Best artificial grass UK 2026: our fourteen ranges ranked

We sell fourteen artificial grasses, from £7.49 to £19 per square metre, and we are asked every day which is best. There is no single answer, because the best grass for a dog run is the wrong grass for a show garden. What we can do is rank them honestly by what they are for, say what the extra money buys as you go up the range, and tell you which three we would sample first for the most common gardens. Every price below is per square metre, cut from the roll to your length.

The short answer

Best all-round family lawn: Dan 38mm at £8.99. Best value long pile: Rum 40mm at £10. Best for dogs and heavy use: Talya 30mm at £8. Best looking, if budget is not the deciding factor: Dluxe 40mm at £19. Best for paths, balconies and side returns: Rocco 18mm at £7.49. Order free samples of your top two and put them on the ground outside before you decide.

What "best" means for a lawn

Four things separate our fourteen ranges, and price tracks all four:

• Pile height. 18mm is a mat you walk on; 40mm is a lawn you lie on. Longer pile looks lusher and needs brushing to stay upright. The pile height guide covers this in depth.
• Density. How many fibres per square metre. A dense 30mm looks better than a sparse 40mm, stands up longer and costs more.
• Yarn and colour blend. Cheaper grasses use one green and a straight fibre. Better ones mix three or four greens with a brown thatch and a C or W shaped fibre that springs back.
• Backing and drainage. All ours are latex-backed with drainage holes. What changes is weight and stability, which matters on big lawns and in wind.

The ranking, by what you are building

Budget and hard use: £7.49 to £9

1. Rocco 18mm, £7.49. Short, tough, easy to sweep. Paths, side returns, dog runs, balconies, rentals. Not a lawn to sit on. 2m and 4m widths.
2. Talya 30mm, £8. The cheapest grass that looks like a lawn. Our pick for two or more dogs and for busy family gardens that get more use than admiration.
3. Dan 38mm, £8.99. The one we sell most. Dense for its price, soft enough for children, short enough to clean. If you only sample one, sample this.
4. Bul 35mm, £9. Hard-wearing with a fuller look than Talya. A good middle ground for a garden with a dog that also has to look tidy.

Mid-range: £10 to £13.50

5. Rum 40mm, £10. The best-selling long pile. Looks far more expensive than it is, in every width from 1m to 5m. Brush it monthly and it stays that way.
6. Jers 30mm, £11. A step up in density from Talya at the same height; for a smart smaller garden or a front lawn.
7. Val 38mm, £11. C-shaped fibre that springs back after being walked on. Softer than Dan, better recovery under garden furniture.
8. Lux 30mm, £12.50. Premium short pile in every width. The choice for a show front garden or a roof terrace where 40mm would look out of scale.
9. Ens 38mm, £13.50. Richer colour blend at 38mm, for a lawn that is looked at as much as used.
10. Cali 40mm, £13.50. Rum's dense sibling: same height, more fibre, better stand-up.

Premium: £15 to £19

11. Aris 40mm, £15. A four-tone blend with a natural thatch; realistic close up.
12. Orf 45mm, £17. Our longest pile. Deep and soft, for a garden you sit in more than walk across. Needs brushing.
13. Onto 40mm, £18. Heavy, dense and stable; the one for a large open lawn that has to look even from the house.
14. Dluxe 40mm, £19. The densest and most realistic grass we sell. If you want visitors to ask whether it is real, this is the one.

Three gardens, three picks

• Family garden, 4m by 6m, children and a dog: Dan 38mm. 24m² from a 4m roll, about £219, free delivery. Sample Bul and Rum alongside it.
• Smart low-maintenance lawn, 5m by 8m, no pets: Rum 40mm or, if the budget allows, Cali. 40m² from a 5m roll, £405 in Rum. Sample Aris to see what £5 more buys.
• Small courtyard or front garden, 3m by 3m, looked at every day: Lux 30mm or Dluxe 40mm. Under 10m², so the premium is only £60 or so on the whole job.

What the extra money does and does not buy

Going from £9 to £19 per square metre roughly doubles the fibre density, adds a fourth colour and a thatch, and gives a heavier, more stable backing. It does not buy better drainage (all ours drain), longer life in any way you will notice in ten years, or easier cleaning; the premium grasses need more brushing, not less. On a 24m² lawn the difference between Dan and Dluxe is £240. On a 60m² lawn it is £600. Decide on the sample, on the ground, in your light, and then decide whether that difference is worth it to you. For most gardens it is not, which is why Dan and Rum outsell everything else combined.

Before you order

1. Measure the shorter side and pick the roll width: 2m, 4m or 5m. The roll widths guide shows how to avoid a join.
2. Two measurements into the calculator for the delivered price of any range.
3. Samples of your top two, outside, morning and evening.
4. Read what the whole job costs, including the sub-base, before you commit.

Free delivery over £190, with you in 2 to 4 working days. If you are torn between two, call 0161 399 1792 and describe the garden; we will tell you which we would lay in it.