Tufted Headboards: What you Should Know

You want to get a new headboard to make your bedroom look fresh. But with so many types of headboards for sale, you aren’t sure what style to go for. To help you make an informed choice, The Mattress Warehouse decided to put together an informational article on tufted or upholstered headboards. We’ll touch on everything from what a tufted headboard is to how it’s made. And most importantly, we’ll give you the pros and cons of various types of tufted headboards.

What is a tufted headboard?

A tufted headboard is a piece of upright bedroom furniture that you attach to the head of your bed for decorative and supportive purposes. Tufted headboards are covered in padded or layered fabric, stitched and held together by buttons or knots to form a distinctive, indented pattern. Because of the soft padding, it is an extremely popular choice for all of those people that enjoy reading a book or watching a movie in bed. These bed headboards first appeared during the Victorian era and have been in high demand ever since.

Some interesting facts about tufted headboards

Did you know that all tufted headboards are upholstered, but not all upholstered headboards are tufted. So what is the difference between the two?

Upholstered headboards are (at least partly) covered by padding and fabric to make them softer and more welcoming to sit/lie on. And because tufted headboards are covered in padding and or fabric, it is upholstered by definition. But remember, the upholstery on tufted furniture is always stitched into a certain pattern. This means that upholstered headboards are not necessarily tufted. You see, if the padding and fabric are not stitched into a pattern, it is just upholstered.

Another fun fact is that there are 5 types of tufted headboard patterns:

• Biscuit – The stitching forms a square pattern on your headboard, with clear horizontal and vertical lines.
• Blind – Instead of securing the stitching on the outside of the fabric, the knots that hold the fabric in place are on the inside of the headboard where you cannot see or touch them.
• Button – A common form of tufting where the stitches are shallower than in other types of tufted headboards. Furthermore, buttons secure the stitching and often lines are not visible as part of the pattern.
• Channel – Vertically stitched lines create a repeating channel-like pattern across the face of your headboard.
• Diamond – The flagship of all tufted furniture. Diamond tufting secures the fabric so that it forms a diamond-like pattern on the headboard.

Now that you know to look out for different types of tufted headboards for sale, you might wonder…

How do they make tufted headboards?

Most modern-day tufted headboards are filled with high-density foam to give the user a luxurious surface to rest against. And then, to add the finishing touches, there are plenty of different fabrics on the market, each with its own pros and cons (more on that later). But before we talk about different cover fabrics, let’s first take a look at how much attention goes into crafting a tufted headboard.

1. Quality Wood Base – At the base of a tufted headboard lies a quality wooden base. Carpenters know that low-quality wood will warp with use, leading to an unstable and ugly headboard.
2. Extra Wooden Struts – To ensure durability, most factories and carpenters that are worth their salt adds extra wooden struts to keep the headboard straight.
3. Symmetrical Design – The patterns get designed beforehand so that the headboard looks symmetrical and sharp.
4. Precision Drilling – The pattern, whichever one it is, gets drilled into the wooden base with high precision tools.
5. High-Density Foam – Once the pattern has been drilled into the wood, a 5 to 7 cm layer of high-density foam is added to the face of the headboard.
6. Padding Foam – A layer of softer foam goes around the outside edges of the headboard to protect the user from accidental injury.
7. Soft Batting – To give the headboard a softer and more inviting feel, a layer of soft batting covers the high-density foam.
8. Quality Fabric – All the foam layers are in place now. So in the next step, the artisan adds a layer of quality outer fabric to the headboard. There are plenty of different headboard fabrics, we’ll get to that in a bit.
9. Buttons – To add the final finishing touch, the artisan will put the buttons in place. Usually, these buttons will be kept in place by tufting twine.

Types of fabrics they use for headboards

At last! What you’ve all been waiting for. All of the beautiful and luxurious fabrics. Because knowing how they make headboards are not quite as exciting as choosing your own, is it? So without further ado, let’s take a look at the most commonly used fabrics they use to create tufted headboards for sale:

• Cotton – Cheap and widely available, cotton is a regular choice for upholstered headboards. Moreover, it is a durable fabric that can handle a bit of wear and tear. The downside is that it is prone to staining and loses its colour easily.
• Leather – Durable, scratch-resistant, easy to maintain, and imposing. Leather is a good choice for those discerning shoppers who want to add a touch of sophistication to their bedrooms. Take a look at the Oslo Leather Headboard to see what we mean.
• Linen – A good choice if you want a colourful, print headboard. Although it does stain quite easily, so be careful with your coffee!
• Synthetics – These fabrics are generally durable. There are a couple of variations on the theme, but most of them have the same anti-stain and anti-wrinkle properties. Look out for names like Acrylic, Olefin, Polyester, and Rayon.

Both leather and fabric upholstered headboards provide sleepers with a soft and comforting support structure to lean against. Plus it is easy to maintain! And, of course, it makes for beautiful and stylish centrepieces for those who want to show off with their bedrooms.

Top quality headboards for sale at The Mattress Warehouse

So you want a headboard, huh? Well, you’re in luck! Not only are you a tufted headboard guru by now, but you are also one click away from a plethora of headboards for sale. We stock a wide variety of headboards at The Mattress Warehouse, so you are bound to find something you like. Moreover, if you prefer to shop in person, visit us in store for all of your bed-related shopping. Go ahead, treat yourself to a new headboard and we’ll take care of getting it to you (T’s&C’s apply).