How to choose the right artificial turf according to the venue?

When choosing artificial turf, many people make a misconception: they believe all turf has the same height and density. In fact, different applications have different requirements for the function, appearance, and comfort of the turf, making the selection of the right "turf" crucial.

Define Your Needs

Before choosing artificial turf, first define your needs. Do you prioritize comfort underfoot or performance for sports? Do you need easy cleaning or environmentally friendly and odorless material?

Understanding parameters

1. Grass fiber materials

PE: High softness, good abrasion resistance, appearance closest to real grass, and best overall performance.

PP: Higher hardness, slightly lower abrasion resistance, but lower cost.

PA/Nylon: Extremely abrasion-resistant, excellent resilience, but high cost and a harder feel.

2. Grass height and density

Landscape lawn

Applicable scenarios: home garden, hotel greening, shopping mall display area, balcony, roof garden, etc.

Recommended parameters:

• Grass height: about 30mm
• Density: 16800 needles/㎡
• Grass type: straight and curved mixed grass

This lawn is characterized by high density and medium height, soft and comfortable to the feet, and natural and realistic vision. The dense arrangement of grass silk makes it full in appearance, with good elasticity and resistance to trampling, which is very suitable for leisure and viewing purposes.

Football field lawn

Applicable scenarios: standard 11-a-side or 5-a-side football field, training ground, school sports field, etc.

Recommended parameters:

• Grass height: 50mm
• Density: 9500 needles/㎡
• Grass type: upright monofilament grass

The grass of the football field emphasizes the rolling speed of the ball, the rebound performance and the protection of the athletes. Therefore, the grass height is high and the density is moderate, and quartz sand and rubber particles need to be laid as fillers to ensure that the grass filaments stand upright and have appropriate friction to meet the professional requirements of competition and training.

3. Backing Fabric and Adhesive

Double-layer composite backing fabric (PP + mesh fabric) is currently the standard for mid-to-high-end products, providing stronger tensile strength and durability.

The adhesive should use environmentally friendly styrene-butadiene latex (SBR) or higher-end polyurethane (PU) to ensure the grass fibers are firmly locked in, preventing shedding and guaranteeing good drainage.

4. Infill System vs. No-Infill Turf

Infilled Turf: Requires infilling with quartz sand and environmentally friendly rubber granules. Primarily used in sports fields, providing the necessary cushioning, rebound, and stabilizing effect for upright grass fibers.

No-Infill Turf: Achieves uprightness and cushioning through the addition of curved grass fibers (a combination of curved and straight) or high density. Primarily used in residential yards, offering a cleaner and tidier environment with no risk of particle splashing, especially suitable for families with children and pets.

Why are grass height and density so important?

The higher the grass height, the more raw materials are needed, and the appearance is more fluffy and thick, which is suitable for sports venues with high requirements for cushioning.

The higher the density, the tighter the grass, the more durable it is, and the softer it feels. It is usually used for landscape purposes or light sports areas.

The two directly affect the cost, performance and life of artificial turf.

Therefore, blindly pursuing the "highest density" or "highest grass height" is not advisable. The key is to find a parameter combination that suits the functional requirements of your venue.

Scenario Type Determines Core Needs

First, defining your primary use case is the first step in selection. Different sites have different needs for artificial turf.

1. Residential Courtyards and Balconies

Requirements: Aesthetically pleasing and realistic, soft underfoot, safe and environmentally friendly, easy to maintain. Families with children and pets especially need to focus on the turf's environmental friendliness and safety.

General Decorative Courtyards: Aim for a visual effect similar to natural grass.

Pet Play Areas: Require excellent drainage and antibacterial/odor-suppressing properties, easy to clean.

Children's Playgrounds: Require soft grass fibers, good cushioning, and a stable backing system.

2. Sports Fields

Requirements: Excellent athletic performance, outstanding cushioning protection, and extremely high abrasion resistance and resilience. Professional venues have strict requirements for product certification.

Soccer/Russian Fields: Require products with FIFA certification or similar standards, focusing on ball speed, roll, and player protection.

Tennis/Basketball Courts: Require a smooth surface and consistent ball bounce.

Golf greens/putting areas: High requirements are placed on the uprightness, rolling speed, and directional accuracy of the grass fibers.

3. Commercial and Municipal Public Landscapes

Requirements: Extremely high durability, resistance to ultraviolet (UV) aging, fire retardancy, and extremely low maintenance costs. Must withstand high traffic and complex weather conditions.

Shopping mall/office building decoration: Emphasis on aesthetics and design.

Hotel/resort landscaping: Requires high-quality simulation effects to enhance the overall environmental quality.

Municipal roads/medians: Emphasis on durability, stain resistance, and flame retardant safety.

4. Special Application Scenarios

Rooftop greening: Requires lightweight construction, resistance to root penetration, and rapid drainage.

Interior decoration/exhibitions: May place greater emphasis on customized colors and shapes, as well as environmental friendliness and odorlessness.

