Artificial Grass

• Artificial grass offers a wide variety of styles, blade types and blade length. Designed for residential use, it's a good choice if your primary goal is to match the look and feel of natural grass. Choose between hard and soft fibers, or consider using a hybrid style for variation. Standard artificial grass blades range from 1 ½ to 1 ¾ inches, but can go over 2 inches.
  
  

Turf

• Turf goes on commercial properties and athletic fields, including golf courses. While older turf typically had short, stiff blades that caused brush burns, blisters and other injuries to players, modern turf is softer. Most turf blades are shorter than an inch to provide a clean, flat surface to play on. In a yard, turf is a good fit for a play area.
  
  

Benefits

• There are a number of reasons why artificial grass and turf gain use ahead of real grass. Both conserve water and offer attractive, green ground cover regardless of growing conditions or weather. Beyond saving resources and frustration, artificial options do not require pesticides, fertilizer or mowing.
  
  

Considerations

• While artificial grass and turf save resources over time, installation comes with a higher price point upfront than seeding soil with grass. Unlike real grass, artificial options do not add nutrients to the ground or oxygen to the air. Made from plastic and other synthetic materials, both absorb heat and become hot and uncomfortable beneath bare feet on warm days. If you're considering artificial options to conserve water, note that harmful chemicals, like arsenic, lead and chromium, can run off the material in heavy rain and seep into the ground and drinking water.