And at this stage, the buyer has a question - which upholstery and fabric for the sofa is better, more durable and more practical, and how to choose the most durable materials. The shelf life of a product for long-term use can be influenced by various factors. Having studied all the possible options, take into account several particularly important points - the quality of the canvas, the color fastness of the design elements, the wear resistance of the product and its cost.
When purchasing any type of furniture, pay attention not only to its attractive appearance, range of functionality, but also to other external indicators. They should be ideal for their future purpose: be it a living room, a nursery or a bedroom. Nowadays, there are many varieties that manufacturers use. In this article you will learn about all the intricacies of choosing the right quality products. And we will reveal the features and nuances in using the most popular materials.
Types of upholstery for sofas: what fabric to choose
The range in this category is impressive in its diversity. All manufacturers offer consumers materials of different origins: natural and artificial. Natural options for sofas have their advantages, including excellent ventilation ability. But this property has its own negative side - the canvas relatively quickly loses its attractiveness and the appearance becomes a little unaesthetic. To prevent this effect, manufacturers offer special care products. This allows you to keep the furniture in a beautiful and natural state for a long time.
Making the right choice of material is not so easy. Experts distinguish two main cost classes:
- High price category.
- Budget segment.
The first sector is filled with factories from Western countries. The second section belongs mainly to Turkey. That is why, before making a final decision, you need to know all the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options under consideration.
Story
The matting material traces its history back to the cattail plant, from which peasants wove various things needed on the farm. But then he was rude.
In a more modern form, the fabric found a second wind thanks to Coco Chanel, the famous fashion designer. This fabric came to be called “Chanel”.
Types of fabrics
For your information! Coco Chanel, fascinated by everything Russian, came up with the idea of using burlap and matting in clothes, giving a vector for the development of fabric manufacturing technology.
One type of Chanel fabric
Which furniture fabric is better and more practical for upholstering a sofa?
It should be immediately noted that if you are a pet owner or you have a small child, then experts do not recommend buying a product with expensive wool or velor that requires delicate care. In this case, you should turn your attention to a more durable material. It will be quite difficult to damage it with claws, stain it with a felt-tip pen or pen, or accidentally tear it. Now they produce special versions - they are called functional or stress-resistant.
If you often organize parties or just fun get-togethers with friends, then the fabric should be resistant to general wear and tear and local abrasion. Otherwise, you will simply lose money on numerous reupholsteries of your sofa. But, if you are buying a decorative chair or sofa, you need to choose sophisticated options. They will complement the overall interior design and add an atmosphere of wealth and luxury.
These are the basic rules and advice on the question of which sofa upholstery is the most durable and practical and which is best suited for daily use. You can check the required characteristics with a consultant or request information from the manufacturer.
How are velor and matting similar?
Both furniture fabrics are made from polyester. To increase wear resistance, natural or synthetic fibers are sometimes added to the composition. Treated with various dirt- and water-repellent impregnations. Thanks to modern production technologies, both matting and velor do not stretch, do not fade and are easy to clean.
Our blog has detailed reviews of these materials: here you can read about furniture velor, and here you can find out details about matting.
Variety of materials for furniture
Velours
Soft and at the same time pleasant material will appeal to those consumers who want to create comfort and warmth in their home. A sofa covered with it will look great in a boho or shabby chic style interior.
Velor is produced on a natural basis and has not only an attractive appearance, but also a velvety texture. The color range of the canvas has a wide palette of shades. It is valued for its high strength and ventilation, does not deform under mechanical stress, and provides unsurpassed thermal comfort.
To remove excess dirt, the velor coating can be vacuumed and even special cleaning powders can be used that carefully remove stains without damaging the fabric fibers. This is the best material for sofa upholstery in many respects:
- Environmental friendliness. It is of natural origin.
- High thermal conductivity. This fabric is quite warm and has excellent temperature retention qualities.
- Strength. The canvas will not sag or stretch over time.
- Softness. It is pleasant to sit on such a product.
- Ventilation. A good level of air exchange ensures high hygiene of the material.
- Easy to use. When cleaning, you can use various cleaning products.
Flock
Experts recommend considering flock if you have a need to buy new upholstered furniture and have a pet at home. Non-woven textiles can be polyamide, polyester, viscose. It is resistant to detergents and is not afraid of the claws of cats and dogs. It is also hypoallergenic, which will be a definite advantage for people sensitive to irritants.
This option is quite pleasant and unusually soft to the touch. If it gets dirty, it can and should be washed. All you have to do is apply the cleaning agent to the sponge and lightly wipe the surface that needs treatment. An additional advantage is that the design on the product does not fade. This is an important feature for the long life of sofas.
