Faux leather upholstery fabric is a popular choice for furniture pieces that have the look and feel of real leather. Its affordability and longevity make it an excellent option for many residential and commercial furniture projects. However, faux leather isn’t without its drawbacks.
Its production uses a number of chemicals and can be hard on the environment. It’s also not a good choice for people who want to lead vegan lifestyles.
The most common faux leathers are made from petroleum-based plastics and can’t be recycled or biodegraded like real leather is. These products often end up in landfills and incinerators and aren’t friendly to the environment.
Another reason to avoid faux leather is that they’re not hypoallergenic and can cause irritations in people who have allergies or asthma. As a result, it’s important to keep your home clean and free of allergens, especially those that can be caused by upholstered furnishings.
A number of companies are producing synthetic alternatives to leather that don’t contain non-biodegradable and environmentally harmful plastics. Some of these alternatives are based on a vegetable-based polymer and can be composted or decomposed naturally over time, making them more eco-friendly than the most common types of fake leather.
In addition to being more expensive than genuine leather, synthetic alternatives lack the elasticity and structural forgiveness that real animal hide has. This can make them more susceptible to damage or rips.
Some of the more popular faux leather options are available in a wide variety of colors, which can be used to enhance a home’s interior design. They’re also a popular choice for boat interior seating and are great for covered outdoor cushions, too.
They’re also less costly than natural leather, and they can be wiped clean with a cloth or a sponge. In addition, they’re easy to maintain and aging more slowly than real leather.
It’s easier to find quality faux leather fabrics than it is real leather, which means that it’s more likely you’ll get a quality product at a fair price. That can save you a significant amount of money over the course of your furniture’s lifetime, and it can help you to create a space that you’re proud of for years to come.
The best faux leather is a high-quality material that’s made from the best materials and has been tested for durability and comfort. Some of the most durable faux leathers are bonded leather, which is made from an outer layer of PVC that’s bonded to a polyester fabric base. Bonded faux leathers are much more durable than vinyl or PU faux leather and can withstand more wear.
If you’re looking for a durable, low-maintenance type of faux leather, consider purchasing PU faux leather, which is more affordable than real leather but has more durability. The PU version of faux leather can be tufted or gathered to give it the appearance of leather and will wrinkle in a way that’s similar to real leather.