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Carpet grass vs premium grass: let's look at the breakdown

Published 16 July 2026

Cheap carpet grass looks like a steal at the till. But divide the price by what you actually get; the density, the warranty, the years it survives and premium Namgrass quietly comes out cheaper.

You know the feeling. Two rolls of grass, side by side. One is a fraction of the price. Your brain screams bargain, add to cart. But the sticker isn't the real cost, what matters is the price per thing you actually care about. So let's divide, honestly, and see who really wins.

Premium Namgrass artificial grass lawn in a Singapore landed-home garden

First, the sticker shock

On the shelf, the gap still looks big. Premium Belgian Namgrass turf is roughly two and a half times the price of a thin carpet-grass roll. This is the number that makes people reach for the cheap one and the only number that ever gets compared.

Cheap carpet€15per m² · lower mid-band

×2.5looks dearer

Premium Namgrass€38per m² · top of band

The turf material band runs roughly €9 (cheapest) to €38 (priciest) per m² ex VAT. We compare a fair mid-band budget carpet at €15 against premium at the top of the band, €38.

Hold that thought. Because “€15 vs €38” is comparing two completely different products as if they were the same. The fair comparison is price per unit of what you get. Watch the gap close.

Now let's look at the breakdown

Divide each price by the quality it actually buys — the stitches, the warranty years, the sun it can take, the years you'll keep it. Suddenly premium isn't dearer at all.

Shorter bar = cheaper per unit. Both prices are the same turf; only the quality they buy differs.

Cost per 1,000 stitchesPrice ÷ tuft densityPremium wins

Cheap carpet

€1.88

Premium

€1.31

Cost per year of warrantyPrice ÷ years coveredPremium wins

Cheap carpet

€7.50

Premium

€3.80

Cost per year you keep itPrice ÷ real life in SG sunPremium wins

Cheap carpet

€5.00

Premium

€2.53

Cost per 1,000 UV hoursPrice ÷ UV-A hours testedPremium wins · 4× sun-life

Cheap carpet

€18.75

Premium

€12.67

Assumptions. Cheap carpet: €15/m², ~8,000 stitches/m², ~800 h UV, ~2 yr realistic life. premium (Namgrass Exbury/B2B30, 30mm): €38/m², 28,980 stitches/m², >3,000 h UV, 10-yr warranty, ~15 yr realistic life. Prices are turf material ex VAT — budget mid-band, premium top of band; warranty and life are realistic Singapore figures, not sticker claims.

Per stitch, per UV hour, per warranty-year, per year you actually keep it — premium is cheaper every way you divide it. The “2× dearer” was only ever the sticker talking.

The spec you're actually buying

The breakdown only works because premium turf packs far more into the same square metre. This is what your money is buying and what the cheap roll quietly leaves out.

Spec	Premium Namgrass	Cheap carpet grass
Turf price (ex VAT)	~€38 / m²	~€15 / m²
Tuft density	28,980 stitches / m²	~8,000 stitches / m²
Pile weight	1,428 g / m²	~900 g / m²
UV stability	>3,000 h UV-A tested	~800 h
Colour tones	Four-tone realism	Single flat tone
Warranty	10-year installed	Little or none
Real life in SG sun	10–15 years	2–3 years
After 3 years	Lush, upright, true colour	Matted, shiny, faded

Want to feel it? The interactive pile comparator lets you drag through the blades and run the pull-test yourself.

The number cheap carpet never shows you

Here's where the breakdown turns into real money. A lawn is never just the roll you pay for the base, drainage, delivery and installation every single time it's laid. Cheap carpet makes you lay it again, and again, and again. And note this is premium at its priciest, €38 the top of the band, yet even against the most expensive grass, premium still wins.

15-year reality check

What it truly costs to keep a lawn for 15 years

Same square metre, same 15 years. Premium is laid once. Cheap carpet gets ripped out and re-laid roughly every three years and you pay the installation each time.

Cheap carpet5 relays × (€15 turf + €35 install)€250

Re-laid 5×

Premium NamgrassLaid once × (€38 turf + €35 install)€73

Laid 1×

~3.5×Over 15 years, the “cheap” lawn costs about three and a half times more — same turf re-laid five times, install paid five times.

Installation shown at an illustrative €35 / m² the same rate for both, so it's not the variable here. What differs is how often you pay it: once for premium, five times for cheap carpet.

Sticker price says premium is 2.5× dearer. Cost per year of a lawn you actually enjoy says premium is cheaper. Everything in between is what cheap carpet forgets to mention.

Do the math on your own space

See the specs move, compare the ranges, or tell us your area and we'll price a complete installed Namgrass system built to last 15 years — not three.

Try the pile comparator Full price guide Why cheap costs more Free quote

Common questions

Is premium artificial grass really cheaper than carpet grass?

On the shelf premium looks about four times the price. But once you divide the price by what you actually get — cost per 1,000 stitches, per year of warranty and per year of real-world life — premium comes out level or cheaper. Cheap carpet grass mats and fades in a few tropical years, so its low price is spread over a much shorter life.

What is carpet grass or budget artificial grass?

Carpet grass is thin, low-density synthetic turf — typically around 8,000 stitches/m², a short single-tone pile, weak UV protection and a light backing. It is cheap to buy but flattens, shines and fades quickly under sun and traffic, which is why it needs replacing far sooner than premium turf.

How long does cheap artificial grass last compared to premium?

Budget carpet grass often looks tired within 2–3 years in Singapore's sun, while premium Belgian Namgrass is built to stay lush for 10–15 years and carries a 10-year warranty. Because you replace cheap grass several times over the life of one premium lawn, the true cost of ownership of premium is far lower.

Why does re-installing cheap grass cost so much more?

The turf roll is only part of the cost — base, drainage, delivery and skilled installation are paid every time you lay a lawn. Replacing cheap grass four or five times means paying that labour four or five times, so a low roll price quietly becomes the most expensive option over 15 years.