How will you use it?

Not all synthetic turf is created equal; different fiber compositions lead to varied strengths and weaknesses. For instance, some premium grasses are engineered for maximum durability using tough nylon (polyamide) fibers. While nylon offers superior resilience—making it the best artificial grass for high traffic areas—it is typically the most expensive option and not as soft to the touch as polyethylene or polypropylene.

If your lawn will see low foot traffic, choosing costly nylon fibers may not be necessary. However, for a busy family or a garden used constantly, its hard-wearing quality makes it the perfect investment.

Five Common Artificial Grass Uses:

To match the perfect product to your lifestyle, consider these primary usage types:

1. Aesthetic/Show Lawn: A low-traffic area focused on maximizing visual appeal and minimizing maintenance.

2. Family/Play Area: A highly resilient lawn built to handle continuous, year-round activity and heavy foot traffic.

3. Pet-Friendly Area: Requires exceptional durability combined with a drainage system designed to manage pet waste, urine, and odors.

4. Entertaining Space: An area that needs to withstand periodic, heavy use, including spillages and stains from garden parties.

5. The All-Rounder: A versatile turf capable of handling a combination of the above demands.

The way you intend to use your space dictates the essential qualities your new turf must possess. Explore the information below to help you select the best artificial grass to suit your needs.

When selecting fake grass for your garden, your starting point should always be appearance. It’s crucial that you choose an artificial turf that you genuinely love and that enhances your outdoor space—after all, it’s the view you’ll enjoy every day!

📏 Pile Height: Choosing the Right Length

Selecting the right pile height primarily comes down to personal taste.

The density of artificial grass is a critical factor in determining both its appearance and performance. Simply put, the higher the pile density, the lusher and more resilient the lawn will look and feel. Conversely, a low density product can appear sparse or thin.

What is Density? We measure density by the stitch count (or pile volume) per square meter. For instance, the example on the left boasts 18,898 stitches per m2, making it significantly fuller than the grass on the right, which has only 13,648 stitches.

• For Heavy-Use Areas: For gardens with children, pets, or high foot traffic, we strongly recommend a dense pile with 16,500 to 18,000 stitches per m2 for maximum durability and bounce-back.

• For Decorative Lawns: If your lawn is mainly ornamental and receives little foot traffic, you can save money by selecting a thinner, more cost-effective option, typically between 13,000 and 16,000 stitches per m2.

📐 Viewing Angles: The Visual Trick

When choosing your grass, always consider the angle from which you will view it most often.

• Gardens & Patios: If you’re primarily viewing the lawn from your house or patio, a slightly less dense grass can still look great, as the angle often creates the illusion of a thicker pile.

• Balconies & Roof Gardens: Because you typically view these areas directly from above, you lose the visual trick. For this reason, you must choose a high-density product. We recommend specialist grass designed for these spaces, such as Tempo, which features an industry-leading density of 48,000 stitches per m2.

Our Recommendation: When in doubt about the best density, a pile count between 16,000 and 18,000 stitches per m2 offers a superb, robust, and reliable all-round solution.

Your Perfect Shade is a Personal Choice

Selecting the colour of your new synthetic turf is just like choosing the pile height—it’s entirely dependent on your personal taste and there is no “wrong” answer. When browsing, you’ll observe a surprisingly wide spectrum of greens, and this variety mimics the many distinct shades found in natural grass.

The Essential Sample Test (Why Pictures Lie)

It is highly recommended that you take advantage of free artificial grass samples offered by manufacturers before committing to a purchase. You simply cannot rely on internet photos to provide an accurate indication of the turf’s true colour and texture.

☀️ Test Your Samples in the Right Light

To ensure you choose the perfect match, it is vitally important that you always place the samples where the new turf will ultimately be installed—that is, outside on your lawn.

Why testing outdoors matters:

• Lighting conditions drastically change how artificial grass appears. For instance, samples viewed indoors will often look darker due to the low levels of natural light.

• Place your samples side-by-side on your existing lawn to easily compare the shades. Many homeowners prefer to select a colour that closely matches the tone of their current garden.

