Slipcovers For Club Chairs

Chloe Hughes Interior Design Expert

Chloe is a highly-regarded expert in all things vintage and antique. She’s excited to share her vast knowledge with readers and clients wishing to infuse their homes with a mixture of old-time warmth and modern comfort. In addition to her design work, Chloe regularly volunteers at her local community center, teaching DIY projects to adults and kids.

Updated 20/04/2021

If you love club chairs, then you love keeping them clean and stain free. Introducing a slipcover for your club chairs can accomplish that, as well as offer the option to change their look, whenever you want. And these slipcovers are washable, easy to put on, and easy to take off. A very efficient way to keep your favorite club chairs fabric from getting accidentally ruined.

Buying Guide

If your old club chair is languishing in a corner of your room looking like it’s well past its glory days, then getting it a new set of clothes might be the easiest and most cost-effective way to breathe life into it.

Slipcovers for club chairs instantly transform a drab looking chair into a brand new one. And unlike the slipcovers of yore which were ill-fitting and slouchy, modern slipcovers are customized to size and will look like the chair just came out of the factory.

It’s your ticket to a new looking room at a fraction of the cost of redoing the décor. Here are a few tips to make your slipcover selection easier.

What are the basic types of slipcovers?

There are two different styles of covers mainly.

A loose flowing cover: These types of covers exude a very laidback vibe and are best suited for casual settings. The cover may be one piece or multiple pieces that loosely drape the club chair and can be ordered off the shelf in standard sizes. These are also cheaper than covers that hug the furniture and are measured to perfection.
The furniture huggers: These offer a tighter and bespoke fit for your club chair and are best suited in a room with a classic décor theme or in a commercial set up. These are usually multiple pieces that seamless come together to offer a perfect fit.

Traditionally, slipcovers were available only for club chairs with rounded arms. That’s no longer the case. Irrespective of the design of your chair, you can find a slipcover for it.

How to measure for slipcovers?

Most slipcovers gone wrong are a result of incorrect sizing or measurement. Measure the width of the chair across the back, in the inside back portion, the height of the chair from the base, the width of the seat and the seat depth.

Also measure the distance between the bottom of the chair and the floor. If you choose to leave the base of the club chair exposed, then you can skip this.

But if you intend to use a pleated skirt on the bottom, then this measurement will be necessary. To ensure that you don’t end up with a faux pas, double check the measurements twice.

What are the best fabrics for slipcovers?

The rule of thumb is to select medium-heavy fabrics like canvas, denim, corduroy, twill blends or cotton duck for chairs in traffic heavy setups or households with kids and pets. These work best with loose flowing fits though.

If you are looking at a tight and tailored cover, then polyester works best. But it’s not as durable as the heavier fabrics that we just mentioned.

In homes with less traffic, stretchier fabrics like micro-suede, chenille, and faux leather can be used for the upholstery. The caveat is that these require frequent upkeep though.

Once you have narrowed down on a material, you can venture into finer details, like patterns, welting, skirting, buttons, braids, and piping.

Welting, in particular, can be used to accentuate the lines of the armchair (contrast) or to subdue the shape down (Self-welting).