Washable denim slipcovers :)

Husband vetoed all slipcovers..... No slipcovers. He just doesn't like the way they look. Thanks for answering though!!!

FWIW I'm more flexible but tend to be attracted to velvety things and chenille type feels....

Are your pets dogs or cats (or both)? Heavy shedders or not?

I do open posts... note, it is hard to tell if there is an image or not until the post in question is open....

Leather and cats: My cats are not de-clawed and thus are deadly on leather. I do recall a post a year or so ago from another person still active here who has cats and leather, and apparently at that point had no issues. Hopefully she will respond. From my dog friends, leather is great and easy to clean.

For fabric, I think thickness matters in either case. With cats, I've had the best luck with the most tightly woven fabric as possible. I did get extra fabric, and kept my sofa/couch covered with the extra while home alone/with the pets, and I remove it when I have company. (This varies with drop-ins, and formal visitations.) The suggestion for washables above is excellent.

I do maintain cat clawing posts that are made of sisal, not out of the fabric my furniture may be finished with. My cats are thus trained to go for sisal first, MY fabric (hopefully always) later.

I think this is one of the best buys on the internet with Sunbrella fabric in Vellum.

I have the Sunbrella book in my car and this particular fabric is very attractive with a good hand. Not solid yellow, there is a brown undertone…very flexible color.

Thanks! I have 2 poodles, no cats. The poodles don't shed, but one of them likes to "bury" her treats or toys in an odd corner now and then, so she does simulate "digging" which I'm sure could harm some fabrics. I do like that sofa JudyG! Thank you.

Is a polyester better than a natural fabric for durability?

My dog also does some digging and has made a mess out of our leather sofa. I find Ultrasuede to be the most forgiving and sturdy but soft fabric. Check out American Leather -- which does carry fabrics other than leather, including Ultrasuede. I have 3 sofas from them!

Dogs and kids mean either slipcovers, leather or Sunbrella upholstery for me. My doberman loves one of my red velvet chairs (that was holding up well pre-dog) but after only 3 years, it is stained from his coat oils against the back so I would't recommend velvet either.

I am not sure of your price point but Pottery Barn and Ballard Design both carry Sunbrella now in their upholstery lines. Pottery Barn doesn't have a basic collection (more textured) but Ballard Design even has the ability to customize fronts, backs and piping with different fabrics and let you see it on the screen. However, these are probably 7-10 year sofas at most in terms of quality.

Also there are so many designers with their own line of Sunbrella fabrics that it is hard to choose. I think I googled designer fabric and Sunbrella to start finding them. Some sofa companies allow you to send in your fabric (Ballard again is one).

Crypton is a pet-friendly fabric.

ive been looking at Lee Industries pieces and the Crypton fabrics aren't especially expensive! They are probably middle-of-the-pack when it comes to the fabric codes.

I was also going to suggest Crypton. We have had a white sectional for about four months now covered in Crypton. So far everything has come out--we have two kids.

I'm not sure if you're seeking fabric for your own work or for a furniture purchase, but I like modern-fabrics (fabric store out of NC I think) and they sell a lot of commercial remnants (some very large pieces too) and the site lists the "rub" tests run on the fabric for durability. They will also send swatches. So these are fabrics used on waiting room furniture, commercial applications and some are very sturdy.

I would add that prints, even subtle ones, will hide dirt and spots until you get a chance to clean.

Weave- tighter is more durable. Thicker is more durable than thinner. Prints/ patterns hide wear and tear. Spot clean is helpful.

We are a family of 7 with 5 dogs. We bought a huge custom sofa 2 years ago with thick greige color chenille. It is on the lighter side, but not too light. It has a high-low appearance to it, and it is not a truly solid color. If you look closely, it has small lighter-colored flecks, and that subtle multi-color effect helps dog hair not show. So far it is wearing like iron, and it is very soft. It gets hard teenager, sleepover, and family/dog use every single day. Spills and dog hair don't stick and I know stains will come right out. This is just my experience.