💡 Tip for Shaded Gardens

If your garden is heavily sheltered or doesn’t receive much direct sunlight, consider choosing a slightly lighter coloured artificial lawn. This can help brighten up the area, making your outdoor space feel more vibrant and open.

How will you use it?

Not all synthetic turf is created equal; different fiber compositions lead to varied strengths and weaknesses. For instance, some premium grasses are engineered for maximum durability using tough nylon (polyamide) fibers. While nylon offers superior resilience—making it the best artificial grass for high traffic areas—it is typically the most expensive option and not as soft to the touch as polyethylene or polypropylene.

If your lawn will see low foot traffic, choosing costly nylon fibers may not be necessary. However, for a busy family or a garden used constantly, its hard-wearing quality makes it the perfect investment.

Five Common Artificial Grass Uses:

To match the perfect product to your lifestyle, consider these primary usage types:

1. Aesthetic/Show Lawn: A low-traffic area focused on maximizing visual appeal and minimizing maintenance.

2. Family/Play Area: A highly resilient lawn built to handle continuous, year-round activity and heavy foot traffic.

3. Pet-Friendly Area: Requires exceptional durability combined with a drainage system designed to manage pet waste, urine, and odors.

4. Entertaining Space: An area that needs to withstand periodic, heavy use, including spillages and stains from garden parties.

5. The All-Rounder: A versatile turf capable of handling a combination of the above demands.

The way you intend to use your space dictates the essential qualities your new turf must possess. Explore the information below to help you select the best artificial grass to suit your needs.

When selecting fake grass for your garden, your starting point should always be appearance. It’s crucial that you choose an artificial turf that you genuinely love and that enhances your outdoor space—after all, it’s the view you’ll enjoy every day!

📏 Pile Height: Choosing the Right Length

Selecting the right pile height primarily comes down to personal taste.

The density of artificial grass is a critical factor in determining both its appearance and performance. Simply put, the higher the pile density, the lusher and more resilient the lawn will look and feel. Conversely, a low density product can appear sparse or thin.

What is Density? We measure density by the stitch count (or pile volume) per square meter. For instance, the example on the left boasts 18,898 stitches per m2, making it significantly fuller than the grass on the right, which has only 13,648 stitches.

• For Heavy-Use Areas: For gardens with children, pets, or high foot traffic, we strongly recommend a dense pile with 16,500 to 18,000 stitches per m2 for maximum durability and bounce-back.

• For Decorative Lawns: If your lawn is mainly ornamental and receives little foot traffic, you can save money by selecting a thinner, more cost-effective option, typically between 13,000 and 16,000 stitches per m2.

📐 Viewing Angles: The Visual Trick

When choosing your grass, always consider the angle from which you will view it most often.

• Gardens & Patios: If you’re primarily viewing the lawn from your house or patio, a slightly less dense grass can still look great, as the angle often creates the illusion of a thicker pile.

• Balconies & Roof Gardens: Because you typically view these areas directly from above, you lose the visual trick. For this reason, you must choose a high-density product. We recommend specialist grass designed for these spaces, such as Tempo, which features an industry-leading density of 48,000 stitches per m2.

Our Recommendation: When in doubt about the best density, a pile count between 16,000 and 18,000 stitches per m2 offers a superb, robust, and reliable all-round solution.

Your Perfect Shade is a Personal Choice

Selecting the colour of your new synthetic turf is just like choosing the pile height—it’s entirely dependent on your personal taste and there is no “wrong” answer. When browsing, you’ll observe a surprisingly wide spectrum of greens, and this variety mimics the many distinct shades found in natural grass.

The Essential Sample Test (Why Pictures Lie)

It is highly recommended that you take advantage of free artificial grass samples offered by manufacturers before committing to a purchase. You simply cannot rely on internet photos to provide an accurate indication of the turf’s true colour and texture.

☀️ Test Your Samples in the Right Light

To ensure you choose the perfect match, it is vitally important that you always place the samples where the new turf will ultimately be installed—that is, outside on your lawn.

Why testing outdoors matters:

• Lighting conditions drastically change how artificial grass appears. For instance, samples viewed indoors will often look darker due to the low levels of natural light.

• Place your samples side-by-side on your existing lawn to easily compare the shades. Many homeowners prefer to select a colour that closely matches the tone of their current garden.

