Are You Confused About Leather Furniture?

We have compiled some leather terminology to help take the ‘mystery’ out of leather.

Leather speaks to quality, fashion and style, nothing compares to the enduring beauty of genuine leather. Supple and luxurious, quality leather can be up to 4 times more durable than fabric upholstery and improves in appearance over time. Leather is a great investment for any home or any family environment. There are many different types of leather hides or leather looks on the market today from a variety of animals such as: buffalo, pig, goat, lamb etc. but cowhide is the best for use in the furniture industry. There are initial steps at the tannery to convert a raw hide to one that is finished: soaking, de-hairing, tanning, splitting, sorting, dyeing, drying, and finally finishing. It may take 3-4 hides to make a sofa.

“Aniline”

Also called pure, natural, naked, & unprotected leather. Only the best, blemish-free hides are soaked in the aniline dyes to create this exceptionally sumptuous and soft “naked” leather, with no other finishes or pigments applied. Shades may vary from hide to hide and even within one hide. Susceptible to surface scratches, natural markings are visible.

“Semi-Aniline or protected”

Also called pigmented, corrected or painted. These leathers have a small amount of coating, giving them slightly better protection against stains and fading.

“Patina”

A luster that develops over time on pure aniline hides.

“Top Grain”

means the outer part of the hide after it has been split, which is the most durable and desirable layer. These hides are buffed and then pigmented, a great alternative for heavy traffic areas. It is highly recommended for leather upholstery due to the strength of the fibers.

“Split Leather”

Underneath the top grain outer surface of the hide is the middle and lower layers called splits. It is durable but weaker than the outer layer. In these cases, “split hides” can be used effectively on all areas of the furniture. “Bi Cast” is a man made treatment that is added to the surface of the leather. It is durable and attractive; however, it changes the look and character of the leather. Typically used on outside arms and outside backs of upholstery.

“Full Grain”

Generally means the hide has not had a finishing treatment added. These hides are often the most luxurious and soft to touch, but will show marks from use. Natural markings may also be visible such as: healed cuts, insect bites, wrinkles & scars. Not generally advised for homes with children or for anyone who does not want to see wear marks in their leather. Only genuine full grain leather can boast these markings and are not cause for warranty claims as it is the hide with the least amount of processing.

“Leather Match” or “Leather Seating”

Is generally meant to show that there is real leather on the seating areas of the upholstery and vinyl or vinyl equivalent on the non seating areas of the furniture (like lower front panel, sides and back) This is a way to offer better value price points. The leather may be of high or poor quality depending on the particular merchandise. The vinyl (sometimes call PVC, pleather or Durhahide) is generally durable and reliable. There are some potential drawbacks to using vinyl and leather, IE: over a longer period of time the leather and the vinyl can fade at different rates. We find cuts in vinyl more difficult to weld than leather also and the seams in “leather match” are not as reliable. We do sell “leather match” on recliners too.

“Bonded Leather”

As particle board is to wood, bonded is to leather. Many people in the furniture industry, including Bennett’s, do not believe it should be called “leather”. Bonded leather is a composite of ground up products including vinyl and very small ground up pieces of leather that are mixed in with polyurethane and bonded to fabric or splits. It is mostly used on bibles, bags, belts, is a very reasonable price on furniture and should last as long as vinyl.

“Corrected or embossed”

Hides that have been sanded and then imprinted with any of a wide range of textures or patterns. Have you ever seen a cow hide imprinted to look like a zebra hide?

“Leather-aire & Renew leather”

the names are trademarks of La-Z-Boy. Another related term you may hear is recycled leather. They are a man- made product which is a composite of materials like polyester & cotton and a small percentage of leather. It is a fabric not leather. Customers seem to like the look, it’s well priced, feels like a fabric and looks deceivingly like a worn leather!

A few extra tips about leather furniture and how to buy it.

• The most important question to ask our Bennett’s Sales consultant is what type of leather is it?
• A leather sofa has to suit your lifestyle first. Is it going to work for the way you're going to use it? What room will it go in? If it's a busy space that gets a lot of wear and tear, go with a little heavier finish and protection so that you can just wipe up a stain.
• Leather takes on the temperature of your body within 12 seconds, so the notion that leather is cold is a misconception.
• When considering price, remember that a leather sofa will last at least as long as three fabric sofas.
• Also, consider the construction of the piece (eg. frame, stictching, foam density)

Leather Care

Here are some important points for the care of your leather furniture:

• Heat Sources: Leather conforms not only to your body’s shape but also to your body’s temperature. Try and insure that all leather furniture is at least two feet from the room’s heat source. Your heat source will accelerate the drying out of the natural oils in your leather furniture and could result in discoloration and cracking of the leather.
• Sunlight: Avoid placing your furniture in direct sunlight (under windows or skylights) because just like human skin, changes in colour will occur. All materials will fade over time when placed in direct sunlight.
• Dust: Like all items in your home, leather will accumulate dust. Vacuum on a weekly basis to keep the dust particles from settling in the grain of the leather. Periodically it is appropriate to dust your leather product with a LIGHTLY dampened cloth with distilled water on a clean white cloth to also alleviate the dust accumulation.
• Household cleaners: Avoid using household cleaners as they contain chemicals that may damage the hide.
• Leather conditioner: Many leathers benefit from use of a leather conditioner to keep leather soft. Use a quality product as inferior care kits may damage leather.