Commercial Contract Grade Upholstery Fabric

Commercial contract grade upholstery fabric shown on a blue-teal hotel chair and ottoman overlooking New York City and on deep red mohair velvet theater seating.

Durable commercial upholstery fabrics shown in upscale hospitality and theater seating applications.

Shop commercial contract grade upholstery fabric by the yard for seating and furniture used in hotels, restaurants, theaters, offices, healthcare facilities, convention centers, and other high-traffic interiors. Decorative Fabrics Direct offers durable contract upholstery fabrics selected for dependable wear, professional appearance, and lasting value in demanding commercial environments.

Explore fabrics for hospitality seating, restaurant booths, theater and auditorium seating, office furniture, healthcare installations, and other commercial upholstery projects. Choose a category below to compare colors, textures, patterns, and performance features. Review each fabric’s listed specifications—including abrasion performance, cleaning information, and any available flame-test data—to confirm suitability for your installation.

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Heavy duty, high wear use commercial furniture upholstery fabric suitable for office, hotel, healtcare, theaters and more

Fabric for Commercial Use

There’s a distinction between textiles that are used for residential purposes and those that are used for industrial or commercial purposes. Commercial fabrics need to be highly-durable in high use environments such as in the hospitality industry, retailers, healthcare facilities, offices, convention centers and restaurants. Many commercial projects require a fabric that is produced to meet state code construction specifications. For instance, in a healthcare environment a fabric may be required to be anti-microbial, a fabric used in a hotel may be required to meet stringent non-flammability requirements and a fabric used in a commercial exterior will require that the fabric is mildew, UV and water resistant. We work directly with administrators, civil project managers, commercial designers, commercial real estate professionals and builders to supply them with contract-grade, commercial upholstery for their project needs.

About Commercial-Grade Fabric

Woven commercial upholstery fabric is typically composed of synthetic fibers or a combination of synthetic and natural fibers that produce a highly durability fabric. The following synthetic fibers are commonly used in the weaving of commercial fabrics:

  • Nylon
  • Polyester
  • Wool
  • Olefin
  • Acrylic

Non-Woven commercial fabrics include:

  • Faux Leather (Vinyl Leather)(Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
  • Bonded Leather
  • Genuine Leather

The Wyzenbeek Test is an industry standard to measure the abrasion resistance of upholstery fabric. A minimum rating of 30,000 double rubs is suggested for a commercial upholstery fabric. For comparison, 15,000 double rubs is the typical rating for a high use residential upholstery fabric. In commercial upholstery applications, abrasion resistance is key to longevity in both performance and appearance so you’ll find many commercial-grade fabrics exceed a 30,000 double rub rating with some reaching in excess of 100,000 rubs making them some of the the most abrasion-resistant fabrics available.

Industries Using Commercial Fabric (Contract Fabric)

Commercial textile fabric is used in a wide range of applications. Below are some of the most common industries to find extensive use of commercial upholstery fabric.

  • Restaurant
  • Healthcare and Medical
  • Hospitality (i.e. hotels)
  • Education Institutions
  • Retail Stores
  • Theater
  • Offices and Creative Spaces
  • Civic and Convention Centers
  • Industrial Offices

Commercial Upholstery Fabric FAQs

What are commercial upholstery fabrics?

Commercial fabric is any type of textile fabric that is used in a commercial environment or application. In most cases, these type of fabrics are woven using synthetic fibers or a blend with natural fibers to produce a high-performance and high-grade textile to stand up to extensive wear. Further, many commercial environments require that the fabric meets building code specifications for example non-flammability in an high rise or anti-microbial in a hospital.

You’ll commonly find commercial upholstery fabric in the following places:

  • Restaurant and Fast Food
  • Healthcare and Medical Waiting Rooms
  • Hospitality (i.e. hotels, motels, etc.)
  • Education Institutions
  • Retail Stores
  • Office and Work Environments
  • Airport Terminals
  • Theaters
  • Sports Stadiums

What is the double rub rating for commercial upholstery?

Commercial fabrics or textiles designed for commercial upholstery applications have a high standard of performance. Contract fabric (another term for “commercial fabric”) is typically rated at a minimum of 30,000 double rubs achieved on an industry standard Wyzenbeek test that measures the fabric’s abrasion resistance. Although a minimum double rub rating of 30,000 is suggested, some fabric exceeds 100,000 and are considered an extra-heavy duty contract commercial fabric.