Whatever the upholstered furniture may be, the question of material always comes up sooner or later. What would you prefer: a natural product or a synthetic material, the original or an imitation? Opinions differ sharply, especially when it comes to leather. Only from the perspective of an animal rights activist is it a straightforward issue. Animals have to die for leather, and that is unacceptable, full stop. On the other hand, faux leather still has a bad reputation to this day. For example, people say it makes you sweat, feels cheap and is less durable than genuine leather. Is that true?
Common misconceptions
Ideally, this is the kind of topic scientists should explore in depth. But even without a test tube or a Bunsen burner, you can find a few key clues to the differences between leather and faux leather, which in turn explain their advantages and disadvantages. Even a little knowledge of materials goes a long way here. The topic of “leather or faux leather” is of course especially interesting when it comes to using it as a furniture upholstery material. A leather jacket or a pair of genuine leather shoes may also be a purchase meant to last for many years, and one that comes at a price. But at the end of the day, clothing is always subject to changing fashions.
The situation is different with furniture. The Chesterfield sofa, Bauhaus sofa or club chair are classics that look good in almost any setting. Leather has also made its mark in offices, especially in executive suites: an executive chair office chair, a conference chair or a high-end office chair immediately looks far more sophisticated when it is upholstered not in plastic, padding or mesh fabric, but in leather. Or in faux leather, for that matter. Visually, the two materials (leather office chair or faux leather office chair) are no longer distinguishable at first glance. The days are gone when faux leather could be spotted from three metres away, even against the wind, because one of its components is a plastic compound. Nowadays, faux leather office chair manufacturers have succeeded in convincingly replicating the natural grain structure of real leather. In all other respects, however, the original and the imitation differ fundamentally.
A closer look at the original
Leather is a natural product. More precisely, it is animal hide that has been preserved through a chemical process. It is obtained from an animal's so-called corium by tanning it. During this process, the perishable hide, which is subject to natural decomposition, is turned into a more durable product. After tanning, the leather has one smooth side and one rough side. The smooth side is known as the “grain side” and has a fine, individual surface texture. Its reverse side, the “flesh side”, has a rougher surface.
Leather only acquires the appearance you know from clothing, furniture or shoes during further processing. For nubuck leather, for example, the grain side is lightly buffed with fine sandpaper, whereas for suede the flesh side is sanded. For a smooth leather jacket, the material is sprayed with several layers of binders, pigments and additives and then ironed, polished or embossed so that the coating is firmly bonded to the leather. This treatment makes it more hard-wearing and allows it to remain matt or be given a glossy finish. Patent leather requires a different treatment: with the help of oil varnish, cold varnish or foil varnish, leather is turned into shiny patent leather.
The fact that natural leather still enjoys such a high standing with most people can also be explained by looking at the past: its history is closely linked to the history of humankind. Alongside wood, stone and wool, it is one of the earliest materials ever used and has served people in many ways: as a material for shoes, clothing and weapons, as a material for bags and jewellery, as a covering for chests and caskets or furniture. Not infrequently also as a fabric for shelters – the best-known example is probably the “tipi”, a tent made from deer and buffalo hide that could be assembled and dismantled relatively easily by the indigenous peoples of North America.
A closer look at the imitation
By contrast, faux leather is a relatively recent development. As the production costs for leather are quite high, inventive people began trying early on to create a substitute for genuine leather. It was only with the possibilities offered by modern chemistry that it became possible to create a product that resembles the natural material – while being fundamentally different in its properties.
This is mainly because faux leather is a composite made up of a textile base material, in other words a machine-woven fabric, and a top layer of plastic. Either natural fibres or synthetic fibres are used for the fabric, and sometimes even blends of the two. The coating consists either of soft PVC or polyurethane. To ensure that faux leather also comes close to the feel of the original, the coating is chemically foamed or mechanically roughened.
Faux leather has by no means been accompanying humanity for as long as leather has, but only for a few decades. However, attempts to find an inexpensive alternative seem to go back much further, as a look into the classic “Mercks Warenlexikon” reveals. In the third edition of the “Reference Work on Goods and Merchandise for Trade, Industry and Commerce” from 1884, the following can be found under the entry “Leather Substitutes”: “These are artificial products intended to replace leather. Efforts have long been made to produce such materials, without succeeding in inventing a product that meets all requirements and in particular replaces certain types of leather.”
