Perhaps the most important consideration in choosing a pet-friendly sofa is fabric durability and quality. Pets can be rough on furniture so you’ll want to make sure the fabric can withstand scratches and stains over a long period of time.
A good indicator of fabric durability is rub count. A general rule of thumb: the higher the rub count, the more durable the fabric. Pet owners should aim for a minimum of 45,000 rubs so that you can feel at peace with your furry friend spending time with you on the sofa.
Stain resistant, and liquid-repellent fabrics are also a must when considering a pet-friendly sofa. We know what a walk in the rain can do to our pet’s paws and how commonly accidents can occur (the dog bumping into your arm while drinking wine, anyone?).
Certain types of fabrics are also better suited for homes with pets. Microfiber’s tight weave for example makes it easier to clean or remove hair. If your pet sheds, we recommend avoiding fabrics with a loose weave so fur doesn’t get easily caught. If your pet loves to scratch, we recommend avoiding high pile, textured fabrics and opting for a dense or tight weave fabric like microfiber instead.
Anabei
Anabei offers a fully machine washable sofa starting at $639 with interchangeable slipcovers that are also designed to be pet-friendly. 10 out of their 13 fabrics are machine washable and the best part? They don't charge a premium for these features like most other brands. Their $639 sofa is pet-friendly, stain resistant, water-resistant and machine washable. They also offer snag resistant options for those that are worried about playful claws. Not only are the fabric covers completely removable and washable but so is the lining of the frame. So are you that person with a cat that pees on the sofa? This is the sofa for you. With a washable frame duvet (this is the lining between the metal frame and the fabric covers), you can actually keep a clean house.
Takeaway: Anabei’s sofa stands as the most budget-friendly pet-friendly option. Its meticulously engineered design caters to households with pets and daily messes, crafted to withstand washing machine cycles effortlessly. If this aesthetic aligns with your style preferences, it's undoubtedly the optimal choice.
Inside Weather
Inside Weather has over 60 pet-friendly fabric options across all sofa collections, which include liquid resistant, stain resistant and performance grade fabrics. They provide details about the composition, durability (rub count) and care needs for each type of fabric on their swatch page.
Takeaway: Inside Weather’s high variety of pet-friendly fabrics is unmatched. It’s easy to see detailed fabric descriptions on their website. And finally, they have liquid repellent fabrics which seem hard to find and a major plus for pets.
Diorama Living
Diorama has 8 fabric types. All but 2 of them are Pet-Friendly or in other words, they are smooth so claws will not snag. They are also Commercial Grade, Stain-Resistant, Liquid-Resistant. The 2 fabric types that are not listed as Pet-Friendly have high pile stitching which can be snagged by pet claws. However, if your pet’s claws do not tend to snag fabrics, they could still work for you since those fabrics are Liquid and Stain-Resistant.
Takeaway: Any of the fabrics you choose for your Diorama sofa will maintain its longevity within high traffic environments that include pets.
Benchmade Modern
Benchmade Modern has a wide variety of pet and family friendly fabrics to choose from. With rub counts up 100k, these fabrics are made to last in high traffic environments. They also offer plenty of colors and textures so you can find the perfect one for you and your pets. Leather options are commonly considered pet-friendly. And although they do have leather fabrics they do not list any rub count or fabric features for them.
Takeaway: Wide variety of colors and textures available for all sofa collections, most of which are described as pet-friendly. However, they do not mention liquid or stain-resistant fabric features.
Joybird
From woven blends that are easy to clean to velvet-textured microfiber that won't trap hair, Joybird offers a good selection of pet-friendly fabrics. They are available on multiple sofa collections but no information on rub count.
Takeaway: Good selection of pet-friendly fabrics and sofas in mostly mid-century modern styles.
Burrow
Burrow offers pet-friendly upholstery only on their Nomad Collection. There are 3 different fabric types for the Nomad: Performance Weave, Performance Velvet, and Top-Grain Leather. Here is what we can tell from the website:
Fabric Features:
- Scratch-resistant
- Non-porous fiber makes the fabric Stain-resistant
- Cleanable with water and bleach based solutions
- Each fabric type comes in it’s own unique variety of 5 colors
Takeaway: High quality and durable fabrics but limited options and only available with one sofa collection (Nomad Collection). We suggest contacting Customer Service if you are curious about a specific fabric for the Nomad.
Article
Article recommends leather for pet owners because “it’s durable and lends itself nicely to a lived-in look.”
“In general, leather is a more durable option than fabric, but certain types of leather have different characteristics that will age and react differently to the inevitable like drool, claws and dirty paws.”
Takeaway: If leather is your fabric of choice, then Article is a great option. If you prefer another fabric type for your pet-friendly sofa, consider other options.
Overall Takeaway:
There are plenty of great pet-friendly sofa options. Consider the characteristics of your pet (sheds a lot, scratches a lot, etc) and pick the best fabric option for you. Inside Weather has the most pet-friendly fabric options and provides the most detail as it pertains to rub count, durability and care. Joybird and Interior Define also have good selections in different style sofas.
