The benefits of different types of fabric sofa

Fabric sofas are as unique and versatile as the customers looking to buy one, and there’s certainly no ‘one size fits all’ option. Buying a new fabric sofa is a lot different form buying a new cushion or piece of wall art; it needs to suit the needs of you and your family without costing a fortune, and the DesignerSofas4U team can help.

The different types of upholstery used in fabric sofas

Cotton

Cotton looks and feels fantastic, but these are some of its only benefits and as such textured cotton us usually reserved for sofas being used in quieter locations. It wears out relatively fast compared to its competitor fabrics, and tends to trap dirt in its grooves. It’s also not as stain resistant or durable as synthetic materials, and depending on the tightness of its weave it can be prone to wrinkling and damage.

Consider cotton as your upholstery material of choice very carefully; if your sofa is to be displayed and used in a rarely visited room then it can be the perfect choice, offering subtle beauty and grace over most other fabrics, however if you’re looking for a regularly used family sofa then it may be best to steer clear.

Linen

With very similar properties to cotton, linen is most often used in very similar scenarios. It’s best to reserve linen sofas for households without children or pets, and placed in a room that sees light to moderate usage or the lifespan of the sofa will be quite short.

However, linen has a very handsome quality that is often considered for sofas used in more of a formal setting than other sofas; grand hotel lobbies, waiting rooms and luxurious suites could benefit from the strategic placement of a sofa with linen upholstery.

Wool

Where cotton and linen are delicate and intimate fabrics, wool is durable and much more resilient to the day-to-day wear and tear that can affect a sofa. It’s also a very beautiful, naturally occurring and renewable fabric that’s often more expensive than your other options.

Wool is a fantastic material for a busy household that needs a durable fabric sofa; it’s easy to clean, doesn’t stretch very easily and even purifies the air in your home! It can be quite rare to find a woolen fabric sofa, though DesignerSofas4U carry some beautiful wool Chesterfield sofas at very low prices.

Microfiber

Microfiber is a variety of fine polyester that’s both sofa and durable, it’s easy to clean and can be found at very reasonable prices. Plus it’s great for homes with pets since the closely woven fibres prevent pet hairs from sticking to it.

Unfortunately, microfiber upholstery can’t compete in beauty with higher end sofas made from cotton, linen and wool. The higher priced microfiber sofas can compete with the lower priced counterparts, but if you’re looking for a truly stunning sofa it’s often best to look elsewhere.

Faux Leather

This can either be a synthetic fabric that looks and feels much like real leather, or it can be an amalgamation of the lower cowhide and fabric. In either case, they tend to be a very popular choice for those who can’t afford or who do not agree with buying real leather.

Faux leather makes for a great family sofa; it’s durable, soft and has a good life expectancy. However, like real leather, animal claws and teeth can damage faux leather so homes with pets may want to steer clear.

Struggling with choosing the right fabric sofa?

DesignerSofas4U are the UKs leading manufacturer of Chesterfield furniture, but we make hundreds of other fabric sofas, chairs, footrests and other pieces so we have all the experience necessary to help our customers make the right decisions. If you have questions you’d like answering then don’t hesitate to contact a member of our customer service department. You can email, call 01254268 590 or fill out our contact us form today.