I would strongly recommend never buying a rug pad that comes folded up. They are a HUGE pain as those folds do not relax completely, despite what the company says. I buy all of mine now from Pottery Barn (the premium/deluxe one) and I have been very pleased. They come rolled and lie down fine on the floor.

Don't scrimp on good pads. You truly get what you pay for and they will protect the backs of your rugs (not to mention your hard flooring)

What you want is a felt pad with a rubberized grid on the bottom. Overstock carries them and this is what they look like:

They cost more, but are definitely worth the money and better for your floors and rugs.

bac717 is exactly right. You can get these from (most) carpet stores. I recently had them cut off a width I needed for a medium sized area rug, and from the remainder I was able to get two more pads for small rugs. A little pricey but worth it both for comfort underfoot and for the life of the rug.

I've had a bad reaction between the lattice-like grip pads from BB&B and the finish on my hardwood.

Thanks! I had a overstock coupon so I ordered those. I needed 8 (ouch!) but hopefully worth the money in the long run.

We have several of these from Overstock. We were concerned about the rubber reaction on the wood floor.

Since our rugs are large and won't slip, we laid the pads with the rubberized side facing up.

The life of the rug is extended with the padding underneath and they feel so thick and soft underfoot.

It is very difficult to find plain felt padding for rugs!

I have felt pads that we bought from the carpet store.they were cut to fit under our large orientals neither side is rubberized.
The 4x6 rug has a thin rubber pad also cut to fit from the carpet store. No problems with either kind on our wood floors.

I agree with everyone else about the felt pads. Like cooperbailey, we got ours from a carpet store, and neither side is rubberized. They are SO nice to walk on - soft as can be, and absolutely no problems with the wood floors beneath.

I also have bought a few of the overstock.com pads and love them!

We got a Karastan "Down Under" for our wool woven Zapotec rug. The rug salesman at a very reputable furniture store assured me that it wouldn't hurt the floor or our rug. I'm a little concerned because it isn't felt - the side that faces the rug is very rough to hold the rug in place - I hope it doesn't cause damage. The floor side is a small waffle like material but is harder than those cheaper ones.

I still need more pads and will take a look at those mentioned there. Thanks for the information.

I got the overstock pads and they are great! I can'tbelieve I used those cheap ones for so long. The felt side feels a little rough. I cannot imagine having that against my hardwood floors. The rubber side is very nice. I've ordered a few more.

I'll be needing some soon, so I've been reading this thread. Is that "rubber" side really safe for the floor? Sounds like it'd stick over time.

In my experience, the 'rubber' side of the pad I recommended from Overstock does not stick to the floor over time. We've had ours under our rug in the LR for 3 years. Over that time, I've never had the pad stick to the floor or noticed any discoloring of the floor. On the other hand, at the front door where we also have hardwood floors, I had used one of the cheaper 'shelf liner looking' non-slip pads and I had a terrible time with it sticking to the floor and leaving small parts of it behind. I was able to completely clean the floor, tho, and will never use that kind of pad again.

Thanks, Bac717!

Just want to recommend an online source that I recently had a great experience with. I was looking for a felt pad with no rubber/latex backing, but they have non-slip pads as well.

I ordered, gave them the exact rug size, and they cut the pad and shipped it the same day. I was shocked it arrived so fast. And, it fits perfectly. They fold pads only for shipping (and only twice in my case, because it was large) and the folds settled right out, unlike the Overstock pads I bought previously.

They're a little more expensive than Overstock, but worth it for me. And no, I don't have any connection to the company and have been on/off this board for years :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Rug pads

Andee and Bac717,

I had one of those lattice-type pads in my entry hall and I noticed recently that I can see the lattice design in my hardwood floor in certain lighting. (I'm probably the only one who would notice it and, with the rug in place it's not really an issue but . . .) Did anyone have any success in getting rid of the lattice marks without hurting the floor?

Thanks!

Meg,
I used one of those lattice type pads on my hardwood floors that were wax finished (not polyurethane finish). Within a year the poly in the pads essentially melted to the wax on the floor. The only way to get rid of residue was to strip the floor and rewax (sigh). I never got that kind of reaction on polyurethane finish floors though.

Should a rug pad be used for rugs over tile and vinyl too?

Meg,
I have a polyurethane finish. I changed the pad just recently after the lattice type was down for nearly two years, but the marks had appeared about a year earlier.

