Upholstery fabric is heavier and tougher than dress or curtain fabric, and it is sold off the roll by the metre, usually about 140 cm wide. Whether you are recovering a family couch, six dining chair seats or a queen headboard, the right cloth depends on who sits on it, how much sun it gets and how you will clean it. Tell us what you are covering and the look you have in mind, and we pass your request to fabric houses and suppliers near you, who quote you directly. The request is free, with no obligation.
Types of upholstery fabric and upholstery material
Most suppliers group their rolls and sample books like this:
- Woven fabrics: chenille, jacquard, tweed, bouclé, linen and linen blends, and canvas. Good all-rounders for lounge suites and armchairs.
- Velvet and velour: soft and rich in colour, popular for headboards and accent chairs.
- Faux suede (microfibre): tight weave, easy to wipe, a common choice with pets.
- Faux leather: PU and PVC vinyl, covered in more detail under leather and vinyl.
- Outdoor fabric: solution-dyed acrylic or polyester, UV treated, for patios and boats.
How to choose fabric for upholstery
Start with use, then colour. Ask the supplier for the rub count (Martindale or Wyzenbeek): a decorative chair in a guest room can take a lighter cloth, a family couch needs a higher figure and restaurant or office seating much higher again. Check the cleaning code on the sample, how the colour holds in sun near a north-facing window, and whether claws snag the weave. Mid tones and small patterns hide wear better than pale plains. For hotels, churches and halls, ask about fire-retardant fabric. If you are doing a full couch reupholstery job, take samples home and look at them in your own light.
How much couch upholstery material you need
As a rough guide for plain 140 cm fabric:
- A 3-seater couch: about 10 to 14 m; a 2-seater about 7 to 10 m
- An armchair: about 5 to 7 m; a wingback about 5 to 6 m
- A dining chair seat pad: about 0.5 m; seat and back about 1 m
- A double or queen headboard: about 2 to 3 m
Patterned fabric often needs 10 to 20% more to match the repeat, and loose cushions add more. Buy the whole job from one roll so the dye lot matches, and let the upholsterer measure before you pay.
What affects the price and what to ask a supplier
Price per metre depends on the fibre, the weave, the width, the rub count and any treatments such as stain or fire resistance. Wholesale pricing is usually for the trade or for full rolls. Ask:
- What is the rub count and the cleaning code?
- Is there enough on one roll, from one dye lot?
- Can I take a sample or a cutting home?
- Do you deliver or courier to my area?
Need it fitted too? See upholstery and reupholstery.
What to include in your request
- What you are covering and how many pieces
- Plain or patterned, and the colour
- How hard it will be used: pets, kids, trade
- Metres needed, if the upholsterer measured
- Samples, collection or delivery
Upholstery Fabric for homes, cars and businesses
- Homeowners and tenants: a family couch, dining chair seats or a headboard in a colour that suits the lounge
- Restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and lodges: high rub count, fire-retardant cloth for guesthouse lounges, restaurant booths and bar stools
- Offices and businesses: hard-wearing contract fabric for reception couches, boardroom chairs and waiting room benches
- Car, bakkie and taxi owners: automotive cloth and faux suede for seat inserts, door cards and kombi bench seats
- Boats, caravans and 4x4s: solution-dyed outdoor fabric for caravan dinettes, boat cushions and game lodge loungers
- Clinics, salons, spas and gyms: wipe-clean vinyl and treated fabric for clinic waiting chairs and spa loungers
- Churches, schools and halls: durable fabric by the roll for church pew cushions, school halls and theatre seats
- Upholsterers, makers, designers and DIYers: upholsterers and designers buying full rolls, cuttings and sample books at trade rates
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy upholstery fabric in South Africa?
Can I supply my own fabric to an upholsterer?
What is the most durable fabric for a couch with kids and pets?
Is upholstery fabric wholesale near me open to the public?
Upholstery Fabric by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg