Which Chair Fabric Should I Choose?
When you’re buying a rise recliner, it can feel like there’s an endless list of decisions to make. These chairs are designed to take care of your health and help to maintain your independence, but, in order to do so, they need to be perfectly adapted to your physical, healthcare and lifestyle needs so it’s imperative that all these little choices are made correctly to create the ideal rise recliner for you.
While the fabric that your chair is made from may feel like one of the more cosmetic decisions, it is actually vital for the chair’s functionality. And, its look and feel is important anyway – we want you to love everything about your new chair, including how it looks in your home and ties in with your existing interior design!
So, when you’re choosing your fabric, think carefully about what you want and need from your chair.
Leather Chairs
Leather is a classic upholstery fabric and is it’s a popular choice due to its good looks and durability. While it’s generally more expensive than fabric, leather ages well – often improving with age as it develops a gently ‘worn’ look, rather than beginning to look tired or shabby as some fabrics can. Colour options tend to be more ‘natural’ hues – think timeless and classic – due to the nature of the product. You’ll still have a choice of colours, but not every colour under the rainbow, and there aren’t patterned options. However, there’s no question that a leather chair will look stylish in your home for years to come!
Leather is good for those with allergies or sensitivities as it doesn’t trap as many allergens (such as dust, pollen or pet hairs) as a fabric chair can, and it’s easy to clean.
Leather is wipeable and, as such, can deal well with minor spills. However, it does still require some care with specialist products to keep it in tip-top condition and prevent staining or cracking.
Despite its durability, leather can easily be scratched by pets’ claws, so it may not be the best option for households with cats or large dogs.
Although it’s generally hard-wearing and easy to clean, leather is not waterproof and doesn’t cope well with being wet or damp for prolonged periods of time. It’s not a particularly breathable fabric and can be slippery. For these reasons, leather isn’t a suitable choice for those with more high-level healthcare needs: very limited mobility, compromised core/back/neck strength, pressure-risk patients or those with incontinence. These needs are better met by other fabric options or healthcare fabrics.
Due to the nature of the product, leather is not compatible with pressure-relief options such as air or gel-filled cushions.
Fabric Range
The range of man-made fabrics available is vast and offers a huge range of options, often with a wider selection of colours and styles, too – from microfibre, to chenille, cord, or those embossed with patterns. Choose something you’ll love to look at, as well as sit on!
While typically less hard-wearing than leather, fabrics can offer a range of other benefits including being softer to touch, more breathable, less slippery … and often cheaper, too!
Fabric-covered chairs can feel cosier than leather. Coordinating cushions and arm/back/headrest covers are available in many ranges, and, unlike leather, fabric cushion covers are often removeable and washable. All of our fabrics meet fire safety regulations.
Healthcare Fabrics
Healthcare chairs require extra properties from their fabrics, and we offer a range of solutions to meet these needs such as breathability, temperature control, and compatibility with pressure relief including gel and air cushions. Specially designed fabrics offer 4-way stretch to reduce friction and the risk of pressure sores.
Healthcare fabrics are fully wipeable and breathable, with some chairs featuring removeable and washable cushion covers (often up to 90+ degrees C, for enhanced hygiene), while others can be fully waterproof. Many have special antibacterial and antiviral properties within the fabric.
All of our healthcare fabrics are Crib-5 fire retardant to meet UK fire safety regulations for public or commercial spaces and are therefore suitable for use in a range of settings from domestic homes to residential homes or hospitals.
So, before you decide on the fabric for your chair, think carefully about your needs now, and in the future! It’s not just about what colour you’d like (although that’s an important decision, too!).
If you’d like some help choosing your fabric – or any other feature of your rise recliner – our experts are always happy to help.
Give us a call on 01283 704071.
