Heat is the most common honest complaint about fake grass, and the answer from the research is not subtle. We found no study measuring turf on the Wasatch Front itself, so the numbers below come from Las Vegas, a hot, dry climate. Utah summers are shorter and cooler but the sun is just as direct.
What Research Measured
A University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Desert Research Institute study published in 2008 measured green artificial turf reaching maximum surface temperatures about 69°F higher than irrigated natural grass and about 62°F higher than the air, with peaks of 169°F (UNLV). It tested one turf product, and data collection did not cover the two hottest months. The authors pointed to solar radiation, not air temperature, as the driver, and suggested comparing products and choosing more reflective colors.
Surface temperature is not air temperature. Heat stays at the surface, which matters for bare feet, paws and a toddler on the ground, less for someone standing and watching.
What It Means on the Wasatch Front
Treat July and August afternoons on any unshaded synthetic lawn in Salt Lake, Utah or Davis County as too hot for bare feet. Test with the back of your hand for ten seconds before sending kids or dogs out. Mornings, evenings, shaded areas and spring and fall are fine. We have no Utah measurement to quote, so this is advice drawn from the research, not a Utah reading.
What Actually Helps
- Shade: a tree, pergola, sail or the house's shadow is the biggest single fix
- Rinse with the hose: it cools the surface for a short time, then it heats again
- Product choice: ask the installer for lighter-toned or cooler-engineered products and compare samples in the sun yourself
- Layout: put play areas and dog runs where shade falls in the afternoon
- Keep lawn: some homeowners keep a strip of living grass or a paver patio for the hottest weeks
Playgrounds, Pets and Putting Greens
Play areas deserve the most caution because children are low and barefoot. Pets are low too, and paws burn. Putting greens are short, dense turf in full sun by design, so golfers wear shoes and the heat matters less. See pet turf, playground turf and putting greens for how each installation handles it.
Related Turf Guides
How Wasatch Turf Experts Works
We are a referral service, not a turf installer. Your request goes to one independent local installer serving the Wasatch Front, at no cost to you. See how we vet our pros for the bar that installer has to clear, read about us and why we publish sources, or check the answers to common turf questions. For anything else, contact us.
Turf Heat Questions
How hot does artificial turf get in the sun?
In a Las Vegas study, peak surface temperatures reached 169°F, about 69°F above irrigated grass. We found no equivalent Utah study. Expect a big gap from grass on any sunny summer afternoon.
Is artificial grass too hot for dogs in Utah?
In direct afternoon sun in July and August, often yes for paws. Provide shade, rinse the area, and test it with your hand first.
Does artificial turf get hot in the shade?
Much less. Shaded turf stays close to the temperature of other shaded ground, which is why shade is the best fix.
Will spraying water cool synthetic grass?
Briefly. It drops the surface temperature, then the sun heats it again, so it is a short-term help, not a fix.
Does turf make the yard hotter around the house?
The research reports the difference is mostly at the surface. We did not find a Utah measurement of the air temperature effect.
Sources
Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- UNLV, Study finds artificial turf may be too hot for summer use. Las Vegas, 2008. Peaks of 169°F; about 69°F above irrigated grass; one product tested
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