The Best Couch Material for Dogs — Experts Share the Fabrics That Can Handle Paws and Claws

If you share your couch with a pet, knowing the best material means your seating stays looking good for longer.

Choosing the best sofa should always be done with aesthetic factors as well as your lifestyle in mind. When that life includes a dog, opting for upholstery such as leather or what are known as performance fabrics can spare you regret since they resist the wear and troublesome cleaning that can come with having a canine in the house.

To make choosing sofa material easier when you’re sharing with a pooch, we asked interiors experts for their advice on the best couch fabrics for dogs and these are their top picks — and, more importantly, the fabrics you should avoid.

The Top 3 Couch Materials for Dogs

Low-maintenance couch materials are your best bet when you're choosing a new seat to share with your canine companion, or when you're reupholstering a sofa. These are the materials that will stay looking good despite hair, dirt, and drool.

1. Leather

Leather sofas are a favorite, so you may be delighted to find out it’s also a top upholstery fabric for homes with dogs.

“Leather is an excellent choice for homes with pets,” agrees Los Angeles-based interior designer Dre Shapiro of Dre Design. “Its timeless look is paired with durability, making it ideal for withstanding the wear and tear of even large dogs.

“For dog owners, the more rugged and thick the leather, the better,” she says. “However, I advise against buttery soft or light-colored leathers, which can be more susceptible to damage.”

Christiane Lemieux, designer and founder of modern luxury brand Lemieux et Cie, particularly recommends distressed leather for homes with dogs. “Distressed leather is known for its ability to develop a patina over time, so minor scuffs or scratches from your dog’s claws often enhance the material’s character rather than detract from its look,” she says.

However, she recommends paying attention to a pooch’s nails. “While distressed leather is forgiving, deep or sharp scratches from your dog's claws can cause damage over time,” she says. “It’s advisable to keep your dog's nails trimmed to minimize this risk.”

Cleaning a leather sofa is easy, too. “Leather is easy to wipe down, which is perfect for cleaning up pet hair, dirt, and spills. Unlike fabric, leather doesn't trap pet hair or odors, making it relatively low maintenance,” says Christiane.

2. Performance fabrics

What are known as "performance fabrics" are a top pick for interior pros when designing for homes with a canine on the couch.

“Performance fabrics for years just felt so bulletproof that we weren’t comfortable using that category for interior upholstery,” says Mark Williams and Niki Papadopoulos of Williams Papadopoulos Design. “But textile engineering has come so far in the last decade, and there are many performance fabric options that look and feel just as good as their higher-end "interior only" counterparts.

“Typically performance fabrics are constructed of synthetic fiber as opposed to natural fiber,” they explain. “Specifically, fabrics made from 100 percent solution-dyed synthetic yarns tend to hold up to cleaning far better than products that are constructed from skein-dyed yarns, or piece dyed at the end of the production process.”

Janelle Patton, lead designer at Dallas-based Lark Interiors, agrees. “For dog lovers, solution-dyed acrylic (popular brand names include Sunbrella (available at Wayfair) and Revolution Fabrics) is our favorite sofa fabric. It comes in a wide variety of textures and colors, and — wait for it — it’s bleach-cleanable in every shade!”

Colleen Bennett of CBB Designs also recommends making life easy when there’s a four-legged companion on the sofa. “The best materials for dogs are bleach-cleanable fabrics that are solution-dyed acrylic, olefin, or UV polyester,” she adds.

3. Microfiber

You can also consider microfiber, which is a synthetic material, as a couch material for dogs. “Microfiber is an excellent choice for pet owners,” says Christiane Lemieux. “It’s tightly woven, making it resistant to scratching from claws.

It's also easy to clean a microfiber couch as the fabric is machine washable and highly durable. “Microfiber’s tight weave makes it difficult for pet hair to cling to the fabric, and it’s easy to wipe down or vacuum,” Christiane adds.

FAQs

Which couch materials to avoid if you have dogs?

There are some favorite couch materials that aren’t great choices if you have dogs.

“We absolutely avoid cottons and linen sofas for people with pets, as both of those materials are considerably more absorbent than many of their synthetic counterparts,” says Mark Williams and Niki Papadopoulos.

Two others you might like but that are bad for dogs are velvet sofas and silk-upholstered designs. “Velvet is luxurious but delicate,” says Christiane Lemieux. “It can be easily damaged by claws, as its fibers tend to crush and wear down over time. Velvet also shows marks easily, including scratches and spills, and it can be challenging to clean.”

As for silk, it is delicate and prone to staining, she says. “Even minor scratches or rough use can ruin its texture, and it doesn’t hold up well to moisture or heavy cleaning. It’s not durable enough for a household with pets, especially dogs.”

What are the best couches to avoid dog hair?

If you don’t want to be fighting a losing battle with dog hair, velvet should equally be avoided for this reason, and there are others to eschew for easier cleanup. “As much as we love them, velvet and mohair both seem to grab onto pet hair like a lint brush,” says Mark Williams and Niki Papadopoulos.

Swerve chenille, too, advises Christiane Lemieux. “Chenille has a soft and textured surface, which can easily trap dog hair. Hair can get embedded in the fabric, requiring more effort to remove,” she explains.

Give wool upholstery a miss as well. “Though durable, it can easily trap dog hair due to its natural texture,” Christiane says. “The fibers tend to cling to hair and dander, making regular maintenance harder.”