Fresh out of the package it’s very creased but expecting it should smooth out over time.  Blue is much more teal than I was expecting (to me the photo looks like a true navy and gray) but I like it. We splurged on the recommended 0.25 thick rug pad that cost almost as much as the rug itself but since this is for a main living area I’m happy that we did since it makes a big difference.  Rug + rug pad is great. Rug without the rug pad I think would be tough.