The Martindale test, ISO 12947-2, rubs a fabric specimen against a standard abradant in a continuous figure-of-eight motion, and counts the cycles until a defined end point — typically the breaking of two threads, or a stated change in appearance. A result of 50,000 means the specimen reached that end point at 50,000 rubs.
What the number is genuinely useful for
It is a comparative measure of abrasion resistance, and it maps reasonably well onto how heavily a seat will be used. Broadly, and with every caveat about interpretation between laboratories:
| Indicative range | Commonly associated with |
|---|---|
| 15,000–20,000 | Light domestic use, decorative upholstery |
| 25,000–30,000 | General domestic upholstery |
| 40,000+ | Heavy domestic and light commercial |
| 50,000+ | Commercial and contract seating |
The four things it does not tell you
- It says nothing about UV. A fabric can survive 50,000 rubs and fade badly in one Mediterranean summer. Light fastness is a different test entirely.
- It says nothing about water, rain or drying behaviour.
- It says nothing about mildew resistance.
- It says nothing about general outdoor suitability. Abrasion is one axis of a specification, not a summary of it.
This is precisely why we treat a Martindale figure as an abrasion statement and nothing more, and why our use classes are built from light, weathering, water, biological and chemical results together rather than from a single durability headline.
Reading a report properly
- Check the end point. "Two thread breaks" and "appearance change" are not the same criterion and can produce very different numbers.
- Check whether the tested specimen is the printed and finished fabric offered for sale, or only an undyed base.
- Check the date and the recipe. A finish change makes the fabric a new version, and an old report does not transfer to a new recipe.
- Check the colour tested. Ink load differs across a collection.
Our selected SGS abrasion result is >50,000 cycles at 9 kPa; no fabric breakdown endpoint observed under BS EN ISO 12947-2:2016. The source is TR2852016-IR2 · 10 Sep 2026 · p.4. It forms part of the collection's shared selected test profile; the complete methods, values and source references are published on the Performance page.