Micro Loop Rugs: Fine, Flat and Hard Wearing

A micro loop rug has a pile of very short, tightly packed loops that are left uncut, so the surface is flat, firm and finely beaded. It is one of Rugberry's five loop pile textures and the one most at home under a desk chair or a dining table.

What is a micro loop pile?

A micro loop pile is a loop pile kept very low and very dense, so each loop is small and stands shoulder to shoulder with its neighbours. Seen close, it looks like fine knitting or the surface of a towel cut very short; from a standing height it reads as smooth.

In any loop pile, the yarn goes down through the backing and comes back up, and the arc it leaves on top is not cut open. That closed loop is what makes loop pile springy and hard wearing. A micro loop makes the arc as small as it will go, so there is little yarn to flatten and little height to crush.

Compared with a cut pile, a micro loop gives up softness for firmness. You feel a crisp, slightly nubbly surface rather than velvet. The glossary entries for loop pile and pile height explain the terms.

Where does a micro loop rug work best?

A micro loop rug works best where something rolls, slides or is walked on all day: under a desk chair, under a dining table, in a passage or at an entrance. Its low, firm surface lets wheels and chair legs move without sinking.

Think of the chair test. Pull a dining chair back across a 16 mm cut pile and the legs drag and leave tracks. Pull it across a micro loop and it glides, because the loops are too short and too tight to grip it.

• Home office: a micro loop rug under a castor chair protects the floor and lets the chair roll freely.
• Dining room: chairs move in and out without catching, and crumbs sit on top where a vacuum lifts them.
• Passages and foyers: a low pile clears the door and stands up to shoes.
• Rooms with sliding doors: a low rug leaves room under a door that sits close to the floor.

It is less suited to a bedroom where people want softness underfoot, or a living room where children sit and play on the floor. There a cut pile is kinder. Our low pile vs high pile guide covers the trade off.

Is a micro loop rug good with pets?

A micro loop rug is good with calm pets and less good with dogs or cats that scratch or dig. Because the loops are closed, a claw can slip under one and pull it, which leaves a raised strand called a snag.

The risk is lower on a micro loop than on a taller loop, because the loops are short and packed tightly, so there is less room for a claw to get under them. It is still real with a kitten, a puppy or a dog that circles before lying down.

• Trim claws: short claws rarely catch a micro loop.
• Never pull a snag: clip it level with sharp scissors, so the loop next to it is not drawn out.
• Choose cut pile for the pet's bed area: a cut pile has no loop to catch.

The verdict: for a home with a young dog, choose a cut pile over a micro loop, because an open yarn tip cannot snag. For a home with an older, calm cat or no pets, a micro loop is one of the most durable choices. Read more in rugs for high traffic areas.

A micro loop is the rug for the rooms that work: where chairs roll, doors swing and shoes stay on.

How does micro loop compare with other low rugs?

Micro loop sits between a flatweave and a cut pile: softer than a flatweave, firmer and lower than a cut pile. The right choice depends on what the rug sits under and how much softness the room needs.

Point	Micro loop	Low handloom weave	Cut pile, 14 to 16 mm	Flatweave
Feel	Firm, finely beaded	Low, closely textured	Soft and even	Flat, no pile
Under castor chairs	Very good	Good	Poor	Very good
Shows footprints	Hardly	A little	Yes, as shading	No
Snag risk with claws	Some	Low	Very low	Low to moderate
Rugberry example	Made to measure	Grain, Cabra	Lamina, Solaris	Made to measure

Two rugs in the current range give a flat, firm surface that comes close. The Cabra Wool & Jute Rug in Sand is handloom woven in New Zealand wool and jute at 7 to 8 mm, firm and textured, from ₹27,200 for 5x8 ft. The Grain Wool Rug in Tan is handloom New Zealand wool at 12 to 14 mm, low and closely textured, from ₹29,600. For a pure plant fibre, the Kora Jute Rug is handwoven jute at 10 mm, from ₹22,400. All prices are ex GST, at the time of writing.

How do you care for a micro loop rug?

