Full Guide on Upholstery Fabric
This guide covers everything you need to know about upholstery fabrics, including which fabric to use for your specific needs and which sewing fabric works best for your home, outdoor area, or office.
What Are Upholstery Materials?
Upholstery fabric is fabric by the metre that we create specifically as a hard-wearing furniture covering. We use this type of fabric for the seats and backs of chairs and couches, bed headboards, cushions for indoor and outdoor furniture, quilting… and much more.
The choice of upholstery fabric is as varied as the types of fabric available, from leather sewing fabric and suede to canvas, linen and silk. We discuss the different types of designer upholstery fabric below.
Right now, let’s talk about the different types of upholstery fabric, and how you can use this fabric to make your furniture more comfortable and stylish.
Why is Upholstery Fabric Different?
There is a distinct difference between upholstery fabrics and regular fabrics, which are used for clothing plus living and decor accessories (curtain fabric, cushion fabric, tableware, tea towels, serviettes and other kitchenware).
We create upholstery fabric specifically for covering furniture, for a cushion or curtain for the home or office using woven fabric to make it sturdier and heavier.
Why Choose Quality Fabric?
If you’ve read our guide to Woven Fabric, you’ll know that the higher the thread count of a fabric is, the more hard-wearing the fabric will be. So why not be your own upholstery fabric calculator?
The term 'a high thread count' means that the fabric has a tight weave. This makes the fabric able to withstand wear and tear. And that’s what makes it ideal for upholstery fabric on a couch or for a curtain.
Ensure you consider this when choosing your upholstery fabric.
Before You Choose This Sewing Material
It’s crucial to consider the type of upholstery fabric you want to use before you choose sewing patterns. For instance, are you reupholstering an existing item in your home, or are you planning to upholster a new item with upholstery fabric to make it a statement piece?
Do you need something covered with durable upholstery fabric? Something versatile? Stylish? Something that suits existing décor or something that will stand out? Is the upholstery fabric for outside or an interior décor piece?
The more time you take to consider the upholstery fabric, the more likely you are to enjoy the benefits of the fabric.
You need to consider where the piece of furniture is located in your home, whether you have young kids who will be sitting on the couch eating pizza and sipping cold drinks while watching TV. If they mess, this will affect the fabric. Don’t forget your pets, who tend to cover the couch fabric with fur.
In these cases, you need a fabric covering that is not only durable, but also easy to keep clean.
Your Fabric Must Include the Following
The full details about upholstery fabric are extensive… it must be a fabric covering that resists smells and doesn’t stain easily, and fabric that you can clean fast. If you use the furniture constantly, cover it in high quality, hard-wearing upholstery fabric that can withstand constant wear and tear.
4 Points to Consider When Choosing a Textile Sample
To give you peace of mind, we’ve put together a list of all the important aspects you need to consider before you choose heavy duty upholstery fabric UK for your furniture.
1. Hard-wearing material
We’ve already discussed the importance of choosing a hard-wearing fabric. We’ve mentioned kids and pets, but there’s more. Let’s not forget allergies. If anyone in your family is allergic to specific fabrics, cleaning materials or pet fur, you should take this into account.
Can you easily remove the cat’s fur from the couch fabric to avoid your child sneezing? Did you choose a fabric that manufacturers sourced and printed on sustainably? If you did, your family won’t be allergic to any chemicals used in the fabric’s dyeing and printing process.
Do you use natural and hyperallergenic cleaning products on the fabric? Is your curtain fabric in constant contact with sunlight? In these cases, you need to use a curtain fabric that won’t fade.
To withstand kids and pets, we suggest a hard-wearing upholstery fabric like leather or viscose. And for those who are allergic, choose a fabric that’s free of lint, perhaps fabric made from one specific microfibre upholstery fabric UK.
Patterns
You also need to consider patterned fabric when choosing. Fabric with woven patterns, fabrics with tight weaves and fabric with a higher thread count are all more long-lasting. Printed fabric and fabric with heavy textures wear out more quickly. Ensure the fabric you choose is versatile.
You also should consider the lifespan of your upholstery fabric. Of course, you want the fabric to last as long as possible – a decade at least. Which fabrics are the strongest ones? You need fabrics that can withstand kids bouncing and spilling stuff on them, or a curtain that doesn’t fade in sunlight and will stand the test of time.
Synthetic fabrics are the strongest. While natural fabrics are beautiful, consider this type of fabric to cover accessories and for soft furnishings like a cushion or curtain instead. Cover more durable items with upholstery fabric made from a blend of cotton, polyester and rayon, like our Bayeux Upholstery fabric.
