Reupholstery vs Loose Covers — Which Is Right for You?
Your sofa or chair is looking tired. The covers are worn, faded or stained — but the furniture underneath is solid, comfortable and worth keeping. So what's the best solution? Reupholstery or loose covers?
It's a question we're asked all the time at Eeze Covers, and the honest answer is — it depends. Both options have their place. But for most people with quality furniture, loose covers offer better value, more flexibility, and far less disruption than reupholstery.
On this page we'll walk you through both options honestly, compare the costs, and help you make the right decision for your furniture and your budget.
What's the Difference?
What Is Reupholstery?
Reupholstery involves stripping your furniture back to its bare frame — removing all the old fabric, padding and webbing — and rebuilding it from scratch with new materials. The furniture typically has to leave your home for weeks or even months while the work is carried out in a workshop.
It's a skilled, labour-intensive process that produces a beautiful result — but it comes at a significant cost in both money and time. Reupholstery prices for a standard sofa typically start at £800–£1,200 and can easily reach £2,000+ for a suite.
What Are Loose Covers?
Loose covers — also called slipcovers — are custom-made fabric covers that fit over your existing furniture. They're cut and sewn to measure for your exact sofa or chair, giving a clean, tailored finish that looks like the furniture came that way from the factory.
The furniture stays in your home throughout. There's no collection, no workshop, no weeks without your sofa. The covers are delivered to your door, you fit them yourself, and the transformation is immediate. Most are machine washable, and you can change them again whenever you want a new look.
Head to Head Comparison
| Reupholstery | Loose Covers | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £800–£2,000+ for a sofa. Labour intensive — you're paying for a craftsperson to strip and rebuild your furniture from scratch. | Winner — typically 60–80% less than reupholstery. A professional set of loose covers for a sofa starts from a few hundred pounds. |
| Turnaround | Weeks to months. Your furniture has to go to a workshop and you're without it while the work is carried out. | Winner — typically 2–4 weeks from order to delivery. Your furniture never leaves your home. |
| Disruption | High. Furniture collected, your room is incomplete for weeks, furniture returned and repositioned. | Winner — zero disruption. Covers delivered to your door, fitted by you in minutes. |
| Result quality | Excellent — a full rebuild produces a beautiful, permanent result with new padding and webbing throughout. | Winner for most — professional made-to-measure covers look outstanding and are indistinguishable from factory originals on quality furniture. |
| Flexibility | None — once reupholstered, that's the fabric until the next reupholstery job. | Winner — change your covers whenever you like. Different look for different seasons, or whenever you redecorate. |
| Washability | Not washable — permanent fabric means professional cleaning only for serious stains. | Winner — most loose covers are machine washable. Ideal for homes with pets, children, or anyone who wants easy maintenance. |
| Reversibility | Not reversible — the original fabric is gone once stripped. | Winner — keep your original covers. If you ever want to revert, you can. |
| Best for | Furniture with damaged frames, broken springs, or worn-out padding that needs structural work as well as new fabric. | Best for most situations — any furniture with a sound frame and good padding that simply needs fresh covers. |
When Loose Covers Are the Right Choice
For the vast majority of people with quality sofas and chairs, loose covers are the smarter option:
- Your frame is solid and comfortable — the furniture just needs fresh covers
- You want to save money — loose covers cost a fraction of reupholstery
- You want a quick turnaround — no weeks without your sofa
- You have pets or children — machine washable covers are a game changer
- You like the idea of changing the look in future without more expense
- You own quality branded furniture — Tetrad, Parker Knoll, Multiyork, Duresta etc — where the frame is genuinely worth keeping
- You want to be environmentally responsible — extending furniture life is always the greener choice
When Reupholstery Might Be Better
We believe in being honest — there are situations where reupholstery is genuinely the right choice:
- The frame is broken or structurally damaged and needs repair as part of the process
- The springs and webbing have collapsed and the comfort has gone — not just the covers
- The cushioning is completely flat and needs replacing throughout
- The furniture has very unusual or complex shapes that don't suit loose covers
- You want a truly permanent solution with no visible seams or tuck-ins
If you're unsure which category your furniture falls into, contact us — we'll give you an honest assessment at no charge.
Quality Furniture Worth Covering, Not Replacing
We specialise in replacement loose covers for all the great British and European furniture brands — the kind of furniture where the frame is worth far more than the covers.
Tetrad
Parker Knoll
Multiyork
Duresta
G Plan
Ercol
B&B Italia
Sherborne
Alstons
Collins & Hayes
John Sankey
& Many More
How Loose Covers Work — 3 Simple Steps
Request Free Samples
Browse our fabric range and request free samples posted to your door — see and feel the quality before committing to anything.
Tell Us About Your Furniture
Share your furniture details or send photos. We'll confirm what's involved and give you a clear, honest quote with no hidden costs.
Enjoy the Transformation
Covers hand-sewn to measure and delivered to your door. Fit them yourself in minutes — no disruption, no workshop, no waiting weeks for your sofa back.
Ready to Choose Loose Covers Over Reupholstery?
Request free fabric samples today — no obligation, no commitment, posted straight to your door.
Request Free Samples 01484 976295At Eeze Covers we've been making replacement loose covers for over 28 years. We know quality furniture, we know what makes a great loose cover, and we'll always give you an honest answer about whether loose covers are right for your piece. Call us on 01484 976295, email eezecovers@gmail.com, or use our contact form above.
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