This rather unflattering description is followed by the qualification that at least some substitutes had been developed which can replace leather in certain cases or even surpass it when it comes to resistance to water and weathering.
The newcomer: Vegan leather
These days, vegan materials & lifestyles are right on trend. The same goes for vegan leather, which is made entirely without animal products or by-products. Even though vegan leather is an artificial, synthetic material, it should not be equated with every type of faux leather. Unfortunately, greenwashing is often involved here, as not every kind of faux leather is automatically vegan. Many types of PU leather, for example, are not cruelty-free. It is therefore advisable to check the label before buying to get more information about the leather alternative. Faux leather made from PVC is also not considered vegan, as petrol, natural gas and oil are used in its production. For this reason, vegan leather is often made from cork or special fungi. Vegan leather is also more demanding to care for than conventional faux leather when it comes to cleaning. It is therefore advisable to find out enough about it beforehand. Nevertheless, vegan leather is a good way to get a high-quality leather chair while also protecting animal welfare.
Standoff: A comparison of the two materials
This brings us knee-deep into the differences between these two products, which may look similar but are fundamentally different in substance. Thanks to their different structures, the two materials react differently to water, fire and mechanical stress.
Water
While faux leather can be considered almost waterproof, mainly due to its plastic coating, moisture penetrates real leather through its natural pores. Up to a certain amount of water, nothing will of course happen, but depending on how intensely liquid acts on the natural material, it will eventually soak through.
Mechanical stress
Depending on the manufacturing process and the quality of the faux leather, it can be almost indestructible. It neither loses its shape under heavy mechanical stress nor can it be pierced with normal force – unless, of course, sharp objects are involved. Real leather, on the other hand, loses its shape comparatively quickly, stretches under tension and dents with one-sided wear.
Fire
Faux leather can withstand body heat and even sunlight up to a certain point, but it is relatively flammable. It would not survive the ember of a cigarette, and it can be set alight with a standard lighter. Real leather, on the other hand, can even push a Bunsen burner to its limits: even at the highest temperatures it will at most smoulder – but it smells absolutely dreadful.
Care
Both materials are roughly equally resistant to stains. Almost any dirt and residues from liquids can be removed from both faux leather and real leather with the right household remedy. All in all, faux leather proves easier to care for: real leather needs treating with oil or wax from time to time so that it does not lose its suppleness.
Comfort
The best-known prejudice against faux leather is: you sweat more easily on it. The rule here is clear: the cheaper the office chair faux leather is made, the more likely this assumption is to be true. The reason is the plastic used in the coating, which keeps water from getting into the fabric, but also prevents air from getting out. As for the feel, a lot has changed in the meantime. Whereas faux leather could usually still be identified very easily by touch around ten years ago, originals and imitations have become astonishingly similar thanks to modern processes.
Environmental assessment
Various factors play a role in the environmental assessment of leather and faux leather. These include, among other things, the raw materials used, manufacturing and processing. It is therefore not possible to make a blanket statement about which material is generally the better choice.
For leather, for example, the origin of the animal hide, the tanning process and further processing are relevant. Depending on the manufacturing method, the substances used and the amount of resources required may vary.
For faux leather, the assessment depends, among other things, on the material composition used and the manufacturing process. Plastics such as polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are often used. Here too, manufacturing methods and material compositions can vary depending on the product.
If you want to take environmental aspects into account when choosing an office chair, you should therefore pay attention to specific information about the product and manufacturer in question. Statements about environmental impact should be based on transparent and verifiable information.
Price
When it comes to cost, faux leather is clearly ahead. Depending on production and quality, the price of faux leather is around 50 to 70 percent lower than that of genuine leather.
Conclusion
Objectively speaking, it is hard to understand why faux leather still has such a bad reputation: it is more affordable, more hard-wearing and can be produced in a more customised way than genuine leather. The fact that faux leather tends to make you sweat more may indeed matter for shoes and clothing.
When it comes to office furniture or desks, however, this point can be neglected; and all the other aspects offer clear advantages: chairs show less wear, couches are easier to clean, and office chairs look elegant and come in a wide range of colours.
For the care of leather and faux leather, please also refer to the article Material care for office chairs: organic soap for wool, water for leather.