2. Flame Retardant Material
Upholstery fabrics specifically made to use for upholstery should be flame retardant. One of the methods we use to treat this upholstery fabric to make it flame retardant is with a fire retardant back-coating. This stiffens the fabric and is more suitable for various upholstery applications.
There is another method of making an upholstery fabric flame retardant; it’s called 'chemical dipping'. Manufacturers use it for upholstery fabric made out of natural fibres or fabric that has a high proportion of natural fibres. For this method, you soak the upholstery fabric in the fire-retardant substance.
Upholstery fabrics like our Eco Upholstery FR and Waterproof Suede FR meet CRIB 5 ratings for commercial use.
We compiled an excellent guide to Flame Retardant Fabric to inspire you. Take a look!
3. Indoors or Outside?
You need different types of upholstery fabrics for interiors and for outdoor use. Indoor fabrics must withstand wear and tear or, if it’s a curtain, the fabric should look beautiful and be long-lasting.
When selecting upholstery fabric for the living room or playroom, where kids and pets will be bouncing on the furniture, playing games, watching TV and snacking, the fabric needs to be able to withstand all this.
You decide how stylish the upholstery fabric is, and which colours and patterns are printed on the fabric. As long as the actual upholstery fabric chosen is suitable, the rest is up to you.
Consider These Textiles for Outdoors
When considering outdoor furniture fabric, you need to ask yourself a different set of questions, as this type of fabric has various requirements. Upholstery fabric is specifically treated for outdoor use.
If it’s fabric for patio furniture that will be in the sun, it needs to be specially treated to make it fade-resistant or it won’t last. For this reason, cotton and linen fabrics are not a great choice for outdoor living.
You also need to ensure the upholstery fabric is water-resistant if you’re planning to leave upholstered furniture outside when it’s wet. If you live in a tropical environment, consider how humidity and mildew will affect the upholstery fabric.
Colourful custom digitally printed cushions on water-resistant Tentex fabric
3. Types of Upholstery Materials – Natural & Synthetic
There are two types of upholstery fabric products: natural fabrics and synthetic fabrics. Synthetic fabrics tend to last longer than natural fabrics, but you may prefer the texture of natural fabrics.
So how do you choose between these fabrics? If you select a natural fabric, linen and cotton fabrics are your best bets. Out of the synthetic fabrics, a polyester blend fabric is usually a good choice, especially for curtain fabric.
Natural Textiles
The following fabrics are all made from natural elements.
Cotton
Hard-working quality upholstery fabric that is more fade-resistant than most natural fabric. The fabric doesn’t pill, wrinkle or catch alight. The fabric is also cool to the touch, so it’s ideal for summer, easy to wash and relatively affordable. This type of upholstery fabric is ideal for many different uses, including a cushion, a curtain and a bedcover.
The most durable fabrics are canvas (a more casual option) and damask fabrics. The main disadvantage: this upholstery fabric tends to wrinkle, which makes it unsuitable for curtain fabric.
As maake tries to use organic cotton wherever possible, we suggest you read our blog, which explains What is Organic Cotton?
Our cotton choices:
- Drill
Cotton Blends
This type of fabric tends to be less durable. The best fabric blend is between 45% and 60% cotton, a sturdy fabric that withstands kids and pets.
If treated with a stain-resistant finish, like Scotchgard, this fabric will be long-lasting.
Linen
This strong fabric is produced from flax. It is very beautiful to look at. The fabric doesn’t pill and if it’s of high quality, it will be mildew-resistant and anti-microbial (it kills or inhibits bacteria, moulds and viruses).
Because of the fabric fibres, linen fabric must be professionally cleaned. We often use this fabric to upholster furniture for a formal lounge. Don’t use linen fabric outdoors, as it fades easily in the sun. If blended with cotton, linen fabric is more elastic.
We recommend:
Silk
This delicate fabric requires extra care, so it’s best for formal living areas. The fabric’s smooth, shimmery look makes it very luxurious. The fabric is dust-resistant, but not easy to clean. It fades easily in the sun.
As silk fabric wrinkles easily, you can use another fabric as backing, to make it stronger and more durable.
Read more about Silk Fabrics here.
Leather
Plush and sumptuous, this natural animal hide is an extremely hard-wearing fabric. Polish the fabric to remove any scratches. It's also very easy to clean. And it doesn’t fade in the sun.
The downside is that leather upholstery fabrics are expensive and don’t breathe well, which means they feel clammy in summer and cold in winter. However, leather fabrics have a natural, rich look.
Suede fabric, on the other hand, has a napped finish and is soft and durable. But you need to professionally clean this fabric if you use it to upholster furniture.
