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The Cutting Table · a common question

Which lasts longer on a cushion, velvet or soft fabric?

Also asked as:Is velvet a nicer, more durable fabric?Same price point: which one lasts longer?

Two cloths from the same maker, priced alike. The difference you will live with is in the light and in the cleaning, not in how many years they give you.

Answered by

The Colorist of New Orleans ·

The quick answer

Velvet and soft fabric last about equally well: both come from the same manufacturer, meet the same first-class quality standard and cost the same, so the choice is mostly about look and texture. Where one edges ahead, it's soft fabric, which one workshop reply called more durable and easier to clean, and which is the pick for kids' playrooms.

Navy blue corduroy bench cushion on an oak entryway bench with a cream boucle pillow, leather boots and arched mirrorSave
A navy cord pad and a boucle pillow make an oak entry bench a comfortable place to pull on boots.

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Key facts

  • Velvet and soft fabric come from the same manufacturer.
  • Both meet the same first-class quality standard.
  • Both are offered at the same price, for a wider choice of colors and textures.
  • One workshop reply rated soft fabric more durable and easier to clean than velvet.
  • Soft fabric is the one suggested for kids' playrooms.
  • The velvet is polyester or a poly-cotton blend, which resists crushing better than cotton velvet.
  • Both go in zippered covers that machine wash at 86°F (30 °C) max on a gentle cycle, then air-dry.
  • Both are heavy-duty upholstery grade, at least about 7.4 oz per square yard (250 g/m2).
  • Either fabric goes on any cushion, including the standard 4 in bench cushion, at the same price.

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Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you

A fabric reads one way at noon and another at dusk. Mention your light, and the workshop will weigh it with you. — Élodie

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Velvet and soft fabric come from the same manufacturer.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Same maker, same standard, so choose with your eye

The workshop carries both for one reason: more colors and more textures to choose from. Neither is the budget cloth. Both come from the same manufacturer and meet the same first-class standard, so on a bench cushion the lifespan is close to a tie.

What differs is the surface. Velvet has a pile that holds light and throws it back, so an ink navy reads deep in one corner and silvered where a hand has brushed it. Choose the surface you want to live with. The velvet care Pattern explains the pile; the fabric families Pattern sets both beside the rest.

Velvet and soft fabric, side by side

VelvetSoft fabric
Made byThe same manufacturerThe same manufacturer
Quality standardFirst-classFirst-class
PriceSame as soft fabricSame as velvet
Easier to cleanNot singled outYes, in one workshop reply
Suggested for kids' playroomsNot singled outYes

When soft fabric is the wiser pick

If the cushion lives with juice cups and crayons, lean to soft fabric. It's the one suggested for kids' playrooms, and one reply rated it easier to clean than velvet. The kid-friendly fabric Pattern goes further.

Who sits on your bench most, my friends: grown-ups with coffee, or small hands with markers? Order both swatches and hold them at the window. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does.

Velvet and soft fabric cost the same and meet the same quality standard, so pick the cushion texture you want to touch every day.

Élodie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Is the velvet more durable than the soft fabric, since they're the same price?

    The workshop's answer

    Both are equally durable. They come from the same manufacturer and meet the same first-class quality standards. Both are offered only to give a wider choice of colors and textures, so pick the look you prefer.

  2. A common question

    What's the difference between the velvet and the soft fabric?

    The workshop's answer

    The soft fabric is more durable and easier to clean than the velvet.

  3. A common question

    Is your velvet cotton velvet or polyester?

    The workshop's answer

    It's synthetic: polyester or a poly-cotton blend, not cotton, linen or silk velvet. It resists crushing, wear and wrinkles better than cotton velvet. For natural fiber, choose the 100% linen range or a cotton-linen fabric.

  4. A common question

    Can I buy your fabric by the yard to match my cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Samples and cut lengths are sold through the fabric listing, and larger pieces through a custom order link. Send the fabric code and the length you need for a quote; the fabric can ship with your cushions.

Questions buyers ask next

Does this velvet crush or mark easily?

Less than cotton velvet would. The velvet here is polyester or a poly-cotton blend, which resists crushing and wrinkles better. The pile still catches light differently where it's brushed, which is part of its charm.

Is one of the two fabrics the cheaper option?

No. Velvet and soft fabric are offered at the same price. The workshop carries both for the wider range of colors and textures, not as a budget tier and a premium tier.

Which fabric suits a bench that kids climb on?

Soft fabric. Both last well, but soft fabric is the one the workshop suggests for kids' playrooms, and one reply rated it easier to clean than velvet, which counts when spills are daily.