There is a wide range of carpet products used around the world, with large differences in the styles and weaves that are used. carpets (Teppiche) have a long history of use throughout global culture, with many nations and cultures identified with their traditional rug and carpet designs.
Technically speaking, carpet products are made from a combination of an upper layer and a backing layer, although the words rug and carpet are used interchangeably in many cultures around the world. The upper pile layer of a carpet can be made in a variety of ways, with various materials combined with different weaves in the production of individual carpet products. Most carpets are made from either natural wool or a number of man-made fibres, such as nylon, polypropylene, and polyester. Some of the most popular types of carpets include woven, needlefelt, knotted, tufted, flatweaved, and hooked.

Carpets are used all over the world, although there can be a lot of difference as to how different products are made and fitted. In a modern western context, something has to go from wall to wall in order to be called a carpet. However, this is not the case around much of the world, where the two terms rug and carpet are often used interchangeably. The opening of the international trade routes in the 17th century gave European people access to the great carpet making cultures of the Middle East and Asia, and many of the techniques and designs used in modern carpets come straight from those traditional methods of carpet making. The majority of modern carpets are of the tufted type, where a pile is injected into the backing material. Tufted carpets are affordable to produce and provide the kind of stability that is required for modern day usage.

Other than the common styles of tufted carpets, there are a number of other carpet types in production around the world. Woven carpets are produced on a loom similar to woven cloth, with some modern variations combining cut and loop carpeting. Woven carpets are normally the most expensive to produce, due to the use of many coloured yarns and a long production process. Other types of carpets include a range of technologically advanced needlefelt designs, knotted carpets, flatweave, and hooked rugs. Some of the common materials that are used to produce these carpets include nylon, wool, polypropylene, polyester, and acrylic.