What Weight Does Micro Suede Upholstery Fabric Come In?

Identification

• Microsuede is a type of microfiber fabric made from a polyester blend fiber. The name microsuede comes from the smooth finish of the fabric, similar to the feel of suede. Microsuede fabric is lightweight, but has a tight weave that gives it a strong and durable texture that wears well as an upholstery fabric.

Measurement

• Fiber is measured using a denier calculation, which denotes the gram weight of a 9,000-meter-length of the fiber strand. The denier value helps you determine whether the fabric is lightweight, medium-weight or heavyweight. The strength of a fabric does not relate back to the denier value since a lightweight fabric might have a strong and durable texture, or might be loose and flimsy.

Fiber Weight

• All microfiber fibers, including microsuede fibers, weigh less than one denier. According to Ohio State University Extension, many of the microfiber classified fibers have a weight of 0.5 to 0.6 denier, which is a good estimate for microsuede upholstery fabric. The actual weight of the microsuede fibers used for upholstery will vary for each manufacturer, but must be less than one denier to qualify as a microsuede. A high denier weight means the fiber has a thicker diameter or contains more filaments in each strand.

Fabric Weight

• Multiple filament strands of fiber are often twisted together to make a thicker fiber for use in fabrics or yarn. A microsuede fabric might have a denier value of more than one if more than one filament strands are used to make the thread. For example, a microsuede with a denier of 15 may include 30 filament strands that made the thread used to weave the upholstery fabric.