When choosing new furniture for a family home or a healthcare environment, durability is a key consideration. Durable materials are essential in high-traffic settings like hospitals and care homes, where chairs need to withstand constant use without losing their look or integrity.
While leather is often regarded as the most hard-wearing natural covering, performance fabrics such as medical-grade vinyl or coated polyurethane (PU) are now leading the way. The best choice of upholstery material for healthcare environments depends on how you balance strength, comfort, and maintenance.
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Things to Consider When Looking for Durable Materials
Durability vs. Comfort
Having a durable fabric doesn’t necessarily equate to good pressure relief, but generally both these qualities will be looked for.
Vinyl is famously robust but can feel stiff, while leather softens with use yet demands regular care.
Modern engineered textiles like Dartex, designed for clinical seating, show that you can have best of both worlds, being supportive and pressure-relieving while still very robust.
Pressure care and ulcer prevention
In healthcare settings, preventing pressure ulcers is vital. Fabrics that combine stretch with breathability, such as multi-directional performance coatings, help redistribute weight and reduce skin friction.
Rub count
This industry standard measures how many abrasion cycles a fabric can withstand before showing wear. A score above 30,000 double rubs is considered commercial-grade; some specialist textiles exceed 100,000. When shopping around for best fabrics for home interiors or contract furniture, checking the rub count is a good way to compare durability.
Stain resistance and cleanability
Infection control is paramount in hospitals, but even in a family living room, spills are inevitable. Stain-resistant fabrics are treated with protective coatings so that liquids bead up instead of soaking in. PU fabrics, like those used on the HiBack chair, can be wiped clean with mild disinfectant, combining hygiene with longevity.
Hiback Bedside Chair
What is the hardest fabric to tear?
Woven nylon and certain polyester blends rank among the toughest to rip. For upholstery, high-performance vinyls and coated polyurethanes are exceptionally tear-resistant.
What is the best hard-wearing upholstery fabric?
For everyday interiors, tightly woven synthetic blends, like solution-dyed acrylic or polyester offer excellent abrasion resistance. In commercial and medical environments, medical-grade vinyl or PU fabrics typically outperform natural fibres.
Why it’s Important to Pick Durable Materials for Furniture
Cost-effectiveness
Furniture that lasts twice as long is more cost effective, halving your replacement budget. High rub counts and reinforced seams mean that less money is spent on repairs or new purchases.
Lower environmental impact
Choosing a long-lasting chair or sofa reduces landfill waste and the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing and shipping replacements.
Aesthetic longevity
Having durable fabrics doesn’t have to mean drab! High-quality leathers and engineered fabrics retain colour and texture far longer, keeping your interior looking fresh.
Health and safety
Durable wipe-clean surfaces aren’t just practical, they’re also critical for infection prevention. Materials that resist fluid penetration and tolerate hospital-grade disinfectants support Infection Prevention & Control in hospitals.
What Is the Most Durable Furniture Material?
When looking for the most durable furniture material, generally three front-runners emerge:
Top-grain leather
Naturally tough, leather ages well and resists tearing when properly conditioned. Perfect for high-end residential or executive settings.
Medical-grade vinyl
Impervious to moisture, vinyl has extremely high rub counts and is easy to disinfect. Ideal for hospitals, care homes, and family spaces that see constant spills.
High Back Chair with vinyl upholstery
Polyurethane (PU) fabrics
Flexible, breathable, and soft while remaining resistant to punctures and stains. PU fabrics are a smart choice for chairs requiring both comfort and clinical strength.
Our HiBack Bedside Chair uses Dartex, an advanced PU fabric, to provide pressure relief and durability for hospital environments.
We use the Maximo faux leather as standard in our Lento range, which is more cost-effective than natural leather, clinically-approved and Crib5 tested. It has an amazing rub count of 300,000 and can withstand very rigorous cleaning, making it ideal for the outer surface of the chair. We combine this a vapour-permeable fabric like Dartex on the inner contact surfaces of the chair, for a winning fabric combination.
Maximo Material Colour Options
Conclusion
The most suitable furniture material depends on the setting, as families with kids and pets might prioritise stain-proof fabrics, whereas care facilities will lean more towards medical-grade fabrics for easy disinfection.
By taking into account factors like rub count, stain resistance, comfort, and pressure-care, you can confidently select furniture fabrics that look good, feel great, and stands up to the rigours of everyday use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How do I know if a fabric is durable enough for my furniture?
A: Check the rub count or Martindale rating on the fabric specification. A score above 30,000 double rubs is considered commercial-grade and suitable for high-traffic areas like living rooms or healthcare settings.
Q: What’s the difference between vinyl and PU fabrics?
A: Both are synthetic, wipe-clean materials. Medical-grade vinyl is slightly stiffer but exceptionally resistant to moisture and chemicals. PU fabrics feel softer and more breathable while still offering excellent tear and stain resistance.
Q: Can durable fabrics also be comfortable?
A: Yes, modern performance textiles such as Dartex® combine stretch, breathability, and pressure-relieving properties with high abrasion resistance, making them ideal where both comfort and strength are required.
Q: How should I clean durable upholstery to make it last longer?
A: Follow the manufacturer’s care instructions. Generally, mild soap and water or an approved disinfectant are enough for vinyl and PU fabrics. For leather, use a pH-balanced leather cleaner and conditioner every few months to maintain flexibility and prevent cracking.
Ralph has many years' experience in the healthcare sector. In a previous life he worked in finance, and his spreadsheet skills come in handy for all the analysis and research he does as he investigates topics and solutions for some of the world's most complex healthcare conditions and challenges. Aside from writing in-depth articles and organising webinars and interviews with top healthcare professionals, Ralph also administrates Vivid's "Healthcare Pioneers Board", a large group of healthcare specialists with multiple disciplines, who are working together to improve care for years to come.
