Checkered Outdoor Rugs

Big graphic squares — the pattern that took over patios and never left. Checkered outdoor rugs work because the scale reads from across the yard and the two-tone grid hides everything a party throws at it.

Black and white is the classic; look for cream-and-sage or clay-and-oat if you want it quieter.

6 products

Checkered outdoor rugs

A check is a grid, and a grid is the calmest pattern you can put on a floor. It has no direction, so it does not stretch a space or shorten it. It simply sits there being orderly, which is exactly what you want underneath a table with people and plates around it.

The three checks

  • Fine grid. Thin lines on a pale ground. From standing height it reads as texture rather than pattern, so it grounds a space without competing with the furniture — and it hides the leaf litter that a solid rug shows instantly.
  • Buffalo check. Large two-color blocks. The cabin-and-porch classic, and the boldest option here.
  • Gingham. Three tones rather than two, because the overlap makes a middle shade. Reads fresh and summery, and it is the one that suits a picnic table.

Match the check to the rug

Scale is the only real decision. A large buffalo check needs a 48″ × 72″ or 60″ × 84″ to show enough repeats to read as a pattern; at 24″ × 36″ you get four squares and a shape. Fine grids and gingham work at every size, including the smallest.

Material and sizes

Soft polyester chenille, short dense nap, no-skid backing, overlocked edges. Water-resistant, mildew-resistant, fade-resistant and quick-drying. Spot clean only.

Four sizes, 24″ × 36″ to 60″ × 84″. Free US shipping, and 10% off any three pieces.