What to look for in a new leather suite

nearlyrich

We bought a "leather" suite ( 3 seater, 2 seater and a chair) about 10 years ago from a company who no longer exist. The 3 seater gets the most use and there are a couple of cracks on the base of the seat which makes me suspect it's not leather on that part. We have been looking to replace it and have seen lots of different fabrics described as leather but no-one wants to give us a straight answer about what constitutes leather.
We have seen what I would call leather cloth described as bonded leather what I would like is an explanation of what is allowed to be called leather in the context of furniture these days can anyone help?

ali-t

No idea but i bought a leather sofa that was extotionate (lazyboy) and the 'leather' rubbed off where the recliner moved after a few weeks. Scs kindly offered to fix it with leather paint! 2 years of fixes and replacement parts and i got all my money back.

subscribing to your thread to see if anyone knows how to identify genuine leather for a suite. Good luck in your search.

teddysmum

OP, have you considered renovation using Gliptone products ?


They used to just supply leather treatments to car manufacturers, such as Rolls Royce, but now have a wide range to treat household upholstery.


They will even do a colour match, via sample or by manufacturer's name and colour title. We can still obtain Aqua for our twenty five-year-old Frayling suite.

daveyjp

With leather sofas it is the case that you need to spend good money if you want a decent product.

A good independent retailer will give you plenty of advice about what to look for. If sales staff at outlets you are trying don't know move on.

eclipse2015

https://www.sofaitalia.co.uk/faq.html
I would recommend this site, I haven't used them but thinking of doing so as they have sent us some samples and the leather is great quality
The only thing putting me off is that I don't live anywhere near their showroom so would have to take a leap of faith that they were comfortable
They seem to have great reviews though!

teddysmum

You need to know what type of leather is used. The most expensive is not necessarily the best for wear, as there are different levels of protection, where some of the most expensive skins are ruined by water.

Rain_Shadow

daveyjp wrote: »

With leather sofas it is the case that you need to spend good money if you want a decent product.
.

This. I bought a Duresta suite last year. Expensive, but the difference in quality from previous suites i have had is very noticeable .

wrightk

bonded leather is not genuine leather and should be described as such in the sofas description.It is a mixture of a very small amount of leather fibres mixed with a whole load of other materials.

I bought a bonded leather suite a couple of years ago, thinking it would be ok. It really wasn't. After 12 months the material had lifted from the sofa, cracked, peeled and is essentialy now pretty much bare of any fabric.Never again

nearlyrich

We found what we wanted in Sofaworks including a knowledgeable person who explained the differences in grades of leather etc. Decent price and probably the most comfy sofa I have ever sat on.

teddysmum

wrightk wrote: »

bonded leather is not genuine leather and should be described as such in the sofas description.It is a mixture of a very small amount of leather fibres mixed with a whole load of other materials.

I bought a bonded leather suite a couple of years ago, thinking it would be ok. It really wasn't. After 12 months the material had lifted from the sofa, cracked, peeled and is essentialy now pretty much bare of any fabric.Never again

I'm amazed that they are still being produced, as we bought one in 1972, with the same result. (I think the fabric was called Haleskin).


We paid to have the suite recovered , by an independent upholsterer, as we thought one of the dogs had caused the problem and, too late, met two others , who had the same problem. (They complained to the manufacturer and had refunds).

edgex

Go to a decent/independent retailer, or even find a manufacturer (not that difficult, leather furniture is made in the UK)