9 Best Furniture Fabrics for Pets

The reality of having a pet, whether it’s a cuddly cat or an adorable dog, is that your furry friend will likely have scratched your couch, stained your ottoman, and gotten pet hair everywhere. Some furniture fabrics are better for active pets at home than others, and for those that have the not-so-great furniture types at home, you still have options like a pet hair remover to help remove excess pet hair from your furniture, rugs, and other fixtures at home. Keep reading to learn about the high-maintenance fabrics that you should avoid as a pet parent — like silk or suede — and some of the best fabrics — like leather and canvas — if you’re going to get new furniture at home for you and your furry friends.

1. Great Furniture Fabric: Leather or Pleather — Leather is one of the best fabrics you can have at home when you have a pet. Not only is leather a durable fabric, but it also won’t absorb odors like other materials tend to. Even then, you’ll still need to remove debris like pet hair every now and then. Use a tool like a portable pet hair remover when you need to get rid of dog hair or cat fur in a pinch.

2. Great Furniture Fabric: Microfiber — Microfiber is a synthetic material that is durable enough around pets. Unlike more delicate fabrics, a microfiber couch won’t rip or scratch as easily. Any accumulated pet hair can be removed with a pet hair remover.

3. Great Furniture Fabric: Denim — Casual rooms look great with informal denim furniture. It’s a rugged and durable fabric perfect for a cozy living room or a cottage family room. To clean denim furniture, you can spot-clean using water and a mild soap or with baking soda paste. The tight weave of denim makes it easy to remove any stray pet hair as well.

4. Great Furniture Fabric:  Tight Weaves — In general, you’ll want furniture made from fabrics that are tightly woven. Look for tightly woven fabrics like denim, twill, sateen, and others like it. There are plenty of advantages to having tightly woven fabric furniture in your home. They’re stronger and more sound than non-woven fabrics, meaning that they’re more durable for day-to-day use, including any active pets that love to hang out on the furniture.

5. Great Furniture Fabric or Furniture Cover: Canvas — In addition to durable canvas furniture, you can cover any existing furniture with a canvas furniture cover. This easy fix is a great option for anyone who needs to cover furniture quickly due to pets that are running around all over your home and the furniture. Canvas furniture covers are especially practical for those who can’t get new furniture right away.

6. Great Furniture Option: Outdoor Furniture on the Inside — If you need new indoor furniture in a pinch and aren’t ready to buy something new, check to see if you have any spare outdoor furniture you can use inside instead. Outdoor furniture tends to be made with performance fabrics that are made for the outdoors. It’s not just those patio cushions you grew up with that your parents had in their backyard. There are plenty of fashionable outdoor furniture choices made out of durable yet stylish fabrics like Sunbrella and Perennials that you’ll love — and your furry friend will love getting their paws all over, too!

7. Not-So-Great Furniture Fabric: Loose Weaves Like Tweed — According to The Spruce, one of the general rules you’ll want to follow when picking out furniture is to choose ones that are made from tightly woven fabrics.

8. Not-So-Great Furniture Fabric: Silk — While silk clothes may feel great when you wear them, a silk chair or silk blanket isn’t so ideal when you have a pet at home. If you have furniture made out of fabrics like silk or suede, you’ll need extra help from tools like a pet hair removal tool to remove pet hair and other dirt from this kind of furniture.

9. Not-So-Great Furniture Fabric: Suede — Suede is one of those high-maintenance fabrics that you should avoid. Reduce your stress and avoid suede furniture if you have a pet at home. While pure suede is durable, it’s very difficult to clean if your pet accidentally soils the suede couch. Leather is much easier to clean than suede.

With these tips in mind about the best and less-than-favorable furniture fabrics, you won’t have to worry about pet hair, claws, or stains anymore. The trick is to choose fabrics for furniture that are durable and stain-resistant. If you’re not able to get new furniture, or if it’s not the right time to get a new couch for your place, get furniture covers instead. You’ll want one that can withstand a couple of claw marks. To help remove pet hair and other debris, make sure you’re using a tool like the Uproot Cleaner Pro™ on any non-knit furniture!