If you're planning to recover a wingback chair, one of the first questions is how much fabric do I need to reupholster a wingback chair?
Quick answer: Most average wingback chairs require approximately 6 to 7 yards of 54-inch-wide upholstery fabric. A smaller or simpler chair may need around 5 to 6 yards, while a large wingback chair, skirted chair, or chair covered in a large patterned fabric can require 7 to 9 yards or more.
Wingback chairs generally require more fabric than simple accent chairs because they contain many separate upholstered sections, including the inside back, outside back, wings, arms, seat, cushion, and front arm panels.
The chart below provides a useful starting point, but for the most accurate estimate, measure your actual chair and consider the fabric's pattern repeat before ordering.
Wingback Chair Fabric Yardage Chart
| Wingback Chair Type | Starting Fabric Estimate |
|---|---|
| Small / Simple Wingback Chair | 5–6 yards |
| Average Wingback Chair | 6–7 yards |
| Large / Deep Wingback Chair | 7–8 yards |
| Wingback Chair With Skirt | Usually add about 1–2 yards |
| Large Pattern or Directional Fabric | Additional yardage may be required |
These are starting estimates for 54-inch-wide upholstery fabric. The exact amount depends on chair size, construction, cushion style, skirt, tufting, fabric direction, and pattern repeat.
Once you know your approximate yardage, browse our Upholstery Fabric by the Yard to find designer upholstery fabrics for wingback chairs, accent chairs, sofas, and other furniture projects.
Why Do Wingback Chairs Need So Much Fabric?
A wingback chair may look like a relatively simple piece of furniture, but it contains many individual upholstery pieces.
A typical wingback chair can include fabric for:
- Inside back
- Outside back
- Left and right wings
- Outside wing sections
- Inside arms
- Outside arms
- Seat or deck
- Loose seat cushion
- Front arm panels
- Welting or piping
- Skirt, if present
Each section must be cut from the fabric roll, and some pieces must face a particular direction. That's why calculating wingback-chair fabric is more complicated than measuring a simple bench seat or dining-chair seat.
How to Measure a Wingback Chair for Upholstery Fabric
For a better yardage estimate, measure the upholstered sections of the chair individually rather than relying only on the chair's overall height and width.
Start by measuring:
- Inside back: width and height of the upholstered back where you sit
- Outside back: widest width and full upholstered height
- Wings: height and widest width of each wing
- Inside arms: length and height of each upholstered arm section
- Outside arms: length and height
- Seat/deck: width and depth beneath the cushion
- Seat cushion: width, depth, and thickness
- Front arm panels: height and width
- Skirt: total length and finished height, if the chair has one
When measuring individual sections, include enough extra fabric around each piece for seams, stapling, trimming, and positioning.
Do not measure only the visible finished surface and assume that exact measurement is enough to cut the fabric.
What Parts of a Wingback Chair Use the Most Fabric?
The inside back and outside back are often among the largest individual pieces. On a traditional wingback chair, both can be tall and wide.
The wings and arms also consume a surprising amount of fabric because there are multiple inside and outside pieces.
If the chair has a loose seat cushion, remember that the cushion may require fabric for the top, bottom, boxing around the sides, and possibly welt cord.
A skirt can also add substantial yardage because it may extend around much of the chair's lower perimeter.
How Much Fabric Does an Average Wingback Chair Need?
For a typical traditional wingback chair upholstered in a solid, texture, or small non-directional pattern, approximately 6 to 7 yards of 54-inch-wide upholstery fabric is a reasonable starting estimate.
This assumes a fairly standard chair without an unusually large skirt, oversized dimensions, or a difficult pattern repeat.
If your chair is particularly large or deep, moving toward 7 to 8 yards provides a more realistic starting point.
How Much Fabric Does a Small Wingback Chair Need?
A smaller wing chair with narrow arms, a compact seat, exposed legs, and no skirt may require approximately 5 to 6 yards of 54-inch-wide upholstery fabric.
Even on a small chair, however, a large pattern repeat can increase the required yardage.
It is better to calculate the pattern layout before ordering than to assume that a small chair automatically means low yardage.
How Much Fabric Does a Large Wingback Chair Need?
A large or oversized wingback chair can require approximately 7 to 8 yards of 54-inch-wide upholstery fabric before accounting for a large pattern repeat.
