The rug was very soft to the touch which is nice. However it has some sort of chemical coating on it that gave both my daughter and I an allergic reaction. We couldn't sit in the same room as the rug for more than 15 - 30 mins without our eyes tearing and throat getting irritated. We vacuumed and kept the windows open for several days in a row and it is getting better. But there is still a faint chemical smell even after a week of airing out.