What Is a Performance Fabric?

Performance fabrics are meant for both indoor and outdoor upholstery applications — this includes everything from patio cushions to interior throw pillows. They’re even suitable for your boat, car or RV! Because performance fabrics are so durable, they’ll retain their shape and color no matter what you throw at them. These fabrics take on messy hands and dirty paws without breaking a sweat; most messes clean up with soapy water and a soft brush.

All of the performance fabrics Sailrite® carries share the same basic features:

• Solution-dyed synthetic fibers for higher color saturation.
• UV resistance to prevent fading.
• Water, mold and mildew resistance.
• High abrasion resistance for increased toughness.
• Easy cleanability and stain resistance.

You can browse our collection of popular performance fabrics here.

Below, we’ll go into more detail about these criteria, how they affect performance, and how the brands we carry live up to our exacting standards.

Fabric Construction

Performance starts with the fibers' weave. Our performance fabrics are made from synthetic materials that give the fabrics their key features. Since the materials are man-made, they are manufactured to be more durable and easier to care for than natural fibers like cotton or wool. Sunbrella® and Outdura® upholstery fabrics are all 100% acrylic, a popular choice for fabric because of its durability and surprising softness. SunRite™ fabrics are made from polyolefin fibers, which are engineered for peak performance without sacrificing softness or style. 

Performance fabrics deliver unbeatable results without sacrificing style.

All of these fabric manufacturers solution-dye their fabrics. This unique dyeing process means that the color penetrates the fiber's core rather than being applied to the top layer. Solution dyeing offers several benefits over traditional dyeing methods, most important being more vibrant and vivid colors in both single-color wovens and jacquard patterns. These patterns are woven into the material itself rather than being printed on top so the pattern won’t fade or rub off, extending the life of the fabric. Because the color penetrates into the core of the fiber itself, solution-dyed fabrics are colorfast and incredibly UV resistant.

With solution-dyed fabrics, the color penetrates to the core of each yarn in the fabric weave, unlike surface-dyed fabrics.

UV Resistance

The most common measure of UV or sun resistance is the number of hours it takes a fabric to fade. While solution-dyed fabrics have an inherent degree of UV resistance because the dye is saturated to the core of the fiber, which means color will naturally take longer to fade, fabrics can also be treated to withstand UV rays by using UV-stable pigments. Sailrite considers fabrics with a UV fade rating of up to 1,500 hours to be highly UV resistant. With a rating of 1,500 light hours, Sunbrella, Outdura and SunRite fabrics are all highly UV resistant. 

Water, Mold & Mildew Resistance

Acrylic is naturally hydrophobic, meaning it doesn’t absorb much water. For this reason, Sunbrella and Outdura fabrics are inherently water resistant. SunRite's polyolefin fibers are also inherently water-resistant. Both kinds of water resistance — fiber-based and coating-based — can be re-treated with topical products, such as 303® Fabric Guard (#481100).

Sunbrella upholstery fabrics are highly water resistant.

Water resistance contributes to a fabric’s mold and mildew resistance. For Sunbrella and Outdura, water resistance combines with the fabric’s breathability to increase the material’s resistance to mold and mildew growth. As a polyolefin fabric, SunRite is antimicrobial, further decreasing the likelihood of these fabrics developing mold or mildew.

Abrasion Resistance & Durability

When choosing a fabric for an upholstery application, you need to consider how the fabric will hold up to life’s daily wear and tear: being sat on, napped on, walked on. A fabric’s durability is measured in what’s known as “double rubs.” All the performance fabrics we carry at Sailrite have medium- and heavy-duty ratings. High abrasion resistance (30,000+ double rubs) means your fabric will take longer to wear and fray, making it suitable for high-traffic areas.

Sunbrella and SunRite manufacture their synthetic fibers to resist pilling, so these fabrics are more likely to withstand wear and tear than other upholstery fabrics. Sunbrella’s upholstery fabrics start at 15,000+ double rubs (cotton) and range as high as 50,000+ double rubs (cotton). Outdura fabrics range from 30,000 to 60,000 double rubs (cotton). SunRite fabrics range from 70,000 to 100,000 double rubs (cotton). 

If you're interested in learning more about fabric abrasion tests, read our blog "What Is a Fabric Wear Rating?".

Cleanability

Messes happen. Dirt, spills and more (we’re looking at you, four-legged friends) are a fact of life. One of the great things about performance fabrics is that most messes are easily cleanable with mild soap and water. And because the fibers are solution-dyed, you can use a bleach and water solution for tougher stains without damaging the fabric or bleaching the color away.

Spilled tea has nothing on a performance fabric; it cleans up with a towel and mild soap!

Final Thoughts

Life’s toughest, messiest moments — rain or shine, inside or outside — have nothing on these tough fabrics. No matter where you intend to use it, you can rely on a performance fabric to, well, perform. The best part about performance fabrics? Their excellent durability means you won’t have to replace them as often, making them a more environmentally friendly choice for your upholstery projects — and a money-saver for you in the long run. Sunbrella’s upholstery fabrics are GREENGUARD® Gold Certified, meaning they don’t emit any toxins or carcinogens into the air so they’re perfectly safe to use in your home. 

Ready to put some performance fabrics to the test? Shop our performance fabrics here.

If you still aren't sure what performance fabric you need, the project specialists at Sailrite are here to help — just give us a call, shoot us an email or send us an online chat. And don’t forget to show us what you’re making! Tag us on social media using #Sailrite to share all your DIYs with us.