Large chairs may have:
- Taller backs
- Wider wings
- Deeper seats
- Thicker cushions
- Larger arms
- More upholstered outside surfaces
All of those factors increase the size of the individual pieces that must be cut from the fabric.
How Much Extra Fabric Does a Skirt Require?
If your wingback chair has a fabric skirt around the bottom, plan for additional yardage.
A skirt may require approximately 1 to 2 additional yards, but the actual amount depends on the skirt height, chair perimeter, number of pleats, and construction style.
A tailored skirt with corner pleats uses less fabric than a heavily gathered or pleated skirt.
If you're removing the skirt and exposing the chair legs during reupholstery, your new fabric requirement may be lower than the amount originally used on the chair.
Don't Forget the Seat Cushion
Many traditional wingback chairs have a removable boxed seat cushion.
A boxed cushion usually requires separate fabric pieces for:
- Top panel
- Bottom panel
- Front boxing
- Side boxing
- Back or zipper panel
- Welting, if used
If the cushion is reversible, both the top and bottom are normally cut from the primary upholstery fabric.
If the cushion is not reversible, the construction may use a different material on the underside, depending on the chair.
Pattern Repeat Can Change Wingback Chair Yardage Significantly
This is especially important with wingback chairs.
A solid fabric or small random texture can usually be arranged efficiently on the fabric roll. A large floral, plaid, stripe, geometric, or medallion pattern requires more planning.
You may need to align the pattern across:
- Inside back
- Seat cushion
- Seat/deck
- Left and right wings
- Inside arms
- Front arm panels
For example, if your fabric has a large central floral motif, you may want that motif centered on the inside back and again on the seat cushion.
That can create unusable space between pieces on the roll and increase the total yardage.
Important: For a large repeat, do not simply add a fixed percentage such as 10% and assume it will be enough. Check the actual horizontal and vertical repeat and plan the major pieces around it.
Directional Fabric vs. Non-Directional Fabric
A non-directional fabric can often be rotated during cutting, allowing the upholsterer to fit pieces together more efficiently.
A directional fabric has an obvious top and bottom, so all visible chair pieces usually need to face the same direction.
Examples include:
- Florals with stems growing upward
- Scenic designs
- Animal patterns
- Some geometric designs
- Stripes
- Patterns with recognizable objects
Directional fabrics can therefore require more yardage than a solid or random texture.
What About Stripes and Plaids?
Stripes and plaids require extra attention on a wingback chair because alignment errors are easy to see.
You may want the pattern centered on the inside back, seat cushion, and front of the chair.
The pattern on the wings should also appear balanced from one side to the other.
Plaids can be particularly demanding because both the horizontal and vertical lines may need to match between adjoining pieces.
For these fabrics, purchasing additional yardage is usually preferable to discovering halfway through the project that the remaining fabric cannot be aligned properly.
Does Tufting Require More Fabric?
Yes. A deeply tufted inside back generally requires more fabric than a smooth upholstered panel because material is pulled into the folds and depressions created by the tufting.
The amount varies considerably depending on the depth, spacing, and style of the tufting.
If your wingback chair has deep diamond tufting, don't base your fabric order solely on the flat measurements of the chair back.
Should I Buy Extra Fabric?
For a straightforward wingback chair covered in a solid or small non-directional pattern, having some extra fabric is usually worthwhile.
Extra material can help with:
- Trimming
- Minor measuring errors
- Unexpected construction differences
- Welting
- Future repairs
- Replacing a damaged panel later
If your chair calculation lands very close to a particular yardage amount, rounding up is generally safer than rounding down.
With patterned fabric, base your extra yardage on the actual repeat and cutting layout rather than an arbitrary percentage.
Worked Example: Average Wingback Chair
Suppose you have a traditional wingback chair with:
- A tall upholstered inside back
- Two fully upholstered wings
- Fully upholstered inside and outside arms
- An upholstered outside back
- One removable boxed seat cushion
- Exposed wood legs
- No skirt
If you're using 54-inch-wide upholstery fabric with no significant pattern repeat, approximately 6 to 7 yards is a reasonable starting range.
If the same chair is upholstered in a large floral or geometric pattern that must be centered and matched, the required yardage may increase.
If you then add a full skirt, the project could move into approximately the 7 to 9 yard range, depending on the skirt and fabric layout.
This is why the chair's construction and fabric choice should be considered together.
Can I Use an Upholstery Fabric Remnant for a Wingback Chair?
Potentially, but a full wingback chair requires a fairly large remnant.
