--- title: "Martindale Rub Count for Cushion Fabric: Why There's No Number" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/martindale-double-rub-rating-cushion-fabric/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/" published: "2026-03-01" updated: "2026-03-01" keywords: "martindale rub count cushion fabric, double rub rating cushion fabric, wyzenbeek test upholstery, most durable bench cushion fabric, corduroy fabric spec sheet" --- # What's the Martindale or double-rub rating of the cushion fabric? *A rub count is a number from a machine, and this cloth has never sat under that machine. What the workshop can offer is plainer, and still worth knowing.* Also asked as: What's the Martindale rub count for fabric 132?; Does it have a high double-rub rating? > **The quick answer:** There is no Martindale rub count or Wyzenbeek double-rub figure for these cushion fabrics, because the workshop holds no lab test certificates. What it can say: the fabrics are heavy-duty upholstery grades chosen for daily bench use, durability complaints are rare, the outdoor fabrics are the toughest, and velvet and soft fabric also wear well. The sofa corduroy has a PDF spec sheet. ![Black and cream arch-pattern seat cushion and matching backrest cushion on a walnut bench below a green-framed window](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/black-arch-pattern-seat-backrest-cushion-walnut-bench-1600.webp "A matching backrest cushion leans on the window reveal, turning a plain walnut bench into a sunny two-seater.") ## Key facts - No Martindale or Wyzenbeek test certificates are available. - The fabrics are heavy-duty upholstery grades for daily use. - Durability complaints are rare. - Outdoor fabrics are the most durable option. - Velvet and soft fabric also wear well. - A PDF fabric spec sheet exists for the sofa corduroy. - The sofa corduroy is among the fabrics from a mill certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (03.T.3239). ## Ask these instead of a rub count - ✓ **Which fabric family wears hardest?** The outdoor fabrics, then velvet and soft fabric. For a bench in daily use, start with [outdoor cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/outdoor-cushions/) or [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/). - ✓ **Is there a spec sheet?** For the sofa [corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/corduroy/), yes: a PDF with the fabric details. - ✓ **How has it held up for other buyers?** Durability complaints on these upholstery grades are rare. - ✓ **Can I hold a swatch first?** Judge the weave in daylight before you commit; the [swatches pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) shows how to order them. ## What you won't get - ✗ A [Martindale](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#martindale) figure for fabric 132, or for any other code. - ✗ A [Wyzenbeek](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#wyzenbeek) double-rub number, above 50,000 or otherwise. - ✗ A lab certificate in place of the corduroy's spec sheet. ## Why an honest blank beats a borrowed number A rub count only means something when a lab measured that exact cloth. Without the test, any figure would be a guess dressed up as a fact, and I would rather tell you, my friends, that the page is blank. What fills the blank is lived wear: heavy-duty upholstery grades chosen for daily bench use, with rare complaints. The two tests don't convert into each other either; the [Martindale vs double rubs pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/martindale-vs-double-rubs-fabric/) explains both. Which matters more on your bench: sheen, or sheer toughness? > **Tailor's margin:** No Martindale certificate exists for these cushion fabrics; for the heaviest daily use, outdoor fabrics are the toughest choice, then velvet and soft fabric. > Without a Martindale certificate, any rub count for a cushion fabric is a guess; ask which fabric family wears best instead: outdoor, then velvet. > > — Élodie Marchand ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Do your fabrics have a double-rub rating above 50,000? **The workshop's answer:** There are no official double-rub (Wyzenbeek) test certificates, so no number can be quoted. The fabrics are upholstery-grade and hold up well to daily use, with rare durability complaints; for heavy use the outdoor fabrics are the toughest, and velvet and soft fabric also wear well. **A common question:** What is the Martindale rub count of the black fabric, code 132? **The workshop's answer:** There's no exact lab Martindale figure for it. The workshop describes it as a premium heavy-duty upholstery fabric selected for durability and wear resistance in daily bench use. **A common question:** What's the rub count on the sofa corduroy, and is the fabric certified? **The workshop's answer:** The workshop sends a PDF spec sheet with the fabric details. The corduroy is one of the fabrics from a mill certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (03.T.3239). **A common question:** Is the corduroy cotton or polyester? **The workshop's answer:** Mostly polyester: the furniture corduroy is described as 100% polyester or a poly-cotton blend, never pure cotton, and the covers are removable and machine washable. ## Questions buyers ask next ### What does a Martindale test actually measure? It rubs fabric in a figure-eight and counts the cycles until wear shows. It is common in Europe; the Wyzenbeek test, used most in North America, counts back-and-forth double rubs instead. ### Which fabric should I choose for a bench cushion used every day? Outdoor fabrics are the most durable option, and velvet and soft fabric also wear well in daily use. All are heavy-duty upholstery grades chosen for bench seating. ### Is the velvet shiny or matte? It has a short, tight pile that feels smooth. Its sheen has been described both as slightly glossy and as not shiny, so ask for real-life photos; for a low-sheen look, choose linen. ### How many Martindale rubs does a home seat cushion need? It depends whose scale you read. One German institute scale puts private use at 10,000 to 15,000 rubs; a US distributor cites 20,000 or more for light domestic use; both treat 40,000 and up as commercial grade. Martindale and double rubs come from different machines, so the two numbers can't be converted into each other. ## Related at the atelier - [Is your velvet shiny or matte, and is the pile short?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/velvet-sheen-matte-short-pile/): The velvet has a short, tight pile that feels smooth and soft rather than long, and its sheen has been described both as a little glossier than matte and as not shiny. - [Do you have white, cream or natural fabric for cushions?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/white-cream-natural-cushion-fabric/): White, cream and natural cushion fabrics are all available: plain white L-01 linen, white velvet, and a natural linen series chart of neutral shades. - [What is 'soft fabric' made of? Is it natural or synthetic?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/what-is-soft-fabric-poly-cotton/): Soft fabric is a poly-cotton blend: the workshop's name for its best-selling upholstery weave, codes 901 to 946, thick and durable with a soft hand. - [Custom Bench Cushion in Mauve Corduroy: Five Mistakes It Avoids](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mauve-corduroy-espresso-piping-oak-hall-bench/): A pastel custom bench cushion holds its shape best with piping two or three shades darker from the same color family, like espresso cord on dusty mauve corduroy. - [Entryway Bench Cushion in Camel Corduroy on a Pine Hall Bench](https://cushionguide.com/readings/camel-corduroy-pine-hall-bench-sage-entryway/): A mid-tone ribbed fabric like camel corduroy is the most forgiving entryway bench cushion through the year, because it hides dust and brushes clean. - [Navy Corduroy Bench Cushion: A Box Edge Between Two Bookcases](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-corduroy-reading-bench-cushion-between-bookcases/): A reading-nook bench cushion boxed in by bookcases should have a box edge, square corners and firm foam, and it should be cut to the gap between the cases rather than to the bench. - [Martindale rub count and double rubs: what the numbers tell you](https://cushionguide.com/guides/martindale-vs-double-rubs-fabric/) - [Choosing cushion fabric: seven families compared for real homes](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-fabric-types-compared/) *With color and care — Élodie* --- Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/martindale-double-rub-rating-cushion-fabric/