That level of realism has proven popular, with industry figures claiming 15% nationwide growth since 2017, for a total of 265 million square feet of installed turf in the US as of mid-2020.Īs our research progressed, however, we realized we had serious reservations- synthetic turf can be a bad value over the long term, there are serious environmental problems to consider, and the costs to install and maintain any sizable, well-done installation proved so high that we concluded we’d be better off investing the money and effort in just about any other form of landscaping.Ĭonsider that timeline alongside the two bids that Harry received for installation of an approximately 960-square-foot expanse of grass in Los Angeles-both north of $10,000, likely more than $1,000 a year if averaged over the course of the expected lifespan.

The latest offerings caught our eye because fake grass has made a lot of progress in realism and popularity: Whereas fake turf of years past was blatantly unconvincing and literally rough around the edges, today a myriad of synthetic lawns are woven with realistic details mimicking the real deal, right down to individual blades of yellowed and dried grass. We went into the research for this article expecting to recommend the best artificial grasses, and when this project began, Wirecutter senior editor Harry Sawyers was considering synthetic turf to upgrade a dry patch of yard at his home in Los Angeles. And complications related to the disposal of synthetic turf, not to mention its impact along the course of its useful lifespan, raise serious questions about its long-term sustainability.

The fix won’t last forever-although some tiny pieces of it might. But don’t make such an investment thinking it’s a low-cost, zero-maintenance, long-term solution for a problematic patch of yard. If you have a dead, desolate stretch of property that’s so hideous you can hardly stand to look at it, smothering it in rolls of fake grass might actually be an upgrade.

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