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10 best faux fur rugs that look and feel like the real deal

Choose a cruelty-free carpet that gives sheepskin a run for its money 

Laurie Davidson
Monday 09 August 2021 16:35 BST
<p>We assessed softness, how easy it was to vacuum and the quality of the backing</p>

We assessed softness, how easy it was to vacuum and the quality of the backing

Want the silky comfort of fur underfoot, but conscious of having a cruelty-free home? Then treat yourself to one of best faux fur rugs out there, for both peace of mind and great style credentials.

Whether you’re looking to create a winter Scandi cabin vibe, or simply want to up the texture in your scheme, a faux fur rug will nail it – and they’ll look more expensive than they actually are. Usually made from polyester or acrylic, faux fur rugs emulate traditional sheepskins, often coming in single or double pelt options in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.

These snug-as-a-bug rugs aren’t just for the floor either… drape them over an armchair or dining bench, lay them over the end of a bed or the back of a sofa, or add them to an outdoor seating area to ramp up the cosy factor and create a more comfortable seat or back.

How we tested

We’ve found 10 of the most design-led additions to whet your appetite, ranging from those that are more realistic in shape and colour, to some that are very obviously faux, but come with bundles of soft fur in the latest on-trend colours to tempt you.

We assessed how soft and fluffy each rug appeared, how easy it was to vacuum and the quality of the backing. And, of course, we looked at just how authentic each one appears, so you can be sure you’re getting value on your investment.

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The best faux fur rugs for 2021 are:

  • Best overall – Dunelm Copenhagen quad faux fur rug: £140, Dunelm.com
  • Best for high shine – Next Arctic cosy faux fur rug: £70, Next.co.uk
  • Best for a bit of sparkle – Wayfair handmade shag white rug: £22.99, Wayfair.co.uk
  • Best for a wide choice of colours – The Rug Seller willow faux fur rug in pink: £39, Therugseller.co.uk
  • Best realistic rug – Cox & Cox faux deer hide: £75, Coxandcox.co.uk
  • Best for sheer cosiness – La Redoute livio large faux sheepskin rug: £175, Laredoute.co.uk
  • Best affordable rug – Asda grey homemaker faux fur sheepskin double rug: £30, Asda.com
  • Best for luxury looks – Asiatic adorn faux sheepskin floor rug: £149, Cultfurniture.com
  • Best for an authentic wool feel – Carpetright faux fur sheep shape cream rug: £21.59, Carpetright.co.uk
  • Best for making a statement – The Range deluxe faux fur rug: £41.99, Therange.co.uk

Dunelm Copenhagen quad faux fur rug

Dunelm rug.jpg

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

You can see from its luxuriously thick pile that this rug is going to be a pleasure to sink your toes into, and we weren’t disappointed. Incredibly soft and silky, the faux fox fur is made from an acrylic and polyester blend, and we fell in love with its rich brown tones and realistic markings that range from dark to light.

It’s not the cheapest of the rugs we’ve reviewed, but you get a lot for your pennies with this model’s quad size (120cm x 180cm). Our advice would be that because the fur is so dense, you may want to keep it clear of eating areas, otherwise you’ll be forever trying to remove crumbs from its long pile. It did shed a small amount of fur, but we’re told that this is normal and to just trim any loose bits with scissors. Definitely our favourite buy, this rug ticks all our boxes.

  1. £140 from Dunelm.com
Prices may vary
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Next Arctic cosy faux fur rug

2 Next b G22_OL_H200_A_758367CM_002.jpg

Best: For high shine

Rating: 8/10

One of the benefits of synthetic fur is the beautiful shine it gives off, and this rug has that in spades. We chose to test the silvery-grey version (it’s also available in cream) and although you can tell it’s not real from the colour, we think that its luxurious pile more than makes up for that.

What we like about this Arctic design is that you can order it in different sizes, from the larger rectangular design shown here, which goes up to 120cm x 170cm, to a small sheepskin at £35, so it’s easy to buy one that works with not only your budget, but also the space you have available. We also liked that the fur is nice and long on this rug – great for sinking your feet into.

  1. £70 from Next.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Wayfair handmade shag white rug 

3 Wayfair Handmade Shag White Rug - £26.99.jpg

Best: For a bit of sparkle

Rating: 7/10

If you like a bit of bling, then this rug gets top marks as its stylishly shaggy design includes small silver flecks in the fur. Made from 100 per cent polyester, it’s not the most realistic design we’ve tested, but anyone that likes a touch of sparkle should have this on their radar. You can choose from a variety of shapes and sizes, from the 60cm x 90cm design to a larger 180cm x 110cm rug.

One thing to note: we did find it a little slippy on the floor, so it’s worth getting an anti-slip underlay, or using it over a sofa.

