What are the Best Staples for Upholstery? Size, Style & Brand

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Now that you’ve got a staple gun, you’re probably wondering what to use in it. In this article, we discuss the best staples for upholstery projects, based on size, style and brand.

One of the most important components of a professional-looking upholstery project is selecting the correct staples for the job. There is a wide selection of different shapes and sizes available on the market today.

Staples play an important role in ensuring that your furniture pieces not only look good when finished but that they continue to look good for years to come. If you choose a staple that is too fine, or too short, then the staples may pull out after only a few days or weeks, depending on the amount and regularity of use.

In this quick read, we explain what to look for when selecting the best upholstery staples for your project, upholstery staple size, and brand recommendations.

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Upholstery staples come in a range of sizes, designed for different projects from delicate fabrics to heavy-duty vinyl.

Choosing the Best Staples for Upholstery

Upholstery staple comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 1/4 inch up to 9/16 inch, and composed of a wide selection of materials from fine wire to heavy-duty galvanized steel.

Unlike the traditional staples that you use in an office, the staples that are used in upholstery work, are specifically designed to penetrate through multiple layers of fabric, vinyl, leather, or any other material that you are working with.

Upholstery Staple Size Explanation

You will find upholstery staples available in a wide selection of sizes, each one of them is tailored to a specific type of task or project. The most commonly available heavy-duty staples range from 1/4-inch all the way up to 9/1-inch.

If you need a staple that is longer, while they are available, you will need to purchase a specialized upholstery staple gun, which has the ability to accept the longer staples.

Upholstery Staple Size: 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch

  • Light, delicate fabrics

When working with lighter-weight fabrics, and more delicate materials, you will want to use shorter 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch staples. Longer staples tend to be too rough on the more delicate materials and may accidentally tear or rip the fabric or material as the staples may be wider than the gap between weaves.

Upholstery Staple Size: 1/2 inch to 9/16 inch

  • Medium-heavy fabrics, leather, vinyl

For medium to heavy fabrics as well as leather and vinyl, you will need to use the longer 1/2 to 9/16-inch staples. Because of the stiffness of the heavier fabrics, the longer staples provide more anchoring capabilities than the 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch sizes.

Best Staple for Upholstery Projects

The size of the staple is not the only factor that you need to take into consideration when selecting a fastener for your next upholstery project, as you will also need to determine what type of staple you will be needing to complete your project.

Fine Wire Staples

When you are working with more delicate fabrics, and on projects where you are more likely to see the staples in the final project, selecting a fine wire staple is usually the best option. Not only are they less visible than other upholstery staples available on the market today, but they are also less likely to accidentally tear or rip the finer and more delicate materials.

Heavy-Duty Staples

Any time that you are working with heavier materials such as vinyl or leather, you will want to make use of heavy-duty staples. Moreover, if you are working on a project that will require that you fasten multiple layers of material together, such as in corner areas, then heavy-duty staples will play an important role in creating a professionally looking finish on the finalized product.

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Heavy materials such as leather require high-quality heavy-duty upholstery staples from a reputable brand, for long-lasting results.

Best Staples for Upholstery – Brands

There are a wide variety of different factories producing staples today. In fact, just about any manufacturer who produces their own staple gun or heavy-duty stapler, also offers their own range of staples. However, many of the staplers that are available on the market today can accept many different sizes and types of heavy-duty staples.

Like with many products, while there are many manufacturers, not all of the products are made equal. Cheap staples are likely to be made with inferior materials or manufactured roughly, potentially leading to rips, tears and breakages. This is why getting a reputable brand of upholstery staples is important.

Upholstery Staple Brand Recommendations

Stanley TRA700 Series

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stanley-tra700-staples/s?k=stanley+tra700+staples

Stanley manufactures some of the most well-known heavy-duty staplers available on the market today. Their products are known for durability and ease of use. One of the most common series of staples manufactured by Stanley is the TRA700 Series. Not only does this series of staples fit just about any Stanley staple gun, but they are also compatible with many different staple guns produced by other companies. The TRA700 Series staples are crafted using nothing less than the highest quality materials, and as such, provide a strong and lasting hold. Due to their readily available nature, most DIY enthusiasts and professionals alike choose to purchase Stanley Staples over any others.

