Staple vs BCF (Bulk Continuous Filament)
Not too long ago the first words out of a carpet shoppers mouth was often “I don’t want any of that staple carpet!” Customers seemed to always prefer BCF (bulk continuous filament carpet) because they didn’t want their carpet to shed. Nowadays, due to improvements in the industry it’s not quite so black and white.
While it used to be pretty cut and dry as to staple vs BCF fibers, that’s not really the case now. One reason carpet is still made from staple fibers today is because it enables manufacturers to have more flexibility when creating new styles. Staple fibers can be spun into yarn that can produce everything from very tightly twisted plushes, to thick shags and cable carpets. Yarn produced from BCF fiber is a bit more restrictive.
Overall BCF carpet is more resistant to shedding while staple carpet does tend to shed for a week or two after installation. BCF carpet (bulked continuous filament) is made from fiber in a continuous form, often miles long. Due to BCF being in a long single yarn, it is usually twisted with another yarn and then heat set. Due to being made from one or two long threads of fibers, BCF is much more resistant to shedding.
Staple carpet is just what it sounds like, short lengths of fibers anywhere from 3-10 inches long. The longer the length of the fiber, the higher the quality and more resistant to shedding the final carpet will be. Generally, a high quality staple carpet will be produced with fibers averaging from 8-10 inches in length. These short fibers are twisted together and then spun into long threads of yarn.
Personally, I wouldn’t worry too much nowadays about whether a carpet is staple or bulked continuous filament. While a lower quality carpet made from staple fibers will shed for awhile after installation, eventually it should stop. If shedding should last many months which is rare, you may want to contact the carpet’s manufacturer. Generally speaking, as long as you purchase carpet from a reputable manufacturer like Karastan or Fabrica, it really shouldn’t matter that much.
A carpet made from BCF will have either “BCF” or “CNF” listed on its
label.