Microfibre 24/7 vs. Sunbrella

We plan on purchasing upholstered tufted dining chairs in a light colored fabric. I heard of the Microfibre 24/7 fabric through this forum and am considering upholstering the dining chairs in this fabric(via COM). ( We have 2 preschoolers at home with an affinity for markers!).

The furniture company offers Sunbrella as a fabric option as well. Are there any benefits of one over the other(other than differences in the feel of the fabric). My main concerns are stain resistance and the ability to clean the fabric easily. The chairs won't get too much wear as they will be in our formal dining room.

Any thoughts?

Hi there,

There are several differences between the 24/7 fabric made by Microfibres, Inc. and the Sunbrella product.

1. Price - The Sunbrella name covers many different fabric lines, but nearly all of them are significantly more expensive than the 24/7. At the retail level a $1000 24/7 sofa will cost about $1200 in Sunbrella.

2. Indoor/Outdoor - Sunbrella fabrics were originally designed for outdoor use, and most of them still are. Although they now have an "indoor" line of fabrics, the look and feel may not be what you are used to seeing on indoor furniture. If you have a sun problem, however, (lots of direct sunlight on your sofa) Sunbrella fabrics will not fade the way most upholstery fabrics, including the 24/7 will do if exposed to direct sunlight.

3. Stain protection - Sunbrella's reputation is that they can remove any stain. If soap and water doesn't work, you can try bleach. I would not use bleach on a 24/7 fabric. On the other hand I have seen dirt, oil, paint, coffee, chocolate milk and black permanent marker stains wiped off with a damp sponge and some liquid hand or dish soap.

4. Warranty -- Sunbrella is one of the very rare companies that has a warranty for their fabrics. There is a 5 year warranty. The 24/7s do not have a warranty.

5. Availability -- Sunbrella is available everywhere. The Microfibres 24/7 fabrics are marketed primarily to the healthcare industry. I have been told by the Microfibres sales rep that there are only 2 residential furniture dealers who carry the 24/7 fabrics. Microfibres actually makes fabrics for the residential furniture industry that are identical to the 24/7s in look and feel, but are 30% less expensive because they do not have the permanent fabric protection built in.

Jeff Frank
Simplicity Sofas

Thanks for the info! I found a source for the 24/7 fabric and have been sent swatches. I'm testing out the stain resistance currently. We are doing COM with the microfibre 24/7 so the chairs would roughly cost the same as the sunbrella fabric which is through the manufacturer of the chair.