What is Martindale?
Fabric abrasion resistance, and how to read the number
The Martindale figure states how many rubbing movements a weave survives in the laboratory before it is worn through. It is the best known measure of durability, also one of the most frequently misread. This page explains what is actually measured, which figure suits which use, what our own fabrics reach.
What actually happens in the laboratory
The test is standardised so that figures from different mills can be compared. Knowing how it runs also explains why a bare number tells you very little.
Martindale explained in one sentence
A circular fabric specimen is rubbed under pressure against a **standardised wool abradant**, along a figure-of-eight path so the load arrives from every direction. What gets counted is the number of rubbing movements up to a defined end point. That count is the **martindale rub count**, given in cycles.
The end point is precisely defined
On woven fabric the specimen counts as broken down once **two threads have snapped**. Not when it merely looks worn. That is what makes the figure reproducible, also why it says nothing about when a material starts to look used.
The standard has four parts
ISO 12947 comes in four parts with **different end points**: part 2 counts to thread breakdown, part 3 measures mass loss, part 4 rates the change in appearance. The usual cycle figure comes from part 2. A number quoted without its part is strictly speaking not comparable.
Higher is not automatically better
A high figure normally costs handle as well as looks: dense, firm weaves abrade more slowly than soft ones. What matters is whether the figure suits the use, not whether it is large. More terms are collected in our glossary.
Martindale meaning: which cycle count is enough
This banding is the convention in furniture as well as contract work. German guidance puts the reference at 15,000 cycles for domestic upholstery, 30,000 for contract use.
| Rub cycles | Rating | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| below 10,000 | light use | curtains, table linen, decorative cushions |
| 10,000 to 15,000 | moderate use | occasional seating, guest chairs |
| 15,000 to 25,000 | hard wearing | domestic upholstery |
| 25,000 to 40,000 | heavy use | daily seating, households with children |
| 40,000 to 50,000 | contract quality | hotel, restaurant, office |
| above 50,000 | severe contract use | high traffic areas |
What the number does not cover
An outdoor acrylic at 20,000 cycles is not inferior to an indoor velvet at 60,000. It is built towards something else: lightfastness, weathering, colour stability. At 20,000 it still sits above the usual 15,000 reference for domestic upholstery. Ranking outdoor materials by Martindale means choosing past the property that actually decides their life.
Little balls forming on the surface are rated to ISO 12945-2, not by Martindale. A weave can take many cycles yet pill early, blends with short staple fibres especially. Anyone who wants to know both needs both figures.
Martindale measures surface abrasion. How much pull a weave takes is ISO 13934-1, thread displacement at a seam is ISO 13936-2. On shade sails as well as covers those figures often matter more than cycles, because wind pulls rather than rubs.
Whether colour transfers under rubbing is colour fastness to rubbing, ISO 105-X12, again a figure of its own. On solution dyed weaves this is uncritical, because the colour sits in the fibre core.
Martindale values in our range
Every figure comes from the data sheets of our fabric suppliers, tested to ISO 12947-2. The split in the range shows clearly: outdoor acrylic sits at 20,000, indoor upholstery fabric well above it.
| Fabric group | Rub cycles | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Agora, solution dyed acrylic (Lines, Liso, Rayure, Panama, Life, Liso Waterproof) | 20,000 | outdoor upholstery, shading |
| Polypropylene (olefin) | 16,000 | outdoor upholstery |
| Teddy-Bear | 50,000 | indoor decoration |
| Screen weave for shading | 50,000 to 60,000 | outdoor curtains, screens |
| Polysun, velvet | 60,000 | indoor upholstery |
| Cover PVC | 60,000 | covers, protective hoods |
| Polyester cord 5 mm | above 80,000 | indoor upholstery |
| Polyester cord 25 mm | 90,000 to 100,000 | indoor upholstery |
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- ISO 12947-2:2016, Textiles - Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method - Part 2: Determination of specimen breakdown. Paywalled; the catalogue entry carries the scope plus the boundary against the other parts of the series
- What is lightfastness? The figure that usually matters more on outdoor materials
- Solution dyed explained - why the dyeing method decides colour fastness to rubbing
- All Germes fabrics with their technical figures
- Order fabric samples, judge the handle yourself
Last reviewed: 24.08.2026 · Reviewer: Germes-Team
Which figure suits your use?
Tell us what the material is for, how often it will be used. We will name the qualities that fit, with their tested figures, then send samples on request.