Unlike a bench seat or dining-chair seat, total yardage alone is not enough. You need sufficient continuous fabric to cut the largest chair panels and enough remaining material for all the matching pieces.
A remnant can work especially well if it is:
- Large enough for the entire chair
- A solid or small non-directional pattern
- Full upholstery width
- Free of flaws in the areas needed for major pieces
If you're using patterned remnant fabric, carefully check the repeat and available length before beginning the project.
What Type of Fabric Is Best for a Wingback Chair?
Wingback chairs work well with many types of upholstery fabric. The best choice depends on how frequently the chair will be used.
Good options include:
- Performance upholstery fabric for frequently used chairs
- Crypton and other performance fabrics for stain resistance
- Chenille for softness and texture
- Woven upholstery fabric for everyday durability
- Velvet for a traditional or luxurious appearance
- Textured solids for easier cutting and matching
- Designer patterned upholstery fabrics for statement chairs
For a chair that receives regular use, choose fabric intended for upholstery rather than lightweight decorative fabric.
Common Wingback Chair Yardage Mistakes
- Using one generic yardage number. Wingback chairs vary considerably in size and construction.
- Forgetting the outside back. It is one of the largest upholstered sections on many chairs.
- Forgetting the outside arms and wings. These surfaces add substantial fabric.
- Ignoring the seat cushion. A boxed cushion requires multiple fabric pieces.
- Forgetting the skirt. A full skirt can add significant yardage.
- Ignoring pattern repeat. Large patterns may dramatically change the cutting layout.
- Assuming all pieces can be rotated. Directional fabric limits how pieces can be positioned on the roll.
- Ordering the exact calculated minimum. A little extra can be valuable for trimming, corrections, and future repairs.
Related Upholstery Fabric Yardage Guides
If you're working on other furniture projects, these guides can help you estimate your upholstery fabric:
- How Much Upholstery Fabric Do I Need? Complete Yardage Guide
- How Much Fabric Do I Need to Reupholster Dining Chairs?
- How Much Fabric Do I Need to Reupholster Bar Stools?
- How Much Fabric Do I Need for a Headboard?
- How Much Fabric Do I Need to Reupholster a Bench Seat?
Frequently Asked Questions About Wingback Chair Fabric
How many yards of fabric do I need for a wingback chair?
Most average wingback chairs require approximately 6 to 7 yards of 54-inch-wide upholstery fabric. Smaller chairs may require around 5 to 6 yards, while large, skirted, tufted, or heavily patterned chairs may require more.
Is 6 yards enough to reupholster a wingback chair?
Six yards may be enough for a smaller or average wingback chair with exposed legs and a solid or small non-directional fabric. A larger chair, skirt, tufting, or significant pattern repeat can increase the amount required.
How much fabric does a large wingback chair need?
A large or deep wingback chair may require approximately 7 to 8 yards of 54-inch-wide fabric before allowing for a large pattern repeat or skirt.
How much extra fabric do I need for a skirted wingback chair?
A skirt may add approximately 1 to 2 yards, depending on the chair perimeter, skirt height, pleats, fullness, and construction.
Does patterned fabric require more yardage?
Often, yes. Large florals, plaids, stripes, geometrics, and other obvious repeats may require additional fabric so major motifs can be centered and patterns can be matched between the chair's upholstered sections.
Does tufting increase the amount of fabric needed?
Yes. Deep tufting pulls fabric into folds and depressions, so a tufted chair back generally requires more fabric than the same area upholstered as a smooth flat panel.
Can I use a fabric remnant to reupholster a wingback chair?
Yes, if the remnant is large enough for the entire chair and its largest individual panels. Full-width solid or small-pattern upholstery remnants are generally easier to use than remnants with large directional repeats.
Shop Fabric for Your Wingback Chair
Once you know approximately how much fabric your chair requires, choose an upholstery fabric that suits both the chair and the amount of use it receives.
For a traditional wingback chair, a solid, texture, or small-scale pattern is generally easier to cut and upholster than a large directional design. If you're choosing a statement pattern, check the repeat before determining your final yardage.
Fabric & Supply carries discounted designer upholstery fabrics for furniture projects ranging from dining chairs and benches to wingback chairs and sofas.
And before ordering, remember the safest rule for upholstery projects: measure the actual chair, check the fabric width and pattern repeat, and round up when your calculation falls close to the minimum.
