When it comes to choosing fabric that works well for upholstery, durability is crucial. Luckily there's a system in place that rates the durability of fabric (actually there are two.)
The two abrasion rating tests performed on fabrics are:
Martindale - A
wear abrasion test used extensively in Europe. The fabric's warp and weft are
abraded at the same time.
Wyzenbeck - A test used (mainly in the U.S.) to measure a fabric's resistance to
wear and abrasion. A fabric sample, pulled taut and weighted, is abraded with a
cylinder covered with a 50 x 70 wire screen or a 10 oz. cotton duck cloth.
These tests determine a fabrics "double-rub" (or DB) number. A double-rub of 30,000 or more means the fabric is considered heavy duty and is suitable for upholstery. Anything above a double-rub of 75,000 should "wear like cast iron." Meaning not only is the fabric suitable for upholstery it's considered a performance fabric.
If you fall in love with a fabric with too low a double-rub number, there is hope. You can have the fabric knit backed, which will (somewhat) increase the fabrics durability. Even after a fabric is knit backed it's wise to bear in mind the fabrics original double-rub, delicate fabrics will never perform like heavy duty fabrics in terms of durability.
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