You care for a micro loop rug with suction rather than a beater bar, regular vacuuming and quick blotting. The tight loops keep most dirt near the surface, so a micro loop is one of the easier rugs to keep clean.

• Vacuum weekly: suction only, or turn the rotating brush off, so it does not pull at the loops.
• Spills: blot from the outside in with a white cloth and a little cold water, then dry with a fan.
• Snags: clip level with scissors, never pull.
• Castor chairs: move the chair a little every few weeks so the same loops are not pressed all the time.
• Deep cleaning: professional cleaning only.

Read how to vacuum a fine area rug for the right settings, and the easiest rug fibres to clean for the fibre side of the choice.

What size micro loop rug do you need under a desk or table?

Under a desk, a micro loop rug should reach at least 75 cm behind the front edge of the desk, so the chair stays on the rug when you push back. Under a dining table, it should reach about 60 to 75 cm beyond each edge, so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out.

Those numbers decide the size more than the room does. A typical home office desk of 4 ft by 2 ft needs a rug of about 5x8 ft placed across it. A six seat dining table of about 6 ft by 3 ft needs a rug of roughly 9x12 ft or a 8x10 ft rug if the chairs are slim.

• Small desk, 4x2 ft: 5x8 ft rug, long side across the desk.
• Large desk, 6x3 ft: 6x9 ft rug.
• Four seat dining table: 6x9 ft or 8x10 ft rug.
• Six seat dining table: 8x10 ft or 9x12 ft rug.
• Eight seat dining table: 9x12 ft or 10x14 ft rug.

A micro loop is also the right rug for a made to measure size, because desk and table rooms are often odd shapes. A rug cut to the room avoids a chair leg falling off the edge every evening. Our 8x10 rug guide and 9x12 rug guide show these sizes in real rooms.

Does a micro loop rug need an underlay?

A micro loop rug benefits from a thin, firm underlay, especially on marble or vitrified tile, where a low rug can slide. Keep the underlay thin so the chair still rolls easily, and cut it a few centimetres smaller than the rug on every side.

How do you order a micro loop rug from Rugberry?

You order a micro loop rug through Rugberry's made to measure service, in any size, shape or colour, on a Rugberry design or one you bring. For a study or dining room, give the team the size of the table or desk and the reach of the chair, and the rug can be sized to keep every chair leg on it.

A micro loop can also carry a design. Two colours can be placed in the loops for a mottle, or the loops can be set in rows for a fine stripe. Our guides to two colour mottling and straight line loop rugs show both, and the ten rug textures guide places micro loop among the rest.

Ask for a swatch before you order and press a chair onto it. Our guide to ordering a rug swatch lists other tests worth doing at home.

For a dining room, mention whether the floor is marble, vitrified tile or wood, since a low rug on a polished floor needs a firm underlay to stay put when chairs are pulled back.

Frequently asked questions

What is a micro loop rug?

Micro loop is a loop pile kept very short and packed tight, with the loops left uncut. The result is flat, firm and finely beaded, closer to a dense weave than to a pile. It is one of the five loop pile textures among Rugberry's ten.

Is a micro loop rug good under an office chair?

Yes. A micro loop rug is one of the best rugs under a castor chair, because its short, tight loops let the wheels roll without sinking. Move the chair a little every few weeks to spread the pressure.

Will my dog damage a micro loop rug?

A dog that scratches or digs can catch a loop and pull a snag. For a young dog, a cut pile rug is safer, since an open yarn tip cannot snag.

Is micro loop soft underfoot?

A micro loop rug is firm rather than soft, with a fine, nubbly feel. For softness underfoot, choose a cut pile such as Rugberry's 14 to 16 mm hand tufted rugs.

Does Rugberry stock micro loop rugs?

Not from stock. Micro loop is made to measure, in any size and colour. If you need a firm, flat rug sooner, the Cabra Wool & Jute Rug is the closest in the current range, from ₹27,200 for 5x8 ft ex GST at the time of writing.

Low, tight and ready for work. Material first.