Shopping for leather products is very tough. These days even experts find it difficult to differentiate between Genuine Leather and Man-Made Leather. On top of that, if you buy a chair in which only a limited amount of leather is used, it becomes tougher to figure out whether the leather is genuine or artificial.
In the beginning, even we were not able to figure out the differences, but after going through dozens of blogs and guides, we are now confident enough that we can find genuine leather.
To help our readers, specifically those who are about to shop for a leather office chair. We want you to know all the differences before you walk into a showroom and surf the internet.
In this guide, we will talk about Bonded Leather, Faux Leather, and Genuine Leather. Besides that, we will also highlight the differences between these three leather types.
Let’s directly jump on the first leather, i.e., Bonded Leather
Bonded Leather
Bonded Leather is not entirely artificial; the raw materials used in Bonded Leather are Scraps, Leftovers of the genuine leather manufacturing process. Besides this, to add the texture of genuine leather, a polyurethane binder chemical is used.
The composition of Bonded Leather goes like this;
20% Scraps and Fabrics of Genuine Leather
80% Chemicals and Binders
Faux Leather
Faux Leather is entirely artificial. It is also known as PU Leather. In the manufacturing of faux leather, the thermoplastic polymer is used. Faux leather is most widely used in office chairs under the name of Genuine Leather.
You have to be very careful while picking your leather office chair because Faux leather is quite tough to distinguish, and chances are the manufacture will play with some complex terms to confuse you about the leather.
Genuine Leather
Genuine leather is the most durable. It will last for years. However, Real Leather might have some irregularities. On top of that, you won’t find much genuine leather in the market because the manufacturing of Genuine Leather costs a lot and is quite complex.
Now, let’s move to the segment where all the differences are discussed.
Bonded Leather vs. Faux Leather vs. Genuine Leather
There could be dozens of differences since we can only cover a limited of them; we have tried to list all the significant differences below:
This comparison will help you make better decisions, and from now, you won’t be confused while shopping for best cheap ergonomic office chair.
Durability
No doubt, Real leather is the only winner of this category. Neither Bonded nor Faux comes closer to Real Leather in terms of durability.
However, Real Leathers gradually creates a brown film on the top surface, this ruins the appearance of the leather to some extent, but at the same time, it acts as a protective film.
Bonded Leather is the least durable, and it is because of the mixture of Scrap Leather, Adhesive, and Polyurethane. The joints in the leather are the real culprit here. Bonded leather tends to get wear tear quite easily. Besides this, its color will fade over time.
Faux Leather’s lifespan is somewhere between Real Leather and Bonded Leather. It’s completely artificial. Therefore, it doesn’t have any joints or irregularities. But, the synthetic process makes it unbreathable. Therefore it tends to crack over time.
Texture
If you understand the texture of different leathers, we can assure you that no one can scam you. You just have to expertise the skill of checking the leather’s texture.
Genuine leather is going to have the most natural appearance. In genuine leather, you will feel some inconsistency in the texture. Usually, it will be smooth and soft, but there will be patches where it will be hard and rough.
Genuine leather is going to have a limited number of colors. No one can apply any dye to it.
Faux leather is going to have a consistent texture. It will be soft, smooth, and regular. Besides that, Faux leather will have a wide variety of colors.
Genuine leather is going to be the easiest to detect using the texture. You will find Bonded leather thinner in comparison with Faux and Real leather.
Cost
Genuine Leather will cost you the most, whereas Faux Leather will less than Real Leather and more than Bonded Leather.
The genuine leather manufacturing process is quite complex. That’s why it is expensive, but manufacturing Faux leather is easiest, still expensive than Bonded Leather. It is mainly due to the popularity among customers.
Bonded Leather is the cheapest one among all three. It is also the least popular type of leather.
Cleaning
If you are an active individual who keeps his belongings clean and cares a lot for them, we recommend you get Real leather. It is because Real Leather tends to get dirty and smelly quite easily. Genuine leather absorbs moisture; therefore, you have to be very careful with genuine leather if you live in a humid region.
Faux leather doesn’t get dirty or smelly quite easily. It does not absorb any moisture. Therefore, you don’t have to clean Faux leather so often.
You can use mild chemicals to clean Faux leather, but it is recommended to avoid any chemicals for cleaning Real Leather.
Bonded Leather is something that could create for you. Bonded leather tends to release some chemicals, and it could be dangerous for you.
Besides that, cleaning Bonded Leather is quite a task. Its joints can peel off quite easily, and it could break into pieces.
Conclusion
We can guide you to differentiate three types of leather, but it all depends on your preferences at the end of the day. We are not saying that a kind of leather is good or bad. It’s just that, what are your preferences.
If you need something for the long term, you can go with Real Leather. Whereas, if you want something for a short period, you can go with Faux or Bonded Leather.
When it comes to leather, every investment is worth it.