If you share your home with a dog or cat, you have probably looked at Ruggable, which calls itself "the original washable rug." Lovewag has a narrower job: washable mats that look like stylish rugs and sit under the bowls, the litter box or the crate.
Both go in the washing machine, but a Ruggable rug is made to anchor a room. A Lovewag mat is made to catch the drip after a drink, the litter on little paws and the mud after a rainy walk, then go in the wash while its twin from the 2-pack takes its place. We make Lovewag, so read this with that in mind. We give Ruggable the rounds it wins.
The short answer
For pet messes in one spot, pick Lovewag: waterproof, leak-proof, machine washable in every size, and $31.99 for a 2-pack of 36 x 48 inch mats. For a full room rug with real texture, pick Ruggable.
Best washable rug for pet owners
Lovewag wins for pet mess zones
- A waterproof, leak-proof barrier under an absorbent top layer
- Machine washable in every size, with 2-packs in the three smaller sizes
- A fraction of the price per mat, while Ruggable wins on room sizes and looks
So, is Ruggable worth it if you have pets? For a living room or bedroom, it can be. Ruggable's washable rugs come in true room sizes up to 10 x 14 feet, in tufted, flatwoven and plush textures, with a deep design catalog that includes licensed Morris & Co. and Scalamandré patterns. Its own product page rates the Cyrus tufted rug 4.7 stars from 1,105 reviews. For the small, messy zones pets create every day, though, a Lovewag mat does the job for far less money.
Lovewag mats hold 4.9 stars from more than 1,600 reviews on our Lovewag reviews page. The scores below are editorial ratings, a guide for pet parents, not a lab test.
Lovewag vs Ruggable comparison rounds
Six rounds, scored side by side
Most ruggable vs searches come down to one worry: will it stand up to a wet nose, a missed potty break and a regular wash? Ruggable reviews on its own pages are strong.
The Cyrus tufted rug shows 4.7 stars and the Fernanda flatwoven rug 4.6 at the time of writing, so this is not a good product against a bad one. It is a contest about fit. Washable rugs for dogs and cats have to handle water, litter and mud first and look good second. Our Lovewag mat FAQ covers care and sizing. For a more playful shape, our Wavy mats as washable rugs are single mats with a scalloped edge, in stock in 28 x 41 only right now.
Leak protection
Lovewag 9Ruggable 7
Lovewag calls its mats waterproof and leak-proof, with a waterproof barrier in the middle and an absorbent top layer designed to capture everyday pet messes. Ruggable's dog and cat guides call all of its rugs "water-resistant, stain-resistant, and machine washable," and its product pages say a "built-in waterproof barrier helps protect rug and floors from spills." Both put a barrier under the mess. Of the two, Lovewag makes the firmer claim and adds an absorbent top, so it takes the round.
Washing
Lovewag 9Ruggable 7
Every Lovewag size, up to 54 x 72 inches, gets the same care: machine wash cold on a gentle cycle with any household detergent, then tumble dry low or air dry. The three smaller sizes come as 2-packs, so one mat stays down while the other is in the wash. Ruggable rugs also wash cold, but its washer guide shows tufted 9 x 12 and 10 x 14 foot rugs fitting none of the home washers it charts, flatwoven ones at those sizes need a washer of 4.2 cubic feet or more, and the two-piece rug pad is never machine washed.
Grip on the floor
Lovewag 8Ruggable 8
Both build in grip. Lovewag has a non-slip backing that works best on clean, dry floors, and Ruggable has a nonslip backing or a required rug pad. Neither publishes a measurement, so it is a tie.
Sizes
Lovewag 5Ruggable 10
Ruggable wins clearly. It sells area rugs from 2 x 3 to 10 x 14 feet, runners up to 2.5 x 12 feet, and 6 and 8 foot rounds. Our four sizes run from 16 x 24 to 54 x 72 inches, with nothing big enough for a whole living room.
Looks in your home
Lovewag 7Ruggable 9
Ruggable has the deeper catalog, more textures and interchangeable covers on one pad. Our mats use elevated patterns and soft fabric textures, made to blend in without looking like a temporary fix. Ruggable offers more range, so it takes the round.
Price per size
Lovewag 10Ruggable 4
The sizes do not line up exactly. A Lovewag 2-pack of 36 x 48 inch mats is $31.99, while Ruggable's nearest size, 3 x 5 feet, was $139 for the Fernanda flatwoven rug and pad set and $169 for the Cyrus tufted rug when we checked in October 2026. The 3 x 5 is the larger piece. Lovewag's 54 x 72 inch single is $49.99, against $209 to $299 for a Ruggable 4 x 6, which is slightly smaller. At the small end, a 2-pack of 16 x 24 inch Lovewag mats is $24.99, while Ruggable's smallest rug, 2 x 3 feet, starts at $89 for a flatwoven rug and pad set. Ruggable gives you a bigger single piece at the two smaller steps, and a real rug texture, but if the job is catching drips and litter in one spot, the Lovewag price is hard to argue with.
Lovewag vs Ruggable features
Feature by feature
Here is the quick view. Every cell below uses each brand's own wording or price as of October 2026, for machine washable rugs and mats alike, with a check mark where one side clearly comes out ahead.
