Choose velvet if you want a soft, warm, tactile bed with rich colour and you are happy to give it a little regular care. Choose faux leather if you need a surface that wipes clean in seconds, copes well with spills and suits a sleek, tailored bedroom. Neither is better in absolute terms. The right choice depends on who uses the bed, how you use it, and the atmosphere you want the room to have.
Both finishes appear throughout our range of modern TV beds UK sale, and they pair with different pieces across our modern bedroom furniture UK collection. Here is how they compare in the ways that matter day to day.
On an ordinary bed, the headboard is something you lean against for a few minutes before sleep. On a TV bed, you are likely to sit up against it for longer, watching a film or catching up on a series. That makes the feel of the upholstery more important than usual. The footboard is also larger and more visible, because it houses the television lift, so the material shapes how the whole bed looks from across the room.
Velvet has a short, dense pile that feels soft and warm to the touch. Leaning against a velvet headboard is comfortable from the first evening, and the fabric does not feel cold in winter. It has a slightly cocooning quality that many people associate with hotel bedrooms.
Faux leather feels smooth and firm. It can feel cool when you first sit against it, especially in colder months, though it warms quickly with body heat. In summer, some people find it less breathable than fabric if they lean against it for long periods with bare skin. A cushion or two against the headboard solves this easily.
This is where the two materials differ most clearly.
Faux leather is very forgiving. A cup of tea knocked onto the footboard can be wiped away with a soft damp cloth, and most marks lift with a little mild soapy water. That makes it popular in homes with young children and for anyone who likes a drink or a snack while watching television in bed.
Velvet needs a gentler approach. Spills should be blotted immediately with a clean dry cloth rather than rubbed, which can flatten the pile. Many modern velvets are made from polyester and are more resistant to marks than traditional cotton velvets, but they still benefit from prompt attention. Always follow the care guidance for the specific fabric.
Households with small children often lean towards faux leather because sticky fingers and felt tip pens are easier to clean from a smooth surface. That said, faux leather can be scratched by sharp objects, toys with hard edges or pets’ claws, and those marks are harder to disguise.
Velvet hides small scuffs better because the pile disguises minor marks, but it attracts pet hair and fluff, which can show clearly on darker colours. A lint roller or a soft brush attachment on the vacuum keeps it tidy. Cats in particular may be tempted to knead a velvet headboard, so consider the habits of your own animals.
For a teenager’s room or a child’s bedroom, the same thinking applies at a smaller scale: a hard wearing finish in a mid tone will hide everyday wear far better than a pale, delicate one.
Velvet changes subtly over time. The pile can shift where you regularly lean, creating gentle shading known as crushing or bruising. Some people enjoy this lived in quality, while others prefer to brush the pile occasionally to keep it even.
Faux leather keeps its appearance well when cared for, but quality varies. Over many years, lower grade faux leathers can crack or peel, particularly if they are placed in direct sun or near a radiator. Keeping the surface clean and away from strong heat helps it last.
Whichever material you choose, avoid positioning the bed so that strong sunlight falls on it every afternoon. Both velvet and faux leather can fade with prolonged exposure.
Velvet absorbs and reflects light at the same time, which gives colour remarkable depth. Deep greens, navy, plum, mink and charcoal look especially rich. It suits Chesterfield buttoning, scalloped headboards and curved frames, and it works well in bedrooms that lean towards a layered, comfortable style with plenty of cushions and throws.
Faux leather has a cleaner, more architectural feel. Black, white, grey and stone shades give a contemporary, tailored result. It sits naturally beside high gloss furniture, mirrored surfaces and chrome or brushed steel details, and it suits bedrooms with a calm, uncluttered approach.
If you are still exploring, it can help to browse by material across all bed styles. Our ranges of modern fabric beds UK sale and leather beds UK show how each finish behaves across different frame shapes.
Whichever material you prefer, look closely at how the bed is upholstered. The finish on a TV bed is stretched across a larger footboard than usual, and the quality of that work shows.
Seams should run straight and sit flat, with no puckering at corners. On faux leather, panels should be taut without wrinkles, because creases in a smooth surface are very visible. On velvet, check that the pile runs in the same direction across neighbouring panels. If it does not, the panels will look like slightly different shades under lamp light.
Buttoned designs are popular in both finishes. Buttons should be evenly spaced and firmly secured. Velvet shows deep buttoning with soft shadows, while faux leather gives crisper, more defined folds. Decorative stitching tends to stand out more on faux leather, which suits a tailored look.
Look at the edge of the opening where the television rises. A neat, well finished edge protects the upholstery from rubbing as the screen moves, and it is a good indicator of overall build quality.
Velvet rewards bold or deep colours, because the pile gives them a living, shifting quality. Emerald, teal, plum and ink blue all work beautifully, as do softer mink and blush tones. Faux leather tends to look its best in classic shades: black, white, cream, grey and stone. Brighter faux leather colours exist, but they can look less refined in a bedroom than in a playroom or snug.
British bedrooms vary widely, from warm top floor flats to chilly rooms in older houses with solid walls. In a cooler room, velvet adds visual and physical warmth. In a room that tends to overheat, faux leather can feel less stuffy because it does not trap warmth in the same way, although it is less breathable against skin.
If the bed sits close to a radiator, leave a small gap. Direct heat is not kind to either material over time.
Faux leather does not hold dust in the same way as fabric, so a quick wipe removes most of it. Velvet can collect dust in its pile, which some allergy sufferers notice. Regular vacuuming with an upholstery brush keeps velvet fresh. If anyone in the household has a dust sensitivity, faux leather may be the easier option to maintain.
The material you choose influences other decisions. Velvet beds pair well with wooden bedside cabinets, brass lighting and textured rugs. Faux leather beds suit gloss or mirrored furniture, metal lamps and simpler rugs. Mixing is entirely possible, but keeping one material as the lead and the other as an accent tends to look more considered.
For a sense of where bedroom styling is heading, including the move towards softer textures, our article on bedroom furniture trends UK interior designers are embracing is a useful read. If you are furnishing a younger person’s room as well, our guide to upholstered single beds for UK children and teenagers covers fabric choices for younger users in more detail.
Once you know which material suits your routine, colour and frame shape become much easier choices. You can compare both finishes across the full bed range at Furniture in Fashion.
Not if you deal with spills promptly by blotting and vacuum the pile occasionally. Many modern polyester velvets are more resistant to marks than older cotton velvets.
Lower quality faux leather can crack over time, particularly near heat or in strong sunlight. Keeping it clean and away from radiators helps it last.
Velvet hides small scuffs but attracts hair. Faux leather sheds hair easily but can show claw marks. Consider how your pets behave around furniture.
Velvet feels warmer to the touch, which suits cooler bedrooms. Faux leather can feel cool at first but warms quickly.
Lamps frame the bed, add warmth and shape the mood of a bedroom after dark,…
Ottoman TV beds and Chesterfield TV beds answer different questions. An ottoman TV bed is…
Ex council flats are often well built, with solid walls, sensible room shapes and generous…
A rug can transform a bedroom, softening hard floors, adding warmth and framing the bed…
In a studio flat the bed is always on show, so where you place it…
Country cottages are full of character, but they are rarely generous with storage, and their…
This website uses cookies.