Factors That Determine The Durability Of The Upholstery Fabric

1.Fabric weave – tight weave or loose weave

The tight weave is good construction. The loose weave is a bad construction. How do you know if it’s tight or loose? Test it, and test it again!

Get a fabric sample. Use fingernails to rub a fabric several times to see if the yarns shift or the fabric marks.

For example, a twill weave resists wearing less than a plain weave. Check if the yarns have a balanced weave, meaning all yarns in the fabric are about the same size and strength. These fabrics will wear better than ones with heavy yarns in one direction and thin yarns in the other.

Don't buy the fabric where heavy yarns go in one direction and thin yarns in the other.

Wet the sample in one area, rub it, bend it, put a weight on it and observe what happens to it. For fabrics without visible yarns, like microfiber. Can you remove a stain easily? Does the shape of the fabric change?

Velvets and Mohair: If you want to test velvet or mohair, bend it on the diagonal. This will show if it’s tightly woven. Visible ‘rows’ indicate lesser quality. Tighter weaves have less visible rows, indicating better quality.

2.Fabric content, percentage of synthetics and natural fibers

Here are some better sofa fabric choices:Fabric Content:

Cotton velvet

Mohair

Sunbrella

Crypton

Acrylic

Microfiber

Ultrasuede & Sensuade

Sensuede

Distressed Leather (not fabric)

3.Durability testing, aka double rubs testing

Look for at least 15,000 double rubs for decent durability. Even better 30,000 or more is ideal. Anything over 30,000 double rubs is not necessary. If they tell you 100,000 double rubs, it’s hardly possible.