💡 Tip for Shaded Gardens

If your garden is heavily sheltered or doesn’t receive much direct sunlight, consider choosing a slightly lighter coloured artificial lawn. This can help brighten up the area, making your outdoor space feel more vibrant and open.

When you’re searching for premium artificial grass, it’s vital to look past the surface appearance. True quality is determined by technical specifications, material integrity, and long-term performance.

To ensure you select the highest-quality synthetic turf that will last for years, we have compiled a list of 8 essential questions. Use these questions to compare products and find the one that performs best for your needs.

Artificial grass fibers are crafted from just three primary types of plastic: Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), and Nylon (Polyamide). Each material offers distinct advantages and trade-offs in terms of durability and texture.

• Polyethylene (PE): This is the most popular and versatile choice, known for being a great all-around performer.

• Polypropylene (PP): Generally used for lower-traffic, budget-friendly options.

• Nylon (Polyamide): The strongest artificial grass fiber available. Nylon boasts up to 33% greater strength than polyethylene and 26% more than polypropylene. It is also significantly more resilient, offering up to 40% more bounce-back than PE. However, this superior durability makes it slightly more abrasive and more expensive.

Choosing the Right Fiber Mix:

• For the ultimate, hard-wearing artificial lawn, look for turf that uses nylon to reinforce the base (thatch), working in harmony with longer, softer polyethylene blades.

• If you have a low-traffic area, grass made entirely from polyethylene or polypropylene will provide excellent results.

• For frequently used or heavy-duty areas, choose a product with Nylon fibers—it is guaranteed to outlast and outperform any other material.

When you are selecting a new artificial lawn, confirming its fire-resistant properties is absolutely crucial. While the risk of fire spreading across your synthetic turf is extremely low, having this assurance provides essential peace of mind.

Any quality fire-retardant flooring product, including artificial grass, can be assessed under the rigorous standard of Cfl​-s1 in testing (per UNE EN 13501-1:2007).

We strongly recommend ensuring your chosen synthetic turf meets this specific Cfl​-s1 criterion. This compliance is your guarantee that, in the unlikely event of a blaze, your lawn will not contribute to the spread of the fire.

You may have heard media reports regarding certain artificial grass products containing harmful substances like lead. While these issues have occurred in the past, today’s buyers have the power to choose guaranteed-safe products.

For your complete peace of mind, you must choose a fake grass product that has been independently tested and verified. The simplest way to ensure safety for your family and pets is to look for the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification.

Oeko-Tex is the textile industry’s leading independent testing and certification system. This vital certification guarantees that your chosen artificial lawn is completely free from dangerous, toxic, or harmful chemicals, giving you absolute confidence in your installation.

Manufacturing quality standards vary significantly worldwide. Generally, synthetic grass produced in Europe offers a substantially higher quality compared to products sourced from China, a major global supplier in the artificial turf market.

When selecting your new lawn, it is vitally important to confirm the country of origin. We recommend speaking directly with any retailer to obtain this information.

While it’s tempting to simply choose the longest warranty period, the true value lies in the specific coverage provided. A longer warranty usually signals confidence in a high-quality artificial grass product, but you must always check the fine print.

Essential Warranty Coverage:

Your protection against long-term issues depends on clear, specific terms. Be sure to look for coverage against:

• UV Stability: This is crucial. A good warranty protects your investment against colour fading caused by the sun, ensuring your lawn stays vibrant.

• Fibre Loss: This guarantee provides assurance that the synthetic grass fibres will remain structurally intact, which is key to maintaining a full, lush-looking artificial lawn.

The Truth About Maintenance:

Be aware that no warranty covers damage from improper use or a failure to maintain the lawn. You may be surprised to hear that artificial grass does require some maintenance, and any claim otherwise is misleading.

The good news? The required effort is minimal—a small fraction of the time needed to care for a natural lawn. For full details on proper use and maintenance, we recommend consulting the manufacturer’s guidelines directly. You can also find helpful information in our article:  Artificial Grass Maintenance Guide

A key indicator of durable artificial grass quality lies in its backing. Understanding this structure is vital for longevity.

