A practical checklist for furniture makers, importers and brands choosing woven upholstery fabric for sofas: from end use and durability to texture, colour, width and fire safety.
A sofa fabric has to look right in the showroom and still look right after years of use. Use this checklist to narrow down the choice before you ask for samples.
1. Start with the end use
Who will sit on the sofa, how often, and where will it stand?
- Home or contract. Hotels, offices and waiting areas see far more use than a living room. Contract buyers usually specify minimum test results and a fire-safety standard.
- Everyday life. Children, pets, food and drink all change what "practical" means.
- Light. A sofa next to a large window needs a fabric with good fastness to light.
Write these points down. They become the brief for your supplier.
2. Check durability on paper
Ask for test data that matches your end use, and read it with care (see our glossary of fabric tests).
- Abrasion (Martindale): how the fabric resists rubbing.
- Pilling: whether small balls of fibre are likely to form.
- Seam slippage: whether the yarns may pull apart at seams under tension.
- Colour fastness to rubbing: whether colour may transfer, especially from dark colours.
Test results apply to the fabric that was tested. If your market or customer needs specific values, agree them before you order.
3. Choose a texture that fits the design
Texture changes both the look and the way a fabric behaves.
- Flat and fine weaves look clean and tailored, and show the lines of a frame clearly.
- Velvety and chenille-like surfaces look soft and rich. Their pile can look lighter or darker from different angles, and pressure can leave marks that brush out.
- Bouclé-looks and loops look cosy and tactile. Loose loops can catch on claws, buckles and jewellery.
- Ribs and cords give a clear direction, so the pile and the lines must run the same way on every panel.
- Basket weaves and tweed-looks look structured and natural, and their mix of tones is forgiving in daily use.
Our collections show many of these textures in close-up and in movement.
4. Think about colour in use
- Mid-tones and melanges hide everyday marks and dust better than very light or very dark plains.
- Very light colours look fresh but show soiling sooner.
- Very dark colours can show lint, dust and pet hair, and may need good rubbing fastness.
- Colour in the room. Judge colours in daylight and under the lighting where the sofa will be sold or used.
Colour cards make it easy to compare colours side by side. See our colour cards.
5. Plan pattern and fabric use
- Pattern repeat: large repeats need more fabric to match across cushions and panels.
- Direction: decide whether the fabric runs up the roll or railroaded. Railroading lets you cut long sofa backs without seams, if the design allows it.
- Usable width: compare the usable width, not just the full width, when you calculate how many metres a model needs.
6. Ask about backing and handling
Many upholstery fabrics have a backing, such as a light fleece or a non-woven layer, bonded to the reverse. A backing can add stability and body and can make cutting and sewing easier. Ask your upholsterer which handling suits your production.
7. Check care and cleaning
Read the care instructions for each article and pass them on to your customers. A fabric that needs dry cleaning only, for example, suits fixed upholstery better than removable covers that people expect to wash. See our care guide.
8. Check fire safety for your market
Rules for upholstered furniture differ between countries and between home and contract use. Find out which standard applies to the finished furniture in your market, for example BS 5852 in the United Kingdom or EN 1021 for many contract specifications, and plan testing of the fabric-and-filling combination you will use.
9. Sample before you decide
Shortlist three to five articles and ask for samples. Look at them in daylight, fold and rub them, compare them with your references, and if possible upholster a cushion or a small frame. Our guide to sampling explains the usual formats.
How we can help
Our focus is sofa fabrics. Browse the range, the New series 2026 and our collections, and send us your brief: specs, aesthetics, volumes, destination and budget. If the range does not have what you need, we create it with you: custom weaves, custom colours.
This guide is general information. It does not describe the results of any dé article.