Bathroom rugs are the magic touch that adds warmth, elegance, and even safety to your bathroom.
Regardless of the bathroom size or style, you can still find a suitable rug that would transform this all-important room from basic to glam.
And if you have more than one bathroom in your house, you can still match a nice set.
Some people think that too many options can become overwhelming. But if you know what you need, the selection process becomes a breeze.
Here’s the big secret to getting this right …
It all starts with getting familiar with bathroom rug sizes.
The market is rich with multiple options that you can choose from. And every size comes in a variety of materials, features, and styles.
But which one is right for your bathroom?
In the coming sections, we’ll take a look at various rug sizes, and see how to best use each one.
Which Bathroom Rug Sizes Do You Need?
Sometimes I like a decorative item, like a rug, and I rush back home to put it in the spot I imagined.
I would like to say that the result is always exactly as I visualized it, but that wouldn’t be true.
Occasionally, the color of a throw clashes with the upholstery of the sofa. Or the size of the coffee table seems too tiny in the wide living room.
These aren’t the nicest outcomes, and as much as possible, I try to avoid making the wrong purchases.
To maximize your possibilities of success in getting the perfect bathroom rug, keep reading!
Here are some of the most important points to consider …
- What is the overall size of your bathroom?
- Do you need one rig? A few rugs at specific spots? Or a full set?
- Is the rug style you like available in practical sizes?
- Do you have decorative floor tiles that wouldn’t want to hide under a rug?
- Do you prefer contour rugs, oval rugs, or rectangular ones?
- What are the available sizes in most shops?
These questions should put you on the right track.
At the very least, you wouldn’t end up with a bathroom rug that’s too big, or one that’s too small.
Next, let’s go through the most common bathroom rug sizes that you’d find in most shops.
Note that each one can be used anywhere you like. But there are recommended spots that seem to work best with certain sizes.
You ABSOLUTELY need to know that!
Standard Bathroom Rug Sizes
See this standard and affordable bath rug at Wayfair.
This is the versatile little rug that you’d find adjacent to any sink, toilet, tub, or door.
It’s around 17 x 24 inches, which is usually a practical size.
Whether it’s the master bathroom or the one for the kids or guests, the standard bathroom rug seems to fit in easily.
It’s worth noting that this rug is among the favorite choices to place in front of doors, both outside and inside bathrooms.
In the first case, where the rug is placed right outside the bathroom, there’s no limit to how thick or fluffy it is.
Contrary to that, the rug that’s inside the bathroom should be as lean as possible.
The low profile is essential to keep the rug from interfering with the door movement.
Large or Master Bathroom Rug Sizes
Check out this soft and cozy master bath rug at Wayfair.
After a hot shower, or a luxurious bath, the last thing anyone needs is to step on the cold hard floor!
A large master bathroom rug definitely feels like total bliss as you move out of the soothing warmth of the shower and into the real world.
This is especially nice in winter where the bathroom tiles are wicked cold.
These rugs come in a number of sizes, with the 20 x 34 inches as the norm, and it often fits neatly in a medium-sized bathroom.
If your bathroom has extra space, then you can consider a 27 x 45 inches, or a 24 x 60 inches.
There are other configurations as well, so you can get the one that covers as much ground as possible beside the tub.
Large bathroom rugs can also work as centerpieces in extra-large bathrooms. And with the increase in space, the choices of shape go up as well.
Oval, circular, and even hexagonal rugs are all possible in a large enough bathroom.
You should try to look for a set where you can complement a large rug with a couple of standard or small ones.
Bathroom Runner Size
See this vanity runner over at Wayfair.
Runners are commonly used in corridors and walkways between rooms.
They’re also placed in locations where a long and narrow rug would cover the right amount of the floor.
A master or secondary bathroom that’s extra long than it is wide would always look nice with a runner that extends from side to side.
This is a neat look, and it’s a nice alternative to throwing around a number of smaller rugs here and there.
I can also help to make a smaller bathroom feel larger as your eye follows the down the longer rug.
There are many sizes for runners, with the only condition that they’re longer than they’re wide. A common size is 20 x 47 inches.
This is a rather versatile rug that you can place as a centerpiece, beside the tub, or to create visual interest next to a bare wall.
Double Sink Bathroom Rugs
One of my favorite rugs for bath areas from Wayfair.
Double vanity, or double sink, bathroom rugs serve three essential functions. And it would be beneficial to keep them in mind.
Let me tell you why they are great:
- They provide safety against slipping, with all the water that could splash out of the sink.
- They offer a neat dry place to stand while washing up.
- They unite the double sinks with a visually pleasing item.
The length and width of the double sink rug vary quite a bit, and the sizes go from the extra-long to the extra-trim. A common size is 21 x 34 inches.
The length and width of this type of rug is also limited by the layout of the bathroom.
If the double sink is placed in an alcove, the rug should fit inside that space, with a 5-10 inch clearance on both sides.
Rugs for Pedestal Sinks
Soft, oval rug perfect for a vintage pedestal sink – from Wayfair
There are two basic choices when you want to place a rug in front of a pedestal sink.
Here are the options you have:
- Get a standard-sized rug
- Use a contoured rug
If you’ve already bought a set, then you can distribute the rugs as needed.
