How upholstered furniture is made in India
An upholstered piece is built in layers, and each layer usually comes from a different supplier:
- Frame. Solid wood, plywood, or a mix, joined with dowels, screws, staples and corner blocks. Exposed legs and arms are often solid hardwood.
- Suspension. Elastic or jute webbing, sinuous (zigzag) springs clipped to the frame, or pocket-spring units in seat cushions.
- Comfort layers. Polyurethane foam cut to shape, wrapped in polyester fibre, sometimes with feather or fibre-filled back cushions. Foam is graded by density (kg/m³) and hardness, and is usually bought from a local converter that cuts it from large blocks.
- Cover. Fabric from a mill or trader, or leather, cut and sewn in the factory, then stretched and stapled over the frame. A dust cover closes the underside.
Because foam and fabric are bought in, the biggest risk is substitution. A factory short of the tested foam grade or the approved fabric can quietly use another. The sofa looks the same, but it may sit differently, wear faster, and no longer match the flammability test reports behind its labels.
What we check on upholstered furniture
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Frame and suspension | Dust cover opened on agreed pieces; joints, spring clips and webbing checked; rock and load test | Loose or split joints, missing corner blocks, springs unclipped, slack webbing, creaks |
| Foam and fill | Cushions unzipped; foam colour, label and grade compared with the bill of materials; density checked by weighing a cut block of known size where agreed (ISO 845 is the lab method) | Wrong grade, lower density, layered offcuts instead of one block, thin fibre wrap |
| Fabric | Against the approved swatch in daylight; article number on the roll or tag; pile direction on velvet | Wrong colour or fabric, shade difference between panels, pile running two ways |
| Sewing | Seams, piping and top-stitching inspected; gentle pull at stress points | Open or skipped stitches, wavy piping, seam slippage, puckering |
| Pattern matching | Stripes, checks and large prints checked across cushions, back and arms | Pattern not centred or not matched as specified |
| Shape and dimensions | Overall size, seat height and depth, arm height; symmetry left to right | Out of tolerance, lopsided arms, cushions that do not fit their places |
| Labels | Every sampled piece checked for the labels of its market | Missing, loose or wrong flammability or law labels |
| Cleanliness and smell | Visual and smell check | Marks, glue, chalk lines, mould or strong chemical odour |
Flammability, foam hardness and fabric abrasion and pilling are lab tests. We can pull and seal component samples for an accredited lab.
Common upholstered furniture defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical class | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Missing required flammability label (US or UK) | Critical | The piece cannot legally be sold |
| Broken frame part, staple or spring end through the cover | Critical | Injury risk |
| Foam or fabric not as in the bill of materials | Major (often treated as critical) | Comfort and test reports no longer match |
| Open seam, broken zip | Major | Gets worse with use |
| Shade difference between panels, unmatched pattern | Major | Visible on the showroom floor |
| Loose threads, small marks | Minor | Fixed on site |
Market rules that apply
- United States. 16 CFR 1640 makes California's TB 117-2013 smolder standard federal for indoor upholstered seating. Each piece needs a permanent federal compliance label; pieces sold in California also need the California notice, a flame-retardant statement and a law label. Full detail: TB 117-2013 and 16 CFR 1640.
- United Kingdom. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 require fillings that meet ignition tests, cigarette-resistant composites, match-resistant covers and a permanent label on new furniture. The 2025 amendment, in force since 30 October 2025, removed the display label and excluded some baby and children's products. See UK furniture fire safety. A TB 117-2013 report does not show UK compliance.
- European Union. There is no single EU fire law for domestic upholstery. The GPSR applies, and buyers often specify EN 1021-1 (cigarette) and EN 1021-2 (match-equivalent) tests and EN 12520 for strength. Covers that are at least 80% textile by weight need fibre labelling.
- Materials. Plywood frames fall under TSCA Title VI in the US. Leather covers bring in the chromium VI limit in the EU, and REACH applies to dyes and treatments.
Packing, transit and loading risks
- Soiling. Light fabrics mark easily. Each piece needs a clean polybag or wrap before the carton, and workers clean hands and tables.
- Crushed arms and corners. Foam corners take a set if pressed for weeks. Corner protectors and a rigid carton or crate are needed for heavy sofas.
- Compression. Compressed or roll-packed cushions and sofas save freight, but only foams made for it recover. Agree compression with the foam supplier and test recovery on a sample.
- Humidity. Fabric and foam packed damp in the monsoon can grow mould inside polybags. Goods must be dry, and desiccants help on long routes.
- Legs and hardware. Removable legs packed in a labelled bag, fixed inside the carton, with the right count.
Large, light cartons are easy to damage when forced into gaps during loading; loading supervision covers this.
What to put in your purchase order
- A bill of materials per model: frame material, suspension type, foam grade with density and hardness, fibre wrap weight, fabric article number, barrier if used.
- The test reports each label relies on, and a rule that no component changes without your written approval.
- Label artwork for each market (US federal, California, UK permanent label).
- Pattern-matching rules and pile direction.
- Dimensions with tolerances, including seat height and depth.
- Number of pieces to open (dust cover, cushions) during inspection.
- Packing: wrap, corner protection, compression limits, desiccants.
Related: sofas and accent chairs and armchairs. To check your order, book an inspection.
Sources
- 16 CFR Part 1640, flammability of upholstered furniture (eCFR)
- UK SI 2025/531 amending the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988
- Business Companion: upholstered furniture fire safety (UK)
- Intertek: UK furniture fire safety amendment 2025
- ISO 845:2006, Cellular plastics and rubbers: apparent density