New York, NY — Ultrafabrics, a global leader in high-performance coated fabrics and leather alternatives, has released findings from comparative testing conducted by the FILK Freiberg Institute in Germany, an independent, accredited research institute specializing in flexible polymer materials. The testing examines how upholstery contributes to seating comfort across 11 physical performance parameters, including softness, flexibility, heat transfer, thermal resistance and moisture management, offering seating manufacturers, designers and specifiers a more complete way to quantify comfort at the material level.

Seating comfort is often associated with cushioning, ergonomics or how a surface feels at first touch. The findings show that upholstery also influences the experience through continued contact with the body. This becomes especially important in settings where people may remain seated for hours at a time, including workplaces, healthcare and transportation environments, as well as leisure and entertainment spaces such as theaters and stadiums. A material’s ability to bend, exchange heat and allow moisture vapor to pass through can affect how a seat feels over time.

“Comfort is a complex and highly personal experience, but many of the material properties that contribute to it can be measured,” says Jennifer Hendren, Vice President of Product Development at Ultrafabrics. “The goal of this research was to better understand those properties and provide the industry with useful information for evaluating upholstery beyond appearance and first touch.”

Looking Beyond Softness

The research reinforces that comfort cannot be defined by a single material property. Softness and flexibility shape the initial tactile experience, while thermal performance and moisture management influence how a surface feels during longer periods of contact.

For manufacturers, designers and specifiers, considering these characteristics together provides a more practical way to compare upholstery materials according to the needs of an application. Comfort-related performance can also be evaluated alongside established criteria such as appearance, durability, cleanability and water repellency.

How Ultrafabrics Materials Performed

Across the 11 parameters evaluated, the Ultrafabrics upholstery materials included in the study delivered the most consistent overall performance when compared with the polyurethane, vinyl, silicone and bonded leather samples tested. The strongest results centered on breathability, softness and thermal behavior.

Brisa, an Ultrafabrics upholstery collection, demonstrated the strongest moisture-management performance among the materials evaluated. Its high water-vapor permeability allows moisture to pass through the surface rather than remain trapped against the body, helping reduce heat and humidity buildup and keeping the surface drier and more comfortable over time. Brisa recorded water-vapor permeability of 14.9 mg/cm²·h, compared with 0.1 to 0.6 mg/cm²·h for the other samples tested. It also had the lowest resistance to water-vapor transfer at 11.2 m²Pa/W, further supporting its breathability.

Several Ultrafabrics collections also ranked among the softest materials tested. Brisa and Ultraleather each recorded the highest softness measurement at 6 mm, while Coast measured 5 mm.

Ultrafabrics materials also recorded lower maximum heat-flux values than the polyurethane and vinyl samples. Brisa, Coast, Ultraleather and Volar Bio measured between 193 and 359 W/m², compared with 751 W/m² for both polyurethane and vinyl. Lower qmax values indicate a more gradual heat exchange, creating a balanced, less reactive surface that avoids sudden temperature shifts and feels consistently comfortable to the touch

“Upholstery is an important part of how a seat feels, both initially and over time,” says Hendren. “By sharing these findings, we hope to support a more informed conversation about comfort across the seating industry.”

To learn more about Ultrafabrics and explore the complete comfort testing overview, visit ultrafabricsinc.com/ultrafabrics-thermal-comfort.