Bar Stool Upholstery Guide: Vegan Leather, Velvet or Bouclé?

Velvet suits a softer, richer look and hides wear in dark colors; bouclé suits a warm, textured, Scandinavian look and kitchens used a little more gently.

The table compares the three fabrics we use. All are upholstered by hand over cold-cure foam at 3.4 lb/ft³ on a beech plywood core, so the difference between them is feel, look and care, not comfort.

Our vegan leather is rated for 300,000 Martindale rubs, in our experience far beyond what a kitchen stool will see, and its surface is treated to resist stains, so spills and fingerprints wipe off with a damp cloth. It also meets EN 1021-1 and EN 1021-2, the European ignitability tests for upholstered seating (cigarette and match); our page on bar stool testing and standards explains each one.

It comes in jade black, latte, coffee bean and sand, and suits both black steel and oak frames. Jade black is a classic choice for a family island; latte and coffee bean bring warmth to a black frame. Unlike animal leather, it does not need conditioning.

Our velvet has a dense short pile, is rated for 130,000 Martindale rubs and has a water-repellent finish, so spills bead on the surface and can be blotted before they soak in. It is also certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100.

Velvet changes subtly with the light and the direction of the pile, which gives it depth, and a jade black or taupe velvet hides everyday wear well. Brush it occasionally with a soft brush or the upholstery nozzle of a vacuum to keep the pile even. See velvet bar stools for more.

Its looped yarn is rated for 50,000 Martindale rubs, well above the 30,000 we treat as the threshold for heavy use, is OEKO-TEX certified and has been tested for resistance to pet claws under BS 8479. What bouclé needs is blotting rather than rubbing, and a vacuum now and then.

It is the warmest fabric to touch and the most textured to look at, which is why it tends to suit Scandinavian and natural kitchens. Ivory bouclé looks beautiful but shows marks sooner; greige and black are more forgiving. See bouclé bar stools for more.

As a rule of thumb, we treat 15,000 to 25,000 rubs as enough for normal domestic seating, and 30,000 or more as the threshold for heavy use and contract seating, such as cafés and hotels.

Our three fabrics are rated at 50,000 for bouclé, 130,000 for velvet and 300,000 for vegan leather, so all three are comfortably above that 30,000 threshold. Martindale measures abrasion only; stains, sunlight and cleaning matter too, which is why choice of color is just as important. Our guide to whether expensive bar stools are worth it covers the other quality checks.

With pets, bouclé tested for claw resistance and a dark velvet both usually work well, though no fabric is fully claw-proof; avoid pale colors in both cases. Whatever you choose, a darker shade forgives far more than a light one.

On Freja and Svea the cushion is fixed with two screws and can be replaced, which is worth knowing in a family kitchen: a seat that has been through too much can be renewed without replacing the stool. Our guide to cleaning bar stools has the right method for each fabric.

Colors on a screen are never quite right, and upholstery changes with the light more than most materials in the room.

As a rule, repeat a color already in the kitchen: ivory or latte with white marble, jade black with black fittings, coffee bean or taupe with warm oak. Our fabric samples are free, and they are the surest way to avoid choosing a color you will not love. See how to choose bar stools for the other decisions.