When choosing fabrics you want to choose a fabric which will stand up to the various stresses and strains and everyday wear and tear but is also supplied with a fire retardancy rating. Contract upholstery fabric generally has a higher flame retardancy and will be more durable than their General Upholstery counterparts.
The fire retardancy of fabrics is provided by the manufacturer and can be found within this fabric specification guide. All contract furniture fabrics are required to have passed rigorous laboratory based flammability tests such as match tests (a resistance to withstand a naked flame). All tested fabrics will then be graded into bands and levels of suitability for furniture products and their environments.
