It's an extremely low pile, which makes it durable for a hallway, which is where I have this rug now. I got the runner, which I love because it has two octopi on it, so cute! The fringe looks pretty durable, but I haven't tried vacuuming yet. The way that the fringe is attached, it looks like I *could* cut it off and you wouldn't even realized, which makes me happy for the longevity of the rug! It did have a pretty distinct smell when I got it (from the packaging) so make sure to let it air out a bit if you can! I just opened the windows for a few hours.