Think about the carpet you always see in your room, have you ever noticed the texture of that unique piece? With the advancement of technology, machine-woven carpets with many different designs and materials have come on the market. In machine-woven carpets, “reed” is an important feature that determines the quality of the carpet. Depending on your room and personal preferences, you may need various types of carpets with different number of reeds.
In this article, we are going to first explain what reeds in machine-woven carpets are; then we discuss different reed counts to see what differences they make in a carpet’s quality.
What is reed?
The number of knots that are woven in one meter of the width of the carpet is called reeds or Shane /ʃɒːˈne/. Reed is an important measurement of quality and value in machine-woven carpets. The higher the number of reeds, the stronger, thicker and tighter the carpet becomes.
The carpet’s reed count is usually varies from 350 to 1500, and carpets with a higher number of reeds are more similar to hand-woven ones. That is why these types of carpets, despite their higher price, always have more customers.
If you have ever bought a machine-woven carpet, you must be familiar with 700 reeds, 1200 reeds and 1500 reeds carpets. 350 and 500 reeds carpets have very few customers and not every company produces these carpets; so here we are not going to talk about these types. The following is a complete description of carpets with different number of reeds.
700 reeds carpet
A 700 reeds carpet has 700 knots in each square meter of width of the carpet. Companies manufacture these carpets with thicker fibers, so they’re basically thicker than higher reed counts carpets. This thickness makes the carpet less soft and less elegant.
700 reeds carpets have an average quality and they can be a good option if you’re short on money. Since in places like kitchen and bedroom your carpet may always get dirty, these carpets are ideal choices.
1200 reeds carpet
If you’re looking for a highly durable and sturdy carpet, it’s a good idea to pick a 1200 reeds carpet. The number of knots in each meter of the width of this carpet is 1200 and since the fibers are so closely knitted together, the carpet is fairly hard and it has a long durability.
As we said before, the more reeds in a carpet, the less thick it becomes. So unlike the 700 reeds carpets, a 1200 reeds carpet is very soft, quite thin and its patterns are shown with a great elegance. This carpet has a great quality and value, so it usually costs much more than a 700 reeds carpet.
1500 Reeds Carpet
If you see the beauty on a 1500 reeds carpet, you will definitely put it on your buying list. Before the production of 1500 reeds carpets, 1200 reeds carpets were the best products of machine-woven carpet companies. But with the 1500 reeds carpets coming onto the market, they soon found their ways into every family’s house.
A 1500 reeds carpet has 1500 knots in each meter of its width. In comparison to the 700 and 1200 reeds carpets, the thickness of a 1500 reeds carpet is much less. That is because the Wefts (the horizontal yarns on the carpet) are closely linked together by a high number of knots in the carpet.
These carpets show a wonderful image of colors and patterns which is not even comparable to 700 reeds carpets. The fibers used in the 1500 reeds carpet are very thin but since the carpet is very tight and hard, it will last for more than 40 years.
In addition, this carpet is much more expensive than a 700 reeds carpet and is usually used in luxurious places. After all, not every floor is lucky to be covered by a 1500 reeds carpet!
Make up your mind!
When it comes to machine-woven carpets with thousands of different styles, the number of reeds is an important thing every buyer should take into account. 700 reeds, 1200 reeds and 1500 reeds carpets are all different in quality and value. If you want a budget-friendly option, go for a 700 reeds carpet, but if you’re a fan of quality, the 1200 and 1500 reeds carpets are a better bet.
