Leather Definitions
When making a leather furniture choice, various materials may meet
your requirements. This information is intended to help you determine
what product you are being offered and to assist you in deciding what
you want in your home based on your budget, needs and an informed
understanding of various product types.
The following terms are often used to describe the differences in furniture leather and other upholstery products:
Top-grain leather: This leather comes from the
outermost upper layer of the cowhide, and is the only leather
recommended for all high quality sofa leather. The best top-grain hides
reflect that the animal has lived in an environment that resulted in
limited scratches, insect bites or other damage. These hides can be
minimally processed and used in their most natural form. Generally, less
processing allows the hide to be softer and display a more natural
character.
Corrected Leather: Corrected leather has been
significantly processed so that lower quality top-grain hides may be
used. Corrected means the application of more chemicals and paint, the
stamping of an artificial texture and other processes. This tends to
produce leather that is not as soft as less-processed top-grain but has a
more uniform look and finish, making the product very durable.
Corrected leather allows for a lower price for the final product. It is
often best suited for recreational rooms or other places that require
exceptional durability.
Protected Leather: This is simply another way of
saying “corrected” leather, except it may not be limited to top-grain.
It refers to the fact that enough paint or other finish was applied to
make the surface more durable than a more natural and less-processed
leather.
Split Leather: The process of tanning leather
involves reducing the hide to the thickness required for upholstered
products. The back of an animal has a thicker skin, so it is “split” to
create a piece of leather out of this extra thickness. This is real
leather but has no natural surface and lacks the strength of top-grain
leather. Split leather is processed by correcting the leather, giving it
a stamped and painted surface that approximates a top grain, and then
used for the backs and sides of sofas to reduce the cost of the final
product. This use is legitimate and appropriate but the consumer should
be informed when split leather is used.
Leather-Match: This term is used to describe an
upholstered product where a portion of the product is real leather but
the back, sides or less visible parts are constructed of an artificial
material, usually vinyl. It is matched to look like leather.
Leather-match is often used on motion furniture or recliners but can be
used on any upholstered product. It is a method of creating a product
that offers the sight and touch of real sofa leather but significantly
reduces the final price.
Bi-cast Leather: This product comes in roll form
like a fabric rather than the shape of an animal hide. It is really a
plastic product that contains leather but in a manner where the customer
neither can see nor feel the leather. The product uses the lower-value
and lower-cost split leather as the backing of the product and creates a
finish by applying a sheet of plastic on the front surface, usually
polyurethane (PU), to provide the color, texture and strength. This
product tends to be fairly stiff and is usually produced in dark colors
only.
Bonded Leather: The term serves no purpose other
than to permit the use of the word “leather” to be associated with the
product. This is really a PU (polyurethane) product that has leather
shavings sprayed onto the back. The top layer showing the outer color
and texture is PU. The strength and carrier of the product is a thin
fabric in the center. The leather shavings are applied on the back as
described.
Bonded Leather Match: This is a construction where
some bonded leather is used on a product and the balance is normally the
same product without leather shavings. The purpose of the match is to
reduce cost, while the purpose of the bonded leather is to allow the
term “leather” to be associated with what is essentially a plastic or PU
product. The product may be attractive and appropriate for certain
consumer applications but it is not leather.
Polyurethane (PU): This is a very effective form of
plastic that can be applied to fabric or other products to create
beautiful and durable surfaces. The product is considered safe if
appropriate materials and dyes are used, and is recommended for
applications that are price-sensitive and require a high degree of
durability. PU is very versatile. It can be made to replicate leather,
suede and any number of other surfaces.
Vinyl: A product similar to PU but normally not as
durable or versatile. It is normally lower in cost than PU so is used
for “match” applications where strength is not an issue.
Nubuck: This is a term that has historically been
associated with suede leather but is not a legal term. It is sometimes
used for artificially produced forms of suede. If the price is
exceptionally low, it is likely not real leather.
Microfiber: This is a unique form of fabric that is
constructed in a manner that allows for various surface types, and can
provide attractive characteristics in strength and durability.
Unfortunately, this product can be produced at many price and quality
levels so the term itself has little meaning in establishing its
relative value.
Proprietary Terms: Manufacturers of non-leather
products and producers of finished upholstered product frequently
develop their own proprietary terms to describe their product (i.e.
using invented names, such as combing “new” and “hide” with creative
spelling.) As you can imagine, a frequent characteristic of these names
is the tendency to use terms that imply strength and durability, or are
associated with leather. Typically none of these names apply to real
leather. The product they describe is usually a bonded leather or a
polyurethane product. The product itself may be appropriate but the
consumer should seek clarity as to what the product really is
constructed of.
Palliser Furniture is the source for this guide. More information can be found at http://www.palliserfurniture.com.
