The rug feels really substantial. It's nice and thick and feels much softer than I expected for a natural rug. One thing I don't like is that the two sides are very thick because of the way they tucked the material under to finish it off. I've tripped multiple times in the few days that I've owned it. Overall I'm pleased because it was a great price for the size and it hasn't been shedding like I've heard so many natural rugs tend to do. There also weren't any weird sticks or loose pieces of debris. Because it's under my bed, I didn't use a rug pad. If not anchored by large furniture, I think the rug might slide a bit so you would want to get a non-slip pad.