Ruggable kitchen rugs are as good as floor care gets. The only hard part is choosing from hundreds of pretty patterns.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Ruggable kitchen rugs are as good as floor care gets. The only hard part is choosing from hundreds of pretty patterns.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Home cooks spend a lot of time in their kitchens—and I’d argue that most of that time is spent standing. After all, there are meals to prep, cookies to bake, dishes to wash and a myriad of other tasks.
That’s why a supportive kitchen mat is a necessary investment. Not only do the best kitchen rugs add a pop of color or style to your space, but they also protect your joints and feet from achy pain.
Our Product Testing Team has spent dozens of hours and collected hundreds of data points to evaluate 15 kitchen rugs and mats. At the top of our list is Ruggable’s 2×3-foot washable kitchen rug, which earned the “best overall” accolade.
Our Product Testing Team loved the durability, ease of cleaning and support of this stylish rug.
If you’ve been on Instagram or TikTok in recent years, you’ve likely seen an influencer touting their beautiful, washable rugs. These are often from Ruggable, an online brand making waves in the floor care world by flipping an expensive, hard-to-clean product into a life-proof, machine-washable one—without sacrificing style or comfort.
Ruggable kitchen rugs follow the same principle as the brand’s large area rugs, just on a smaller scale. (Most consumers opt for a 2×3, 3×5 or runner size for their kitchen.) What sets Ruggable apart is its patented two-piece system. Your rug isn’t one piece; rather, it’s a separate cover and pad. This allows you to toss the cover in the wash when life happens and, if desired, switch out covers with changing seasons or room refreshes.
There are four cover and pad systems to choose from:
The thinner Ruggables are best for high-traffic areas that require a lot of durability, while the cushioned rugs are ideal for bedrooms and living spaces where you want cushy comfort. The brand suggests the flatwoven rug and cushioned pad for kitchens as they have the ideal balance of durability for frequent messes and are comfy for long standing sessions.
To see if Ruggable lives up to the hype, our Product Testing Team tried the flatwoven Gradasi Teal Quartz Rug with a cushioned pad in February 2024. Not only did they put the Ruggable through a rigorous testing process, but we compared it to 14 other kitchen rugs and mats on the market. Here’s what we learned.
Our rug arrived rolled up and bound with plastic wrap. It was easy to unpack and set in place. (Keep in mind that larger Ruggables can be tricky to set up—especially with just one person—but the 2×3 size is very manageable.)
We measured each piece and found that the rug cover is slightly bigger than what’s listed online, measuring roughly 38 inches by 26 inches. A standard 3×5 rug should be 36 inches by 24 inches. The pad was slightly smaller than the cover, which is typical for Ruggable rugs as it allows for the rug pad to be fully covered without perfect alignment. (Again, this is a bigger deal with the larger rug sizes.) The thickness was also slightly thinner than the online listing.
Next, we moved on to examining the rug material. The cover is very soft with heavy-duty stitching. It laid flat right out of the box, and we were pleased that the pad stuck very easily to the pairing pad. The pad itself is a hook-and-loop tape material with reinforced covers. The back has a rubber, grippy webbing to keep the rug in place.
For wear-testing, we put the Ruggable in our Prep Kitchen, where it was used by Executive Culinary Director Sarah Farmer. Sarah stands for anywhere between two and five hours a day.
In addition to providing comfort, Sarah found that the Ruggable helped to ease aches and pains and even improve her posture. “Usually, I notice a little strain on my hips after being on my feet on the tile flooring, prepping, cooking and on dish duty for several hours. However, after making sure I stood on the mat, I noticed I did not have that tinge of achiness in my feet, legs, back or joints. I think I was more aware of standing up straight and having good posture while on the mat. No slipping issues, either. When I needed to relocate the mat, I needed to lift it for repositioning versus just sliding it around with my foot.”
Finally, it was time for the most important test. After all, you can’t test a washable rug without ensuring it’s indeed washable.
We smeared dirt, yogurt and olive oil into the rug cover, then removed it from its pad. We tossed in the washing machine and put on a gentle, cold water cycle with HE detergent. No spot-treating! After its bath, we hung the Ruggable on a wire rack to dry. (Although care instructions do permit machine drying on a low setting.)
To our amazement, all three stains lifted with ease. Sarah also had a few stains after her testing—including tomato sauce—and they also came out just fine in the wash.
We also poured crumbs on the Ruggable and went over it with a vacuum cleaner. The machine picked up the pieces with ease, although we would suggest vacuuming the cover and pad together to help keep it in place.
All in, we were impressed that there was no pilling, wrinkling, curling or discoloring. The material of the cover also felt the same after care as it did before.
Care instructions vary depending on the size and tuft of your rug. All 2×3-foot kitchen rugs are safe to machine-wash in a standard machine. Place the rug in a cycle by itself and use cold water and a non-bleaching detergent; do not use fabric softener. Tumble dry on a low setting.
In our opinion, yes. We were impressed by the quality, comfort and ease of cleaning. Ruggable also makes some of the most stylish kitchen rugs on the market, with ample selections for colors, patterns and even designer collaborations.
Shop directly from the brand at Ruggable.com. Select sizes and patterns are also available on Amazon and at Costco.
Ruggable rug pads are not machine-washable or dryer-safe. To clean, spot treat with a damp cloth. For deeper stains, saturate the pad with soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Then, hang to dry.
We take our job as professional product testers seriously. Our goal is to thoroughly vet products through fair, accurate testing methodologies. Our team has combined decades of experience in the home, kitchen and lifestyle spaces.
To find the best kitchen rugs, we first broke down the difference between kitchen rugs and kitchen mats. We then spent hours researching brands and materials—at an array of price points. Our team called in 15 top contenders for in-person testing in our Milwaukee testing lab. For the next week, we evaluated seven core considerations: packaging, absorbency, size, material, style, care and value. We ran several tests on each rug or mat, evaluating measurements, spill-proof capabilities, slipperiness and ease of cleaning. We then passed the rugs over to our friends in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen for hours of wear-testing. Finally, we sent top performers home with staff for long-term testing so we could track how each rug or mat holds up to typical use over time.
Our team has also spent considerable testing Ruggable products. We have evaluated a 6×9 area rug, doormat, bath mat, outdoor rug and runner to ensure the brand lives up to the hype across the board.
For cushioned support and easy cleanup, our product testers turn to Ruggable kitchen rugs. The endless array of patterns and colors allow you to find the perfect style fit for your space.
You can shop a wide array of 2×3-foot Ruggable kitchen rugs directly from the brand. We tested the flatwoven Gradasi Teal Quartz Rug with a cushioned pad. Prices vary depending on the style, tuft, pad and collaboration but typically cost between $89 and $169. The exact rug we tried runs $119.