Choosing upholstery fabric is about more than finding a colour you like. Upholstered furniture has to cope with friction, pressure, repeated use and everyday handling, so the right cloth needs to do more than look attractive on a sample card. It must suit the piece, the room and the way it will actually be lived with. A fabric that feels perfect on an occasional chair may be entirely wrong for a busy family sofa.
A useful upholstery guide therefore begins not with colour, but with durability, texture, construction and intended use. Some fabrics are chosen because they are soft, tactile or visually rich. Others are selected because they are stable, durable and better suited to harder daily wear. The best upholstery fabrics balance both.
Start with how the furniture will be used
The first question is what the fabric needs to do. A bedroom chair, a formal sitting-room sofa and a heavily used family armchair place very different demands on the cloth. Decorative upholstery can prioritise texture, softness or visual character. Everyday upholstery needs more resilience, especially on seat cushions, arms and front rails where abrasion is greatest.
This is why choosing by appearance alone can be misleading. A beautiful, relaxed fabric may still be unsuitable for heavy domestic use if it lacks the necessary structure or abrasion resistance. Equally, a very robust cloth may feel too firm, too heavy or too utilitarian for a quieter decorative piece.
What is a Martindale rub count?
One of the most common ways upholstery fabrics are assessed is through the Martindale test. This measures a fabric’s resistance to abrasion by rubbing it repeatedly in a controlled way until visible wear appears. The resulting figure, usually called the Martindale rub count, gives a useful indication of how well a fabric may stand up to friction over time.
It is helpful, but it should not be treated as the whole story. A higher number usually suggests better abrasion resistance, but it does not guarantee that a fabric will never flatten, mark, shade or show wear in use. Upholstery performance still depends on fibre, weave, finish and the way the furniture is used.
What Martindale score should you look for?
As a practical guide:
- Below 10,000 rubs is usually best treated as decorative use only, such as cushions or very occasional furniture.
- 10,000 to 15,000 rubs is generally suitable for light domestic use, such as occasional chairs.
- 15,000 to 25,000 rubs is commonly used for general domestic upholstery, including many everyday chairs and sofas.
- 25,000 to 30,000 rubs is better for heavy domestic use, especially in busier households.
- 30,000 rubs and above is often considered suitable for very hard-wearing domestic or commercial settings.
These figures are useful benchmarks, but they need interpreting sensibly. A formal occasional chair may not need a high score, while a family sofa used every day may benefit from one. Corners, piped edges and seat fronts can also wear more quickly because they take concentrated stress.
Weight, weave and fibre all matter
A common mistake is to assume that heavier fabric automatically means better upholstery performance. Weight can be a helpful indicator, but it is never enough on its own. A dense, stable midweight cloth may outperform a heavier fabric with a looser construction.
The same applies to fibre. Wool, hemp, linen, cotton and synthetic blends all behave differently, but fibre alone does not determine suitability. Construction and finish matter just as much.
This is where upholstery language can become confusing. Some terms describe fibre, such as wool, cotton, linen or hemp. Others describe surface or construction, such as velvet with its pile or bouclé with its looped texture. Terms such as twill and herringbone describe weave structure, not fibre, but they can still strongly influence how a fabric looks, feels and wears.
That distinction matters because customers often shop using a mixture of all three. Someone may say they want wool upholstery, velvet upholstery or a herringbone upholstery fabric, but these terms are describing different aspects of the cloth.
How different upholstery fabrics behave
Some upholstery fabrics are chosen mainly for softness and atmosphere. Velvet, for example, brings depth, richness and a light-catching surface that can look elegant and luxurious on sofas, chairs and headboards. But pile fabrics can also show pressure marks, nap movement and shading, so part of their beauty lies in that changing surface character.
Bouclé creates a softer, looped and more tactile effect. It can feel warm, relaxed and contemporary, and it adds visual depth even in plain colours. But the textured surface may be less practical where snagging is a concern.
Other fabrics are valued for a more tailored, structured look. Twills often feel stable, durable and quietly practical, with a diagonal weave that adds subtle depth. Herringbone, which is a patterned variation of twill, brings a more classic and architectural feel. These weave structures can be especially good where you want upholstery to feel considered, grounded and hard-wearing without looking heavy.
Fibre also changes the experience of the fabric. Wool often feels warm, resilient and substantial. Linen can feel crisp and relaxed. Cotton may feel softer and more familiar, depending on construction. Hemp is especially interesting for interiors because it often combines body, breathability, durability and a naturally expressive surface. For Leaf & Loom, hemp remains one of the most compelling upholstery fibres because it offers both performance and character in a way that suits many interior settings beautifully.
Match the fabric to the room and household
The right upholstery fabric depends not only on the furniture but also on the home around it. A quieter room may suit a more delicate or characterful cloth. A busy family space may require something more robust and forgiving.
If pets, children or very frequent use are part of the picture, think carefully about surface character as well as Martindale score. A looped bouclé may be more vulnerable to snagging. Velvet may mark or shade more visibly. A stable woven fabric with good abrasion resistance may be the more practical choice for everyday life.
This does not mean practical upholstery has to feel flat or uninspiring. Some of the best upholstery fabrics combine durability with real tactile interest. A twill, a herringbone, a robust wool weave or a well-constructed hemp fabric can all offer texture and visual depth while still feeling suitable for regular use.
Texture and comfort matter too
Upholstery is touched every day, so comfort matters as much as appearance. Some fabrics feel crisp and dry, others fuller and softer. Some bring visual quietness, while others add movement and depth through pile, weave or texture.
This is one reason swatches are so important. Photographs rarely show true texture, body or handle. A fabric that looks soft online may feel too stiff in person. Another may seem plain on screen but reveal exactly the right depth and structure once held in the hand.
Seeing and touching a fabric at home also helps you judge whether it feels right for the room. Upholstery should not only perform well; it should feel convincing in context.
Natural fibres and lower-plastic upholstery choices
For customers trying to reduce synthetic content in the home, fibre composition matters. Many upholstery fabrics include polyester, acrylic or nylon to reduce cost or alter performance, but this can also mean bringing more plastic into the home environment.
Natural fibres often offer a more materially satisfying alternative. They tend to feel more breathable, more tactile and less overtly manufactured than synthetic-rich cloths. That does not mean every natural fabric is suitable for every upholstered application, but it does mean they are often worth prioritising where durability, texture and lower plastic content all matter.
If you want to explore this further, see Natural vs Synthetic Fabrics for Interiors and Natural Fabrics for Interiors.
Order swatches before deciding
Swatches matter even more in upholstery than in many other textile choices. They allow you to assess colour, weave, texture, weight and handle properly, rather than relying on a screen image. This is especially helpful when comparing fabrics that seem similar in description but behave very differently in person.
Testing swatches at home gives a much clearer sense of whether a fabric feels right for the intended piece and the wider room scheme. It also helps you make more confident decisions between decorative and practical options.
Choosing upholstery fabric well
The best upholstery fabric is the one that suits the furniture, the room and the level of use it will receive. Martindale rub counts are a useful guide, but they should be read alongside fibre, weave, surface character and weight. Velvet, bouclé, twill, herringbone, wool, linen, cotton and hemp all bring different qualities, and each can work beautifully when matched to the right setting.
For customers drawn to natural texture, durability and a lower-plastic material palette, hemp is an especially strong option. It offers strength, breathability and a refined surface character that works well across many interior applications.
To continue exploring, read Fabric Weight Explained (GSM) for Interiors, and Hemp for Upholstery, or browse our range of upholstery hemp fabrics.