Extra-Heavy-Duty Fabrics in a Wide Selection of Colors

The fabrics on this page are just part of the wide selection of heavy-duty fabrics that we offer. They are 100% olefin and are at the +3 1/2 level ($17.50 per yard), which would add $123 to the base price of a three-seat sofa. On the industry standard test for abrasion resistance, these fabrics pass 250,000 double rubs, compared with 15,000 double rubs required to qualify as heavy duty. We also made up a small test cushion with one of these fabrics and gave it to a pit bull to chew on and tear up as he sees fit, and the very favorable result is described below these pictures. On the negative side, many people quickly reject these fabrics during their selection process because they don't like the feel of the fabric. (However, don't judge that olefin is unpleasant to the touch in general; it varies according to the particular weave, and also many people have no objection to the feel of these fabrics.)

In addition to the fabrics shown on this page, we and our suppliers offer thousands of other heavy-duty and extra-heavy-duty fabrics in a wide selection of colors and patterns, most of which also are fairly smooth to the touch. The extra-heavy-duty ones are almost entirely solids or tweeds, but there are many moderately-heavy-duty fabrics available in an excellent selection of patterns. Almost all of the fabrics that you see on the websites of Charlotte Fabrics and Burch Fabrics are heavy duty, as are many of the fabrics on the other websites referred to on our fabrics page. JF Fabrics has an excellent selection of very-heavy-duty solids and tweeds that are also washable or dry cleanable, which is unusual; cleaning with upholstery shampoo while the covers are still on the cushions is the normal recommended cleaning method, or else having it done by a professional cleaning service, with frequent vacuuming, turning and rotating of cushions between general cleanings. Unfortunately JF doesn't show their wide range of colors on their website, but we can send you samples if you can specify color(s) that you're interested in.

The samples shown below are best viewed in a dimly-lit room, with a well-warmed up monitor. Often you can observe the subdued or dark colors in these fabrics better if you view your monitor at a mild downward angle. Keep in mind that samples of the actual fabrics are available at no charge, on the assumption that you return them to us when you're through with them.

The fabrics above are not treated for stain repellancy, but all of them have a fiber content that is inherently stain resistant and easy to clean with mild soap and water. We have heard from customers who have had sofas with fabrics from the group below for over ten years of heavy family use (including one couple with two 180-pound dogs), and they have said that the fabric still looked essentially brand new after all those years of hard wear. These fabrics also have two other major long-term advantages compared with almost all other upholstery fabrics: 1) a good percentage of them continue to be offered for decades (they are the Sherpa and Shire patterns from Absecon Mills of New Jersey, a very well-established company), as opposed to most fabrics that are closed out as fashions change and as new patterns are brought out, and (2) they apparently are not subject to dye lot variations. So, if you want additional matching fabric many years later (for a matching loveseat, or for a repair, or whatever), the chances are good that one of these would still be available and a good match. The fact that these fabrics continue for decades helps keep the manufacturer's costs down (no costs of developing new lines and setting up production for new patterns), and allows them to offer excellent value for minimal cost.

Pet owners: We gave several mini-cushions made in different fabrics (including one of these) to a male pit bull while his owner was visiting in our showroom. It was partly to entertain the dog while his master was choosing fabrics, but also to test how different fabrics would hold up to the dog's chewing. Two of the cushions were torn to shreds in a few minutes (the dog obviously really relished doing so -- popping sounds went on for a while as sections of fabric were being split apart). The surviving few cushions went home with our customer, and months later only the cushion made from one of the two fabric patterns on this page survived. (Sherpa and Shire patterns are the same in durability.) Our customer says her dog seemed to tire of that one after a while, apparently because he couldn't tear it apart.
Cat owners: Cats' claws might be sharper than a pit bull's teeth. If you have only cats, the micro-suedes would probably be your best bet. But having our polyurethane-finished oak at the vulnerable locations of a sofa frame is the most important thing for cat owners.

Note to the many human-services organizations, health-care facilities and fraternities that order from these fabrics: These fabrics qualify as flame resistant under California Technical Bulletin 117, Section E as well a several other standard fire codes. We also offer many other heavy-duty fabrics that meet the various fire codes as well.

The samples shown above are actually slightly over 1-1/8" inch wide on the page that we photographed.

To return to the page that deals with our heavy-duty fabrics in general, click here.

To return to the main fabric page, click here.

To return to the Comfy 1 home page, click here,.