Is carpet on house stairs safer? (flooring, store, health)

[fuhongl]

A couple of months ago, I slipped on my stairs in my house and hurt my wrist, still not fully recovered.
I just moved in my house six months ago, go upstairs and downstairs many times a day.

Not a senior, just in early 40.

Question:
Stairs have carpet.
Does carpet on stairs make it safer or the other way?
On the one hand, I think when I fell, it probably gives some cushion;
but some say, carpet is easier to slip than wood or concrete.

[stephwin]

I like the look of wood stairs, but I have young kids and I prefer carpet stairs for now. Most of my downstairs is wood and my kids slip all the time when they're wearing socks and running around the house. I tell them not to run but no one ever listens .

I've only fallen down our stairs once and that was because I wasn't paying enough attention. It hurt and I'm pretty sure I bruised my tailbone because I couldn't sit without pain for 3-4 weeks. My kids are, surprisingly, very careful on the stairs and haven't fallen.

[Katana49]

If you have thin, crappy carpet and a thin pad on the stairs, it's probably not much better than the wood and depending on what you're wearing on your feet, could be either more or less slippery.


But if you have plush carpet and a thick pad, your steps will "indent" a bit no matter what you are wearing on your feet, and don't slip as much in my experience.

[20Hope20]

It’s much safer to have carpeted stairs than wood if you have children, senior citizens, health conditions or are clumsy or always in rush.

[tcualum]

Some carpet is less slippery than others. Perhaps you need to switch to a less slippery carpet.

[widespreadfan]

Carpet is always safer. Ask any flooring store people.

[4Movingeast]

I slipped on our wood stairs in our previous house. If we would have stayed I likely would have installed a seagrass runner or something similar.

[fleaflicker]

I had carpeted stairs in my previous home. With carpet, I and my kids walked up and down on stairs fast. I tend to run up two stair steps at at time when I'm in a hurry. We all slipped couple of times.

My parents have wood stairs. When we visit, we all tend to be more careful so we don't slip.

Current home have no stairs. I would prefer carpeted or have some type of runner if I were to have stairs again so I don't have to slow down.

[DFW_BB]

Most of the accidents that have occurred at our home where we have carpeted stairs has been if myself or a family member was wearing socks or full pajamas and traversing the stairs quickly. Most of my family has had at least one fall which involved landing on one's bottom and sliding to the bottom of the stairs. After the last fall I always hold the railings especially when coming down the carpeted stairs. I also make it a practice to not walk up or down with socks or slippery slippers.