What is Martindale Abrasion Test?

Martindale is the name of a fabric abrasion tester and of the ISO 12947 method run on it. A disc of fabric (the specimen) is rubbed against an abrasive surface under load along a path called a Lissajous figure, and the result is usually the number of rubs at which the specimen breaks down. This rub count is what people call the “Martindale value” or rating, mostly for upholstery fabric.

What is the Martindale abrasion test?

The apparatus and the method share one name. ISO 12947-1 sets the requirements for the Martindale tester and its auxiliary materials; according to ISO's record, the tester is for woven and knitted fabrics, textiles with a pile height of no more than 2 mm, and nonwoven surfaces. The name comes from its designer. Dr. James Graham Martindale, working at the Wool Industries Research Association (WIRA), designed the machine to test the abrasion behavior of carbon-impregnated cloth meant as protection against gas attacks, and the first tester was built in the WIRA workshop in 1942 (Innovation in Textiles; Science Museum Group).

The parts of ISO 12947 and the test load

ISO 12947 has four parts, and each gives a different result (ISO and EVS records):

In the shared equipment, the specimen holder turns freely on its own axis while carrying the specimen along a Lissajous figure against the abradant (ISO 12947-1, EVS record). In Part 2 the specimen is checked at set intervals, and according to an accredited laboratory's method page the test ends when a hole, a broken yarn in the weave or a clear structural breakdown appears (FILK Freiberg). How the steps run and how to write them into a specification is covered in the fabric testing standards guide.

The test load varies with the intended use. The scope text of ISO 12947-3 sets the total effective abrasion load at 795 g for workwear, upholstery, bedding and technical fabrics, and at 595 g for clothing and for home textiles other than upholstery and bedding. Part 4 works only with the weight of the holder and spindle (198 g) (EVS). ISO 12947-2 does not apply to coated and laminated fabrics; for abrasion of a coated surface, look to the ISO 5470 series.

How is a Martindale value read?

The number in a report is a rub count, not a grade on a scale. If the part, load and end point are not stated, two reports cannot be compared. Our recommendation is to write the method (ISO 12947-2), the load, the end point and the number of specimens into the order together. A rub count is not a lifetime guarantee either: one trade guide treats it as guidance on suitable use, not a guarantee of any service life (Kothea, 2026).

What Martindale value is needed?

There is no single universal threshold. ISO 12947-2 is a test method; its record summary gives no pass limit, and the party writing the specification sets the expected performance. Trade guides give rub bands by use class. They are commercial guidance, not a standard, and they diverge at the upper bands (accessed October 22, 2026):

The first three classes are the same in all three sources; the limits for heavy domestic and commercial classes move between 25,000 and 40,000. Write the rub count and the place of use (home, hotel, office) into the specification, not the class name. The Wyzenbeek method, common in North America (Engert, 2021), gives results that cannot be compared with Martindale rubs: Kothea (2026) notes there is no reliable conversion between the two tests. For suppliers of upholstery fabric, see the upholstery fabrics category.

Which fabrics is it used for?

All three trade guides give their bands for upholstery fabric. ISO 12947-3 also places workwear, bedding and technical fabrics in the heavier load class (795 g). According to the scope text of Part 2, the method applies to all fabrics including nonwovens, except fabrics for which the party writing the specification expects a low abrasion life.

Martindale and pilling

The same tester runs a different method for pilling. ISO 12945-2:2020, the “modified Martindale method”, determines a fabric's resistance to pilling, fuzzing and matting; a test called the “Martindale pilling test” is this one. The abrasion test gives a rub count and the pilling test gives a visual grade, and neither stands in for the other. To ask for a pilling grade, write the method (ISO 12945-2) and the grade you expect into the specification, not a “Martindale value”.

Frequently asked questions

What does Martindale mean in fabric?

Martindale is the name of the tester that measures a fabric's abrasion resistance. An expression such as “Martindale 30,000” says the fabric withstood 30,000 rubs on that tester (an illustration, not a recommended value).

What is a Martindale test?

It is the ISO 12947 test of resistance to wear by rubbing: the specimen is rubbed against an abrasive under load on the Martindale tester, and the result is usually the number of rubs until breakdown.

What is a good Martindale rating for upholstery?

There is no standard answer. The three trade guides above put general domestic use at 15,000–25,000 rubs and commercial use at 30,000–40,000 rubs and over, depending on the guide. Choose the figure by where the fabric will be used and write it into the specification.

Is Martindale the same as Wyzenbeek?

No. They are different abrasion tests, and their results cannot be reliably converted (Kothea, 2026). Wyzenbeek is common in North America (Engert, 2021); the Martindale rub count follows ISO 12947.