Upholstery Staple Size
  • 1/4 Inch; 5/16 Inch; 3/8 Inch; 1/2 Inch; 5/8 Inch; 9/16 Inch
Project Suitability
  • Light Upholstery Projects
  • General Upholstery Work
  • Marine Upholstery Work
  • Exterior Upholstery Work

Arrow T50 Heavy Duty Staples

Amazon: https://arrowfastener.com/fastener-category/staple/t50/

For years, DIY enthusiasts and professionals alike have reached for a durable Arrow T50 heavy-duty stapler. The staple gun and staples are manufactured using the highest quality materials that are specifically designed to last through the years. Not only do Arrow T50 heavy-duty staples provide a powerful and secure hold, but they are also rust and corrosion-resistant. They can be used in both manual as well as electric staple guns, and have developed a reputation for being consistent and reliable. As a result, the Arrow T50 heavy-duty staples are a popular choice for the DIY enthusiast.

Upholstery Staple Size
  • 1/4 Inch; 5/16 Inch; 3/8 Inch; 1/2 Inch; 5/8 Inch; 9/16 Inch
Project Suitability
  • Medium Upholstery Projects
  • General Upholstery Work
  • Heavy-Duty Upholstery Work
  • Marine and Exterior Upholstery Jobs

BOSTITCH Heavy-Duty Staples

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bostitch+heavy+duty+staples

Brand Website: https://www.bostitch.com/

When it comes to reliability and durability, nothing beats Bostitch. Bostitch has grown to become one of the most sought-after fastener manufacturers in the world. Not only do they provide a wide assortment of heavy-duty staplers, but they also manufacture a selection of staples that are perfect for just about any type of DIY upholstery project. Their high-quality staples go in straight every single time and provide strong holds.

Upholstery Staple Size
  • 5/16 Inch; 3/8 Inch; 1/2 Inch
Project Suitability
  • Perfect for Light and Medium Upholstery Projects
  • General Upholstery Work
  • Marine Upholstery Jobs
  • External Upholstery Projects

DeWalt Staples

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dewalt+heavy+duty+staples

Brand Website: https://www.dewalt.com.au/

DeWalt makes a large assortment of tools that have become trusted by DIY enthusiasts and professionals from around the world. To ensure that their tools provide users with reliable and consistent results, they also manufacture a wide selection of professional-grade fasteners. The DeWalt brand staples are known not only for their quality but also for their compatibility with other manufacturers’ staple guns. They are made from high-quality materials which result in a durable final product, that is capable of delivering a reliably strong hold every single time.

Upholstery Staple Size
  • 5/16 Inch; 3/8 Inch; 1/2 Inch; 5/8 Inch; 9/16 Inch
Project Suitability
  • General Upholstery Work
  • Light Upholstery Projects
  • Medium Upholstery Jobs
  • Versatile Upholstery Tasks

Porter-Cable Staples

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=porter+cable+heavy+duty+staples

Brand Website: https://www.portercable.com/

When it comes to manufacturing some of the most precise and reliable tools for use in both the upholstery and general construction industries, more and more DIY enthusiasts and professionals trust Porter-Cable for all of their fastener needs. Not only does Porter-Cable manufacture many different popular models of manual, pneumatic, and electric staple guns, but they also manufacture high-quality staples for just about any task. The staples manufactured by Porter-Cable deliver precise and consistent performance every single time, which ensures that every upholstery project is a successful one.

Upholstery Staple Size
  • 5/16 Inch; 3/8 Inch; 1/2 Inch; 5/8 Inch
Project Suitability
  • General Upholstery Tasks
  • Light and Medium Upholstery Jobs
  • Perfect for Marine Upholstery Work
  • Excellent for Use with Exterior Furniture

Conclusion

This brings our article on the choosing the best staples for upholstery projects to an end. We hope this has given you a good idea of what specifications to look for when shopping for upholstery staples.

To recap, here are the staple specifications to look out for:

  • Delicate and Light-Weight Fabrics: Fine wire staples, in upholstery staple size 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch
  • Medium and Heavy-Duty Materials: Heavy-duty staples, in upholstery staple size 1/2 inch to 9/16 inch.

If you have not already got one, make sure to get yourself a good quality upholstery stapler. In our guide to the best staple guns for upholstery, we discuss what specifications and features to look in an upholstery stapler, plus brand and model recommendations. Check it out if you’re uncertain whether the stapler you have will cut it for your project, or if you simply need to get a new stapler.

Happy upholstering!

Author

  • nestkoo author image - sara kooring

    Hey, I’m Sara, co-owner of NestKoo! I’m a graphic designer and professionally trained fine artist, with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) majoring in Painting. I love being close to nature, sustainable living and bringing new life to old things. My specialty in NestKoo is DIY house painting, upholstery and furniture upcycling, where I bring my skills in fine art painting and contemporary design together into a practical home DIY context.

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