The short answer
Strictly speaking, AstroTurf is a brand name — the original short, dense, sand-filled synthetic sports surface from the 1960s — while artificial grass is the general term for any synthetic lawn. In everyday UK use the words are treated as the same thing, but there is a real difference in product type. Classic "astroturf" describes a short-pile, hard-wearing, sand-dressed surface designed for hockey, football and play areas, where grip and durability matter more than looks. Modern landscaping artificial grass has a longer, softer pile in mixed green tones with a curly brown thatch, made to imitate a real lawn. So all astroturf is artificial grass, but not all artificial grass is the short, sporty surface people picture when they say "astroturf".
Ask for "astroturf" at a UK garden centre and you'll usually be shown a soft landscaping lawn. The two terms have merged in common speech, but understanding where they came from helps you pick the right product for a garden versus a games area.
Artificial grass vs astroturf
- Astroturf origin1960s sports surface brand
- Astroturf pileShort, dense, hard-wearing
- Garden grass pileLonger, soft, mixed-tone
- Best use for astroturfSport, play, high traffic
- Best use for landscaping grassLawns and gardens
Where the word astroturf comes from
AstroTurf is a registered trademark. The surface became famous after it was installed in the Houston Astrodome in the 1960s, which is where the name comes from. Like Hoover or Sellotape, the brand became a generic word — in the UK people now say "astroturf" to mean almost any synthetic grass, regardless of who made it.
The original product was a short, tightly tufted surface dressed with sand, designed to cope with constant studded and booted traffic on sports pitches. That is why genuine astroturf-style surfaces are still associated with hockey, five-a-side football, tennis and school play areas. They prioritise grip, durability and consistent ball behaviour over a natural lawn look.
How the products actually differ
The clearest way to separate the two is by what they are designed for, which drives the pile height, the fibre type and the feel underfoot:
- Sports / classic astroturf: short pile (often only a few millimetres up to around 20mm), very dense, frequently using stiff or nylon fibres, and dressed heavily with sand. It looks flat and uniform, drains fast and shrugs off heavy use, but it is not soft to lie on.
- Landscaping artificial grass: a longer pile (commonly 30–40mm for gardens), softer polyethylene blades in a blend of green shades, plus a curly brown thatch to mimic a real lawn. It is made to look natural and feel pleasant underfoot rather than to take stud traffic.
There is also a middle ground sometimes sold for play areas and balconies: a shorter, hard-wearing landscaping grass that borrows the durability of the sports surface but with a slightly more lawn-like finish.
| Feature | Classic astroturf (sports) | Landscaping artificial grass |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pile height | Around 6–20mm | Around 30–40mm |
| Look | Flat, uniform green | Natural, mixed tones with thatch |
| Feel | Firm, sporty | Soft underfoot |
| Main use | Sport, play, high traffic | Gardens and lawns |
| Drainage | Very fast, sand-filled | Drains through backing holes |
Indicative comparison. Individual products vary widely.
Which one should you ask for?
For a garden lawn that should look and feel like real turf, you want landscaping artificial grass with a medium pile and a natural colour blend — even if you naturally call it "astroturf". For a sports practice area, a frequently used path, a dog run or a play surface that will take a hammering, a shorter, denser, sand-dressed grass nearer the original astroturf design will wear far better and recover from heavy footfall.
When buying, ignore the brand word and look at the specification instead: pile height, fibre type, density (stitch rate) and intended use. A reputable UK supplier will list these and tell you whether a grass is rated for high traffic, pets, play areas or purely ornamental lawns. That specification, not the label "astroturf", is what tells you whether the product suits your space.
Why the terms got muddled in the UK
The reason these words blur together is partly history and partly marketing. When synthetic surfaces first arrived in Britain, the AstroTurf brand was the only name most people knew, so it became the catch-all term in the same way "Biro" stands in for any ballpoint pen. Garden centres and suppliers then leaned into the familiar word because that is what customers searched for, even while the products on their shelves had moved on to softer, longer, more natural-looking landscaping grass.
The result is a genuine mismatch between the word and the product. Someone asking for "astroturf" for their garden almost never wants the short, firm sports surface the name originally described — they want a soft lawn substitute. Suppliers know this, which is why the term is used loosely. The practical risk is that a buyer fixated on the word ends up with the wrong type for their use: a sports-style surface bought for a family lawn will look flat and feel hard, while a soft landscaping grass laid on a five-a-side pitch will wear out fast.
There is also a regional and generational element. Older customers and those with a sporting background often mean the genuine short, sand-filled surface when they say astroturf, having encountered it on hockey pitches and tennis courts. Younger buyers and those new to artificial grass tend to use it simply as a synonym for any fake lawn. When discussing a project with an installer, it is worth being explicit about whether you mean a sports-grade surface or a soft garden lawn, so everyone is picturing the same thing.
It is worth adding that the genuine sports surface has itself moved on. Modern third-generation (3G) pitches use longer pile fibres held upright by a mix of sand and rubber crumb infill, which is a long way from the short, flat surface the original brand made famous. So even within "real" astroturf there is now considerable variation. For a garden buyer, none of this changes the practical advice: describe the use, compare the specification, and treat the brand word as a starting point for the conversation rather than the answer to it.
Frequently asked questions
Is astroturf cheaper than artificial grass?
Short sports-style surfaces can be cheaper per square metre than a thick, natural-looking landscaping lawn, because they use less yarn. But they look noticeably more artificial and feel firmer underfoot, so they are usually a false economy for a garden where appearance matters. For sport or heavy play, the durability can justify the choice.
Can you use astroturf for a garden lawn?
You can, but a short, dense sports surface will look flat and uniform rather than like real grass, and it is harder underfoot. Most people are happier with a medium-pile landscaping grass for a garden. Genuine sports-style surfaces are better kept for play areas, dog runs or practice pitches.
Does astroturf need sand infill?
Classic sports astroturf is designed to be dressed with sand, which provides ballast and the right playing characteristics. Many modern landscaping grasses are also sand-filled to weigh them down and support the pile, though some short, dense products are designed to be laid without infill. The supplier's fitting guide will state what each product needs.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published cost guides and are intended as guidance, not a quotation.