We have frieze carpet and have been pleased with it.
One thing I do know is do not skimp on the pad. Go with at least an 8 lb.
The carpet will fell better underfoot and will wear longer.

Nylon and wool are probably the longest-wearing fibers. Like lsst says, get a really good, thick pad, too.

And don't under any circumstances buy dacron...it soils like you wouldn't believe.
Berber comes in "cheap" but it also comes in good quality...if that's the look you like. But it also "pulls" if something catches it will pull out loops. I think a tight pile wears longer.
Linda C

We recently recarpeted our home. My experience is to stay clear of the "box" stores as they generally carry lesser grades of well known brands but, most significantly, the sales people are not knowledgable like experienced personnel from carpet specialty stores. Additionally, the low price install is offset by other costs applied by the "box" places - like padding and stair install charge, haul-away, etc. We believe our premium to purchase from a specialty store may only have been $125 and the install is very nice.

I believe there is specialty padding for basements with a built-in moisture barrier. That said, I would be VERY cautious about wall-to-wall carpet in a basement. Basements are generally damp and you must consider the possibility (certainty) of a water heater leak or sump pump failure. I would suggest an area rug or a bound carpet which could be removed should it become necessary. Our stairs to the basement are carpeted with a very dense nylon plush which has minimal matting after several years.

We put a better quality berber in our playroom. We did get a speical underpad for basements. One thing I wish is that we would have gotten something with a little colour variation in it, as this one is a solid and it shows everything. Even with no food down here ever, it still gets dirty looking.

Basement and playroom...hmmm...that just makes me a bit nervous about WtW. Have you thought about an area rug or maybe Flor? The beauty of Flor is the you can pull squares that get dirty, wash them and lay them back down. The patterns are really fun and very colorful.