Ruggable washable rugs come as a one-piece all-in-one rug or a two-piece cover on a separate pad, and each system has its own care steps. Our mats come in four sizes and one build: absorbent top, waterproof barrier, non-slip backing. For a bigger footprint, our 54 x 72 mats are sold as singles at $49.99, with four patterns in that collection at the time of writing. Lovewag does not publish fabric content, thickness or a warranty, so the table leaves those out rather than guessing.
| Feature | Lovewag | Ruggable |
|---|---|---|
| Water claim | Waterproof and leak-proof | Water-resistant, with a waterproof barrier that "helps protect" floors |
| Build | Absorbent top, waterproof barrier, non-slip backing | One-piece rug, or a cover on a required pad |
| Machine washing | Every size, cold and gentle | Most sizes, but tufted 9 x 12 and 10 x 14 ft fit no home washer in its guide |
| Sizes | Four, from 16 x 24 to 54 x 72 in | 2 x 3 to 10 x 14 ft, plus runners and rounds |
| Pack | 2-packs, with 54 x 72 sold single | Sold one rug at a time |
| Price near 3 x 4 ft | $31.99 for two 36 x 48 in mats | $139 to $169 for one 3 x 5 ft rug |
| Shipping | Free over $50, otherwise $6.95; processed in 1 to 2 business days | Free, made to order, ships in 1 to 2 weeks |
| Warranty | None published | One-year limited; excludes "damage caused by pets" |
Who these washable rugs are best for
Pick by the job, not the label
If you searched for a ruggable dupe, here is the honest answer. Lovewag is not a copy of a Ruggable rug and is not trying to be one. It is a waterproof mat sized for bowls, litter boxes, crates and doorways, built with an absorbent top layer for the drips and scatter that land there. If you are weighing a ruggable alternative for those spots, that difference is the whole point, and it is why one home can hold both.
Pet friendly rugs and rugs for dogs are not one category. A room rug has to look right under the sofa legs. Ruggable alternatives make the most sense for the messy spots, not the whole room.
Choose lovewag for
- Feeding spotsThe 16 x 24 size sits under food and water bowls.
- Litter boxes and playpensThe 28 x 41 size is listed for both.
- Mudrooms and sofasThe 36 x 48 size is listed for mudrooms and sofa protection.
- Puppies in training and senior petsLovewag designs its mats with both in mind.
- Tight budgets2-packs start at $24.99.
Choose ruggable for
- Whole roomsRugs go up to 10 x 14 feet.
- Hallways and round spacesRunners and 6 and 8 foot rounds.
- Rug textureFlatwoven, tufted and plush options.
- Swapping stylesInterchangeable covers share one pad.
- A written warrantyOne year against manufacturing defects.
Lovewag & Ruggable pros & cons
Where each one falls short
Every product has trade-offs, ours included. Lovewag listed 26 mat designs at the time of writing, and several were in stock in one size only, so the pattern you like may not come in the size you need this week. Ruggable is a much broader brand: its Ruggable company profile on Wikipedia says it was founded in 2008 and sells rugs, doormats, bath mats, play mats, pet beds and throw pillows.
The lists below stick to what each brand publishes. Where a brand does not publish something, such as Lovewag's fabric content or Ruggable's fiber content, we leave it out rather than guess.
Lovewag mat
Pros
- Waterproof, leak-proof barrier under an absorbent top layer
- Every size machine washes cold on a gentle cycle
- 2-packs, so one mat stays down while the other washes
- Rated 4.9 stars from more than 1,600 reviews
Cons
- Four sizes, none big enough for a whole room
- Several patterns in stock in one size only right now
- No tufted or plush pile option
- The largest size, 54 x 72, is sold single rather than in a 2-pack
- No published warranty, fabric content or thickness
Ruggable rug
Pros
- Real room sizes up to 10 x 14 feet, plus runners and rounds
- Tufted, flatwoven and plush textures
- Large catalog, including licensed designs
- One-year limited warranty against defects
Cons
- Called "water-resistant" in its pet guides
- Tufted 9 x 12 and 10 x 14 foot rugs fit none of the home washers in its guide
- The two-piece rug pad cannot go in the washer
- Warranty excludes "damage caused by pets" and problems "caused by wetting"
- $89 for a 2 x 3 flatwoven set, $1,399 for a 10 x 14 tufted rug (October 2026)
Lovewag vs Ruggable questions
What pet parents ask us
Here are the questions that come up when pet parents compare the two. Each answer uses the brand's own published wording and prices as of October 2026.
Is Ruggable worth it for pet owners?
It can be, if you need a full-size rug you can wash. Ruggable sells real room sizes and textures that wash at home in most sizes. Weigh that against the price, from $89 for a small flatwoven set to more than $1,000 for large tufted rugs, and a warranty that excludes "damage caused by pets." For bowls, litter boxes and crates, a Lovewag mat costs far less and is sold as waterproof.
Is Ruggable waterproof?
Ruggable uses both words. Its dog and cat guides, as of October 2026, describe all of its rugs as "water-resistant," and its product pages say a "built-in waterproof barrier helps protect rug and floors from spills." Its washing machine guide calls the rugs "spill resistant." So the rug is described as water-resistant, with a waterproof barrier built in. Lovewag describes its mats as waterproof and leak-proof.
What is a good Ruggable alternative?
It depends on the job. For a room-size rug, look at other washable area rugs. For the spots pets mess up most, a waterproof washable mat such as Lovewag fits better. It is a different product, not a Ruggable copy.
Can a washable mat replace a rug?
In a small space, yes: a 36 x 48 or 54 x 72 inch Lovewag mat works in an entryway or mudroom. It will not replace a room-size rug, because Lovewag's largest size is 54 x 72 inches.
How often should you wash a Lovewag mat?
We recommend a wash every one to two weeks for best results: cold, gentle cycle, any household detergent, then tumble dry low or air dry. Skip bleach to protect the design.
More pet mat guides & tips
Keep reading
