It’s nearly warm enough to bare the bicep without a puffer in sight, and guess what? Time to fix up your patio for human interaction. The best outdoor rugs are a massive assist if you’re rethinking your bleak seating situation out there, and can easily insert some personality underfoot no matter what’s happening up top. As The Dude says, a rug can really tie a room together. The outdoors might not exactly be “a room,” but dammit the principle still applies. An outdoor rug can bring a sense of cohesion when it comes to your patio furniture, while adding a bit of softness to an otherwise cold and hard floor.
The Best Outdoor Rugs, According to GQ
No matter what your tastes or budget, we wrangled a gold mine of the best outdoor rugs and indoor-outdoor rugs, from patterned prints to solids, that’ll boost your, uh, exterior design. Oh, and don’t forget to add a rug pad to any of these so they actually stay put.
The Best Outdoor Rug, Overall: Neighbor Sunbrella
Sunbrella’s woven acrylic fabrics are known for their all-weather construction that’s exceptionally durable, stain-resistant, and basically indestructible. If you’re not crazy about prints, go for something simple and inoffensive like this salt-and-pepper design from Neighbor—which comes in a handful of other earthy color options including basil or wheat. It’s pricier than other outdoor patio rugs on this list, sure, but considering its solid construction and mostly recycled materials, you can at least rest assured that yours is sustainably-made and primed to withstand the elements year-round without disrupting your heavy outdoor furniture setup.
The Best Budget Rug: AllModern Carlos
Instead of opening up 15 tabs on rugs, spring for the budget option that’ll go with basically everything you’ve got going on outside, while ticking off several other boxes: a solid price-to-size ratio, a handsome prints, and all-weather readiness. The Carlos’ braided design uses a sun-resistant 100% polypropylene fiber that’s also easy to lift soils and stains from, plus sweep away debris, all for less than $200.
The Best Washable Outdoor Rug: Ruggable
From the elements to the occasional backyard critter, your rug has a lot to deal with. Most brands suggest you only vacuum and spot clean your outdoor rug, but c’mon, that’s not really doing the trick now is it? Ruggable is famous for its machine-washable rugs, both for indoors and outdoors. Its polyester construction makes it both durable and water-resistant, and because it’s meant to be used outdoors, it’s built to resist sun-fading, as well as mold and mildew growth. We like that each purchase includes a rug pad, which isn’t machine washable but will ensure the whole thing doesn’t end up slipping and sliding. For daily maintenance, just give this thing a sweep and a vacuum, and save the machine washing for the heavy-duty cleanings.
The Best Natural Outdoor Rug: The Rush House Original
Jute and seagrass rugs are basically like the plain white tees of your space. They’re designed to complement everything else in their vicinity, while being hardy enough to withstand a certain amount of nonsense in high-traffic areas, and so tightly woven that they won’t broadcast all the dirt that’s caked in there. They’re also pretty affordable across the board, and the shedding from their natural fibers won’t be so much of an issue for outdoor use.
With this Rush House jute rug, there’s no room for decision paralysis. Whether you opt for a printed garden sofa or a classic wrought iron patio set, your jute rug is going to match the vibe. The handmade design, made with one-foot seagrass increments, also comes in three size options that can be easily cut and sewn to a certain square footage using the brand’s at-home kit. That means if an unwelcome stain makes itself known somewhere down the line–all you need is a quick snip-snip.
The Best Patterned Outdoor Rug: West Elm Geo
And if your sad outdoor space is thirsty for some actual color, get yourself something big and bold like this geometric blue number that’s modeled after a poolscape. It’s reversible, made with weather-resistant yarns sourced from recycled plastic bottles, and fits swimmingly into any Mediterranean design scheme with some white or cream patio furniture offsetting it. It’s also fairly easy to keep clean with regular vacuuming, but despite the pool-inspired design, you don’t want to actually let this thing sit for too long in standing water since it’s not quite as waterproof as the rest. Give it some sun if your deck gets a good soaking and let it dry before rolling it back out in all its glory.
The Best Flatweave Outdoor Rug: Revival Raffa
Revival are still the rug masters, with about a zillion different designs to choose from in various sizes. And if you want something softer than a coarsely-woven design on your outdoor porch or patio, consider laying out a flatweave option like this multi-color Raffia style. It’s made from recycled PET bottles for an eco-friendly edge, and combines a warm trio of colors to dial up the saturation in any space it’s placed in. Use it for some subtle tropical influence without actually busting out the tiki torches.
7 More Outdoor Rugs We Like
How to shop for an outdoor rug
There are so many styles that it’s imperative to figure out what you like and what exactly the vibe is for your al fresco space: something tropical? Vaguely Mediterranean? Stark Southwestern neutrals? Anything fly for less than $300? From there, you can narrow down your search with a couple easily clockable traits that elevate any good rug into a great one. For starters, an outdoor rug (unlike the one you lay out in your living room) should be designed to tango with a little rain and sunshine, and whatever inclement weather spring has cooked up. Ideally, it’s durable enough to withstand substantial foot traffic and easily spot-cleaned against summer BBQ sauce slops, all that dirt you’re tracking onto it, and the occasional red wine spill.
Material: Considering these are rugs built for the outdoors, they should be made of a fabric that’s durable enough to handle rain, sleet, snow, and intense UV rays. To get the most mileage out of your rug, seek out polypropylene fabric or polyester, which won’t absorb stains, attract mildew after a light soaking, or fade with a little exposure to sun. That means you don’t have to roll it up in a panic every time the rain rolls in. As a baseline, you’ll also want to look out for any mention of a rug being UV-resistant, fade-resistant, water-resistant, and quick-drying, with any machine-washable fabrics being a big plus.
