Choosing the Right Artificial Grass for your Garden

Artificial grass isn't just an attractive addition to your garden, it is also a huge time-saver. Our guide will help you to choose the right one for you.

Over the past fifty years, artificial grass has grown as an alternative to natural grass and is now a leading option for lawns, balconies, golf greens and sports surfaces. Companies such as Namgrass use yarns and fibres that are different shapes to create grass that not only looks like the real thing but also acts like it.   

Why choose artificial grass for your garden?  

Before going into the nitty-gritty of how to choose the right artificial turf, it’s important to understand what it will bring to a specific space, whether that’s in your personal back garden or a recreational ground. The main benefits of choosing artificial grass include:  

• It looks great all the time, no matter what the weather is doing – it won’t fade in the sun or become muddy in the rain  
• Turf won’t set off any grass allergies  
• Incredibly low maintenance, as it doesn’t require trimming to maintain its perfect length  
• Safe and resilient enough for use by both pets and small children  

Choosing the Actual Grass  

If you have a tight budget, be realistic with your expectations because it is important to ensure that you only look at grasses that fit into what you can afford.   

Pick up some Samples

Always pick up samples of the grasses you are interested in. This allows you to compare the look, feel and quality of the different options. The key areas to look at are: 

Get the right Colour

For many people, colour is one of the most important factors when choosing artificial grass. Typically, you’re likely to want to choose something that looks natural, however, if you are adding turf to a children’s play area, other crazier colours are also available. When you have your samples, we recommend placing them outdoors during different parts of the day, when the sun is likely to hit it from different directions to gauge a better idea of what each one will look like.  

Feel the Weight

We recommend picking up a piece of artificial grass, as the higher quality ones will be quite heavy and are something that you may want to bear in mind if you are intending to install the grass yourself.  

Get some Height

The height you choose will ultimately depend on the overall look you are aiming to achieve with your fake grass: 

If you have pets or children, a shorter length is probably a better choice.  

Country of Origin

We recommend paying attention to where the grass was manufactured, as some countries such as China, tend to produce artificial grasses that are made from a recycled polyethylene which may be ideal if you are on a tight budget, as they are often cheaper however they are also of a lower quality that isn’t resilient against UV light.  

Fake grass such as Namgrass is manufactured in Belgium and is made from materials that are stable against UV lighting, reducing the likelihood of unwanted fading. Higher quality grasses such as this are also more likely to be soft in texture which is more in keeping with what you expect from real grass.  

Figuring out your Budget  

As with most major purchases, working out how much you can afford is incredibly important to ensure that you only look at products that match your budget without stretching your resources.  

Some things to think about when working out your budget include:   

• Making sure you know how much artificial grass you need  
• Whether you are going to use an installer or not.  
  • If yes, this will, of course, need factoring into your budget. However, we strongly recommend getting quotes from numerous installers to ensure that you find one that fits in with your budget  
  • If not and you choose to install the grass yourself, consider if you are able to remove the material on your own? Do you have someone who could help you? Whilst doing it yourself can save money, in terms of practicality it could end up costing you more.  
• How much prep work your garden is likely to need; obviously the more it needs, the more expensive it is likely to cost. For example, if your garden has clay-based soil, it is likely that you need to use more aggregate during preparation to ensure that when it rains, water will not pool.  

Have you purchased artificial grass from us? We would love to see your photos. Share them with us on social media, either on Facebook or Twitter.