For children's upholstered furniture, a bright flock covering with colorful patterns will be an excellent solution. As for the color scheme, for the living room it is better to choose materials in lighter, pastel shades. They will also be preferable for use in bright verandas or loggias. Distinctive features of flock:
- Resistance to damage. The product is difficult to accidentally cut or tear, it is resistant to mechanical stress.
- Ease of use. The covers are easy to clean and are not exposed to sunlight.
- Softness. With such upholstery you will always rest in comfort - it does not prick. All family members will appreciate it for its tenderness and velvety quality.
- We continue to answer the question of what type of fabric is better and how to choose the most practical material for a sofa.
Jacquard
This type of canvas is an expensive option. It is mainly used by wealthy people to emphasize the status and nobility of the interior. Jacquard fabric is worth its price. It is lint-free and consists of both artificial and organic fibers. This type can be classified as environmentally friendly and quite durable. The covering may contain from 40 to 100% cotton fiber.
To remove heavy types of stains from such fabric, it is necessary to use an acid-free cleaning agent. This variety does not tolerate sunlight well. This is why jacquard covers cannot be dried in the sun - they can shrink.
This material is good for its luxurious appearance - it looks expensive and beautiful, emphasizing the noble decoration of the room. Its only drawback, even if we are talking about a coating with a large percentage of organic components in its composition, is its short service life. You can care for this upholstery using a vacuum cleaner and a sponge. There is nothing complicated about this if the pollution is simple. But with complex ones you will have to tinker. Please note the following rules:
- Do not use any type of bleach or alcohol-based products.
- Removable covers can be machine washed in warm water, without spinning.
- Ironing with a hot iron is prohibited.
Below is a list of the advantages of jacquard over other fabrics:
- Strength. It appears due to the complex weaving of twisted threads.
- Exquisite drapery.
- Variety of colors and patterns.
Tapestry.
Natural material, varieties of which are often used when upholstering any type of sofa. It is mainly produced in landscape style. The tapestry compares favorably with other paintings by its characteristic weaving. During production, the yarn is folded into regular shapes or patterns. The color range offers a wide selection of different shades - from pastel tones to brighter ones.
The fabric is easy to wash. It is quite pleasant and practical to the touch. In general, it can take absolutely any form. After cleaning, it completely restores its original appearance.
The characteristic advantages of tapestry covering include the following qualities.
- Aesthetic design.
- Naturalness of ingredients.
Shinil
In its structure, this material looks like a tapestry. Similarities can be found when considering its characteristics. It belongs to the class of expensive upholstery fabrics. The high price can be explained by its luxurious appearance and long period of use.
Sleeping on such a surface is not as comfortable as sleeping on velor or flock. It has sufficient rigidity and poor heat transfer. Such sofas are often purchased for the sole purpose of adding a bright decorative element to the interior. When cleaning, the use of water or detergent powders is not allowed. Dry clean only possible.
Leather and its substitutes
Some types of fabrics may seem too fussy or complex in their design. In this case, you should take a closer look at genuine leather. It is also used for upholstery of furniture. This classic option is perfect for office sofas. It is worth noting the main advantage of such material – ease of use. Thanks to its unpretentiousness, it won the hearts of many owners.
A product decorated in this way will last for many years. But despite the whole range of advantages, it still has certain disadvantages. The material is available in a limited number of colors and shades. The skin is slippery and sleeping on it will be uncomfortable. Not everyone will like the high cost of such a product. Such furniture is bought mainly by lovers of traditional style when decorating the interior of an office or living room.
Boucle
This type of upholstery looks very similar to a shorn lamb. The main feature of this original coating is its dense structure of nodules that protrude slightly on the surface. This characteristic is achieved through the use of multi-colored threads.
Bouclé is highly dense and durable. This option is wear-resistant and will not rub. Among the disadvantages, owners of pets, especially cats, should not purchase a product covered with such material. They can tear off the upholstery with their sharp claws and ruin the appearance of the sofa.
Scotchgard
If you are interested in furniture with an expensive and sophisticated design, we recommend considering this option. Scotchgard is similar in appearance to jacquard covering, but is cheaper in the price range. Its ease of cleaning makes it a favorite for many buyers. He is not afraid of pollution. But if you do get a stain, ordinary liquid soap and a soft towel moistened with water will easily remove it.
This fabric is washable. But in this case it is worth monitoring the temperature regime - it should not exceed the limit of 40°C. Dust and animal hair can be removed with a vacuum cleaner.