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The Rug Seller willow faux fur rug in pink 

4. The Rug Seller Willow Pink (1).jpg

Best: For a wide choice of colours

Rating: 8/10

The beauty of a faux fur rug, as opposed to the real thing, is that they come in myriad different colours, including this pale pink version that we couldn’t resist. Unashamedly girlie, the willow is made from 100 per cent polyester and is luxuriously soft – trust us, it’s well worth a stroke – but if pink isn’t your colour then there are another eight shades to choose from, along with three different sizes.

It’s not the thickest of fur rugs, but it’s super cuddly and almost feels too luxurious to tread on. It’s smaller in size than lots of others, making it a great one for a corner of the room or on the back of a sofa or chair.

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La Redoute livio large faux sheepskin rug 

5 Livio Large Faux Sheepskin Rug - £175 - La Redoute (1).jpg

Best: For sheer cosiness

Rating: 8/10

If this rug was a piece of furniture it would be a hammock – soft, relaxed and made for falling asleep on. It’s a generous size at 135cm x 190cm, which is reflected in the price, and it has a fluffy texture to its pile, making it ideal for curling up on in front of a fire or taking the chill out of a hard floor. Slightly creamier than its “white” colourway would suggest, we can overlook that because everything else about it is guaranteed to give your home a hit of Nordic style.

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Asda grey homemaker faux fur sheepskin double rug

7 George Home Grey Homemaker Faux Fur Sheepskin Double Rug £30 (1).jpg

Best: Affordable rug

Rating: 7/10

Don’t want to spend a lot on your faux fur rug? Then pick up a bargain with this silvery design from George Home, which at just £30 is, quite frankly, a steal. Although it didn’t have the softest or deepest pile of the rugs we tested, it makes the list for its good size (75cm x 133cm) and fluffy appearance. Where you might notice some difference is the underside, as the rug is latex backed without a seam. However, we did find it stayed put on hard flooring a lot better than some of the others we tested.

A good one for busy family homes, where you’re looking for something that can be put in the wash when needed and comes at a decent price.

  1. £30 from Asda.com
Prices may vary
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Asiatic adorn sheepskin floor rug 

8 Cult Furniture Adorn Soft Faux Sheepskin Floor Rug, £149.jpg

Best: For luxury looks

Rating: 10/10

It’s tricky to pinpoint what we like most about this rug. We’ll start with the colour – a light honey shade that looks warm and inviting and will work with pretty much any décor. Then there’s the softness, which couldn’t be more strokable, and the faux leather backing that gives it a luxurious touch. Lastly, the size, at 140cm x 200cm is decent, which you’d expect for its £149 price tag.

Our only gripe is that it’s dry-clean only, but it’s more of a rug to be admired and touched now and again rather than walked on time after time, so it shouldn’t need cleaning that often. Did we mention it comes in four sizes? A plush rug that oozes richness, we fell in love with this design.

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Carpetright faux fur sheep shape cream rug

Carpetright Faux Fur Sheep Shape Cream Rug.jpg

Best: For an authentic wool feel

Rating: 9/10

Carpetright knows a thing or two about having soft flooring underfoot, so it goes without saying that its rugs should be equally comfortable. Although this isn’t a thick rug by any means, what we like about it is the overall fluffiness – it’s got a shaggy feel to the acrylic mix pile that’s quite inviting, and it’s not such an obvious fake. Creamy in colour and soft underfoot, the latex backing stopped it slipping on our laminate flooring, although if you have children that may run around the house, it’s worth doubling up with an anti-slip underlay just to be sure.

  1. £21 from Carpetright
Prices may vary
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The range deluxe faux fur rug

9 The Range.jpg

Best: For making a statement

Rating: 7/10

Go big or go home with this bold eye-catching rug from The Range, which comes in dark inky blue, bright ochre, dark grey, silver and pink colourways. Different from most of the other designs we’ve tested thanks to its rectangular shape (100 cm x 150cm) and suede backing, this is particularly neat-looking, with a medium pile length of 4cm and a high shine to it. For us, this was the one you’d want to step out of bed onto.

  1. £41 from Therange.com
Prices may vary
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The verdict: Faux fur rugs

It’s often the case that results are tight on these tests, but here we do have a clear winner. The Copenhagen rug from Dunelm is a standout design due to its unbelievably long, fluffy fur and gorgeous brown tones – it’s big, it’s beautiful and we’d happily have a whole carpet of this.

That said, the softest rug was actually The Rug Seller’s willow design, which is just luxuriously silky, while if it’s an authentic appearance you’re after, we’d say go for Carpetright, and for a larger size, you can’t go wrong with Next’s shaggy affair.

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