Struggling to pick the right artificial turf? The wrong choice can impact performance, safety, and your budget. Let’s clarify whether an infilled or non-infilled system is right for you.
For large, high-impact sports fields, traditional infilled artificial grass is the superior choice for performance, safety, and durability. For smaller areas, landscaping, or specific applications like patios and indoor gyms, non-infill turf can be an excellent, lower-maintenance alternative that still provides a great surface.
You now have the short answer, but I’m sure you want to understand the ‘why’ behind this recommendation. As a business owner or purchasing manager, making an informed decision is key to maximizing your investment and avoiding future headaches. Let’s break down the details of each system so you can confidently choose the perfect turf for your project’s specific needs.
Why use infill for artificial grass?
You see installers spreading tons of sand and rubber on a brand-new turf field. This might seem like an extra cost and a messy step. Is it really necessary?
Infill is essential for most artificial turf systems because it supports the grass fibers, provides crucial cushioning for player safety1, ensures proper athletic performance, and protects the backing from UV degradation, which dramatically extends the life of the entire field.
When I first started in the technical department of a turf factory, I learned that artificial grass is not just one product; it’s a complete system. The infill is a critical component of that system. Without it, the grass fibers would quickly flatten under foot traffic, leading to premature wear and an unplayable surface. The infill acts as a ballast, holding the turf down and providing stability. More importantly, it creates a surface that mimics the properties of natural soil and turf.
The Key Functions of Infill
- Support and Resilience: The infill, typically a mix of silica sand and rubber granules, surrounds each grass blade. This keeps the fibers standing upright, just like soil does for natural grass. This vertical orientation is key for a natural look and proper ball roll.
- Player Safety: The rubber granules provide shock absorption2. When an athlete runs, jumps, or falls, the infill cushions the impact, reducing the risk of injury. This is non-negotiable for sports fields.
- Durability: Infill shares the abrasion from foot traffic. Instead of cleats grinding directly on the grass fibers and backing, they interact with the durable infill material. This protects your investment and helps the field last for its full intended lifespan.
| Feature | Infilled Grass | Grass Without Infill |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber Support | Excellent | Poor (fibers flatten) |
| Player Safety | High (cushioning) | Very Low (hard surface) |
| Durability | High | Low (wears out quickly) |
| Performance | Consistent, natural | Unpredictable, fast |
What is non-infill artificial grass?
Have you heard about non-infill turf and wondered if it’s the future? It promises a simpler installation without the mess, but can it really perform without infill material?
Non-infill artificial grass is a modern turf product designed with an extremely dense thatch layer and specially shaped fibers. This construction allows it to stand upright and provide some cushioning without needing separate sand or rubber infill, making it ideal for specific low-impact uses.
Non-infill products are an interesting innovation in our industry. They are not a direct replacement for traditional sports turf but rather a solution for different applications. The technology relies on two main factors. First, it uses a very high stitch density and a supportive thatch zone—a curly layer of yarn at the base—that acts like a built-in support system. Second, the grass fibers themselves are often engineered in stronger shapes, like a ‘C’ or ‘S’ profile, which helps them spring back up after being compressed.
The Technology and Best Uses
- How It Works: The combination of dense thatch and resilient yarn means the product can support itself. For any application requiring significant impact absorption, like a playground or indoor sports area, non-infill turf is almost always installed over a separate shock-absorbing pad. The system becomes "turf + shock pad" instead of "turf + infill."
- Ideal Applications: I recommend non-infill grass to clients for projects where traditional infill is impractical. This includes balconies, rooftop patios, indoor gyms, trade show flooring, and small playgrounds. It provides a clean, mess-free surface that is easy to install and maintain in these environments. However, for a large, competitive sports field, it generally cannot match the performance and durability of an infilled system.
Making the decision: Infill or non-infill?
You are at a crossroads, needing to choose the right system for your project. Making the wrong call here could lead to an underperforming surface or a costly replacement sooner than expected.
The decision comes down to your primary use case. For any sports field over 1000 square meters, a professionally installed infilled system is the only choice. For smaller spaces, landscaping, or multi-purpose areas, you can weigh the pros and cons of each.
Over the years, I’ve helped hundreds of customers navigate this choice. My advice is always rooted in matching the product to the application to ensure long-term success. Think about the level of foot traffic, the type of activity, and your budget for both the upfront installation and long-term maintenance. Here’s a simple breakdown based on common projects my clients undertake.
Application-Based Recommendations
- Large Sports Fields (>1000 sqm): For soccer, American football, or rugby, you must use infilled artificial turf. Fill it with the specified amounts of silica sand and rubber granules. This is a non-negotiable standard for player safety, performance, and the durability of the field.
- Small Sports Fields / Training Areas: For smaller courts or practice zones, you have some flexibility. A pre-infilled product can work, but I often recommend installing a light layer of additional infill on-site to boost performance. A non-infill system over a quality shock pad is also a viable, albeit often more expensive, option.
- Landscaping and Leisure: For residential lawns, commercial green spaces, and patios, either system can work. Non-infill is cleaner and simpler, but adding a light layer of silica sand to a landscape turf can help the fibers stand up and adds weight to the system, making it very popular.
| Application | Recommended System | Key Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Soccer Field | Infilled System | Player safety and performance |
| Indoor Futsal Court | Non-Infill + Shock Pad | Cleanliness and controlled bounce |
| Residential Backyard | Light Infill or Non-Infill | Aesthetics and foot traffic level |
| Rooftop Patio | Non-Infill System | Low weight and no mess |
Will non-infill artificial grass provide enough resilience?
You might be skeptical about a turf system that has no rubber granules. Can a surface made of only plastic yarn really provide enough bounce and shock absorption for sports or play?
By itself, non-infill turf offers limited resilience suitable for light activities. However, when used for sports or playgrounds, it is installed as part of a system over a high-performance shock pad. This combination provides the necessary shock absorption and resilience for safety and playability.
This is a common and very important question from my clients. They worry that a non-infill field will feel hard and unforgiving. The key is to stop thinking about just the turf and start thinking about the entire system from the ground up. The resilience in a non-infill system doesn’t come from the grass alone; it comes from the foundation it’s laid upon.
The Two Sources of Resilience
- Yarn and Thatch: The first level of resilience comes from the turf’s construction. A high-density product with spring-shaped C or S yarn and a thick, curly thatch offers a good degree of softness and helps the fibers bounce back from footsteps. This is often enough for a landscape lawn or a patio.
- The Crucial Shock Pad: For any application involving running, jumping, or potential falls, a shock pad is essential. These pads, made from foam or rubber, are installed directly underneath the turf. They are engineered to absorb impact energy, providing the safety and performance characteristics that infill provides in a traditional system. I recently worked with a client on an indoor training facility. A non-infill turf over a 10mm shock pad gave them the perfect G-max rating and ball bounce without any loose rubber granules.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice between infilled and non-infill artificial grass depends entirely on your project’s specific needs—its size, its intended use, and the performance you expect from it.
