Small Sofa

Small Sofa Fabrics

The type of material that goes into your sofa is important. It will affect how long your couch lasts, the appeal it emits, the comfort, and much more. Sofas come in all sorts of different materials. The features of each material vary as well as the quality. This guide will give you an overview of an assortment of fabrics as well as their strengths and weaknesses. If you are in the market to purchase a sofa, we recommend that you read the following before purchasing to help you make a better decision.

There are two main groups of fabric -- natural fabrics and synthetic fabrics. Natural fibers come from plants and animals. These fabrics come from fibers of seeds, leaves, and fruits. Synthetic fabric is not made from fibers of animals or plants.

You will see the word “pilling” in this page. Pilling is when excess fabric comes off the surface of the fabric and forms into small clumps on the surface. Normally it won’t leave a bald spot on your sofa.

Natural Fabrics

Cotton
Cotton is both a comfortable and durable fabric. Durable meaning that it will not wear fast, fade, or succumb to pilling. Cotton is vulnerable to wrinkling and staining. In order to compensate for this weakness there are chemical treatments that can be done minimize the breakdown. Cotton is also blended with other materials to minimize this weakness.

Silk and Linen
These two are combined because they are virtually the same. They are both delicate fabrics geared towards a formal atmosphere. They both will not last long with heavy use and are susceptible to stains. You will need to find professional help to properly clean these materials. Linen will wear better than silk.

Wool
Wool is a durable fabric that resists stains, fading, wrinkling, and pilling. Most wool fabrics are blended with synthetic fibers which will allow you to clean it with no professional help.

Leather
Leather scores the highest in all categories. Not only does this fabric last a long time, it becomes softer and more comfortable with age. It’s a very durable material and is easy to clean. The main drawback to leather is the cost.

Synthetic Fabrics

Microfibre
Microfibre is the leather of synthetic fabrics. In fact, most salesmen will give you two options when buying a sofa, leather or microfibre. Microfibre is typically made from polyesters or nylon. The fabric is extremely durable and is made to repel water and stains. You can literally pour a liquid on the fabric and watch it run off. It is a soft material as well and resembles suede when touched.

Vinyl
Vinyl is a cheaper fabric that is best used on high demand furniture. It’s not the most comfortable fabric around but it’s cheaper and easier to maintain.

Acrylic
A lot of the synthetic materials are made to be used as a natural fabric substitute. Acrylic is the substitute of wool. It holds up well to everyday use, wrinkling, and fading. It’s not overly prone to pilling, yet it doesn’t resist it either.