Our choice:
We’ve also compiled a handy guide to Leather Alternatives in 2025 – check it out!
Wool
Because of its lavish feel and texture, wool is a popular upholstery fabric choice. This strong, hard-wearing 100% animal hair fabric doesn’t fade, crease or pill. When blended with a synthetic fibre, the fabric is less scratchy and easier to keep clean.
Synthetic Material
One creates these man-made fabrics using various chemical processes. This type of fabric is often more long-wearing than natural fabric, and less expensive, making it ideal for a curtain, or chairs and couches that are constantly in use.
Recycled Polyester
Usually blended with natural fibres (cotton or linen) to so it doesn’t crease and fade as much, polyester fabric is a strong, durable fabric often used for upholstering.
The better the quality, the less likely the fabric is to pill. The fabric is also easy to clean, resistant to abrasion and moisture. It’s a great choice for family rooms that need hard-wearing upholstery fabric.
We recommend the following fabrics:
Eco Basketweave (45% rPET, 55% polyester blend)
Eco Boucle (100% rPET)
Eco Upholstery FR (100% rPET
Take a look at our comprehensive guide to Recycled Polyester.
100% Polyester
Many upholstery fabrics are polyester, because it’s hard-wearing, often more heavyweight, and of good quality. It’s often also flame-retardant and can be water-repellent as well.
As some of the fabrics we recommend below are flame-retardant, we suggest you read our comprehensive article on Flame Retardant Fabric Safety.
Our recommendations:
- Neraki Waterproof Canvas FR Water-Repellant
- Oslo FR
Microfibre
We make this very popular fabric from tightly woven polyester. We then specially treat it so it looks and feels like suede, but it's softer and easier to keep clean. Microfibre fabric doesn’t fade easily, so you can keep it in a sunny indoor spot.
Velvet
If you’re looking at plush velvet fabric, you’ll find it’s soft, smooth and sumptuous. The fabric is made from a blend of various fabrics including silk, linen and nylon. When dyed, fabric colours are bright and clear. This fabric is difficult to clean and tends to crease easily.
We recommend:
- Velvet
Viscose
A man-made fabric created from cellulose extracted from trees, this fabric is much like silk, cotton and linen. Viscose fabric has a luxurious, shiny appearance, which is why we often use it for upholstery. It’s particularly popular when we blend it with other fibres. Viscose, like cotton fabric, is breathable, so it’s cool in summer and warm in winter. It is also elastic.
Acrylic Wool
Basically faux wool fabric, it doesn’t crease or fade and is hard-wearing.
Nylon
We usually blend this fabric with others so it’s strong and durable for upholstery. It doesn’t get dirty easily. However, the fabric tends to fade and pill.
Rayon
A synthetic imitation of silk, cotton and linen fabric, this hard-wearing fabric doesn’t fade easily and is an excellent choice for upholstering family-friendly furniture.
Sunbrella
We also use this fabulous outdoor fabric indoors. Liquid forms pearls on the surface of the fabric, so it’s easy to clean and very durable. The fabric is ideal for families with kids and pets. It is best used for outdoor furniture, as the fabric is water-, mildew- and sun-resistant.
4. Now for Some Fun!
It’s all about colour, pattern and texture on your fabric, so be brave now that you know all about upholstery fabric. Be creative and add a bold touch.
Ensure your fabric colour choices suit your interior colour scheme, and remember: choose a fabric with a colour or pattern that you’ll be happy to live with for years to come! The texture is also important. Family-friendly furniture should be covered in soft, comfortable fabric; it shouldn’t be rough or scratchy.
Tips from our maake Experts
· Ensure you keep your sofa upholstery fabric in a solid colour. Play with a pattern on cushion fabrics, perhaps also on occasional chairs.
· Avoid a fabric with a small pattern on a large couch. In the same way, don't use a fabric with a huge pattern on a tiny chair.
· Also, choose fabric with a small pattern for a small room, and use fabric with a larger pattern in more spacious areas.
· Florals and other fabric prints are great for soft, rounded chairs and couches.
For more inspiration, read our guide to The Best Textiles Designers Use for Décor & Design.
More Inspiration
· Not sure what fabric to order? Buy a Sample Book! Order one of our sample books, comprising all the materials we offer, printed on for you to see how they react to colour.
· Want to design your own fabric? Upload Your Own Pattern and create your own design for upholstery.
The best fashion fabrics choices in the UK: we choose the best dress fabric
High Quality Printed Swimwear Fabric Choices: What to Choose for Swimsuit Fabrics
The comprehensive apron guide
Subscribe to our newsletter
Promotions, new products and sales. Directly to your inbox.
