Hardback Vs. Softback Lamp Shades

Construction

• To make hardback lampshades, manufacturers laminate fabric onto plastic or paper. Then, they tape or glue the laminated fabric to top and bottom rings to form the shade. Softback shades have a fabric lining. The lampshade fabric and the lining are stretched over a full frame -- with vertical spokes connecting the top and bottom rings -- and sewn together, encasing the frame in fabric.

Cost

• Both hardback and softback lampshades come in a range of prices, but softback shades nearly always cost more than hardback versions. They frequently feature finer fabrics, such as silk, and they’re more labor intensive to make. If you’re on a tight budget, a hardback shade is the better option. If you’re able to invest in a high-end shade, opt for a softback lampshade if it suits your lamp and decor.

Details and Options

• Because the fabric on softback lampshades is sewn rather than laminated and flat, it’s possible to smock, shirr or pleat the shade. If you enjoy dressmaker details, you’ll probably prefer a softback shade.

  If you’re crafty and plan to personalize your lampshade, go with a hardback version. You can stamp or stencil the outside the shade, or you can paint the inside with colored or metallic paint. It’s easier to change the fabric on a hardback shade. Instead of removing the old fabric, as you must with a softback shade, you just cut new fabric to fit and glue it over the old.

Selection

• Most antique lamps -- and new lamps made in traditional shapes and styles -- call for softback shades. For vintage lamps that aren’t yet considered antiques, softback shades typically look best on lamps manufactured before 1950.

  Lamps with contemporary or retro-inspired shapes typically look best with hardback shades in a drum or barrel shape, where the top of the lampshade has the same diameter as the bottom. Hardback drum shades are also best for vintage lamps from the 1950s through the 1970s.