Is It The Rug Pad They Claim It To Be?

It has come to our knowledge that many stores offering rug pads are making various claims about their products. These are claims about rug pads that are made in the USA and ones that do not contain adhesive. Unfortunately, we have determined that many of these claims are false.

False Rug Pad Claims

When it comes to a rug pad, it is quite difficult for consumers to determine a few things. It is difficult to know if the item was made in the USA or overseas. It is difficult to determine and know the exact contents of the rug pad or the method of manufacture. Obviously, based on the type of product that it is, most information related to rug pads needs to be supplied by the store representing the products. When shopping for a rug pad, it has never been more important to be able to trust the store from which you buy, as this determines the fate of your area rugs and floors. We have confirmed that several stores are actually offering false claims about the rug pads they offer.

Claims of American Made Rug Pads

One of the most common deceptions is related to those rug pads that are claimed to be made in the USA. The thought of buying American Made has become so popular and desirable these days that many stores state just that because they know it is what customers want to believe. Many standardized products are distinctly stamped with their country of origin, unfortunately some rug pads vary slightly from this – the ones that are offered in cut sizes in packages on a shelf normally contain the origin on an insert within the package. The other way to offer rug pads, such as the method we use of custom cutting to size, involves cutting to order from the raw rug pad rolls. These rolls are not marked by any specific label of origin, so consumers really need to know and trust the store they deal with. Most stores actually use a third party supplier from which they get their rug pads, so there is no indication of origin – it can be the USA, China or anywhere else, yet most likely China. Since we manufacture our own products, we constantly visit our mills to know that our rug pads are always made in the USA.

Claims of Natural Rug Pads

In a world in which it has never been so important to follow natural, safe and green practices, rug pad suppliers are easily labeling their products as “Natural”, “LEED Certified”, “Organic”, or anything else that consumers like to hear. Unfortunately, rug pad suppliers and stores take advantage of consumer demand and preference by conveniently claiming their products accordingly. Again, like with the origin of our rug pads, Rug Pad Corner knows exactly what goes into all of our rug pads because we are the manufacturer. When we visit our mills and specifically demand the most natural rug pads, they know this means no addition of adhesive, glue or chemicals that are so common among others. Quite possibly one of the only guarantees that the next rug pad you buy is as natural as can be is if it is purchased from us or from someone who we supply, such as one of our interior design or home furnishings clients.

So, which stores are advertising something that it is not? While we will not disclose any names, we will state that there have been several customers who have presented various scenarios to us related to their recent rug pad experience with other suppliers. One close to home in Connecticut, for example, is claiming to only offer every Rug Pad from the USA. Upon review, we discovered that two of the eight rug pads offered are actually made in the USA, with the majority being imported from China. We found this same store recently also claiming that the rubber in its felt and rubber rug pad is “Heat Pressed” to the felt – To date, Rug Pad Corner is the only company utilizing a heat pressing process that is appropriately called RPC Heat Pressed™.

Is it the rug pad they claim it to be? While there are some stores that offer exactly what they claim the product to be, there are many that do not and this is unfortunate. The best advice we can offer is to do your research on the store to determine if it has been around long enough to be reliable. Also, pay attention to the products offered by the store – There are many that offer hundreds of types of products and the rug pad is not given much attention. These simple suggestions will help determine if the store can be trusted:

• Look for store to be rated by the BBB (Better Business Bureau)
• Look for any public reviews site offering feedback on the store
• Check to see if the store is associated with any GREEN rated organizations
• Check to see if the store is associated with industry-specific organizations

Most often, reputable and long standing retailers have established stable affiliations with organization within the same industry, as well as within outside agencies. For example, Rug Pad Corner can be valued by the following:

• Member of The Better Business Bureau with A Rating – Rug Pad Corner’s page
• Member of The Rug Pad Retailers of America – Member’s page
• Public reviews at Reseller Ratings – Rug Pad Corner’s reviews
• Member of U.S. Green Building Council – Member page
• Certified GREEN Business by GREEM America – Profile page

Rug Pad Corner is the manufacturer and supplier and we have full control of our quality, demanding the highest quality standards in the industry. Whether you decide to buy your next rug pad form our store or from another, it is very important to know what you will receive – There are too many stories of inferior rug pads that cause damage to rugs and floors. You can afford to be picky and you should, so take care to choose your rug pad from a store that has a long standing reputation for quality, honesty and value – This way you can rest assured that It is the rug pad they claim it to be!