The fabric shapes your everyday comfort as much as the look of the room. Here are the eight fabric families in our range, what each one really does and, above all, what it doesn’t — because that’s where disappointment comes from.
First, two ways a cover is made
Before the question of fabric comes the question of cut. Two approaches exist side by side.
Stretch covers are a single piece: the knit stretches, the extra tucks in between the cushions, and it covers the whole sofa in one go. It’s the quickest to fit and the most forgiving on shapes and sizes.
EasyCover™ covers are a set of pieces laid side by side — one per seat, one per back, one per arm — with a non-slip underside that grips the furniture. They don’t stretch: their weight and grip do the work. You can buy them as a full set or piece by piece, so you can cover just the seat if the rest of the sofa is still in good condition.
Stretch: the starting point
Our classic knit, and the right choice by default. It stretches both ways, the extra tucks in between the cushions, and it’s machine washable at 30°C with no special care. It’s available for sofas, armchairs, dining chairs, click-clack sofa beds and seat cushions, in more than sixty colours.
Its limit: it isn’t a barrier against liquids. A spilt glass goes straight through. If that’s your main concern, read the next two sections.
Water-repellent jacquard: time to react
The pattern is woven into the fabric, not printed, which gives it a slight texture and a dense weave. Its useful property: liquids bead on the surface long enough for you to wipe them away. A spilt coffee can be blotted up without taking the cover off.
Its limit: a puddle left for a long time will eventually soak through. Water-repellent fabric buys you time; it doesn’t seal the surface.
EasyCover™ Waterproof: the sealed surface
A membrane stops liquids, even if they’re left there: it’s the only fabric cover in our range that is truly waterproof, and it has the non-slip underside. It’s sold as a full set — four pieces for an armchair, five for a 2-seater, six for a 3- or 4-seater — or as single pieces.
Its limit: a slightly firmer feel, because of the membrane, and fitting in several pieces rather than one.
→ EasyCover Waterproof Sofa Cover
Faux leather: a sponge rather than the washing machine
Another sealed surface, so waterproof too, and a completely different style: matt, dense, smarter. You clean it with a damp sponge — and never in the washing machine, unlike everything else in the range.
Its limits: it gets warm when you sit on it for a long time, and it doesn’t stretch. It’s available for dining chairs, cushions, click-clack sofa beds and tub chairs, but not as a full sofa cover.
Velvet: the style upgrade
The softest fabric, and the one that changes the feel of a room the most: short-pile velvet catches the light, so the colour looks deeper. It’s the choice when your sofa still looks good and you mainly want to transform it.
Its limit: seat marks show. They fade when you run your hand along the pile, but they come back. And if anything is spilt, you need to wipe it straight away.
Fleece: for the cold months
Soft, warm and lovely under bare feet in winter. It mainly comes as seat cushion covers and also as a throw.
Its limit: it’s warm, which is exactly the point in December and rarely what you want in July. It also holds on to pet hair more than a smooth knit.
Chenille and herringbone: woven texture
Two thick EasyCover™ fabrics with a visible weave — tight ribs for the chenille, fine zigzag ridges for the herringbone. They make a sofa look new, far more than a simple change of colour, and they have the same non-slip underside.
Their limit: they don’t stretch. They’re fitted piece by piece, and you need to choose the sizes to suit your furniture rather than rely on stretch.
→ EasyCover non-slip sofa covers
Faux fur and sherpa: winter comfort
The cosiest family in the range, in several thicknesses. Same EasyCover™ approach: pieces laid on the sofa, a non-slip underside, no stretch. Best kept for living rooms where curling up comes first.
How to decide in 30 seconds
- Not sure → stretch, and you’ll be right nine times out of ten
- Children, meals in front of the TV → water-repellent jacquard
- A cat or dog every day → EasyCover™ Waterproof
- Sofa still looking good, ready for a change → velvet
- Smart style, sponge-clean → faux leather
- Winter living room, comfort first → chenille, faux fur or fleece
What applies to the whole range
All our fabrics are machine washable at 30°C, without fabric conditioner and without a tumble dryer — except faux leather, which is cleaned with a sponge. The fabric-by-fabric detail is in our guide how to care for and wash your sofa cover.
Two notes on shape: wingback chairs only come in water-repellent jacquard, and tub chairs in water-repellent jacquard or faux leather. Strongly shaped chairs need a dedicated cut, not a stretchier knit.
Need advice on your sofa?
Our cover finder combines your furniture, your priority and your size to make a recommendation in three questions. You can also email a photo of your sofa to contact@thesofacoverhouse.com. And if you live with a pet, our guide sofa covers for pets goes into detail.
