Should you get a slipcover? It depends on how important your couch is to you and how much budget you have. I am addressing the topic of the best slipcovers because of this question from one of my readers:
Hi Marina, I have two lovely, well-constructed sofas which are screaming, “make me pretty” as the fabric while in excellent condition is a dated floral sage green and soft muted pink with an eggshell colored background. I have been hearing and reading good things about SureFit.com which offers slipcovers in a variety of colors, fabrics, and styles. My adorable pet takes precedence; thus, a good quality, durable fabric choice is vital to me. I am enclosing a screened porch to a sunroom so I also need to consider fade factor. The windows are from a reputable company, Champion Windows, and Doors. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!” Deborah
I think slipcovers are great, so why not? Slipcovers can give you a second chance to decorate a room. I understand the “make me pretty” dilemma. I have an old sofa, all scratched up by Lucy, my Wheaten Terrier. To me, it is the best thing in the world but I realize that a nice slipcover could make it look much better. It is so comfortable! Unfortunately, its shape does not work with a standard slipcover. If your sofa has a regular shape you definitely should consider slipcovers.
There are many reasons for using a slipcover. For example, if you inherited Aunt Millie’s nice red and green sofa and but it clashes with everything else in the room. Or you get sick of the same look all year long and crave fresh and crisp neutrals for spring and summer.
Also, slipcovers allow you to add interesting details, such as welt or stylish buttons. Before you know it, your tired couch is turned into a glamorous statement piece! Here are some key things to consider when picking the right slipcover for your couch:
Durable Slipcovers. What Does it Mean?
It is important to consider a slipcover’s durability as well as the ability to withstand sun exposure. Sure Fit is one of my top “go to” slipcover companies. They offer great quality for the price range. Also, they provide a variety of fabrics and styles.
Fading or lightfastness, as they say in my industry, is always a concern. There are not many indoor fabrics that provide sun protection, but good windows that filter UV rays can help.
To answer Deborah’s questions, unfortunately, Sure Fit doesn’t have fabrics that are fade resistant. Also, Sure Fit only provides ready-made products, so there is no option for custom orders. Selecting a lighter color for the slipcover fabric will make color fading less obvious.
Sunbrella fabric comes to mind for its anti-fading and stain resistant qualities. If your budget allows for it, check out a local slipcover specialized workroom and ask them if they can make a custom order using Sunbrella fabric.
I created a special chart for you (see below) to help you understand Sunbrella features:
Best Slipcovers Made with Customer Own Material (COM)
If you want to save on the cost of custom-made slipcovers, consider bringing your own fabric to a workroom. This would be called Customer Own Material (COM). I often buy fabric from the discounted sources, such Modern Fabrics, who have large quantities of remnants from fabric manufacturers. You can browse their site and find Sunbrella fabrics at a fraction of the retail price. Here is a screenshot of their information from Modern Fabrics site:
Here are some other companies that make custom slipcovers with COM: @slipcovers, CushionRenu, The Cover Story, Ballard Designs, and Cisco
Best Slipcovers if You Have Pets
Comfort Works recommends Kino fabric for lovely four-legged friends by your side on the sofa. Here is a sample of one fabric below:
This is what they say about the Kino fabric:
We’d recommend Kino for cats, as they love to scratch – the KINO line is a commercial upholstery fabric, it’s super tight with an abrasion rating of more than 50,000 rubs. More suitable than the natural fabrics because of this. Also, we’ve been told by our customers that our Kino fabrics (especially the Kino Charcoal) are quite resistant to pet hair, so there’s a bonus ?
We also heard from a happy customer that Comfort Works’ Rouge velvet is cat-proof as well since cats do not like the smooth feeling of the velvet.
Slipcovers for IKEA, Pottery Barn and Muji Couches
Comfort Works is a global online company that specializes in quality slipcovers for sofas and chairs from popular brands, such as IKEA, Pottery Barn or Muji. They make the best slipcovers for popular couch brands and specialize in custom sofa slipcovers as well. They offer a vast variety of colors and textures, from cotton to heavy duty. Most of their fabrics are machine washable.
Bemz is a design company specializing in custom covers for IKEA sofas. They are focused on sustainability and use innovative fabrics for the slipcovers. I checked out their fabrics, and they are beautiful! There is also a style guide, which means that you can choose different details for your preferred look. For example, for Bohemian Chic lovers the company offers various prints. But if you like Scandinavian Country style, go for a more traditional look.
Slipcover Shop is a local custom slipcover company in Brooklyn, New York. They have a huge selection of fabrics, clear pricing system, and many options.
Ikea has the best variety of slipcovers. If you decorate them with chic tape or add trim, they can be charming. Grosgrain ribbons and buttons give them that fashionable feel but on a friendlier budget.
Bottom line, use ready-made slipcovers, such as Sure Fit if you are on a strict budget. Be careful about the sunlight and choose fabrics carefully, the lighter the fabric, the less chance for it show fading. If budget allows, consider custom slipcovers made with Sunbrella-type fabric for indoor/outdoor use. The best slipcovers for pets are made of materials with a tight weave.
I hope this helps. If you find this post interesting or useful, please share it with your friends and they will love you for that.
Please post your questions here below. I’ll be happy to help you!
