Fabric Guide for Sofas

But with so many fabric options available, choosing the right type of fabric can be challenging, especially if this is the first time you are furnishing a home. We want to take the stress out of shopping. That’s why we have put together this fabric guide for sofas to help you make the right upholstery decision.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about sofa fabrics.

The sofa you buy needs to be able to stand the test of time, and the easiest way to find out if the sofa you are looking at is durable is to look up the fabric’s rub count. The rub count of a fabric is how much use it can endure in its lifetime. Rub count is measured in double-rubs.

If a fabric has a rub count that is between 8,000 and 10,000 double rubs, it has been designed for light use. Therefore it cannot handle everyday wear and tear and should not be used for a sofa you plan to use every day. We also do not recommend upholstering your sofa in a fabric that has a rub count of between 10,000 and 15,000 double rubs, as it will begin to show signs of wear in under a year with consistent use. Since you will likely be using your sofa every day, we recommend that you invest in a fabric with a high rub count. It is worth the added expense.

Most upholstery fabrics used on sofas can withstand 15,000 to 25,000 double-rubs. This is ideal as a fabric with this rub count lasts for years with consistent use. Commercial grade fabrics have a rub count anywhere from 100,000 to 250,000 double-rubs. While this may seem like it is better than a fabric with a rub count of 15,000 to 25,000 double-rubs, unless you have a large, rambunctious family or are furnishing a public space, you won’t need something that heavy-duty. So save your money and use it to reupholster an armchair in the same fabric.

Now that you understand fabric durability, you can start looking at fabric types. We will break this down into two sections, natural fabrics and synthetic fabrics.

Natural Fabrics
As their name would suggest, natural fabrics are not interlaced with chemicals, stain repellants, or flame retardants. They are 100% natural. Natural fabrics are favored by those looking to upholster their sofas in the softest fabric rather than those looking for incredibly durable upholstery.

Linen
Linen is one of the strongest natural fibers in the world. It is made from the fibers of the ‘flax’ plant, which gives this type of fabric a greater ‘breathability’ than other natural fabrics. This is due to the size of the fibers, as when they are woven, there tend to be large gaps between the weaving, creating the opportunity for natural airflow.

It's soft, smooth, and naturally glossy, meaning that any chair upholstered in linen would draw the eye of guests. Linen naturally resists pilling, but it does wrinkle easily, meaning you will notice wear quicker than on a sofa upholstered with another fabric. Therefore linen sofas are better suited for casual spaces rather than formal spaces. However, when used in a blend with cotton for greater elasticity, the lifetime of a sofa upholstered in linen doubles.

Cotton
This type of fabric comes from the seedpod of the cotton plant. In the furniture industry, cotton fabric is a common choice for sofa slipcovers. This is because most cotton fabrics can be cleaned with soap and water, so there is minimal maintenance needed to keep a cotton slipcover looking its best. It is rare to find a sofa with 100% cotton upholstery, but you will find that most sofa fabrics contain cotton as part of a blend with sturdier fabrics, as it is naturally soft and durable and has good resistance to wear, fading, and pilling. The best-quality cotton blends will generally contain 50% to 60% cotton.

Wool
Since wool comes from animal hair, it is very durable, making it a good choice for upholstery fabric. Wool fibers have a unique ability; the surface structure overlaps like scales allowing fibers to slip over one another in one direction but not the other. This gives wool the ability to felt making it essentially water-repellent. This makes sofas upholstered in a wool fabric perfect for those with young children as spills don’t soak in easily. However, keep in mind that wool fabric can be a bit scratchy if it is not part of a blend. But you don’t need to worry, as most wool upholstery fabric is a blend.

Leather
We couldn’t make a fabric guide for sofas without mentioning leather. Leather is made from animal hide. It is probably the most durable fabric for upholstery, and it is easy to clean. You can vacuum hair out of crevices easily and wipe away spills with ease. For this reason, we recommend leather upholstery to anyone with pets.

Leather lasts for a long time, so by buying a leather sofa, you are investing in your home. But be sure to do your research and make sure that the piece you purchase is full or top-grain leather to get the best value for your money.

Polyester
Polyester is considered to be a high-performance synthetic fabric, but it is rarely used alone. Instead, it is usually blended with natural materials like cotton and wool to improve comfort performance. Polyester adds extra strength to the fabric, improves its cleanability, and gives it greater resistance to scuffing, fading, and wrinkling.

Velvet
Although velvet is not as popular as it used to be, that does not mean it isn’t a quality fabric for sofas. Polyester velvets are the most common type of velvet as they are more durable than their natural fiber counterparts. However, velvet fabrics are quite difficult to clean, meaning we do not recommend this type of fabric to those with young children. If you don’t fall into this category, then we always recommend velvet to our customers for statement sofas as this type of fabric stands out for its comfort, texture, and rich color options.

Microfiber
This little-known type of fabric is technically a knit blend polyester fabric, but we felt that it deserved its own section in this guide as it has its own unique qualities. Aesthetically, it has all of the same qualities as suede, but it is more durable due to its weave quality.

Microfiber fabric is significantly softer than other polyester-based fabrics due to its tightly woven synthetic fibers. These fibers also make microfiber easy to clean, despite it being moisture resistant.

Rayon
This type of upholstery fabric was first developed to imitate silk, cotton, and linen and provide you with a more affordable alternative to these high-end fabrics. It is designed to be very durable, but this means that it is prone to wrinkling.

We do not recommend pure Rayon fabrics to those upholstering sofas; it is usually blended with other types of fabrics to create a mixed material that’s appropriate for upholstery.

Sunbrella
You may not have heard of Sunbrella fabric., but you have likely sunk into a Sunbrella sofa. This type of fabric is made using an acrylic that was originally created for outdoor furniture use. But this doesn’t mean that Sunbrella fabric cannot be used on indoor sofas. Since it’s made to stand up to the elements, it is perfect for those that want to have a sofa in direct sunlight in their home and worry about fading when you make such an important purchase.

You may be wondering why we haven’t mentioned what the best type of fabric is in this fabric guide for sofas. That is because there is no ‘best type of fabric for sofas,’ as your personal situation and lifestyle will impact your opinion.

Be honest with yourself about how much wear and tear your sofa is going to endure. Generally, synthetic fabrics are more durable than natural ones, but you may not like the texture of these materials. It’s easy to fall in love with a fabric. Still, if it is going to have to be replaced in only a couple of years, it’s not worth the investment.

We hope this fabric guide for sofas helps you discover what type of sofa fabric is right for you. If you still have questions, or you are looking for furniture for the living room in Elyria - visit our furniture store today. Our sales assistants will be happy to talk you through your options and answer any questions you have for them.