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Below is our best upholstery fabric review to help you make the right choice quickly.
Best Upholstery Fabrics
Here are our upholstery fabric reviews.
1. ABBEYSHEA Oklahoma Faux Leather Buckskin
Abbeyshea trademark quality is noticeable from the look and feel of this fabric. This upholstery fabric combines polyester, cotton, and leather with a polyurethane backing to yield the best results in flexibility, strength, and maintenance. It is very heavyweight and is the ideal fabric for upholstery, accent pillows, headboards, etc.
- Polyester, cotton, and leather composition with a polyurethane backing.
- Easy to maintain, is flexible, and puncture-resistant.
- Ideal for upholstery and other home projects.
2. Waverly Floral Engagement Twill Nightfall
Asides from running this fabric on your main furniture, it is perfect for other home decors and upholstery accessories like toss pillows and duvet covers. It boasts of a 100% cotton composition and is lightweight. It has an impressive 42,000 rub durability and is the ideal choice for homes with kids, thanks to its Teflon fabric protector that repels water, oil, and stains.
- Great for upholstery and a host of other home décor projects.
- 100% lightweight cotton.
- Impressive durability stain and water-resistance.
3. Kravet Outlet Embroidered 2001101.524.0
This fabric is from the great Kravet brand. It has numerous colors for its embroidered floral design and is amazing for upholstery and pillows. It combines viscose and cotton in a unique blend to form a very heavyweight material that will last a long while.
- Great color variety.
- Ideal for upholstery and beddings.
- Heavyweight viscose and cotton composition for durability.
4. Richloom Postscript Canvas Paris Indigo
This durable features unique text prints on a cotton/linen canvas fabric. It is middleweight at 8.44oz/yd². Its linen component makes for a rustic beautiful appeal and the cotton for a soft feel. It is ideal for light upholstery, duvet covers, drapes, and so on.
- Durable and unique design.
- Middleweight soft fabric with aesthetic appeal.
- Ideal for light upholstery and beddings.
5. Trend Outlet Jaclyn Smith 1850 Sangria
This is a very heavyweight fabric is ideal for upholstery, draperies and so on. Its polyester and rayon composition gives it its dark, vintage look and impressive durability of up to 30,000 double rubs. It is made from woven fabric and is easy to maintain.
- Heavyweight woven fabric for upholstery.
- Polyester and rayon composition for durability and appeal.
- Easy to maintain.
Upholstery Fabric Buying Guide
Upholstery fabrics should maintain well a balance between aesthetic appeal, durability, and easy maintenance. Choosing an upholstery fabric pools together a set of factors we will now consider.
Our buying guide reviews the best upholstery fabrics on the market, based on their features to help you find the perfect match for your needs quickly.
Durability
This factor depends mainly on where the furniture will be used. Upholstery that is to be placed in a commercial location will require a more durable fabric. A measure for the durability of any fabric uses the “double rub”. It is gotten from tests that involve running an automated pad over the fabric over and over again until it fails.
For domestic use, the standard upholstery fabric should have a durability figure between 10,000 to 25,000 double rubs. While for commercial fabrics, you should look out for the fabrics with double rubs between 100,000 to 250,000 double rubs.
Fabric Texture
The intended use will determine the texture of the fabric you go for. For sofas or couches that are used for relaxation require soft and smooth fabrics. Luxury homes and spaces also emphasize very smooth fabrics and feel great on the skin. For work seats and commercial spaces, however, the texture is many times, not a priority. Some office seats are even specially designed to not give too much comfort and ensure the user stays alert.
Natural vs. Synthetic
Upholstery fabrics come as made from either natural or synthetic compounds. Natural fabrics like Linen, cotton, wool, and leather are extracted from plants and animals and processed. They provide a very soft, skin-friendly unit and are very durable.
Synthetic fabrics, on the other hand, are artificially created and include polyester, rayon, velvet, etc. Synthetic fibers provide greater versatility as the constituent compounds can be tweaked to exactly suit the upholstery demands.
Recommended Reading:
- Chapter 1: The 7 Sewing Essentials for Beginners
- Chapter 2: The Beginner’s Guide to Sewing Machines
- Chapter 3: The Ultimate Guide to Setting up your Sewing Room
- Chapter 4: Everything You Need To Know About Sewing
- Chapter 5: Sewing Fabric 101: A Virtual Tour of the Fabric Store
