Sattler®: Your Premier Cover & Shade Fabric

When it comes to marine and outdoor fabrics, performance is everything. That’s why Sattler^® Marine Grade fabric should be the first thing on your list when you’re shopping for project materials. This 100% solution-dyed acrylic fabric is well-known in the marine world for its strength, durability and longevity in tough environments. In this blog, we’ll explore the many reasons that Sailrite^® recommends Sattler fabrics for all your boat and outdoor DIYs. Let’s jump in!

Company History

Sattler Marine Grade is made by Sattler Group, a leader in the performance textile industry. Founded in 1875, Sattler Group is a family-owned textile manufacturer. Headquartered in Austria with worldwide recognition, Sattler has been at the forefront of the textile industry for decades. It’s a leader in fabric design, innovation and sustainable manufacturing practices. Sattler Group is a household name in the European market, well-known for Sattler Marine Grade and its collection of awning fabrics.

After decades of dominating the European marine canvas market, Sattler Group wanted to break into the competitive U.S. textile market. In 2010, the company acquired Shuford Mills in Hudson, North Carolina, along with its production operation and distribution center. The 180,000-square-foot mill is on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as Sattler’s U.S. headquarters and production facility. All the mill’s employees joined the new Sattler team to continue the company’s growth and expansion in the United States.

With the acquisition of an American mill, Sattler Group was determined to bring the quality control and expectations the brand has for its solution-dyed marine grade fabric to the United States.

What Is Solution-Dyed Fabric?

With solution dyeing, the raw material is dyed before being spun into yarn and then woven into fabric. This means that the color penetrates to the core of every fiber, producing an extremely colorfast material with the best fade resistance of any woven fabric on the market. This dyeing method does not require water, making solution-dyed fabrics much more environmentally friendly than surface-dyed or printed fabrics.

Let’s talk about solution dyeing in more familiar terms. A solution-dyed fabric is like a granite countertop, while a printed or surface-dyed fabric is like a laminate countertop.

Granite is stone all the way through, just like a solution-dyed fabric is uniformly colored all the way through. Because of this, Sattler Marine Grade has no right or wrong side and is fully reversible. On the other hand, laminate is a topical layer. When laminate chips, you can see the particleboard underneath. That’s how it is with printed fabrics. As a printed fabric stretches or fades, you can see the undyed fabric beneath. The colors and patterns in a solution-dyed fabric last longer and hold up much better to heavy use than those on a printed fabric.

Marine Grade Must-Haves

Outdoor and marine environments can be very demanding. Constant sunlight, temperature changes, moisture and salt can all damage lesser fabrics — but not Sattler. This tenacious fabric has all the features needed to stand strong against harsh environments for the long haul. Let’s cover five top features that make Sattler a favorite in the marine world.

Water Resistance

Sattler Marine Grade boasts excellent water resistance — an absolute must for a fabric that will be used for boats or permanent outdoor structures. Water beads up and rolls off the surface of Sattler instead of soaking through the fabric. You’ll never have to worry about leaky tops, soggy cushions or waterlogged awnings with Sattler Marine Grade.

Mold & Mildew Resistance

Wet or humid environments are favorites for mold and mildew, which can grow in water-soaked fabric. That’s another reason to use Sattler for your marine and outdoor fabric needs. Acrylic fabric is naturally resistant to mold and mildew growth, largely due to its water-repellent properties. Using acrylic Sattler fabric ensures your outdoor projects will look great and stand strong against mold and mildew.

UV & Fade Resistance

If you’ve ever had to replace a bimini or dodger because of how quickly it faded in the sun, you know it's frustrating and expensive. Use Sattler instead. This fabric is highly UV-resistant and colorfast thanks to the solution-dyeing process it goes through. This process gives Sattler fabrics their unbeatable fade resistance. This quality is especially important for fabric that will be in the sunlight year-round.

But Sattler’s UV resistance isn’t just about the fabric looking good. This quality also plays a large part in protecting you from excessive sunlight. Sattler fabrics are rigorously tested and certified by an independent organization to block 97.5% of harmful UV rays. This feature is integral for helping you stay safe and comfortable while you’re enjoying your boat or outdoor space.

Stretch Resistance

Many fabrics lose their shape with use and time. Not Sattler Marine Grade! This fabric is very resistant to stretching and shrinking on the warp, weft and bias. So, it won’t sag, puddle, or change shape and size over time. This is a very important feature for an outdoor or marine fabric to have, as shape changes can cause critical canvas items (such as biminis, dodgers, aft curtains and awnings) to puddle water, resulting in leaks.

Easy to Clean

Salt, dirt and other environmental factors can build up on a fabric over time, causing stains or discoloration. Sattler is a stain resistant fabric, so you don’t have to worry about it getting dirty. Most spills and stain-causing materials simply wipe right off Sattler fabric as if they were never there. And if a stain does manage to sneak through, just clean your Sattler fabric with mild soap and a soft brush to make it look brand-new again.

Sattler Marine Grade: An Easy Choice

We’ve covered the top features that make Sattler Marine Grade your premier choice for marine and outdoor projects, but it has so many more advantages besides! Here are even more reasons to choose Sattler:

• Economical — superior performance at an affordable price.
• Highly abrasion resistant to stand up to everyday use.
• Can be cut with a hotknife to prevent fraying.
• Incredible color variety to suit any taste.
• Nondirectional and reversible for efficient patterning — minimizes waste and saves money.
• Soft — easy to work with and sew.
• Made from first-quality acrylic fibers sourced from Europe and woven in the United States.
• Outstanding 10-year warranty.
• Deep inventory in stock and ready to ship.

Shop Sattler Marine Grade Fabric

Sattler’s wealth of benefits and features make it the ideal fabric for many outdoor and marine projects, including:

• Biminis, T-tops and dodgers.
• Marine exterior cushions.
• Sail bags and sail covers.
• Other covers and enclosures.
• Awnings, wire-hung canopies and pergolas.
• Weather cloths.
• Windshield covers.
• And more!

Wrapping Up

With a legacy of quality, affordability and environmentally friendly manufacturing practices, Sattler Marine Grade is a material you can feel confident choosing for your marine and outdoor fabric needs. Outstanding strength and longevity make Sattler Marine Grade a dependable, easy-care material that you will be able to use and enjoy for years to come.

Shop Sattler Marine Grade Fabric

We hope this blog answered all your questions about why Sattler Marine Grade should be a top choice for your outdoor projects. If you still have questions, put them in the comments below and we’ll answer them. You can also reach out to our customer service team by phone, email or the chat function on our website.

And if you want to learn more about Sattler Group’s upholstery fabric brand, Outdura, click here or search #300694XHT on Sailrite.com to read all about this indoor/outdoor performance fabric.