Gozhka
This type of material has a fine texture. Mostly monochromatic colors are used. The advantage of this option is its coarse weaving, thick fibers and strength. The canvas is characterized by elasticity. Thanks to this, it absolutely does not wrinkle during the day and retains its shape for many years.
Caring for a matting is not particularly difficult. Its operation does not require the use of special solutions and powders.
Arpatek
Outwardly, it is very similar to leather and is considered one of its best artificial varieties. For its manufacture, viscose, cotton and polyurethane are used. When touched, you can feel the delicate and smooth texture that does not slip much.
A soap solution can be used to remove any light dirt. The use of chlorine-containing products is not recommended; they can lead to corrosion of fibers and cracking of the fabric.
Characteristics of a good material
If you use your sofa as a sleeping place, or there are animals in the house who are not averse to sharpening their claws on the sides, you should take all these factors into account when choosing upholstery material.
Experts highlight the following characteristics of upholstery:
- Color fastness - this indicator reflects the degree of color preservation during wet cleaning and daily use of the material. This value must be at least 4 units. The values below indicate that soon all that will remain of the rich color of your sofa is the name.
- Pilling is the process of formation of pellets on the surface of the fabric, which indicates the low quality of the fabric, where the fibers begin to intertwine during operation, losing their original strength. It is better to keep these values as low as possible.
- Natural – synthetic materials tend to accumulate static energy, and it is extremely difficult to remove debris from their surfaces. Moreover, they can provoke an exacerbation of the symptoms of an allergic reaction. The priority is cotton and linen with the addition of a small amount of synthetics for strength and increased wear resistance.
- The density of the material partially indicates its wear resistance; accordingly, the higher the indicator, the longer such upholstery will last. It is best to choose options with a value of at least 200 g/m2.
Expert opinion
Korzhavin Daniil Dmitrievich
Designer of stylish home furniture
Another important parameter is wear resistance. It displays the service life of the material. It is determined by the Martindale test, where the specimen is subjected to various mechanical effects, after which the result is assessed on a scale.
Depending on the results obtained, upholstery fabrics are divided into several categories:
- Increased wear resistance - value from 30 thousand cycles and above. Suitable for upholstering furniture that is used in heavy duty use: cafes, restaurants, buses. It is characterized by maximum durability and easy to clean.
- Sufficient wear resistance - from 20 to 30 thousand cycles. This fabric is easy to clean and wash, while maintaining its density and original appearance for quite a long time. Recommended for upholstery of upholstered furniture in residential areas.
- Low wear resistance - fabrics are fragile and do not tolerate various cleanings. They are used rather for decorative purposes and are not intended for sofas that are used daily.
As in any other case, quality depends entirely on price. The more expensive the material, the longer it will last.
How to choose the right fabric structure
In this article we talked about all the popular types of material for upholstery of upholstered furniture. There are nine categories in total. The numbering starts from 0 and continues to 8. The characteristics of the groups may differ between manufacturers. But the higher the class number, the better and stronger the “second skin” of the sofa.
The first group included the thinnest options with relative strength. In the second - the same products as in the previous one, in composition, but with a higher level of wear resistance. The third includes almost all main types of materials with complex finishes. The fourth class contains expensive tapestries, suede and chenille. Fifth - types with natural fibers. The sixth is leatherette. The seventh group is some varieties of flock. The eighth category implies exclusively expensive and natural leather.
When choosing an option for finishing furniture, it is necessary to take into account the purpose of the piece of furniture and the microclimate in the room. For a children's room, you should give preference to natural elements. For the living room you need to select fabrics that are resistant to wear and tear. All you have to do is make the right choice of material and find out what is best for your sofa.
Choosing upholstery for different categories of rooms
The key to good preservation of upholstered furniture is its selection taking into account the characteristics of the room. It is clear that each room in the house has its own purpose, and sofas will experience different loads and impacts. So which fabric is most suitable?
To the living room
For the living room, you should choose upholstery material based on the lifestyle of the owners: if you spend relatively little time there and you hardly have guests, the following will be suitable:
- jacquard;
- tapestry;
- velours;
- boucle;
- chenille
If the living room is used for its intended purpose - to receive numerous relatives, friends, colleagues, and the sofa will be actively used, your choice is:
- leather or any of its “relatives”;
- thermojacquard;
- scotchguard;
- flock
To the nursery
The choice for a children's room depends on the age and gender of the child. For kids, regardless of gender, a soft surface that is not afraid of damage and contamination is better: flock and chenille are very good. If you plan to reupholster furniture in the future, cotton will do.
For neat girls, velor, eco-velor, bouclé, and microfiber are suitable.
For active and rambunctious boys, the best option is faux leather.
