The upholstery fabric for any bar stool requires a certain degree of versatility and quality all across the board. You don't want to have to re-upholster your bar stool after only a few months because the fabric was shoddy or not made to suit the environment it was in. This is why there should be a bit of forethought before you purchase the upholstery fabric.
Barstools can be used in a wide range of settings including but not limited to: commercial bars, home bars, diners, home kitchens and basements. According to the location, the bar stool should be able to resist the associated adversities. For example, at a busy pub, the bar stools will be getting constant daily use and these chairs are more at risk to have drinks spilled on them. Therefore, they should have the appropriate protection against what will inevitably occur. It needs to be soft enough so that patrons will feel comfortable sitting there socializing for an hour and it needs to be resilient enough to have the drinks wipe right off. At home, the bar stools can stand to be less durable and more attention can be paid to asthetics.
In choosing the fabric for your specific upholstered barstools, there are two main upholstery options: microfiber and vinyl. Microfiber is a synthetic material that is woven with superfine fibers which is said to be 100 times stronger than human hair! The process of making of microfiber usually occurs when any manufactured fibers are made superfine or turned into liquid and then squeezed through spinneret holes. Eventually, it is dried into a very tough and hard-to-tear fiber. The most common kinds of microfiber material are polyester and nylon. These fabrics are optimal for bar stool seats because rather than absorbing the liquids that are spilled on them, they repel them and make it so that they turn into beads that dont stain and can be easily wiped off.
The other kind of commonly used fabric is vinyl. Highly durable in addition to being water-resistant, vinyl is the preferred upholstery material in commercial bars and counter stools because their seats get so much use. Vinyl is resistant to a great number of things including fire, fading and abrasion. It is basically a super-fabric! When used for upholstery, vinyl is compounded to give it a softer texture and look. On top of that, it is coated with a protective finish to make it easy for spills to wipe off.
