The Martindale test is a standard method for measuring how hardwearing an upholstery fabric is. A sample is rubbed against a standard abrasive material in a figure of eight motion, and the number of rubs it takes before the weave visibly breaks down gives the fabric its Martindale rating, often shown as a number of rubs such as 20,000 or 40,000.
As a rough guide, fabrics rated around 10,000 to 15,000 rubs suit occasional use, 15,000 to 25,000 suits general domestic use, and anything above 25,000 is considered heavy duty and suitable for family sofas or busy households. It is one useful figure among several, alongside the weave type and fibre content, so it is worth reading alongside our sofa fabrics guide when comparing options.