Buying guide
Updated October 25, 2026 · 3 min read
"Double rubs" is the number you'll see on almost every upholstery fabric spec sheet, and it's the quickest way to tell whether a fabric will survive the job you have in mind. Here's what it means, how many you need, and what the number doesn't tell you.
In the Wyzenbeek test (the standard used in North America), a sample of fabric is pulled tight and a piece of cotton duck or wire screen is rubbed back and forth across it. One forward-and-back pass is one double rub. The test runs until the fabric shows noticeable wear or breaks, and the result is the number of double rubs it survived.
So a fabric rated at 50,000 double rubs withstood 50,000 back-and-forth passes before wearing through. Many fabrics are simply listed as "exceeds 100,000 double rubs", because testing usually stops there.
These are common guidelines for Wyzenbeek double rubs. For a busy home, aim one level up.
| Use | Double rubs | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative | Under 10,000 | Pillows, headboards, drapery, occasional chairs |
| Light home use | 10,000 to 15,000 | Accent chairs, bedroom seating, rarely used furniture |
| Everyday home use | 15,000 to 30,000 | Living room sofas and chairs, ottomans |
| Heavy home use | 30,000 to 50,000 | Family sofas, dining chairs, homes with kids or pets |
| Commercial | 30,000 and up | Offices, restaurants, hotels, waiting rooms |
| Heavy-duty commercial | 100,000 and up | Restaurant booths, transit, healthcare, high traffic |
Nearly every fabric in our catalog exceeds 100,000 double rubs, well past what a family sofa needs. Browse our heavy-duty fabrics.
Europe and much of the world use the Martindale test instead. There the fabric is rubbed in a figure-eight pattern against worsted wool, and the result is counted in cycles. Very roughly, 20,000 to 25,000 Martindale cycles suits general home use and 30,000 or more suits heavy home or commercial use.
The two tests rub the fabric in different ways, so there's no reliable conversion between them. Compare Wyzenbeek numbers with Wyzenbeek numbers, and Martindale with Martindale.
A high number means the fabric resists abrasion. It doesn't guarantee everything else:
It's acceptable for a sofa that gets light use. For a sofa used every day, look for 30,000 or more, and for a family sofa with kids or pets, higher still.
You won't wear it out, but the rating alone doesn't make a fabric pet-proof or stain-proof. Choose it for durability, then check the weave and cleaning code for everything else.
Not reliably. The tests use different motions and abrasives, so compare fabrics using the same test.
Shop the fabrics in this guide
Charlotte upholstery fabric by the yard, priced in CAD, with free samples.