What Makes a Good Upholstery Fabric? Key Qualities Explained
Introduction
Not all upholstery fabrics are created equal. Whether you’re refreshing a beloved chair or specifying textiles for a client project, knowing what sets a great fabric apart from an average one is essential. At Saint and Poet, we believe that good upholstery fabric should offer more than surface appeal—it should stand the test of time, tell a visual story, and enhance the daily experience of your space.
In this guide, we break down the key qualities that define a high-performing, design-led upholstery fabric—so you can choose with confidence and creativity.
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1. Durability That Goes the Distance
The first measure of quality is how well a fabric performs in daily life. A truly good upholstery fabric is built to last—resisting abrasion, sagging, and pilling even after years of use.
One of the clearest indicators is the Martindale Rub Test, which tests how many rubs a fabric can withstand before showing wear. A score above 25,000 is considered suitable for domestic use; our Saint and Poet fabrics regularly achieve 35,000+, offering robust performance without sacrificing softness or design.
For commercial or hospitality environments, you may also want to look for Crib5 certification, which we offer as a treatment service upon request.
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2. Print Integrity and Visual Clarity
Design matters—but so does how it’s printed. Good upholstery fabrics carry crisp, richly coloured prints that retain clarity and depth, even when stretched or pleated around furniture. Poor-quality prints can fade, distort, or feel overly synthetic to the touch.
We print our fabrics on a linen-blend basecloth, chosen for its natural handle and compatibility with water-based inks. The result? Bold, emotive designs with a painterly quality—perfect for interior storytelling.
Explore the strength and storytelling of our Kintsu Japanese Inspired Upholstery Fabric, where richly pigmented waves and suns hold their own across large-format furniture pieces.
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3. Tactile and Textural Appeal
Beyond durability and colourfastness, the best upholstery fabrics feel good. Whether that’s the crisp texture of linen, the weighty softness of a velvet, or the fine weave of a performance blend—tactile experience is key.
Many of our designs feature a subtle natural slub, giving the fabric both character and comfort. A good fabric doesn’t just look luxurious—it feels that way too.
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4. Styling Versatility
A high-quality upholstery fabric should inspire design confidence. That means it should be easy to style with other materials, fit a range of interior moods, and balance boldness with adaptability.
Whether you’re curating a maximalist space or working within minimalist palettes, the ability of a fabric to sit comfortably within a scheme is what makes it timeless. This is why we organise by colour as well as theme—like our green upholstery fabrics, perfect for biophilic, grounded spaces.
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5. Conscious Design and Sustainability
Today’s best fabrics go beyond performance—they speak to values. Increasingly, designers and homeowners are choosing textiles with lower environmental impact, safer dye processes, and responsible sourcing.
At Saint and Poet, we print using eco-conscious methods on a durable linen-blend basecloth, ensuring the fabrics you love are also long-lasting in the most sustainable sense.
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Final Thoughts: What “Good” Looks Like
Ultimately, good upholstery fabric is a blend of performance, aesthetics, and feeling. It’s the weight of the cloth, the richness of the print, the assurance that it will live well over time. It’s when a chair becomes a focal point. When a cushion sparks a conversation. When a fabric reflects your story and supports your space.
You can begin your search by exploring our full range of high-quality upholstery fabrics, or learning more about what upholstery fabric really is and why it matters.
