Buying guide
Updated October 25, 2026 · 2 min read
Fabric for a restaurant booth, a hotel lobby or a clinic waiting room has a tougher job than anything at home. It has to survive constant use, frequent cleaning and, often, a building's fire-safety requirements. Here's how to choose contract-grade fabric.
Commercial seating is used all day, every day. As a guide, using the Wyzenbeek double rub test common in North America:
| Setting | Minimum double rubs |
|---|---|
| Offices, meeting rooms, hotel rooms | 30,000 |
| Restaurants, cafés, bars | 50,000 to 100,000+ |
| Waiting rooms, lobbies, healthcare, transit | 100,000+ |
Higher is better where people slide in and out, such as booths and banquettes. See double rubs explained. Our heavy-duty collection is all rated over 100,000.
Commercial fabric is cleaned often and sometimes disinfected daily.
See upholstery cleaning codes and bleach-cleanable fabric.
Many commercial and public buildings have flammability requirements for furniture and drapery. Requirements depend on the province, the municipality and the type of building, so always confirm what your project needs with your designer, architect or local fire authority before ordering.
Fabric spec sheets list the tests a fabric has passed. Some you'll see in our catalog:
Fabric made and tested for commercial use: typically high double-rub ratings, easy cleaning and flammability testing. Contract fabrics also work well in busy homes.
A tightly woven performance fabric, faux leather or vinyl rated over 100,000 double rubs, with a W or bleach-cleanable cleaning code.
It depends on your province, municipality and building type. Check with your designer, architect or local fire authority, then choose a fabric that has passed the required tests.
Shop the fabrics in this guide
Charlotte upholstery fabric by the yard, priced in CAD, with free samples.