H&M is rolling out a huge new line of Performance fabrics but you will not see them in the store until after the New Year, they had quite a display of them at the High Point Market, and they are available to buy now, just the dealer swatches are still a couple months out. If you know the original name used by the maker of the fabric, sometimes we can cross reference it to the producer and locate it. You will see these fabrics appear on the H&M web site shortly, then you can order samples once they do. These will be the new fabrics in that category.

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For more on rub ratings, here's a good article to read:

https://blog.kothea.com/2009/06/26/m...s-wyzenbeek-3/

The problem with chasing rub ratings, is that when you seek a high value, the fabric can feel scratchy and very much stiff, almost like cardboard. At a certain level you get into commercial duty fabrics and most people don't want the "Hand" of those to use in their home. Once thing I suggest to people who come into my store is take the sample of fabric and hold it to the cheek of your face and check the softness of it. Don't get caught in the trap of seeking durability first and foremost, the appearance and feel of the material is more important. Having said that, avoid light duty fabrics if the room is used everyday and don't buy silk fabrics for rooms that get sun.

Myself, I buy leather for durability and blends of mostly natural components for my fabrics that my wife and I use in the home. Most people don't want to pay the price for a good natural blend (such as a Wool, Linen, Cotton content) in a tight weave - that kind of fabric can easily run over $ 150 (+) a yard. I understand fabrics and don't hesitate to buy in that category - in fact I only buy in that group - because they last and feel better than anything that is synthetic and man-made. However, I don't expect my customers to do so - they recoil at the prices for these high-quality fabrics. I can get 30 or more years out of a natural blend fabric (some of the best come out of Belgium). Upholstery manufacturers know this too, so they stay in the cheaper Polyester / Nylons etc that come out of Chinese mills. At the end of the day, this is a price-driven industry and consumers want a low price first and foremost. However, when you see a high quality fabric on a frame that is properly made, it is stunning and gives years of service. A can of Scotchguard applied to these kind of fabrics will do virtually the same as Crypton/Sunbrella and last far longer. But again, its a cost issue for most. I still have a Wing Chair done in a Greff Fabric that was built in 1986 in daily use, and it still looks superb. There are no polyester-based fabric pieces that will be around that long.

Personally, I would not buy a Performance fabric - they don't appeal to me because they look and feel cheap, but its the rage these days because people want to feel they can eat a pizza on it then scrub off the grease and tomato sauce. <shrug> If that's their lifestyle, that's fine - I eat my pizza at the kitchen table, not on the sofa. But if I'm really after that kind of throw-everything-at-it lifestyle, I'm going leather anyways as its will easily outperform even the best Performance fabric.