Artificial Grass Selection Recommendations

1. Home Environment 

Grass Height: 20-30mm. Medium grass height, closely resembling natural grass, soft and comfortable underfoot;

Material: PE, soft and skin-friendly, odorless, high safety;

Density: 16,000-20,000 clumps/㎡. Moderate density, less prone to shedding, less likely to flatten under long-term trampling;

Adhesive: SBR adhesive. Waterproof and moisture-proof, suitable for humid home environments, less prone to delamination;

Infill: No infill or a small amount of quartz sand. Reduces maintenance costs and prevents dust accumulation.

× Avoid pure polypropylene (PP) material, as it is too hard, has a poor feel underfoot, and is not suitable for home leisure;

× Grass height should not exceed 30mm, as it is prone to flattening and makes cleaning fallen leaves and dust inconvenient;

× Prioritize products with "environmentally certified" to ensure they are free of formaldehyde and other harmful substances.

2. Sports Scenarios

Requires high wear resistance, impact resistance, safe and slip-resistant properties, compliance with sports standards, and the ability to withstand high-frequency foot traffic and intense exercise.

× Football and basketball courts must meet industry standards, avoiding low-density products that are prone to deformation and have a short lifespan;

× Kindergarten lawns must be made of "formaldehyde-free, highly flexible" materials, and the grass height should not be too high to prevent children from tripping;

× Avoid choosing adhesive-backed products without mesh fabric, as they lack tensile strength and are prone to cracking during strenuous activity.

3. Commercial Scenarios

Must meet the following requirements: high aesthetic appeal, resistance to sun and rain, easy cleaning, and long lifespan; balancing aesthetics and practicality to enhance the quality of commercial spaces.

Grass height: 25-35mm, neat and aesthetically pleasing, not easily cluttered, suitable for overall landscaping;

Material: PE, high simulation, uniform color, visually close to natural grass;

Density: 18,000-22,000 clumps/㎡, resistant to wind and rain, not easily shed, maintains cleanliness over the long term;

Adhesive: Environmentally friendly PU adhesive, strong weather resistance, not easily aged in high and low temperature environments, odorless;

Infill: For outdoor scenes, a small amount of quartz sand is recommended to improve stability; no infill is required for indoor exhibitions.

✔ Prioritize products with a UV resistance rating of ≥8 to avoid fading and brittle grass fibers caused by prolonged sun exposure;

✔ Commercial spaces with high foot traffic require lawns with high abrasion resistance;

✔ For municipal landscaping and hotel courtyards, it is recommended to choose recyclable and environmentally friendly materials that align with green building principles.

4. Pet Scenarios

Choose grass that is scratch- and bite-resistant, easy to clean, waterproof, urine-resistant, and free of harmful substances, suitable for pets' daily activities.

Grass height: 15-20mm, short grass design for easy cleaning of pet feces and urine, preventing dirt accumulation;

Material: High-toughness PE, strong scratch and bite resistance, not easily broken, preventing pets from ingesting grass fibers;

Density: 22,000-25,000 tufts/㎡, dense structure to prevent pets from digging and damaging the lawn;

Adhesive: Waterproof SBR adhesive, prevents urine penetration, easy to rinse, and less prone to bacterial and mold growth;

Infill: No infill required, preventing pets from ingesting quartz sand or rubber granules, reducing health risks.

× Avoid choosing adhesive products containing formaldehyde or heavy metals, as long-term contact with these substances may cause health problems for pets;

× Avoid choosing long grass or low-density lawns, as pets can easily get their fur tangled and dirt can accumulate;

× Prioritize pet-specific artificial turf, which has a non-slip surface to prevent pets from slipping and falling while running.

Post-Selection Considerations

Installation Points:

• Hard Base: First lay shock-absorbing pads, then secure the turf with adhesive or fixing nails to prevent edge lifting;

• Soft Base: First harden the base by laying a layer of gravel + geotextile, then lay the turf to prevent weed growth and soil erosion;

• Joints: Use specialized joint adhesive to ensure a seamless connection and prevent water accumulation and edge abrasion.

Maintenance Tips:

• Regular Cleaning: Clean up fallen leaves and debris weekly, and promptly wash away urine and feces in pet areas to prevent bacterial growth;

• Avoid Sharp Objects: Do not use sharp tools such as scissors or shovels on the turf to prevent scratching the grass fibers and adhesive;

• Regular Inspection: Inspect the turf edges and joints annually, and repair any lifting or peeling immediately;

• Sun and Moisture Protection: In areas exposed to prolonged sunlight, spray with water regularly to keep the grass fibers soft; in humid environments, improve ventilation to prevent mold.

Don't know how to choose? Unigrass customizes solutions for you

The purpose of use, budget constraints and aesthetic requirements of each site are different. Unigrass has many years of experience in artificial grass design and provides one-stop services from material selection to construction, helping customers match the most suitable artificial turf solutions according to different project requirements. Whether you are pursuing landscape effects or sports performance, we can provide you with professional advice and product support.