Free shipping within Germany from €50 · Pay securely with PayPal and Klarna

Upholstery Fabrics

Upholstery fabrics have to withstand being sat on: they are woven more densely and are heavier than clothing fabrics, so they wear more slowly. They are used for chairs, benches, stools, cushions and seat pads.

77 items · Page 1

The decisive property is abrasion resistance: it describes how many rubbing movements a fabric withstands before it shows visible wear. The higher the value, the better suited the fabric is to furniture in daily use.

For covering you need a strong needle and sturdy thread, plus a machine that copes with several thick layers. When stretching fabric over a frame, a staple gun and a second pair of hands help to keep the tension even.

Allow generously when calculating the amount, especially with patterned fabrics. The pattern should match between seat and backrest, and that requires extra length.

Frequently asked questions

What does abrasion resistance mean?

It states how many rub cycles a fabric survives in testing before showing visible wear. For rarely used furniture a lower value is enough, for dining chairs or sofas it should be as high as possible.

Can I sew upholstery fabric on a domestic machine?

For cushions and pads usually yes, with a strong needle and a longer stitch. With thick layers and multiple folded edges, however, a domestic machine reaches its limits.

How much fabric do I need for covering?

Measure the area and add an allowance on each side for folding over. With patterned fabrics the pattern repeat is added too, because the motifs should line up at the seams.

Matching guides

All guides

Cookies and privacy

We need necessary cookies for the cart, sign-in and this choice. With your consent, our server sends details of your visit (products viewed, cart, purchases, IP address, browser) to Meta (Facebook, Instagram) to measure our ads – including to the USA. You can change this at any time under “Cookie settings”. More in our privacy policy.

Settings