Fabric Sofa Beds or Velvet Sofa Beds? How to Decide

Choose a woven fabric sofa bed if you want something forgiving, breathable and easy to live with day to day. Choose velvet if you want depth of colour, a soft hand feel and a more tailored look, and you are happy to brush the pile now and then. Both make comfortable sofa beds. The decision comes down to how the room is used, who uses it and how much visual drama you want.

Strictly speaking, velvet is a fabric too. In furniture terms, though, "fabric" usually means flat or textured woven upholstery such as linen blends, chenille, tweed effect weaves and hardwearing polyester, while velvet refers to cloth with a short, dense pile. Our collection of modern sofa beds UK includes both, so it helps to understand how each behaves before you compare designs.

How Woven Fabric and Velvet Differ

Woven upholstery is made by interlacing threads into a flat or textured surface. The look can range from smooth and plain to nubbly and rustic, depending on the yarn and the weave. Light hits it evenly, so colour appears consistent from every angle.

Velvet has thousands of short fibres standing upright from a backing cloth. Those fibres catch light differently depending on the direction you look from, which is why velvet seems to shimmer and why colours look richer. Brushing the pile one way makes it lighter; the other way makes it darker. That quality is part of its appeal and also part of its character, since sitting, lying and folding the cushions will move the pile.

The same frame can look entirely different in each. Comparing a single design across our sofas UK sale range in a woven cover and then in velvet is a quick way to see how much the material changes the mood.

Comfort When Sitting and Sleeping

For sitting, both are comfortable. Velvet feels soft and slightly warm to the touch, which many people enjoy on winter evenings. Woven fabric tends to feel cooler and more matte, with texture that depends on the weave.

For sleeping, there is a practical difference. On a sofa bed where the upholstery forms part of the sleeping surface, such as a click clack, guests will lie directly on the cover or a sheet laid over it. Woven fabrics generally hold a fitted sheet in place better, while smooth velvet can allow sheets to slide a little. On a pull out sofa bed with a separate mattress, this matters far less because the guest sleeps on the mattress rather than the upholstery.

Breathability is worth thinking about in warmer bedrooms or south facing rooms. Natural fibre blends and open weaves tend to feel less warm overnight than dense pile.

Durability and Everyday Wear

Both fabric types can be hardwearing. The quality of the cloth matters more than the category. A tightly woven polyester or a performance velvet can cope with family life, while a loose, slubby weave or a delicate silk velvet will need more care.

The way they age differs. Woven fabrics can pill over time, particularly where arms and seat edges rub. A fabric shaver removes pilling quickly. Velvet does not pill in the same way, but the pile can flatten or "bruise" where people sit most often, creating patches that look lighter or darker. This is natural and can often be eased with gentle steaming and brushing, but it is worth knowing about before you choose.

Sofa beds are converted regularly, which means cushions are moved and seat sections folded. Velvet can show creases at fold lines for a while after opening. Woven fabric tends to hide this more easily.

Stains, Spills and Cleaning

For households with young children or pets, cleaning is often the deciding factor. Many modern velvets are made from polyester and have a stain resistant finish, which means spills can bead on the surface if blotted quickly. Woven fabrics with a tight weave and a mid tone colour are also forgiving, since they hide light marks well.

Removable, washable covers are more common on woven fabric sofa beds than on velvet ones. If your sofa bed is going to see heavy use, check the care label carefully before deciding, and look for covers that can be cleaned at home rather than only by a professional.

Basic care for each

• Woven fabric: vacuum with a soft brush attachment, blot spills immediately, and use a fabric shaver for any pilling.
• Velvet: brush gently in the direction of the pile, blot rather than rub spills, and use a handheld steamer at a distance to lift flattened areas.
• Both: keep out of strong direct sunlight where possible, and rotate seat cushions if the design allows.

Pets and Velvet

Velvet has an interesting relationship with pets. Because there are no loose loops in the surface, claws are less likely to snag it than they would on an open weave or a bouclé. On the other hand, the dense pile can hold onto hair, and some velvets show paw marks until they are brushed. A lint roller kept nearby takes care of most of it.

Woven fabrics vary a great deal. Tight, flat weaves resist claws well. Looped or textured weaves can catch, so check the surface closely if you have a cat that likes to knead.

How Each Looks in a Room

Velvet brings a sense of occasion. It suits deeper colours such as bottle green, navy, ochre and plum, and pairs well with brass, smoked glass and dark wood. In a smaller living room or a guest room, a velvet sofa bed can become the main decorative statement, which means you need fewer accessories around it.

Woven fabric is calmer and more versatile. It sits naturally in Scandinavian, rustic and contemporary schemes and shows off texture in a quieter way. If you like to change cushions and throws often, a neutral woven sofa bed gives you a steady base that will not compete with new accessories.

Matching the Material to the Room

Consider where the sofa bed will live. In a busy family living room, a woven fabric in a mid tone often makes more sense: it handles daily use, hides marks and can be paired with a washable throw. In a home office or spare room that doubles as a guest room, velvet works well because it will see lighter, gentler use and can add warmth to a space that might otherwise feel functional.

Light plays a part too. Velvet looks richest where light falls across it from the side, such as near a window. In a dim room, a pale velvet can look flat, while a deeper colour still glows. Woven fabric looks more consistent in any light.

If you like the idea of both, one approach is to choose a woven sofa bed and bring velvet in elsewhere. A pair of velvet cushions, or a velvet footstool in front of the sofa, adds a touch of softness without committing the whole frame. Our footstools UK collection includes velvet designs that sit well beside fabric sofas, and a footstool can be moved aside quickly when the bed is opened. For a matching look across a room, our modern fabric sofas UK range lets you pair a sofa bed with a standard sofa in the same family.

Questions to Ask Before You Decide

A short list of questions usually settles the choice:

• How often will the sofa bed be slept on, and by whom?
• Are there young children or pets in the home?
• Does the room get strong sunlight that could fade a deep colour?
• Do you want the sofa to be the focal point, or a quiet backdrop?
• Would a removable cover make life easier?

If most of your answers lean towards practicality and frequent use, woven fabric is likely to suit you. If they lean towards comfort, colour and occasional use, velvet is a lovely choice. Families weighing up materials may find our guide to choosing a sofa for a UK home with young children helpful, since it covers the finishes that cope best with sticky fingers and spilt drinks.

Our View

There is no single right answer, which is why we offer both materials across our sofa beds. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, so you can focus on choosing the colour and texture that suit the way you live. Explore more ideas for every room at Furniture in Fashion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is velvet a good choice for a sofa bed used every night?

It can be, particularly on a pull out design where the guest sleeps on a separate mattress. On a click clack, where the upholstery is the sleeping surface, woven fabric tends to hold sheets better.

Does velvet fade in sunlight?

Deeper velvet colours can fade if exposed to strong direct sun over a long period. Positioning the sofa away from a bright window, or using blinds at the sunniest times, helps protect it.

Which is easier to clean, fabric or velvet?

Both can be easy to clean if they have a stain resistant finish. Woven fabric sofa beds are more likely to come with removable covers, which makes deep cleaning simpler.

Will a velvet sofa bed crease when opened?

The pile may show light marks where cushions fold. These usually relax with time, and gentle brushing or steaming restores the surface.