We used commercial carpet as a bound rug in part of our kitchen when our larger dog was having a hard time with the slippery floor. Carpet was easier on him and the feel underfoot wasn't bad, per se. If you go with plush in the bedrooms and commercial on the stairs, I would upgrade the pad on the stairs to make it feel better underfoot.

Plush carpet + good pad = commercial carpet + great pad, as far as foot-feel goes.

In a different house we had PLAID commercial carpet in the family room (it came with the house) and I couldn't kill that carpet no matter how hard I tried. I'd run the vacc and it would look new again. I think it was a nylon carpet - it was the same kind they use in ballrooms in hotels. Might as well have been cast iron from how it wore ;)

-Pam

Thanks Pam. I only pad option we were given was a 10 lb pad. Do we use a 8 lb for plush then?