Artificial Grass
Artificial grass buyer's guide: pile, backing and pet safety
Aug 2026 · 5 min read · by the MEG Outdoor Living team
Every artificial grass spec sheet is a wall of numbers — pile height, DTEX, stitches per square metre, backing type. Here's what actually matters when you're choosing turf for a Melbourne backyard.
Pile height: the look you're after
| Series | Pile | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Eco Turf 14 | 14mm | Large low-traffic areas, budget value |
| Neat Cut 16 | 16mm | Specialist, dense short-pile look |
| Green Mate 25 | 25mm | Family yards, best value soft look |
| Vivid Green 35 | 35mm | Pet friendly, built for paws |
| Lush 40 | 40mm | Tallest pile, lush lawn look |
| Prestige 35 | 35mm | Premium 4-tone yarn, flagship |
Taller pile reads as more 'real' lawn but compacts under heavy traffic. For kids and pets, 35mm with a dense stitch count is the sweet spot.
DTEX and stitch density: the numbers that predict wear
DTEX is the yarn thickness — higher means tougher, better UV colour-hold. Stitch density (stitches/m²) is how tightly the yarn is tufted — higher means it springs back instead of flattening. Prestige 35 at 16,800 DTEX is in a different league to an economy turf.
Pets: it's about the yarn, not just the pile
Pet-friendly turf needs splinter-free yarns, good drainage so urine doesn't pool, and an antimicrobial backing. Vivid Green 35 was built for exactly this.
Warranty and backing
A quality backing stops the turf stretching and delaminating. Look for a proper warranty — Lush 40 carries an 8-year warranty. Check what's covered: UV fading, fibre loss, and seam failure are the ones that matter.