Often, you’d get a single contoured rug in the set, and that one usually goes with the toilet.
That will leave you with a standard rug for the pedestal sink.
Personally, I favor the 17 x 24 inches standard rugs for the sink.
The larger ones seem to be overkill for that space and the kind of splashing that goes on beside a normal sink.
It’s quite unlikely that washing your hands or brushing your teeth would rain that much water on the floor. That’s why larger rugs in this spot aren’t all that useful.
There are some non-rectangular rugs that look nice beside a sink, like the floral shapes or the asymmetric cloud shapes.
If you have that cheerful streak, then, by all means, break the mold and choose a free-form rug.
Getting the Numbers Straight: The Bath Rug Size Chart
To summarize the detailed descriptions above, it would be nice to see all the different sizes in the same place.
And at this point, you can compare all the available selections at a glance.
This is a sizing chart you can work with:
| Bathroom Rug Type | Dimensions (inches) | Suggested Usage |
| Standard Rug | 17 x 24 | General |
| Big Rug | 20 x 34 | Beside the tub in a moderate bathroom |
| Big Rug | 27 x 45 | Beside a large tub |
| Big Rug | 24 x 60 | Beside the tub in a large bathroom
As a centerpiece in a large bathroom |
| Bathroom Runner | 20 x 47 | Across the bathroom from, door to wall, especially good for a narrow bathroom. |
| Double sink rug | 21 x 34 | In front of a double sink vanity |
| Pedestal sink rug | 17 x 24 | Close to the sink column |
These rugs come in every conceivable style, material, and pile-height. That’s why it would be a bit hard to specify these factors in the above table.
But these factors are critical, so that’s what we’ll discuss next …
Getting The Right Bathroom Rug: Styles, Materials, and Pile-Height
Having decided on the size, here are a few more things to ponder:
The Selection Criteria
- The color and texture of the bathroom rug should match the tiles used on the walls and floors.
It should also harmonize with the color of the bathroom fixtures and any decorative features.
- Bathroom rugs need frequent washing, so easy maintenance should be an important factor in the selection process.
- There are some environment-friendly materials in the market, so you might want to think about these options.
- Fluffy plush rugs with high piles are nice and cozy. But they might not fit below a door. That’s why we often use flat ones next to doors.
- Some materials invite bacterial and fungal growth more than others. Naturally, it’s best to look for the more hygienic items.
- Just like with actual bathtub bath mats not sticking – you need to put safety first. So, always select a good anti-slip rug that holds its own and doesn’t slide across the floor.
- A rubber backing material for the bathroom rug adds to its stability and keeps it dry.
It makes cleaning it a tad more difficult though. See this video for some helpful tips:
You’d need to do the math here, and choose what’s easier for you.
The Best Materials
These are some examples of the materials you can use for a bathroom rug:
Microfiber
Microfiber is a synthetic material that’s highly absorbent, dries up relatively quickly, and doesn’t slip too easily.
It comes in flat or plush forms, with pile heights that would add plenty of glam to your bathroom. Microfiber is also easy to maintain, as it’s machine-washable.
It almost crosses all the right boxes. And that’s why I placed this option on top of the list.
You can use this material for the big center rug, the one that you place beside the tub, or the runner across the room.
Nylon
Nylon is another synthetic material that’s known for its water-repelling properties.
It’s also quite easy to clean, and most nylon products are machine-washable.
Nylon rugs can be made with any pile height, but you’d more commonly find dense flat ones.
On the downside, these rugs aren’t all that soft, and they don’t have high water absorbency.
This translates to having wet feet even after standing on the rug for a few minutes!
They also slip easily on a smooth floor. These rugs are well suited as toilet contoured mats, or standard ones beside a pedestal sink.
Chenille
Chenille rug enhancing the bathroom floor, from Wayfair
Chenille is the wannabe of cotton. It has a similar appearance, and might be even more durable.
But its texture and absorbency are much less than that of cotton.
The best application for chenille is a standard rug where there is minimal water splashing.
Cotton
This is the softest material you can get from clothing, to bedding, to rugs. It’s highly absorbent, and has a high grip on the floor.
These rugs get wet quite quickly though, and take their time to dry.
They’re also impossibly easy to soil and cleaning them up thoroughly might take a bit of an effort.
Cotton rugs are perfect beside sinks, whether that is a single or double vanity.
They get too wet beside a tub, and soil too easily as runners or big rugs.
Pile Height
Bathrooms typically need flat rugs as often as plush rugs.
Each type has its functionality, and we’re always happy to have so many options.
The standard pile heights range from ½-1 inch. There are extra-flat rugs with heights less than half an inch, and these are great beside doors.
As for the ones exceeding one-inch pile height, these are amazing beside a tub or in front of a sink.
Backing Materials
The backing materials normally come in two basic varieties: rubber and latex. This is to maintain good grip and rug hygiene.
Latex is the backing we find more often, as it’s less expensive and more versatile.
Usually, the backing isn’t too thick, and rarely exceeds half an inch.
To Sum It All Up
That was our detailed guide on bathroom rug sizes, what’s on display in the market, and where to place each type.
Hopefully, this will help you in renovating your bathroom. Also, in adding the right touches of elegance and coziness.