Understanding the Backing Layers

The backing system is composed of two main layers:

• Primary Backing: This is the foundational material where the synthetic grass fibers are skillfully stitched.

• Secondary Backing (Latex): This vital layer acts as the “glue” that chemically binds all the components together, securing the fibers permanently.

The Quality Test

In poor-quality synthetic turf, these layers can separate due to insufficient latex application. You can easily test the backing strength yourself by firmly attempting to pull the layers apart with your hands.

The simpler the layers separate, the lower the overall quality and lifespan of the grass.

It is critical that a high level of latex is used to prevent delamination (layer separation) and, more importantly, prevent yarn loss. Low latex levels cause fibers to shed easily, leading to a thin, matted, and ultimately unnatural-looking lawn over time.

Anchoring Resistance (The Minimum Standard)

Always check the anchoring resistance specification with the manufacturer. A quality product should be able to withstand a minimum force of 25 Newtons (N).

When evaluating artificial grass samples, the thickness of the synthetic fibre is a critical quality factor that many buyers overlook. Yet, it directly determines how long your lawn will look realistic.

The Problem with Thin Fibres:

A natural aesthetic relies on the synthetic blades standing upright. When fibres are too thin, they are prone to ‘matting’—a term for when the fake lawn lies flat—which quickly results in an unnatural appearance. While a low-quality lawn may look good at first, heavy foot traffic or consistent use will rapidly break down thin fibres.

How to Compare Quality:

We recommend a simple test: tear off a single fibre from each sample you are considering and compare the thickness. Thicker fibres equate to better performance and longevity. Manufacturers should provide this specification, which is typically measured in microns. For context, a fibre density measuring 200/99 microns is considered exceptionally thick and highly durable.

It’s tempting to choose the cheapest artificial grass you see advertised, but remember the old adage: you get what you pay for. Extremely low prices are often a major warning sign.

The Risk of Cheap Turf:

• Poor Materials: Cheap turf is typically manufactured using substandard materials and inferior production techniques.

• Factory Seconds: Another common reason for deeply discounted prices is that the product is a factory second or a manufacturing overrun.

• Visible Defects: Seconds often contain defects, such as noticeable ‘striping’—a line running through the turf caused by an unnoticed dye variation in the yarn spool.

While a defective roll might be acceptable for a hidden area (like behind a shed), it should be avoided for your main lawn. To protect your investment, always ask suppliers directly if their products are factory seconds. For peace of mind, request a written agreement confirming your turf is defect-free, and always review the full warranty details.

Even the highest-grade synthetic turf will fail to perform optimally without expert installation.

We strongly recommend entrusting your project to a professional. Their knowledge and experience are vital for a long-lasting, perfect finish.

Why Choose a Professional Installer?

• Tailored Solutions: Professionals assess your specific needs. For instance, if your existing lawn has poor drainage, an experienced installer knows exactly which specialized sub-base is required.

• Handling All Surfaces: Installation techniques vary significantly depending on the surface. Laying fake grass on concrete or decking requires a different approach than replacing a standard natural lawn. A professional installer is equipped to handle any situation seamlessly.

While a professional installation is best, installing artificial grass can be a rewarding DIY project if you have the right knowledge. If you plan to tackle it yourself, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide: ‘How to Install Artificial Grass‘.

As this guide has shown, the key is looking beyond mere aesthetics. To guarantee a high-performing synthetic lawn that offers long-term durability, you must consider the core technical specifications.

The level of expected foot traffic and usage is crucial. You need to match your lifestyle to the grass’s engineering—factors like fibre density, pile height, D-tex rating, and the type of plastic material are all vital.

• Low Use: Spending a premium on the strongest grass for a rarely used area is unnecessary.

• High Use: If your family regularly uses the garden for relaxing, playing, or entertaining, it’s essential to invest in a robust all-weather artificial grass that is truly “up to the job.”

We trust this guide has been a valuable resource. Your next best step is to request free artificial grass samples to physically compare textures and quality. Always ensure the supplier can provide the necessary technical data (like D-tex or density measurements) for comparison—transparency is key.

Still have questions about selecting the best artificial grass for your garden? Leave a comment below! Our experienced team is ready to provide the expert advice you need.