When shopping for a new sofa for your home, one of the first things that one must take into consideration is the sofa fabric. The type of fabric that one chooses not only determines the quality of the sofa itself, but also its durability, its look and feel, and the overall effect that the sofa has on the room’s atmosphere. Will there be kids or young children using this sofa a lot? How about pets? What kind of budget are we working with? Does anyone in our household have allergies? If so, what kind, and to what degree? How long do we plan on having or using it? These are all questions that one must ask himself (and answer) before making a decision on what kind of sofa to get.
In terms of durability all fabrics have a myriad of different strengths and weaknesses, and different levels of resistance to wear, tear and stains. For a sofa fabric that is more reasonably priced, nylon is a good option, as it can take high degree of abrasions, wear and tear. On the downside, it tends to fade if kept in direct sunlight, but nonetheless, it makes a good choice for pet owners and/or families with small children.
For those going for a blend of longevity and good looks, polyester is also a sound option. Much like nylon, polyester is a synthetic fiber that can take a fair amount of abuse, and still hold up for years. Additionally, it doesn’t wrinkle very easily and it is fade resistant. This also makes polyester a good choice for families with pets or small kids, but one would need to beware of oily or greasy substances, as polyester can be easily stained by them.
For a comfortable, soft and natural sofa fabric one should consider cotton. Much like nylon, and polyester, cotton is also quite durable, and can last for years. Cotton is both a good-looking and cool fabric, and it also has the added advantage in its wide range of available colors and dyability. It does however have three disadvantages: 1) it’s slightly more likely to wrinkle, 2) it can stain more easily than other fabrics and 3) it may fade when placed under direct sunlight.
On the other side of the spectrum of sofa fabrics, microfiber is the ultimate in durability and stain resistance, making it a great choice for often-used rooms. With tightly woven fibers, it is both soft to the touch, and holds little lint or dust, making it an excellent choice for allergy sufferers as well. Another advantage of microfiber is that in the rare case that staining may actually occur, it is also washable, either by way of spot cleaning or removing all of the piece covers individually.
The last fabric that one should consider when shopping for a new sofa is leather. Although leather can be the most expensive of sofa fabrics, (ranging from about $1000 to $1200) one also gets what they pay for. Its protected surface and non-absorbent character make it easy to clean, and keeps dust, dirt and pet hair to a minimum. In the case of a tear, with professional help, leather can usually be repaired to the original look, leaving no scar or blemish.
Additionally, unlike cheap fabric sofas, a leather sofa will not hold smells such as cigar or cigarette smoke, and will even warm up to one’s body temperature on those cold winter nights.
In summation, there are a myriad of factors that one must consider when choosing their sofa fabric, and one must always consider their individual needs before making a decision. If going for a black fabric sofa, one must think about which fabric is least likely to fade in the sun, if one has a spouse or friends with allergies, one must consider which surface will be the least likely to facilitate a reaction. Overall however, the age-old adage of ‘You get what you pay for.” still holds, and one should not make their decision solely on the fabric type. A high quality microfiber may hold better than a low grade leather, and various brands also may have varying degrees of strengths or weaknesses. As such, it is always a good idea to get swatches of the materials one is considering buying (even if it means paying for them) and testing them oneself before making any kind of a final decision.