Commercial or home furniture? Here's the difference
A couch at home gets sat on by a few people. A couch in a motel or care home gets sat on by hundreds. That's the whole difference, and it matters more than you'd think.
Do you need commercial furniture?
Answer these three questions:
- Will lots of different people use it?
- Will it be used every day?
- Is it for guests, residents, students or the public?
If you said yes to any of them, go commercial. You'll buy it once instead of twice.
What makes commercial furniture tougher?
Stronger bones
Like the difference between a tent and a house.
Commercial frames use solid timber or steel, held with screws and glue. Cheap home furniture often uses staples and thin board.
Tougher fabric
A machine rubs the fabric until it wears out. More rubs means tougher fabric.
This is called the rub count. Home fabric is often around 15,000 rubs. Busy places usually want 30,000 or more.
Easy to clean
Spills happen. Good fabric shrugs them off.
Look for stain-resistant fabric, wipe-clean vinyl, or covers that come off for washing. These are great for care homes and schools.
Fire safety
Some buildings, like motels and care homes, may need furniture with fire-retardant fabric or foam. That means it's harder to set alight. Rules depend on your building, so check with your fire safety adviser. Tell us what you need and we'll quote to match.
Jargon buster
| Commercial or contract grade | Built and tested for heavy, everyday use by lots of people. |
|---|---|
| Rub count (Martindale) | How many rubs a fabric survives before it wears out. Higher is tougher. |
| Fire-retardant | Fabric or foam that's treated to be harder to burn. |
| Vinyl or PU | Smooth, leather-look fabric you can wipe clean. |
| Weight rating | How much weight a chair or bed is built to hold. |
| Flat-pack | Comes in a box for you to build. Fine at home, often not tough enough for busy places. |
Which suits you?
Mistakes to avoid
- Putting a home couch in a motel lounge. It'll sag within a year.
- Picking light fabric for a busy room.
- Choosing flat-pack for heavy use.
- Forgetting to measure doors, stairs and lifts.
Questions people ask
What does commercial grade furniture mean?
It is built and tested for heavy, everyday use by lots of people, with stronger frames and tougher fabrics than most home furniture.
What is a good rub count for commercial furniture?
Busy commercial spaces usually look for 30,000 rubs or more. Home furniture is often around 15,000.
Does home furniture warranty cover business use?
Often it does not. Many home furniture warranties only cover use in a private home, so check the fine print.
Do motels need fire-retardant furniture?
Some buildings do. It depends on your building and its fire rules, so check with your fire safety adviser and tell us what you need.
Know what you need? Or still not sure?
Either way, send us what you've got. We'll come back with options that fit, and explain them in plain English.
More buying guides or see our furniture range.