Braided Rug Size Guide

Use this guide to match a braided rug to the room, then confirm the size with a tape measure before you order. The sizes below are the ones actually sold on Braided-Rugs.com. Shipping is free, with no handling fee. Returns are accepted within 30 days (see the return policy).

How to measure

Clear enough floor that you can see the footprint, or leave the furniture in place and mark around it. Use a tape measure, and if it helps, outline the rug with painter’s tape so you can walk the shape.

• Rectangular rugs: Measure the length and width of the area you want covered, in feet and inches.
• Oval rugs: Measure length and width the same way as a rectangle. An oval in the same stated size (for example 5 x 8') covers slightly less floor at the corners than a rectangle, because the ends are rounded. In a tight space that needs coverage all the way into the corners, account for that, or size up.
• Round rugs: Measure the diameter — a straight line through the center of the circle you want to cover. Match that number to a 4', 6', or 8' round (a 5' appears on only a few rugs). Do not compare a round diameter to a rectangular 5 x 8' or 6 x 9' as if they were the same footprint.

Three placement checks that apply in most rooms:

• Leave about 18 to 30 inches of walkway between the rug and the walls, so the rug does not look wall-to-wall and everyday traffic is not always on the same edge.
• Where a rug sits under furniture, it helps if the rug is about 6 inches wider on both sides than the piece it sits beneath.
• Center the rug with the furniture group, not necessarily with the room if the seating is off-center.

When two sizes both seem close, choose the larger one. A rug that is slightly too big usually looks deliberate; one that is too small looks like a leftover mat.

Sizes we sell, and where they typically go

Names below follow the most common size labels in the catalog (some products use a slightly different spelling, such as 5x8' instead of 5 x 8'). Less common sizes also appear on a smaller number of rugs, including 3 x 5', 27 x 72", 2.5 x 8', and 5 x 7'.

Size	Type	Typical use
20 x 30"	Accent mat	Bathroom, bedside, small or tight entry. Can be paired with a second mat or a runner in a kitchen.
27 x 45"	Standard mat	Kitchen sink, bathroom, entryway.
2 x 3'	Small rug	Entry, bedside, or a small accent over hard floors.
4 x 6'	Medium area rug	Small bedroom, breakfast nook, reading corner, compact living area, wider entry.
5 x 8'	Standard area rug	Living room (loveseat and chair), queen bedroom, 4-person dining table.
6 x 9'	Large area rug	Living room with a full sofa, king bedroom, 6-person dining table.
8 x 10'	Extra-large area rug	Large living room (sofa, loveseat, and chair), formal dining room, generous coverage around a king bed.
22 x 72"	Runner	Kitchen walkway, hallway, beside a bed. Sometimes paired with a 20 x 30" or 27 x 45" mat.
2 x 6'	Runner	Kitchen, hallway, or other narrow space, when a 2 x 6' is offered on that rug.
4', 6', 8' rounds	Round (diameter)	4' as an accent; 6' under a small table or in a bedroom; 8' for a larger seating area.

Browse by size: 20 x 30", 27 x 45", 4 x 6', 5 x 8', 6 x 9', 8 x 10', and 22 x 72" runners. Shapes: rectangular, oval, round.

How to choose a size by room

Living room

The front legs of the seating should sit on the rug. That is the rule that keeps a sofa and chairs from looking like they are floating around a small mat.

• 4 x 6' — under a coffee table, with room to spare, in a smaller sitting area.
• 5 x 8' — a loveseat and a side chair, or a compact sofa group.
• 6 x 9' — a full sofa with a chair or loveseat.
• 8 x 10' — a sofa, loveseat, and chair sharing one rug.

Leave 18 to 30 inches between the rug and the walls. If only some of the furniture will fit, put at least the largest pieces partly on the rug rather than shrinking the rug to an island under the coffee table alone.

Dining room

The rug should extend at least 24 inches beyond the table on all sides, so chair legs stay on the rug when someone pulls a chair out to sit down. A simple way to estimate: measure the table’s length and width and add 48 inches to each measurement. You can also sit, stand, and push each chair back, then mark that footprint with painter’s tape and measure the marked area.

• 4 x 6' — a small two-seat breakfast table.
• 5 x 8' — a 4-person table, with room to pull the chairs out.
• 6 x 9' — a 6-person table. Chair legs should stay on the rug; if the back legs come off when the chair is pulled out, step up to 8 x 10'.
• 8 x 10' — a 6-person table with more comfort, or an 8-person table more snugly.

Match the rug shape to the table when you can: a round or oval table with an oval rug, a rectangular table with a rectangular rug. A rectangle can still work under a round table if the 24-inch clearance is there, but the oval will follow the table more closely.

Bedroom

Place the rug so it extends 18 to 24 inches beyond both sides of the bed, and sit it under the lower two-thirds of the frame rather than centering it under the whole bed. That leaves a landing strip when you get up and more rug at the foot of the bed, instead of a thin band of floor showing there.

• 20 x 30" — a bedside mat, one on each side if you want two.
• 4 x 6' — under the lower two-thirds of a queen in a smaller room.
• 5 x 8' — a standard choice for a queen bedroom.
• 6 x 9' or 8 x 10' — more coverage on both sides of a queen or king.
• A 22 x 72" runner can run along one side of the bed if an area rug will not fit.

Kitchen

Measure the floor in front of the sink, stove, or island, and check that the rug will not catch a swinging door or sit against a range. Typical layouts:

• One 20 x 30" or 27 x 45" at the sink.
• Two of those mats, or one mat plus a 22 x 72" runner, along a longer run of cabinets.
• A single 22 x 72" or 2 x 6' runner in a galley or along an island.

For kitchens that see spills, the ultra-durable indoor/outdoor rugs are the washable polypropylene option in this catalog. Jute rugs in this store are described as indoor natural-fiber rugs.

Bathroom

• 27 x 45" in front of the sink, and a 20 x 30" near the toilet, is a common two-mat layout.
• A 22 x 72" runner, or a pair of 20 x 30" rugs, can serve a double-sink vanity.

Entryway

• A narrow entry usually fits a 20 x 30" or 27 x 45" mat.
• A wider, more open entry can take a 4 x 6' or 5 x 8'.

Oval and round rugs: a short shape guide

Choose an oval when you want softer edges — under a round or oval table, in a kitchen, at the foot of a bed, or in a room that already has a lot of right angles. Size it with the same room rules as a rectangle, and remember that the rounded ends cover a little less at the corners.

Choose a round when the space itself is better as a circle: under a small coffee table, in a bedroom corner, or in an open kitchen. Measure diameter, then pick 4', 6', or 8'.

Choose a rectangle when you want a classic edge under a sofa, a rectangular table, or in a hallway runner (or a rectangular area rug that fills a rectangular furniture group).

After you choose a size

• Orders ship with free shipping and no handling fee. The current shipping page states that orders are dispatched within 48 business hours and are typically delivered within 10 business days.
• 30-day returns apply as described in the return policy. The FAQ notes that the in-home trial does not cover customized rugs, clearance items, or rug pads that have been opened, and that the customer pays return shipping on a standard return.
• A rug pad is recommended on hard floors. The warranty page also asks that you use a pad and that you vacuum without a beater bar.
• When a new rug arrives, unroll it and let it lie flat for a day or two before you set heavy furniture on it, so wrinkles can relax.

Still deciding between two sizes? Measure once, tape the outline on the floor, and walk around it. Then order the size that still looks right with the chairs pulled out or with the bedside clear. If you want help choosing material rather than size, How to choose the right braided rugs is a starting point, and the jute and ultra-durable indoor/outdoor collections are the two main material groups on this site.