They seem to be some sort of impression in the finish, not a residue. I did try to wash (with a damp cloth) and rub dry, but no success. As you say, it is subtle. Fortunately for me, I plan to keep the rug in the room and so the affected floor will always be covered. I get a lot of strong sun in the room in the afternoon, and of course that also is having an effect around the rug edges. Can you let your floor be exposed to sun for awhile? Maybe that will even out the marked and unmarked areas. --

Vampiressrn: The pad is for yours and the rug's sake (durability and comfort), not for the floor. So yes to all floor types. And the harder the floor (stone, tile), the more necessary is the pad.

The good stuff (grippy felt + purple rubber foam underside) is called "No-muv" in case you want to google it.
CAsey

It has a foam backing. Your input will be greatly appreciated.

Rug Construction: Machine Woven
Material: Microfiber ( 100 %)
Backing Material: Foam ( 100 %)

Will the rubber stick to or scratch the wood floor?

I bought a Pottery Barn non-skid rug pad, but fearful of using it as it appears to be the same type of product in the "rubberized" shelf liner. I HAVE had a problem with the similar-type product leaving marks on a wood table top and some plastic surfaces. This actually changes the surface finish and is not repairable without refinishing.

I used it with plastic CD covers and it left the grid imprint on the plastic, so there is some interaction with whatever type of "rubberized" product that is.

Maybe I'll try the felt pad idea. I have that under bedroom area rugs and that's worked out ok.

I heard that any kind of rubber makes the floor sweat between the rug and the floor. So on tile it might be ok but I heard that on vinyl the rubber backed pads "yellow" the floor and on hardwood floors spoil the floor because they sweat and that moisture is not good for the floors.

I have all hardwood floors and have rugs in places but have been living without pads for fear of "sweating" Replacing a rug is easier than the hardwood floor.

Maybe I should give some of these pads a try.

That little "pad" sold to go under area rugs at the big box stores does little if anything to cushion my rug. I have wondered if I could use regular carpet padding to make it more comfy for the grandkids to roll around on

thank you so much for the information!! we are just finalizing the construction of our first little house and are so excited to move in. though expenses keep adding up (anxiety much?!) we know it is wiser to invest in quality necessities to keep everything pristine and well maintained. i was worried about using those rolled up "rubber grid" pads, because i have seen the "matte" marks that they leave on hardwood and i have personally scrubbed to remove them (i am a nanny/housekeeper) and it is awful!! thank you so much for the recommendations- my O dollars are adding up! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: this is the pad we purchased.

I bought one of those cheap PVC pads for a large area rug because it was the only ones offered in that size at Lowes, and the package clearly said it was safe for hard flooring. And they were right there by the carpets! Within 2 DAYS there was a waffle pattern clearly evident on my new wood floor and it was even beginning to have some sticking points!!! It took my full weight on a soft cloth with some Bona spray to finally buff the pattern out. Unreal! Thanks to this thread and goldgirl for the suggestion to try RugPadCorner... that's where I just ordered one. I'm leaving the rug down without a pad til it gets shipped!

I know I'm late to the party. I have been in the Jan/san industry for over 25 years and train people how to clean all types of floors. When looking for a rug or rug pad, the more natural the fibre the better. Rubber, PVC, FVC, and some latex give off a gas when they decompose. This chemical reaction causes the damage to the floor - including hardwood, ceramic tile, engineered hardwood etc. This chemical reaction can not be removed no matter how hard you try. Hardwood and engineered type flooring need to be refinished (there are some products that work fairly good - not 100%. They can be applied over the damaged area and make it less noticeable.) Most floors like ceramic tile or linoleum need to be replaced. I have been told that natural rubber does not gas off, but I would get a manufacturer's guarantee in writing before I believe that. If they won't give you one in writing then I would be cautious. Even natural fibre rugs like wool and jute have hard backing and can scratch the floors so it is necessary to have a felt pad underneath. I am in the process of trying a crafter's felt on one of my small rugs. I am making it detachable so I can wash the rug separately from the felt pad (craft felt can shrink if not washed on the gentle cycle in cold water) Hope this helps someone .

Realize this post is a bit old, but posting if this can help someone else...I reached out to the manufacturer of my engineered hardwood. They gave me a specific brand that they recommended for my floors (in this case it was rugpadsusa). They recommended felt/rubber combo rug pads for my floor and said the pad they recommend should allow the floor to breathe and won't trap moisture. Also said if I went to another brand, I should check to see if the pad was compatible with the polyurethane finish that is on my floors (which the rug pad co should be able to verify).

Farah A Is the rubber smelly? i am sensitive to smells