for-quality values of the collection. 

Specifications:

• Pile: High pile (.81 inches)
• Feel: Very soft and plush, textured
• Color options: 10
• Material: Polyester

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