However strong and stylish an upholstery fabric may be, with the wrong staples for upholstery you end up with loose edges, visible marks or staples that work their way out again after a short time. The right choice depends not only on the fabric, but also on the thickness of your material, the type of wood and above all the type of stapler you are using. If you combine these three points correctly, you work faster and get a durable, tight finish.
Which staples do you need for upholstery?
For upholstery work, you usually use fine wire staples. These are designed to fix upholstery fabric, Dacron, webbing, hessian and thin materials firmly to a furniture frame without leaving unnecessarily large holes or heavy marks. The staple is small, but its function is important: it must grip the material firmly and at the same time anchor deep enough into the wood.
Pay attention to three properties: the staple series, the leg length and the wire or crown thickness. These must match each other and your tool. A staple may seem almost the right size but still jam if the series does not exactly match the magazine of your stapler.
Commonly used series in upholstery work include 80-series staples with a relatively wide crown and fine wire, 71-series staples with a narrower crown, and 53-series staples for lighter applications. The series you need is usually stated on your hand stapler, electric stapler or pneumatic stapler. Do not just look at the length your machine can handle, but also at the specified series. This prevents jams, bent staples and wear on your tool.
First choose the right staple length
The leg length is the length of the two points that go into the wood. This is often the most important choice. A staple that is too short does not hold the fabric well enough, especially under tension. A staple that is too long can go through thin plywood or a narrow edge. That is not only untidy, but can also be dangerous on a chair seat or backrest.
As a practical guide: choose a staple that goes through the layers of fabric and then gets enough grip in the wood. For thin upholstery fabric or dust cover on a solid wood frame, 6 to 8 mm is often a usable length. For ordinary upholstery fabric, Dacron and an average wooden edge, 8 to 10 mm is commonly used. Are you working with thicker fabrics, faux leather, several layers or webbing? Then 10 to 14 mm is sometimes needed.
That is not a fixed rule. A hard beech chair rail calls for something different from a soft pine frame. The construction also counts. With a thin board or an edge right next to a visible side, it is better to choose a slightly shorter staple. So always test first on an offcut of wood of similar thickness. One test shot immediately tells you whether the staple goes in flush, holds well enough and does not come through the material.
Not too deep, not too high
A correctly fired staple lies flat on the fabric. The crown presses the material down without damaging the fibres or cutting through the fabric. If the staple stands proud of the fabric, the air pressure is too low, the stapler is not powerful enough or the wood is too hard. If the staple goes in deep and leaves a dent, the pressure is too high or the material is too delicate for that setting.
This is particularly visible with faux leather and leatherette. The top layer can dent or tear if you use too much pressure. So set your pneumatic stapler carefully and check every test. With an electric or hand stapler, you often set the impact force with a dial. If your tool does not have this option, it is better to adjust the staple length than to keep going with brute force.
Fine wire or wide crown?
For most visible upholstery jobs, fine wire is the safe choice. Fine wire staples leave small perforations and press less hard into the fabric. This makes them suitable for upholstery fabrics, velvet, chenille, bouclé, corduroy and faux leather. They hold the upholstery firmly, while the finish stays neat when you later place a braid, piping or fabric edge over the line of staples.
The crown is the horizontal part of the staple. A wider crown spreads the pressure over a larger area. That is useful for materials that are under tension or may tear, such as webbing, hessian or thin dust cover. A narrower crown is more discreet and is often chosen for finer upholstery work. So the best choice depends on what you are fixing, not just on what you are covering.
For webbing, do not use any old fine staple that happens to fit your stapler. Webbing pulls hard on the frame and needs sufficient hold. Choose a suitable staple length, use several staples side by side and fold over the ends of the webbing where possible before stapling. This spreads the pulling force and reduces the chance of the webbing coming loose.
Which staple fits your stapler?
A common mistake is buying a box of staples first and only then checking whether they fit the stapler. The series must match exactly. An 80 series is not a 71 series, even if the leg length is the same. The crown width, wire thickness and shape can differ. The wrong series can jam, fire at an angle or damage the driver.
For a single chair or a small hobby project, a good electric stapler or powerful hand stapler may be sufficient, provided it is suitable for the staple series you want and the wood is not too hard. For regular work, thicker materials and larger projects, a pneumatic stapler is often more comfortable. It fires quickly and consistently, with less strain on your hand and wrist. You do, however, need a compressor and the right air pressure.
Professional upholsterers often deliberately choose a light pneumatic stapler with fine staples, because precise positioning while stretching the fabric is essential. For DIYers, the same principle pays off: a well-matched tool gives a better result than endlessly correcting with staples that are too heavy or simply wrong.
Staples for every layer of your upholstery project
Re-covering a piece of furniture often involves more than just fixing the top fabric. Your choice of staple can differ per layer. A thin base cloth or fabric on the underside of a seat has little pulling force and can usually be fixed with shorter staples. Dacron around foam, on the other hand, needs enough grip to hold the layer in place without pulling the foam in.
For the final upholstery fabric, tension is decisive. Pull the fabric evenly and always work from the centre towards the corners. First place a few staples opposite each other: centre front, centre back, then left and right. Check the pattern and the tension before you staple the whole edge. Especially with velvet, corduroy and fabrics with a clear pile or direction, this prevents the upholstery from running crooked.
Corners deserve extra attention. Too many staples in one spot create a hard lump that remains visible or can be felt later. Trim excess fabric in a controlled way, fold the corner into small pleats and spread the staples out. With thick chenille, bouclé or faux leather, a slightly longer staple may be needed, but test first whether the layer becomes too thick for the available edge of the frame.
Material and finish: galvanised or stainless steel?
For indoor upholstery work, galvanised staples are usually an excellent choice. The zinc coating helps limit corrosion and they are suitable for most furniture in homes, shops, hospitality and office environments. Choose consistent quality: cheap staples with burrs, irregular sizes or a weak bond between the legs can cause jams and go in less cleanly.
Stainless steel staples are particularly sensible in damp conditions or applications where metal may be exposed to moisture for long periods. Think of certain boats, outdoor cushions or an interior project in a damp room. For an ordinary dining chair they are often not necessary, but for specialist work they offer extra peace of mind.
Do not forget your base, either. In solid hardwood, staples may penetrate less deeply than in softwood. In chipboard or MDF the grip is sometimes less reliable, especially close to an edge. Work carefully there, use staples that suit the board thickness and avoid firing repeatedly in exactly the same spot. A staple that you have to remove always leaves a slightly weaker point.
Working practically without visible mistakes
Hold the nose of the stapler straight on the surface. Firing at an angle more often produces a bent staple or a crown that stays partly above the fabric. Press the tool firmly against the frame, but not so hard that you distort the filling or fabric. With a pneumatic stapler, a calm, controlled movement is more accurate than firing rapidly in succession.
Does a staple not go into the wood properly? Do not just knock it in with a hammer if it is in a visible spot. You could damage the fabric. Instead, remove the staple with a staple remover or flat pliers, pull the fabric taut again and fire a new staple a few millimetres further along. Work safely: wear safety glasses, keep your free hand away from the firing direction and disconnect a pneumatic stapler before clearing jams.
At BLADI you will find staples, staplers and other upholstery supplies for both a first chair project and everyday professional work. Torn between two lengths? Do not choose on instinct alone. Look at your stapler, do a test on your own frame and judge the result on both the back and the visible side. Those few minutes of preparation ensure that your upholstery fabric stays tight, exactly as intended.
